****** Full text of
"History_of_the_counties_of_Argenteuil,_Que._and_Prescott,
Ont.,_from_the_earliest_settlement_to_the_present._--" ******
TORONTO LIBRARY 78* JS YONGE TORONTO M4W 2G8
Ctinadlan History HISTORY ... OF THE . . . COUNTIES OF . .
RGENTEOlL.OlE.AsCOTlONT, . . . FROM THE . . . EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO
THE PRESENT.
C. THOMAS,
Author of THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS, FRONTIER SCHOOL-MASTER AND HISTORY
OF SHEFFORD.
TVIONTRBA.lv :
PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL & SON.
23 AND 25 ST. NICHOLAS STREET.
o
1896
Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand
eight hundred and ninety-six, by C. THOMAS, in the office of the Minister
of Agriculture and Statistics at Ottawa.
1951
PRKFACK.
In a volume of ordinary size it would be impossible, of course, to
give a sketch of all the pioneers in a district of much extent ; in
the outset of the present work, therefore, it was the intention of the
writer to give biographi cal sketches of only the very early pioneers
and those who, in different ways? had become prominently identified
with the history of the two Counties. It was in pursuance of this plan
that a few of the longer sketches were written ; but among so many of
the early settlers who arrived in the country about the same time,
it was no easymatter to decide which was the more justly entitled
to notice. To obviate this difficulty, and to avoid the very common
complaint against Local Histories that they mention only the rich and
fortunate it was determined to notice, by giving shorter sketches, all
who evinced sufficient interest in the work to subscribe for it. But
in pursuing this plan, we have by no means neglected to mention any
individual or event whose history is at all likely to add interest
to the work. Numbers of individuals, therefore, who have passed away,
leaving no descendants in the country, have been accorded quite as much
space as those surviving. In ou r desire to do justice to all, and record
every incident brought to our notice which seemed worthy of preservation,
we have enlarged the book considerably beyond our intention at first,
and, beyond the size stated in the prospectus. In a book of so many
and varied subjects, it would be scarcely less than a miracle should not
errors be found and, especially, when the writer in several instances has
discovered serious mistakes in notes which the individuals who gave them
regarded as perfectly correct. It is believed, however, that what ever
errors may yet be discovered, if any, will be of so trifling a nature that
they will not seriously affect the value of the work.
That the work has been a very laborious one, the reader will at once
perceive, indeed, the writer, from ill health, has more than once almost
despaired of completing it ; but He who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb
has enabled him to persevere through many discouragements and bring it
to completion. He would acknowledge himself profoundly grateful for the
assistance rendered by the different clergymen whose contributions appear
in these pages, as well as for that extended by W. J. Simpson, M.P. P. ;
v jii PREFACE.
G. W. Parmelee, Secretary of the Council of Public Instruct ; G^F. Calder
Esq. Cols. Shields and Higginson, Sheriff Hagar, G. J.Walker, Esq., Dewar,
Esq., Duncan Dewar, Esq., T. T. Higginson, Esq., and several others.
" He that writes
Or makes a feast, more certainly invites
His judges than his friends ; there s not a guest
But will find something wanting or ill-drest."
However true the above lines, the value of local history increases with
the progress of culture, and its benefit no one will deny. This volume^
i presented to the public with the belief that it will be accorded a
recepti sufficiently cordial to save the author the unpleasant reflection,
that his lal
has been performed in vain.
Page 109, line 6, the legal right of any protestant clergyman except
those of he established churches of England and Scotland to keep re gl
sters of civil status or
to officiate at marriages.
Page 123, Hue 8, The late James Middleton.
Page i2S, 4th line from bottom, Lord Reay.
Page 147 * 19, For Catherine McLean, read Catherine McLaunn.
Page 222, last line, read Mr. Walker s present dwelling.
Page 223, line 25, for an Elder read Manager.
Page 461, ist line, for Western read Eastern.
Page 466, line 19, for this company, read their company.
The Ottawa 9
Champlain s Astrolabe ,,....... 1 1
The Heroes of the Long Sault 15
The Indians descent of the Ottawa with furs 20
do do do 21
Opening of the fur trade on the Pacific.... 21
Mr. Philemon Wright s ascent of the Ottawa 24
Navigation on the Ottawa 26
Places of interest on the Ottawa 32
County of Argenteuil 34
Census of 1891 34
Geology of Argenteuil 35
Representatives 39
Sir J. J. C. Abbott 42
Agricultural Society 45
County Council 48
Argenteuil Rangers 48
Fenian raids ,.,... 51
The Schools of Argenteuil 58
Inhabitants of Argenteuil 60
Scotch settlers of Argenteuil 63
Seigniory of Argenteuil 66
Sir John Johnson 67
St. Andrew s Parish 70
do Village 70
Churches , 103
Anglican Church 103
Presbyterian Church 104
Roman Catholic Church 114
Baptist 117
Congregational 119
Methodist.... 122
Bible Society 1 23
C. E. Society 123
W. C. T. U. Society 123
Woman s Missionary Society 123
Masonic Lodge 1 24
Mercantile 131
Cote du Midi and the Bay 1 38
River Rouge 147
Beech Ridge 151
Geneva 156
Carillon 162
Employees on Carillon Canal 1 86
Municipal Council 190
The Dam 191
Isle aux Chats 193
Town of Lachute 194
Reminiscences of early days , 213
Professional 227
Rise and Progress of Education 232
Lachute Academy 233
Rise and Progress of Religion 237
Presbyterian Church 238
Henry s Presbyterian Church 242
Anglican Church 243
Baptist ; 244
Methodist 246
Roman Catholic Church 248
W. C. T. U. and C. E. Societies 248
Mechanics Institute 249
Manufactures 250
Paper Mills 253
Newspapers 262
Bridges and railroads 263
Mercantile establishments 263
Hotels 266
Parish of St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil 269
East Settlement 272
Bethany 277
Videsac 278
Hill Head 279
Chatham 280
Gushing 297
St. Mungo s Church 302
Greece s Point 307
Stonefield 309
St. Phillip 313
Roman Catholic Church 316
Staynerville 322
Brownsburg... 324
Dominion Cartridge Factory 326
Mount Maple 333
Dalesville 336
Baptist Church 343
Edina 365
Grenville 366
Grenville Village 367
Anglican Church 378
Presbyterian t 379
Roman Catholic 379
Methodist 383
Baptist 384
Mercantile , 388
La Belle Falls 396
Calumet 398
Augmentation of Grenville 403
Point au Chene 404
Avoca 407
Harrington 4
Lost River.... 416
Lake View . . 418
The Glen 4 21
Wentworth 422
Louisa 424
Wentworth Glen 4 2 5
Laurel 428
Montfort 4 2 **
VI
INDEX. Continued-
Gore 43
Lakefield 432
Shrewsbury 436
Mille Isles 438
Cambria 441
Morin 444
Morin Flats 445
Arundel 447
Montcalm 460
Howard . . 460
Prescott 461
Census of 1 89 1 461
Representatives of Prescott , 462
Inhabitants 464
Militia officers of 1838 467
l8th Battalion of Militia 467
Schools of Prescott 468
Progress of the timber industry 471
Agricultural Society 475
Point Fortune 477
The H. B. and N.W. Companies 485
A Canadian Heroine 495
Longueuil . 502
L Orignal 513
Methodist Church 515
Presbyterian 517
Roman Catholic 520
Anglican Church 520
Professional Men and Officials 520
Mercantile and Business Men 524
Newspapers 528
Cassburn 529
Hawkesbury Mills 533
Churches 542
Presbyterian Church 542
Anglican Church 543
Manufactures 547
Mercantile 549
Evandale , 551
Green Lane 553
West Hawkesbury 554
Henry 563
Vankleek Hill 564
Presbyterian Church 570
Anglicau Church 571
Methodist Church , 572
Baptist Church 573
Roman Catholic Church 5 74
Schools 575
Hotels 577
Manufactories 578
Newspapers 580
East Hawkesbury 588
Chute au Blondeau 588
Little Rideau 597
Stardale 604
St. Eugene 609
do R.C. Church 6o
Barb 615
Caledonia 621
Fenaghvale 622
do St. Paul s Church 625
St. Amour 627
Caledonia Springs , 628
Alfred 630
do R. C. Church 630
Lafaivre 631
Holmes Settlement 635
Alfred Village 635
James Settlement 638
North Plantagenet 6 38
Plantagenet Mills 638
do Churches 641
do Hotels 642
Treadwell 6 44
Hughes Settlement 645
Jessup s Falls 6 45
Curran 646
Ceuterfield 6 47
Rockdale 6 49
Pendleton 6 5 J
Smith Settlement 6 53
do Prest. Church 654
South Plantagenet 6 55
Riceville 6 5 6
Franklin s Corners 662
Lemieux 663
Fournier 663
OTTAWA.
(0)
this noble river is the dividing line between the two Counties to the
history of which this volume is devoted, and, moreover, is the stream upon
which thousands of their inhabitants have toiled for the maintenance of
them selves or families, it naturally deserves more than a passing notice.
Fine, charming, beautiful, lovely, wonderful river, are expressions any
one or all of which may be heard daily on the steamers which ply its
waters ; and ex travagant and ridiculous as seem these adjectives when
applied to many objects, no one ever regards them inappropriate when
applied to the Ottawa.
Coming from the far North, from regions almost unknown, there is a
certain mystery about it, which awakens our curiosity and engenders
a spirit of romance. While its beautiful islands and the picturesque
scenery of its shores are continually demanding our admiration, as we
ascend its current, its breadth is an ever- present source of wonder.
From the moment we leave Lake St. Louis, where it unites with the St. Law
rence, till we have passed two hundred miles beyond the Dominion Capital,
we look in vain for any perceptible decrease of its breadth and volume ;
there is the same oft-recurring change from river to lake, from lake to
river. The Ottawa is
emphatically a river of lakes, and of the last fifty miles of its course,
they form no small proportion.
Scarcely have we left Lake St. Louis, ere we enter the beautiful Lake
of Two Mountains, every square rood of whose shores is replete with
historic interest. Leav. ing this, we are soon on the expansive
bosom of St. Placide Bay, and anon on Rigaud Bay, each vying with the
other in beauty and area, as well as in the importance of its historic
associations. And thus we may sail, seeing river after river, and some of
them large in size, adding their waters to those of the mighty Ottawa,
without causing the slightest apparent difference in its size ; indeed,
it is said that it is broader 280 miles from its mouth than it is after
Deceiving twenty tributaries, and several of them such streams as the
Gatineau, the Li^vre, the North and South Nations, the
Rouge and the River du Nord. Wonderful indeed ! But our interest increases
as we cast our eyes along the history of the past, and see the important
events with which the Ottawa has been connected. It was the highway of
the early French explorers,
2
I0 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
traders and missionaries who brought the first tidings of the Gospel
to the natives of New France. It was traversed by the red man when he
first in peace bartered the
products of the chase with the whites at Montreal; also, when he stole
stealthily upon them to dye his tomahawk in their blood. This was the
route pursued by the coureurs du bois, as they went to and from their
far-off haunts for game, and many decades later the Ottawa bore the
canoes ^of the Nor Westers, and returned them with rich
cargoes of peltries.
The earliest event with which the Ottawa is associated, which we find
mentione< Canadian history, is its ascent by Champlain, in 1613, on a
wild goose chase, to discover the North Sea. A person named Vigneau had
accompanied him on several visits to the Indians, and spent a winter among
them. He reported that the river of the Algonquins (the Ottawa) issued
from a lake connected with the North Sea ; that he had visited the shores
of this sea, and there witnessed the wreck of an English vessel. The
crew eighty in number had reached the shore, where the inhabitants had
killed and scalped them all except a boy, whom they offered to give
up to him, with other trophies of their victory. Champlain had this
declaration made in writ ing, and signed before two notaries, at the
same time warning Vigneau that if it were false, he would be liable to
punishment by death. Vigneau adhered to his statements, and Champlain,
having learned that some English vessels had been wrecked on the
coast of Labrador, no longer doubted, and prepared to depart for the
North to explore that section of the country.
With two canoes containing four Frenchmen including Vigneau-and one
Indian, he proceeded up the Ottawa, during which voyage he experienced
severe hardships
and encountered many difficulties. Owing to frequent rapids and cataracts,
they
were obliged, often, to carry their canoes and stores overland, and
sometimes this was impossible, on account of the dense forests and
undergrowth. The latter diffi culty was overcome only by dragging their
boats through the rapid current, where their lives were in constant
jeopardy. Another danger, also, continually menaced them, that of meeting
wandering bands of Iroquois, to whose ferocity they would
doubtless have fallen victims. At last they were obliged to abandon
their corn and trust entirely to their success in hunting and fishing
for provisions.
They finally reached the habitations of Tessonat, a friendly chief,
whos country was eight days journey from that of the Nipissings, where
the shipwreck was said to have occurred. He received them courteously ;
but in a council which was held later, he promised, only on the most
earnest entreaty, to comply with Cham- plain s request for an escort of
four canoes. Finding the Indians still reluctant t fulfill this piomise
and averse to accompany him, he demanded another meeting, u which he
reproached them with their intended breach of faith; and to convince
them that the fears which they expressed were groundless, referred to
the fact of Vigneau having spent some time among the Nipissings.
Vigneau being then called on to state whether such was the case, after
some hesitation and evident reluctance replied in the affirmative. The
chief immediately
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. lt
called him a liar, asserted that he had never been beyond the limits
of their own country, and declared that he deserved torture for his
dishonesty. Being submitted to a rigid examination by Champlain, Vigneau
was obliged to admit that what the Indians said was true, and that his
tale, by which Champlain had been led to encounter such hard ships,
and neglect matters he had so much at heart, was a fabrication. Leaving
him with the Indians as punishment for his perfidy, Champlain returned
to Quebec, and soon afterward to France.
In 1867110 little interest was awakened among antiquarians by the finding
of an Astrolabe, which there very is good proof was lost by Champlain
on his trip up the Ottawa which is described above.
We are indebted to Mr. Colin Dewar, of Ottawa, for the account which
follows. He says :
I have a distinct recollection that an article appeared in the Montreal
Witness, in the summer of 1867, giving an account of the finding of an
Astrolabe near Portage du Fort, on the Ottawa.
This was a most interesting relic, on account of its being (as was
conjectured) the one used by Champlain on his voyage of exploration
up the Ottawa in 1613. In order to ascertain the truth of the report,
and to obtain, if possible, the fullest information regarding it, I
instituted a vigorous search (for a time with very little prospect of
success) ; but considering that no trouble would be too great to secure
the proper information icgarding such a valuable relic, I persevered
in my endeavors, a ultimately was rewarded by finding a very complete
account in pamphlet form, from the pen of the W A.J. Russell, Esq., Crown
Timber Agent in Ottawa, whose son, John Alex. Russell, Esq., of the
Public Works Department, has also contributed some exceedingly valuable
information. The account given by Mr. Russell is so very interesting,
and deals with the subject in such a scientific manner, that it will be
both pleasing and profitable to the readers of these sketches to have
it faithfully transcribed.
CHAMPLAIN S ASTROLABE. LOST ON THE 7Tii JUNE, 1613,
and FOUND IN AUGUST, 1867.
In the preface, Mr. Russell says : " This brief treatise was not
originally wiitten with a view to " publication ; but as the subject
is connected with the early history of Canada, and throws a little "
additional light on an obscurity in a part of Champlain s journal of his
first voyage up the Ottawa. " I have been induced by the flattering
recommendations of a few friends to have a very limited edition " of
it published, trusting it may be in some degree interesting to Canadian
readers."
Mr. Russell now goes onto say ; "The Astrolabe which is the subject
of this treatise was " shewn to me by Captain Oveiman of the Ottawa
Forwarding Co. lie afterwards gave it to R. W. " Cassells, Esq., then
President of that Company, now of Toronto, who obliged me with the loan of
" it. Knowledge of the Portage on which it was found led me to believe
that it was the one that " Champlain s journal contains evidence of his
having lost there, in 1613.
CHAMPLAIN S ASTROLABE.
"This Astrolabe, of which a photo is prefixed, was found in 1867, on
the rear half of lot 12, in the "second range of the township of Ross in
the county of North Renfrew, Province of Ontario, on the "river Ottawa,
by Captain Overman s people in cultivating apiece of ground, at a small
lake near the
, 2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
road from the Ottawa to Muskrat Lake, and is believed to have been lost
by Champlain in traver- sing that portage on his way up the Ottawa in the
year 1613."-" 1 he following particulars respect- ing it, and reasons
for believing it to be Champlain s, may perhaps be found interesting
to Cana- dian readers. Its diameter is S tt inches, of plate brass,
very dark with age, and / 8 of an inch thic. i above increasing to 6&
of an inch below, to give it steadiness when suspended, which apparently "
was intended to be increased by having a weight on the ring at the bottom
of it, in using it on ship < board. Its suspending ring is attached by
a double hinge of the nature of a universal joint. Its circle isdivided
into single degrees, graduated from its perpendicular axis of suspension.
ble blade d index, the pivot of which passes through the centre of the
Astrolabe, has slits and eyelets " in the projecting sights that are on
it, and by turning the index directly to the sun at noon, so that . ,
h e same ray may shine fully through both eyelets, while the Astrolabe
hangs freely. The sun s Meridian altitude, and thereby the latitude of the
place of observation, can be taken to within "about % of a degree, or even
less, which is as close as Champlain s latitudes generally were taken.
"The date of 1 603 is engraved on the face of the Astrolabe.
" Champlain made his first voyage up the Ottawa in 1613, and his journal
contains conclusive " evidence that he lost his Astrolabe on the 6th or
7 th June of that year, in passing through the por- , a ge on which this
Astrolabe was found. It is singularly remarkable that this evidence lies
chiefly in an error in Champlain s latitude of what is now the village
ofPembroke, which attracted the spe- cial attention of our Canadian
historian, Mr. Ferland, and is the subject of a copious note on page
" -07 of the splendid illustrated edition of the works of Champlain,
edited with copious and interesting " poles by Abbe Laverdiere of
the Laval University, and published by Mr. Desbarat in 1870, while "
it is equally worthy of remark that the loss of his Astrolabe accounts
sufficiently for Champlain not afterwards detecting and correcting this
error of his by subsequent obseivations, and his having "lost it accounts
also for his having made no more observations for latitude on that voyage,
which he < certainly otheiwise would have done. It will be seen on
examination that Champlain s error in ob- "servation of latitude took
place near Gould s Landing, below Portage duFort (which seems to have
escaped the notice of Mr. Ferland and others), and that his error in
speaking of the latitude of Pem- " broke is simply a continuation of his
first error, arising from its being merely an estimation or rough dead
reckoning of his Northing from Gould s Landing, in consequence of his
not having the means of " determining it by actual observation owing to
his having lost his Astrolabe.
"This will be more clearly apparent by following the course of Champlain,
and noting what he says about his observations for latitude.
" He left the Island of Ste. Helene, where his barque lay at anchor,
on the 271*1 May, 1613, with " a party of four Frenchmen and one
Indian. (There was no Montreal in those days.) Being delayed "by bad
weather, he did not leave Sault St. Louis till the 2 9 th. On Vhe 3
oth he took an observation "for latitude at Lachine. His words in the
French of his time are : Je prius la hauteur de ce lieu, " qui est par
les 45 degrez 18 minutes de latitude, which is only about five minutes
less than the true "latitude of the place, a very insignificant error
when it is taken into consideration that the Verniers we now have on all
scientific instruments for reading the sub-divisions of degrees were not
then in "common use, though invented about that time. Giving a brief but
vivid and highly interesting " description of the danger he experienced
in towing his own canoe up the Long Sault Rapids, of the "fair and
spacious tributary rivers, the beautiful islands and magnificent woods
as he passes along, "and exchanging one of his Frenchmen for an Indian
of a war party that he met at an island near what is now the site of the
antique-looking and picturesquely situated manor house of the late Hon.
Louis Joseph Papineau, and passing the Rideau Falls, which excite his
admiration, he reaches the "great Asticon, as his Indians called it,
and which in their language meant < Chaudiere, and des cribes that
great waterfall of the Ottawa, in all its native grandeur, which all
old Bytonians so well "remember, though now impaired and desecrated. On
passing it on the 4th June, he took an obser-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 1 3
"vation for latitude at what is now the overgrown busy village of
Hull. He says ; Je prius la hauteur du lieu, et trouvay 45 degrez 38
minutes de latitude, that is only about 12% minutes in excess of the
"true latitude, which is 45 25 33" N. Passing the Chaudiere Lake and
the Eardley mountains on " the 5th, and the gre|it falls of the Chatts,
where, singularly enough, they left their provisions and part " of their
clothing, to avoid the fatigue of carrying them, he ascends the Chats
Lake and camps on an l island at the head of it, where he first meets
the Ottawa red pine trees, and admires their beauty. He " there erected a
cross made of one of them with the arms of France cut upon it. Leaving it
on the " 6th he paddled up the Cheneaux Rapid. The reader who has passed
that way will remember the " narrow passage between the rocky islands and
(he lofty precipitous rocks, whose shadows darken "the swift and surging
waters through which the steamer sways and struggles before entering
the pic- " turesque reach of smooth water leading to Portage du Fort.
" Here Champlain says he crossed to the west side of the river, where
it turns to the north, " and landed for the purpose of taking the route
by the Muskrat portage and lake to Pembroke, by 11 the advice of his
Indians, to avoid the many rapids and falls on the main river. The place
of his " landing is very [definitely apparent on the sketch with this,
which is copied from the plan of the " Ottawa canal survey, and here
he says he took an observation of the latitude : Nous traversames "
done 1 ouest la riviere qui courait au nord, et pris la hauteur de ce
lieu qui estoit par 46 2 3" " de latitude.
" It is here that he makes the error of a full degree, in addition to
the usual amount of error due, " to the imperfection of the instrument,
for the latitude of his landing place is only about 45 35 , and " this,
it is to be observed, is the last observation that he says he took during
the voyage. He then " says: We had much hardship in making our way by this
land route, being loaded, for my own " part, only with three Arquebuses,
as many paddles, my capot and some little bagatelles. I " encouraged
my people, who were a little more heavily loaded, and more harassed by
the mosquitoes " than by their burdens. Thus after having passed four
small lakes or ponds (petits e tangs), we were " so fatigued that it
was impossible for us to go further, as for nearly 24 hours we had eaten
nothing " but a little roasted fish without sauce, for, as I have said,
we had left our provisions; we rested on " the banks of a little lake,
which was pleasant enough, and made a fire to drive away the mosqui-
" toes. The next day, June 7th, we passed this pond, which may be a
league in length, and then made " our way by land for three leagues
through a more difficult country than any we had yet seen, owing "
to the wind having blown down the pines one over the other, which is
no small inconvenience, " hiving to pass sometimes over and sometimes
under these trees. Thus we came to a lake 6 " leagues long (Muskrat Lake).
" The four little lakes that he passed on the 6th are shown on the sketch,
and his distance made " that day of 2^ leagues from ihe Ottawa is very
nearly correct, so also is the length of the lake he " traversed on
the morning of the 7th, but the distance from it to the Muskrat Lake
is estimated by " him at nearly double what it really is, but that is
exactly what might be expected from any person " little accustomed to
the woods in struggling through windfalls. The small lake near which,
I was " informed by Capt. Overman, the Astrolabe was found, and which is
most accessible at th.it end, "would be a most suitable halting place. He
reached Muskrat Lake early enough in the diy to " be entertained formally
with the pipe of peace and friendship in Indian fashion, followed by a
" speech and refreshments from Nebachis, the chief of the Indians, who
cleared and cultivated land " there, and had fields and gardens which
they took him to see.
" Nebachis had a couple of canoes equipped, and took him down Muskrat
Lake, and across the " short portage of three miles by a well beaten easy
path (now the stage route to Pembroke), to see "the Chief Tessonat. He
arrived there on the 8th June, so early that after visiting Tessonat,
and " making some nrrangements with that chief, he had time to go over
to Allumette Island, the chief " abode and stronghold of that branch of
the Algonquins called the Kichsipim (men of the Grand
I 4 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
river), characterized in Les Relations des ^suites as extrcmcmcnt suptrbe.
There examin- ing at leisure their land and burying grounds, he conferred
with their chiefs and prmc.pal men, and invited them to attend the feast
or public dinner that the bon vieux Capilaine Tessonat was to "oiveonthe
9 th at Pembroke, on which day, after Tessonat s formal state dinner
had come off its various courses, such like as they were, attended by
the chiefs and great men, each bringing with him his own wooden bowl
and spoon, and after solemn smoking and speechification, Champlain,
to pass the rest of the day, walked about in their gardens. But neither
during this time nor the day after, nor indeed during the remainder of
the voyage, does he speak at all of takmg any more -observations for
latitude. What he says of Pembroke is simply that it is about the 47th
degree of -- latitude : Elle est par les 47 degrez ^ ] *^e, that is,
in speaking of Allumetle Island and foot of Allumette Lake. In noticing
this as an error of fully a degree in the absence o any other means
obvious to him of accounting for it, M. Ferland, in page 164 of his
Cours d Histo.re du Canada says: Pnreille erreur n a rien qui doive
surprendre. dans une expedition ou ,1 lu, deva.t etre " difficile de
faire des observations exactes. But we cannot accept of this explanation
as adequate to account for the difference between the true latitude of
Pembroke, which ,s about 45 5 o W- and that of 47 given by Champlain,
for in examining his errors in latitude in the cases quoted, and those
made on his voyage to Lake Huron two years later, after having been
again in France it be right to designate as errors differences, his
instruments were not graduated minutely enough t indicate), we find
that they are comparatively insignificant, seldom amounting to the
third part " of a degree, which corresponds closely with the ctpacity
of the Astrolabe found. \\ e see there- < fore that this error of a
degree in the latitude of Pembroke could not arise from imperfect power
c his instrument, as M. Ferland s explanation seems to suggest. In fact,
a little further consi tion enables us to see that .he circumstance of
this great error of a degree having been originally "made below Portage
du Fort, demonstrates conclusively that he took no observation at all at
Pembroke. For we all know, especially those of us who are accustomed to
the use of .nstruments for the observation of altitudes, or have even the
ordinary knowledge of the doctrine of chances, that, as Champlain knew
well that he was travelling northward, the certainty is, that if he had
mad observation of Pembroke at all, he would have assuredly detected his
e.ror made on the 6th, fi it he would be necessarily made to appear to
have been going south. We are not at liberty suppose he would have made
the error of a degree a second time accidentally, for we know that "the
common principle of chances, the probability as more than ten thousand
" would not make the same accidental error twice in succession. Also,
as we see that he was habit of taking observations for latitudes of
less important points, as he went along, and formally noticing his
observations, we may be very well assured that he would not have failed
determine, by actual observation as usual, the latitude of a position so
important as point he had reached, if he had had the means of doing so,
and no other cause that can I " accounts sufficiently for his not having
the means of doing so, and for his having taken no " tion on this voyage
after the 6th of June, excepting the loss of his Astrolabe on th, po "
this one was found.
Taken altogether, therefore, there is strong circumstantial evidence
that this was his Astrola < and that his loss of it, there and then,
was the cause of the extraordinary error m his " Pembroke which attracted
I he attention of his commentators.
While we look upon this Astrolabe as a relic of the founder of civilized
society in Canada, her greatest man and most daring explorer, the
founder of her most ancient cities, of her gre mercial metropolis ;
and while we regard it with additional interest as a memento < ture
on what was even then Canada s great interior highway of commerce, and
is by the sar tiny now the site for her great Pacific Railway, we may
also look upon it as a reh " even pie-historic science and civilization.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. je
" The day of Astrolabes, like that of the men who used them, has
long gone by. This was pro- * bably one of the la^t of them that were
used. One of the last works on them is Clavius Treatise on * Astrolabes,
printed at Miyence in 161 1. They were soon after superseded. Vernier,
the inventor " of the Vernier scale now in use on the indexes of all
scientific instruments for reading subdivisions " of degrees, published a
tract on La Construction, 1 Usage et les Proprietes du Quadrant "Nouveau
de Mathe"matique at Brussels en 1631. In it the nature and use of the
Vernier is " explained, and it had indeed been known for a number of
years bafore. It will be readily under - " stood by all acquainted
with scientific instruments that the Quadrant Nouveau with its Vernier
" would speedily supersede so imperfect an instrument as the Astrolabe
before us. The Astrolabe " was found in general use among the Southern
Arabians by Vasquez de Gama, when he discovered * as it is commonly held,
the way round the Cape of Good Hope to India, known in the days of "
Pharaoh Necho. The origin of the use of it by them is 1 >st in the
remote past. From the days " of de Gama back to the earliest notices
of commerce in existence, the commerce of the Arabians " and their
predecessors, the Cushite Arabians, extended to every coast, and almost to
every island of " the Indian Ocean from India to Abyssinia, as Rawlinson
says in his work on Herodotus. Our " Alchemy, Arabic figures, Almanac
and c Algebra, indicate the channel through which our " sciences came."
Champlain returned to Canada in 1815, and the same year, in company
with his Huron and Algonquin allies, once more ascended the Ottawa,
and explored the country towards Lake Nipissing, and thence to Georgian
Bay and Lake Huron.
The most important event, however, associated with the Ottawa is the
brave defence on its shores by the "Heroes of the Long Sault." The exact
site of this
heroic fight is unknown different parties locate it in different places,
and all sup port their opinions with arguments equally good. But there
are strong reasons for believing that the fight occurred in what is now
known as Greece s Pt., or at a spot nearly opposite, in the township of
Hawkesbury, Ont., tradition, and the finding of many Indian weapons there,
strongly sustaining the claims of ths latter place to this honor.
The following account is taken from " The Old Regime in Canada " by
Francis Parkman :
THE HEROES OF THE LONG SAULT.
In April, 1660, a young officer named Daulac, commandant of the garrison
at Montreal, asked leave of Maisonneuve, the Governor, to lead a party
of volunteers against the Iroquois. His plan was bold to desperation. It
was known that Iroquois warriors in great numbers had wintered among the
forests of the Ottawa. Daulac proposed to waylay them on their descent
of the river, and fight them with out regard to disparity of force; and
Maisonneuve, judging that a display of enter prise and boldness might
act as a check on the audicityof the enemy, at last gave his consent.
Adam Daulac was a young man of good family, who had come to the colony
three years before, at the age of twenty-two. He had held some military
command
in France, though in what rank does not appear. He had been busy for
some time among the young men of Montreal, inviting them to join him in
the enterprise he
i6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
meditated. Sixteen of them caught his spirit. They bound themselves by
oath to accept no quarter ; and having gained Maisonneuve s consent,
they made their wills, confessed, and received the sacraments.
After a solemn farewell, they embarked in several canoes, well supplied
with arms and ammunition. They were very indifferent canoe-men, and it
is said that they lost a week in vain attempts to pass the swift current
of Ste. Anne, at the head of the Island of Montreal. At length they were
successful, and entering the mouth of the Ottawa, crossed the Lake of
Two Mountains, and slowly advanced against the current.
About the ist of May they reached the foot of the formidable rapid
called the Long Sault, where a tumult of waters, foaming among ledges
and boulders, barred
the onward way. It was needless to go farther. The Iroquois were sure
to pass the Sault, and could be fought here as well as elsewhere. Just
below the rapid,
where the forests sloped gently to the shore, among the bushes and stumps
of a rough clearing made in constructing it, stood a palisade fort,
the work of an Algon quin war-party in the past autumn. It was a mere
enclosure of trunks of small trees planted in a circle, and was already
in ruin. Such as it was, the Frenchmen took possession of it. They made
their fires, and slung their kettles, on the neighboring shore; and
here they were soon joined by forty Hurons and four Algonquins. Daulac,
it seems, made no objection to their company, and they all bivouacked to
gether. Morning, noon and night, they prayed in three different tongues ;
and when, at sunset, the long reach of forest on the farther shore basked
peacefully in the level rays, the rapids joined their hoarse music to
the notes of their evening hymn.
In a day or two their scouts came in with tidings that two Iroquois
canoes were
coming down the Sault. Daulac had time to set his men in ambush among
the bushes at a point where he thought the strangers likely to land. He
judged aright. Canoes, bearing five Iroquois, approached, and were
met by a volley fired with such precipita tion that one or more of
them escaped, fled into the forest, and told their mischance to their
main body, two hundred in number, on the liver above. A fleet of canoes
suddenly appeared, bounding down the rapids, filled with warriors eager
for revenge. The
allies had barely time to escape to their fort, leaving their kettles
still slung over the fires. The Iroquois made a hasty and desultory
attack, and were quickly repulsed. They next opened a parley, hoping,
no doubt, to gain some advantage by surprise. Failing in this, they
set themselves, after their custom on such occasions, to building a rude
fort of their own in the neighboring forest.
This gave the French a breathing time, and they used it for strengthening
their
defences. Being provided with tools, they planted a row of stakes within
their pal isade, to form a double fence, and filled the intervening
space with earth and stones to the height of a man, leaving some twenty
loop-holes, at each of which, three marks men were stationed. Their work
was still unfinished when the Iroquois were upon
them again. They had broken to pieces the birch canoes of the French
and their allies, and kindling the bark rushed up to pile it blazing
against the palisade ; but so
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 17
brisk and steady a fire met them that they recoiled, and at last gave
way. They
came on again, and again were driven back, leaving many of their number
on the ground, among them the principal chief of the Senecas.
This dashed the spirits of the Ircquois, and they sent a canoe to call
to their aid five hundred of their warriors, who were mustered near
the mouth of the Richelieu. These were the allies whom, but for this
untoward check, they were on their way to join for a combined attack on
Quebec, Three Rivers and Montreal. It was madden ing to see their grand
project thwarted by a few French and Indians ensconced in a paltry redoubt
scarcely better than a cattle-pen ; but they were forced to digest the
affront as best they might.
Meanwhile, crouched behind trees and logs, they beset the fort, harassing
its defenders day and night with a spattering fire and a constant menace
of attack.
Thus five days passed. Hunger, thirst, and want of sleep wrought fa tally
on the strength of the French and their allies, who, pent up together
in their narrow prison, fought and prayed by turns. Deprived as they
were of water, they could not swallow the
crushed Indian corn, or "hominy," which was their only food. Some of
them, under cover of a brisk fire, ran down to the river and filled such
small vessels as they had ; but this pittance only tantalized their
thirst. They dug a hole in the fort, and were rewarded at last by a
little muddy water oozing through the clay.
Among the assailants were a number of Hurons adopted by the Iroquois,
and fighting on their side. These renegades now tried to seduce their
countrymen in the fort. Half dead with thirst and famine, they took the
bait, and one, two, or three at a time climbed the palisade, and ran
over to the enemy, amid the hootings and exe crations of those whom they
deserted. Their chief stood firm, and when he saw his nephew join the
other fugitives, he firedhis pistol at him in a rage. The four Algon-
quins, who had no mercy to hope for, stood fast with the courage of
despair.
On the fifth day an uproar of unearthly yells from seven hundred savage
throats, mingled with a clattering salute of musketry, told the Frenchmen
that the expected reinforcement had come ; and soon, in the forest and
on the clearing, a crowd of war riors mustered for the attack. Knowing
from the Huron deserters the weakness of
their enemy, they had no doubt of an easy victory. They advanced
cautiously, as
was usual with the Iroquois before their blood was up, screeching,
leaping from side to side, and firing as they came on ; but the French
were at their posts, and every loop hole darted its tongue of fire. The
Iroquois, astonished at the persistent vigor of the defence, fell back
discomfited. The fire of the French, who were themselves com
pletely under cover, told upon them with deadly effect. Three days
more wore away in a series of futile attacks, made with little concert
or vigor, and during all this time Daulac and his men, reeling with
exhaustion, fought and prayed as before, sure of a martyr s reward.
The uncertain, vacillating temper common to all Indians now began to
declare itself. Some of the Iroquois were for going home. Others revolted
at the thought, and declared that it would be an eternal disgrace to
lose so many men at the hands
1 8 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of so paltry an enemy, and yet fail to take revenge. It was resolved
to make a general assault, and volunteers were called for, to lead the
attack. No precaution was neglected. Large and heavy shields, four or
five feet high, were made by lashing to gether, with the aid of cross
bars, three split logs. Covering themselves with these mantelets, the
chosen band advanced, followed by the motley throng of warriors.
In spite of a brisk fire, they reached the palisade, and crouching below
the range of shot, hewed furiously with their hatchets to cut their way
through. The rest followed close, and swarmed like angry hornets around
the little fort, hacking and tearing to
gel in.
Daulac had crammed a large musketoon with powder and plugged up the
muzzle. Lighting the fuse inserted in it, he tried to throw it over the
barrier, to burst like a grenade among the crowd of savages without ;
but it struck the ragged top of one of the palisades, fell back among
the Frenchmen, and exploded, killing or wounding
several of them, and nearly blinding others. In the confusion that
followed, the Iro- quois got possession of the loop-holes, and thrusting
in their guns fired on those within. In a moment more they had torn a
breach in the palisade ; but, nerved with the energy of desperation,
Daulac and his followers sprang to defend it. Another breach was made
and then another, Daulac was struck dead, but the survivors kept up the
fight. With a sword or a hatchet in one hand and a knife in the other,
they threw themselves against the throng of enemies, striking and stabbing
with the fury of madmen ; till the Iroquois. despairing of taking them
alive, fired volley after volley, and shot them down. All was over,
and a burst of triumphant yells proclaimed the dear-bought victory.
Searching the pile of corpses, the victors found four Frenchmen still
breathing. Three had scarcely a spark of life, and, as no time was to
be lost, they burned them on the spot. r lhe fourth, less fortunate,
seemed likely to survive, and they reserved him for future torments. As
for the Huron deserters, their cowardice profited them little. The
Iroquois, regardless of their promises, fell upon them, burned some at
once and carried the rest to their villages for a similar fate. Five
of the number had the good fortune to escape, and it was from them,
aided by admissions made long
afterwards by the Iroquois themselves, that the French of Canada derived
all their knowledge of this glorious disaster.
The story of the Heroes of the Long Sault has been admirably told by
Mr. George
Murray, B.A., F.R.S.C., in his celebrated poem, How Canada was Saved.
Daulac, the captain of the fort in manhood s fiery prime,
Hath sworn by some immortal deed to make his name sublime ;
And sixteen soldiers of the Cross, his comrades true and tried,
Have pledged theii faith for life and death, all kneeling side by side.
And this their oath, on flood or field, to challenge face to face
The ruthless hordes of Iroquois the scourges of their race
No quarter to accept or grant, and loyal to the grave,
To die, like martyrs, for the land they had shed their blood to save.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 19
* Sofc was the breath of balmy Spring in that fair month of May,
The wild flower bloomed the Spring bird sang on many a budding spray
A tender blue was in the sky, on earth a tender green
And peace seemed brooding, like a dove, o er all the sylvan scene,
\Vhen loud and high, a thrilling cry dispelled the magic charm,
And scouts came hurrying from the woods to bid their comrades arm.
And bark canoes skimmed lightly down the torrent of the Sault,
Manned by three hundred dusky forms th; long expected foe.
" Eight days of varied horror passed ; what boots it now to tell
How the pale tenants of the fort heroically fell ?
Hunger and thirst, and sleeplessness, Death s ghastly aids, at length
Marred and defaced their comely forms, and quelled their giant strength ;
The end draws nigh they yearn to die one glorious rally more,
For the sake of Ville-Marie, and all will soon be o er ;
Sure of the martyr s golden crown, they shrink not from the cross,
Life yielded for the land they love, they scorn to reckon loss."
The fort is fired, and through the flame, with slippery, splashing tread,
The Redmen stumble to the camp o er ramparts of the dead.
There, with set teeth and nostrils wide, Daulac, the dauntless, stood
And dealt his foes remorseless blows, mid blinding smoke and blood,
Till, hacked and hewn, he reel d to earth, with proud unconquered glance,
Dead but immortalized by death Leonidas of France !
True to their oath, his comrade knights no quarter basely ciaved
So died the peerless twenty-two So Canada was saved.
A visit by the French to the scene of this obstinate fight confirmed the
story of those Hurons who had escaped, and for many years, subsequently,
Daulac was re membered by his countrymen in Canada as their deliverer,
and his name was rever
enced as that of a hero and martyr.
The fact that the Iroquois, after this fight, returned to their homes
without mak ing their contemplated attack on the cities, also confirmed
another report of the Hurons, viz., that the Iroquois were completely
disheartened with their victory, and had no relish for another contest
with the French. If twenty of the latter without support or comfort
almost without food and water could perform such a prodigy of valor,
what might they expect when confronting hundreds supplied with abundant
stores of food, arms and ammunition ? Such was the question pondered
by the Iroquois, and the consideration of which induced them to abandon
the war path and seek their homes.
But to the shame of Canada, be it said, no monument marks the spot
of this memorable defence, and even its location is now a subject of
conjecture. Indeed, it is surprising to find how great the number,
even in this section of Canada, who declare that they never heard of
the event. We can well understand why Daulac s contem poraries failed to
mark the spot with an appropriate monument, as they were few in number,
and waging incessant warfare with poverty, as well as Indians. For a cen-
20 HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
tury after this event, also, its site was remote from civilization, in
an unbroken wilder ness; and anything of the kind erected there would,
doubtless, have been destroyed by the savage. But for a century past, no
such obstacle to a proper recognition of this gallant band has existed,
and every patriotic Canadian should desire to show to the foreign visitor
who passes up and down the Ottawa, that Canada has her Ther mopylae.
Let him read on enduring material, the fact, that on the shores of this
beautiful river, long ago, died twenty heroes, as brave as ever Spartan
mother nursed, as patrio tic as those of whom Roman or Grecian poet
ever sung.
The French are proverbially proud of their heroes, and ever ready to
perpetuate
the fame of their honored dead. They point with pride to the statues
adorning their galleries of history, and gladly expatiate on the deeds
performed by their great and good. But let the patriot Frenchman, when
he points to the monuments of Maison-
neuve, Montcalm and Chenier, remember that Daulac and his nineteen
comrades, deserving the highest niche in the temple of fame, have never
been duly honored ;- that for nearly two and half centuries, the only
reminder of the hallowed spot where these martyrs fell has been the swift,
roaring, turbulent waters of the Long Sault.
We are indebted to Parkman, also, for the account of the two following
incidents with which the Ottawa is connected.
During the second administration of Frontenac as Governor of Canada,
he left Quebec for a visit to Montreal, at which place he arrived July
3151, 1690.
A few days after his arrival, the officer commanding the fort at La
Chine sent him a messenger in hot haste, with the startling news that
Lake St. Louis was "all covered with canoes." Nobody doubted that the
Iroquois were upon them again. Cannon were fired to call in the troops
from detached posts ; when alarm was sud denly turned into joy by the
arrival of other messengers, to announce that the new comers were not
enemies, but friends. They were the Indians of the upper lakes descending
from Michillimacinac via the Ottawa to trade in Montreal. Nothing so
auspicious had happened since Frontenac s return. The messages he had
seat them in the spring by Louvigny and Perrot, reinforced by the news
of the victory on the Ottawa and the capture of Schenectady, had had the
desired effect ; and the Iro quois prisoner, whom their missionary had
persuaded them to torture, had not been sacrificed in .vain. Despairing
of an English market for their beaver skins, they had come as of old to
seek one from the French. On the next day all came down the rapids and
landed near the town. There were fully five hundred of them- Huron-,
Ottawas, Ojibway?, Pottawtamies, Crees, and Nipissings, with a hundred
and ten canoes laden with beaver skins to the value of nearly a hundred
thousand crowns. Nor was this all, for a few days after, La Durantaye,
late commander at
Michillimacinac, arrived with fifty-five more canoes manned by French
traders, and
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 21
filled with valuable furs. The stream of wealth dammed back so long
was flowing
upon the colony at the moment when it was most needed. Never had Canada
known a more prosperous trade than now, in the midst of her danger and
tribulation. It was a triumph for Frontenac. If his policy had failed
with the Iroquois, it had found a crowning success among the tribes of
the Lakes.
Four or five years later, when the country was again in a great state of
destitution on account of the frequent raids of enemies, which compelled
the settlers or colonists to neglect the implements of agriculture for
those of war, another arrival of furs quickly changed the country from
misery and destitution to happiness and plenty.
It was shortly after the repulse of Phipps at Quebec, and some other
successes of the French, that " the Governor achieved a success more
solid and less costly."
The indispensable but most difficult task of all remained : that of
opening the
Ottawa for the descent of the great accumulation of beaver skins which
had been
gathering at Michillimacinac for three years, and for the want of which,
Canada was bankrupt. More than two hundred Frenchmen were known to be
at that remote post,
or roaming in the wilderness around it; and Frontenac resolved on an
attempt to
muster them together, and employ their united force to protect the
Indians and the traders in bringing down this mass of furs to Montreal. A
messenger, strongly es corted, was sent with orders to this effect,
and succeeded in reaching Michillimacinac, though there was a battle on
the way in which the officer commanding the escort was killed.
Frontenac anxiously waited the issue, when, after a long delay, the
tidings reached him of complete success. He hastened to Montreal, and
found it swarming with Indians and coureurs du bois. Two hundred canoes
had arrived filled with the coveted beaver skins. It is impossible,
says the chronicle, to conceive the joy of the people when they beheld
these treasures. Canada had awaited them for years. The mer chants and
the farmers were dying of hunger. Credit was gone, and everybody was
afraid that the enemy would waylay and seize this last resource of
the country.
Therefore it was that none could find words to praise and bless him by
whose care all this wealth had arrived. Father of the People, Preserver
of the Country, seemed terms too weak to express their gratitude.
Few, comparatively, are aware of the fact, that the Ottawa was the route
pur sued by one of the partners and his voyageurs, in the great enterprise
of opening up the fur trade on the Pacific. The following account jof
this enterprise is of interest to the citizens of Argenteuil, from the
fact that Capt. McCargo, a pioneer of Beech Ridge, St. Andrews, before
settling here was connected with one of the expeditions to the Pacific,
described below.
In 1810 articles were entered into between John Jacob Astor of New York,
and four other gentlemen Alexander McKay, Duncan McDougal, Donald McKenzie
and Wilson Price Hunt for the purpose of prosecuting the fur trade on
what was
22 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
then almost a terra incognita the Northwest coast of the United States ;
the company was chartered under the name of " The Pacific Fur Company."
In prosecuting his great scheme of commerce and colonization, two
expeditions were devised by Mr. Astor, one by sea, the other by land. The
former was to carry out the people, stores, ammunition and merchandise
requisite for establishing a forti fied trading post at the mouth of
the Columbia river.
The latter, conducted by Mr. Hunt, was to proceed up the Missouri,
and across the Rocky Mountains to the same point, exploring aline of
communication across the continent, and noting the places where interior
trading posts might be established.
A fine ship called the " Tonquin " was provided, carrying an assortment
of mer chandise for trading with the natives of the seaboard and the
interior, together with the frame of a schooner to be employed in the
coasting trade. She was commanded
by Jonathan Thorn, a lieutenant in the United States Navy, on leave
of absence.
The " Tonquin," after a long voyage around the Cape, and much trouble
between the captain and his passengers, and an interesting though
dangerous visit to the Sand wich Islands, arrived at the mouth of the
Columbia. Several days were spent in.
attempting to cross the bar and effect an entrance into this river,
and some of the crew were lost.
The object, however, was finally accomplished, the men and stores landed,
and then the " Tonquin," according to instructions, put to sea with
the purpose of sailing to other more northern coasts to obtain furs,
before returning to the mouth of the Columbia and thence to New York. She
arrived in a few days at Vancouver Island,
and very much against the advice of his Indian interpreter, who warned
him against the perfidious character of the natives of that part of
the coast, Captain Thorn anchored in the harbor of Neweetee. He was
a very harsh, headstrong, conceited man, though brave and a thorough
seaman, and regardless of the cautions to him by Mr. Astor, that he
should never allow but a few of the Indians on shipboard at a time,
he allowed boat-load after boat-load with furs to approach and come
on deck. Nor was this all he spread his wares before them, making a
tempting display of blankets, cloths, knives, beads, fish-hooks, etc.,
expecting a prompt and profitable sale. But the Indians were not so eager
and simple as he had supposed, having learned the art of bargaining and
the value of merchandise from the casual traders along the coast. Finally,
angered at the insolent way in which they reproached him for not trading
with them according to their ideas of the value of articles, he kicked
their furs to the right and left, and ordered them from the vessel. They
accordingly left, scarcely concealing their vengeful feelings for the
indignity with which Captain Thorn had treated their chief. The next
morning they returned, apparently in a pleasant mood, seemingly unarmed,
and soon the deck was once more swarming with them. The interpreter
noticed that many of them wore shot mantles
of skins, and intimated his suspicions that they were secretly armed ;
l>ut ihe captain, pointing to his cannon and muskets, merely laughed
and made light of any intimation of danger from a parcel of filthy
savages. A brisk trade was opened, and the Indians
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. 23
were soon all supplied with knives. Meanwhile the crowd had been
constantly increas ing, and seeing that other boat-loads were putting
off fiom the shore, Captain Thorn became alarmed, and ordered the vessel
to be cleared and put under way. At this, a yell from a savage gave the
signal ; the Indians fell upon the crew with knives and war clubs, and
a terrific fight ensued. But greatly out-numbered and taken unawares,
the latter were soon nearly all slaughtered.
Capt. Thorn fought bravely, and being a powerful man he laid several
dead at his feet, but at length, weak from his wound?, he was stabbed in
the back and then thrown over the side of the vessel, where the squaws
dispatched him with knives and hatchets. Four of the sailors had the good
fortune to escape into the cabin, where they found Mr. Lewis, the ship
s clerk, badly wounded, and barricading the cabin door, they broke holes
through the companion way, and with the muskets and ammunition which were
at hand, opened a brisk fire that soon cleared the deck. The survivors
now sal lied forth and discharged some of the deck guns, which did great
execution, and drove all the savages to the shore.
After this, the four who were still alive endeavored to persuade Mr. Lewis
to attempt with them to escape in a boat to their friends at the mouth of
the Columbia. He refused, saying that his wounds would not permit him,
and that he was deter mined to entice as many savages as possible on
board and then blow up the ship. They left him, therefore, but they
were captured the next day, and put to death with the most terrible
tortures. The following morning after the tragedy on the "Tonquin,"
everything appearing quiet on her, a boat-load of the Indians drew
near. Mr. Lewis was on deck, and made friendly signs for them to come
on board.
After a considerable interval of time, other canoes having joined them,
they did so ; the decks were soon crowded and the sides covered with
clambering savages, all intent on plunder. No one was to be seen on
board, for Mr. Lewis, after inviting them, had disappeared. In the midst
of their eagerness and exultation the ship blew up with a tremendous
explosion. Arm?, legs and mutilated bodies were blown into
the air, and dreadful havoc was made in the surrounding canoes. Upwards
of a hundred savages were destroyed by the explosion ; many more were
shockingly mutilated, and for days afterward, the limbs and bodies of
the slain were thrown upon the beach. The fate of the " Tonquin," and
all the details connected therewith, were made known to the whites by
the interpreter, who, being an Indian, had been spared by the natives,
and was therefore a witness of the destruction of the vessel and her crew.
As before stated, the land expedition of the Pacific Fur Company was
in charge of Mr. Wilson Price Hunt. About the end of July, 1810, he,
in company with his coadjutor, Mr. Donald McKenzie, an experienced Nor
wester, and a capital shot, repaired to Montreal, the ancient emporium
of the fur trade, where everything requi site for the expedition could
be procured. One of the first objects was to recruit a complement of
Canadian voyageurs from the disbanded herd usually to be found loitering
about the place. The Northwest Company, however, who maintained a
24 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
long established control at Montreal, and knew the qualities of every
voyageur,
secretly interdicted the prime hands from engaging in this new service ;
so that, although liberal terms were offered, few presented themselves
but such as were not worth having. From these Mr. Hunt engaged a
number sufficient for present pur poses, and having laid in a supply of
ammunition, provisions, and Indian goods,
embarked all on board one of these great canoes at that time universally
used by the fur traders for navigating the intricate and often obstructed
rivers. The canoe was between thirty and forty feet long and several
feet in width, constructed of birch bark, and capable of sustaining a
freight of upward of four tons, yet it could be readily carried on men
s shoulders.
The expedition took its regular departure as usual from St. Anne s, near
the extremity of the island of Montreal, the great starling place of
the traders to the interior. Here stood the ancient chapel of St. Anne,
the patroness of the Canadian voyageurs, where they made confession
and offered up their vows previous to departing on any hazardous
expedition. Mr. Hunt with the crew made his way up the Ottawa river,
and by the ancient route of the fur traders, along a succession of small
lakes and rivers to Michillimacinac. Their progress was slow and tedious.
Mr. Hunt was not accustomed to the management of " voyageurs," and he had
a crew admirably disposed to play the old soldier, and balk their work,
and ever ready to come to a halt, land, make a fire, put on the great pot,
and smoke and gossip and sing by the hour. It was near the end of July
when they reached Mackinaw, the old French trading post. Here Mr. Hunt
spent some time in obtaining recruits for the expedition, and when
supplied, they followed the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the Mississippi,
descended to St. Louis, thence up the Missouri, crossed the plains, went
over the Rocky Mountains, and after many months of the severest trials
reached the members of the other expedition at the mouth of the Columbia.
For a detailed account of these expeditions the reader is referred to
" Astoria," a long and intensely interesting narrative to be found in
the works of Irving.
The approach of the war of 1812 prevented the carrying out of the
plans of Mr. Astor, and he lost heavily in this first effort; but
with characteristic energy, he subse quently pushed his plans to a
successful issue.
The following sketch of Mr. Philemon Wright s ascent of the Ottawa,
and his pioneer labors, together with the comments of the editor, is
taken from The Ottawa Free Press :
" The north shore of the Ottawa river deserves more than a passing
glance or reference as we gave at the outset. It was the beginning, the
centre, the very soul and life of the whole settlements of the Ottawa
Valley. The belt of table-land be tween the river and the mountain range
is perhaps not surpassed in beauty and fer tility on this continent. The
rich deep alluvial soil with its clay bottom, protected on the north
by the Laurentian hills, 1,750 feet above the sea level, with easy
available passes into the back country, so likely to reward the toil of
the cultivators, must have appeared to one brought up in the hills and
narrow valleys of New England as the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 25
shadow at least of an agricultural paradise. It was an untouched, unbroken
forest of the finest samples of lumber; \vhitepine, oak, elm, ash, white
walnut, spruce, cherry, poplar, basswood, with vast groves of maple,
bird s eye and curly, must have delighted the eyes and filled the mind of
a sharp lumberman with dreams of wealth absolutely incalcul able. This
was the enchanting scene presenting itself to the eye and mind of Mr.
Philemon Wright, a man of mature judgment, and in the very prime of life,
verging towards 40. His practised eye, his keen intellect, took in the
whole as equalling the broad acres of an English dukedom. The value
of the timber on the stump was equal to twice the expense of clearing
the lands. The ashes of the refuse to be burned, when converted into
potash, would realize enough in Montreal to cover the erection of the
necessary buildings for all farming purposes in those days. There were
many obstacles in the way, all to be got over, that would have appeared
fatal to many a man.
" But a descendant of heroes that followed Harold the Second to the
defeat of so many foes, and made such a stand on the field of Hastings,
giving so mighty a work to the Normans yielding at last, it is admitted,
but not so much vanquished as wearied out with slaughtering was not to be
deterred by difficulties and trials, and Wright was of Kentish descent,
though now Americanized. The courage has not been lost in his posterity,
as everyone knows the late M.P., the Gatineau s monarch, if exposed,
would sway his sceptre with as undaunted unconcern as any other, in calm
defiance of his foes.
" The squire had made several explorations of the St. Lawrence on both
sides and above and below Montreal, but pitched on Hull and the Chaudiere
Falls, at last, as the field of his future operations, delighted equally
with its forests, its soil and its river. It was not easy to induce men,
even for a large reward, to enter his employ and settle down to labor
in the woods 75 or 100 miles from civilization of any kind. In October,
1799. Mr. Wright is said to have reached Hull with two trusty neighbors
from Woburn, Mass., and having explored the township returned and reported
progress. Four fami lies united with his own, and with twenty-five men,
seven span of horses, four yoke of oxen, and probably a cow or two,
sleighs, implements and provisions, began their jour ney to Montreal on
and February, 1800, and passed through it and the settlements above it,
cut their way in the woods and deep snows for some days, camping out at
night, till they met an Indian, who, becoming their guide, took them by
the ice on the river till they reached the Chaudiere Falls on the 7th
March, 33 days. It is said that every man took a hand chopping down the
first tree.
" Thus the clearing away of the woods commenced and continued. The
sounds of the axes and the falling trees brought the Indians from their
sugar-making on the sunny slopes of the hill sides, to wonder and ask
themselves what brought these
destroyers of the forest into their hitherto quiet and silent retreats
? This led to a long pow-wow. Mr. Wright had plenty of the Jamaica spirits
on hand, treated them all to a good horn, as Conroy would have said,
and they returned some full, others glorious. Gifts blind the eyes. A
season was spent in friendly intercourse, exchanging
2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
presents, and there being no old Anchises to interpose his Timeo Danaos
et dona
ferentes, the Indians continued to come with sugar and venison and get
in return
what rare things to them the new comers freely gave them. The unlimited
maple
forests ran sugar for the evaporation, and deer flocked in plenty to be
shot for the
occasion. This pleasant condition of things was not.of long duration,
for the Indians,
beginning to see that their sugar groves would disappear, and the deer
probably follow,
took an interpreter, Geo. Brown, who was a Nor wester, and had married
a squaw, and
marched in grand procession to demand the reason for all these new
things. The
negotiations began, and the proceedings were sometimes amusing, at
others threat
ening. Mr. Wright, as the chief of his party, was up to the exigency,
and gave his
authority for everything. They expressed their amazement that their
Great Father,
King George, would permit, without consulting them first, any men to
cut down their
sugar plantations and chase away their game. They were assured that all
was done
by & authority ; that if any harm came to his men, Sir John Johnson,
the Indian agent,
would hold back their rations; so with firm maintenance of his dignity,
as well as his
rights, using soft answers, the Indians were brought to terms on payment
in cash being
promised for all the sugar they could spare, and they would not have to
carry it to
Montreal.
"The nearest market had its attractions for the Indians, as well as for
the Grit, who hates to portage to England, and compete there with the
whole world ; so to
save their backs and limbs, and especially their rations, they agreed. So
they were plied once more with the Jamaica, and went back happy. They soon
brought im mense quantities of sugar, and asked only $5.00 for what was
perhaps worth 50, They were promptly paid, treated again, and returned
home in high good humor after a long palaver. Afterward they demanded
a small payment for their lands, but that was refused till Sir John of
Montreal would be consulted. They regarded their lands as merchantable
as the sugar. Mr. Wright on coming from Montreal delivered them Sir John
s reply that they must not disturb the colony.
"The redskins now took a new turn, made Mr. Wright their chief, and we
suppose put him through all the ceremonies of a barbarous coronation
the squaws are said to have all kissed him. The chroniclers do not say
how much Mrs. Wright herself
admired the ceremony. But the braves buried the hatchet, and feasted
Mr. Wright
and party for a week on all the delicacies of an aboriginal cuisine,
from roast dog and muskrat to boiled rattlesnake and skunk."
The author of this extract must have been an expert in natural history,
or the tribes, like St. Patrick, must have exhausted the stock, as
rattlesnakes have never been very common in the Province of Quebec,
since or before, as far as we are aware.
For the following history of navigation on the Ottawa we are indebted to
the lale R. W. Shepherd, sr., president of the Ottawa River Navigation
Company :
The first steamer on the route between Lachine and Carillon was the "
William King," Captain De Hertel. This steamer began to run about the
year 1826-27. A
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
2 7
year later, the " St. Andrews " was built Captain C. J. Lighthall who
had been captain of one of Judge McDonnell s Durham boats, that were
employed carrying freight and passengers between Montreal and Point
Fortune. I renumber one of the old settlers named Parsons saying to me,
a few years since, that his family came to Montreal from the north of
England, having sailed from Mary Port in the county of Cumberland in
the year 1829. They were going to join friends in Cote St. Charles,
county of Vaudreuil, not far irom where the village of Hudson is now. The
family, after landing in Montreal, took passage by Captain LighthalPs
Durham boat, and were landed in a couple of days at Harvey s Point near
the village of Hudson. The steamers " Wm. King " and "St. Andrews" were
owned by merchants in Montreal and St. Andrews ; during high water they
ran between Lachine, Carillon and St. Andrews, and during the low water
season the "St. Andrews" ran between Lachine and St. Ann s, and the "
Wm. King " between St. Ann s and Carillon. In the year
1833, the Carillon and Grenville canal was opened for traffic, and in the
meantime a company was formed, called " The Ottawa & Rideau Forwarding
Company." The stockholder numbered among others Hon. John Molson, father
of the present Mr, John Molson, Thomas Phillips the brewer, John Redpath
and Emery Gushing, who formerly owned the stages that formed a line to
St. Andrews by St. Eustache.
This company, knowing the difficulty of the St. Ann s channel in low
water, had
arranged with Hon. R. N. Howard of Vaudreuil for the right to build a
lock near
where the Grand Trunk R. R. now passes. This lock was finished and
ready for work in the spring of 1833. In the meantime, the new company
had built the steamer " Ottawa," Captain Lyman, who came from Lake
Charnplain. About this time the company built a steamer called the "
Shannon," to ply between Grenville and
Ottawa with other small steamers forming a through line to Kingston
via the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal. Stages from Montreal to Lachine,
boat from Lachine to Carillon, thence to Grenville by stage, and from
Grenville to Ottawa and Kingston by steamer. The trip to Ottawa occupied
two, and from Ottawa to Kingston about three days. The freight was
generally carried in barges towed by these steamers.
Previous to 1833, the steamer " Union " plied on the route between
Hawkesbury and Ottawa; this boat was built in the year 1819 and was
commanded by Captain Grant ; Thomas Johnson, afterwards M.P., an extensive
merchant at Vankleek Hill, was the purser. This steamer was owned by some
Montreal and Hawkesbury mer chants ; she had two heavy marine engines,
side leveis that had been imported by the Hon. John Molson, grandfather
to J. H. R. Molson of this city (Montreal). Emery
Gushing was the first agent of the Ottawa & Rideau Forwarding Company. In
1837 Messrs. MacPherson and Crane became the managers. In 1835 Captain
Light- hall from the Island of Arran commanded the steamer "Ottawa,"
and Archie Stewart was pilot ; Kenneth McLeod, an old man-of-wars man,
was second pilot both good men.
In 1836 John Grossman was captain of the " Ottawa ; " in 1837,
R. S. Robins was promoted to the command of this steamer. He had been
captain on one of the
2 g HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
Rideau Canal steamers in 1835-36- In 1834 the Company built a steamer
called the Non-Such" ; and she was well named, for there never was one
of the sort I since She was built square, with recess in the stern for
the wheel to ply. This boat was built at Ottawa, and was taken through
the Rideau canal to Kingston, and down the St Lawrence. It was supposed
she would draw less water and be able to take the route in low water. The
engines of the " Union " were placed in this boat, need hardly be said
she proved a failure. After being kept in commission three or four years,
she was used as a boarding house for the men, in spring. A few years
later she was laid on the beach near the present house of the late Sir
Antome Donon at Vaudreuil, and served as wharf for some years under the
management of McPherson and Crane. Nearly all the carrying trade passed
by the Ottawa, the barges being
towed by the steamers of the Ottawa & Rideau Forwarding Company. I may
men tion that the "Non-Such" was commanded by Capt. J ames Greaves,
afterward chief
of Rural Police at Vaudreuil, whose headquarters were in the old
seigniorial Manor House on the site of the W. Lotbiniere hotel, lately
destroyed by fire.
Captain Robins continued to command the Ottawa." The writer joined that
steamer under him in 1838, and remai ned three years in the service. In
the year 1841 I engaged with Messrs. H. & S. Jones, and Hooker &
Henderson, as captain c
one of their steamers. In April of that year I was appointed to the
steamer "St. David " then being built at Brockville, and was ordered
early m May to proceed to Brockville to superintend the finishing of the
steamer. Late in the month of June we made a trial trip to Prescott and
back. We had no regular crew, but picked up some men for the purpose. One
Russell, a clerk in Messrs. Jones store, insisted enacting as pilot
We managed to get to Prescott all right, and went alongside the steamer
Canada," property of the late Hon. John Hamilton of Kingston. This steamer
was about finished, and intended to ply between Dickinson s Landing and
Kingston, was afterward commanded by Captain Lawless. On our way back
to Brockvil Russell was steering and taking the Maitland steam mill for
a steamer, he kept to the right hand side, and I only discovered the
mistake just in time to save the boat from running high and dry on the
Maitland shore. I made up my mind never to start on a trial trip again
without having a proper crew.
In the month of July we left Brockville, this time with a full crew from
Lachme. Mr. Sidney Jones, one of the owners (a fine old gentleman of the
olden times), was on board. After "running all the rapids successfully,
we arrived at Lachlne same evening. The next day, I started for Ottawa
by the St. Ann s route, and picked up all the barges belonging to the
different owners, and made the first trip by steamer with barges through
the Grenville canal. After this, the company placed steamer " Albion "
on the route between Grenville and Ottawa, so that we were em ployed on
the route between Lachine and Carillon.
Early in September, 1841, I towed the first raft on the Lake of Two
Mountains, belonging to Messrs. Hamilton and Low. John Waddel, who managed
that part of their business, acted as pilot, as I had no pilot on board
that knew the route towards the " Dutchman s (raft) Channel."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 29
Towards the middle of August the water became so low at St. Ann s that
we had to get another steamer, the " Grenville," Captain John Fraser,
of Prescott, com mander. The "Grenville" towed the barges between
Lachine and St. Ann s ; the steamer "St. David " between St. Ann s and
Carillon. However, the water became so low, by the end of August or
beginning of September, that we could not get an empty barge up through
the gap that had been left outside the dam by Mr. H. Wil
kinson, who had the contract for the lock. The New Company was at a
stand still; the barges and steamer were idle. I had an idea that there
was a channel outside of the old lock at Vaudreuil, so, after waiting
for a day or two, I decided to run my boat over there and try to find
a channel. After a hard day s work sounding and
buoying out the passage, I became convinced there was a good
channel. While we were delayed at St. Ann s, a barge from Perth came
along, Captain McQueen, I think. After we left for Vaudreuil he sailed
over there and begged of me to run his barge over the rapids ; she was
drawing three feet of water. I replied that I would not run the risk
but if he would assume the responsibility, I would do mybest. He agreed
to this
arrangement, and I steered the barge over ; we nearly touched on one
side, but did no damage. Of course, the channel was an accomplished fact,
and that evening I left for Mcntreal to inform my employers. I called
on Mr. Sidney Jones at the Exchange Coffee House, then one of the best
hotels in Montreal, kept by Doolittle & Mayo
This was on a Sunday morning, just as Mr. Jones was getting ready for
church ; he attended the old church Cathedral on Notre Dame street. After
telling him of my dis covery, he seemed n.uch pleased, and invited me
to dine with him at six o clock, which I did, and returned on Monday
moming to Vaudreuil. Mr. Jones and Mr. Holton were to leave on Tuesday
with the steamer " Grenville " and two barges for Vaudreuil ; the barges
were not to draw over three feet of water. They reached Vaudreuil in
the afternoon. I had attached a rope to an anchor dropped at the head
of the rapids with a buoy attached to a rope at the foot, to be ready
to fasten to the capstan of the barge. I got all my crew and the crews
of the barges on the one barge, attached rope to the capstan, and in
less than half an hour had the barge safe alongside the "St. David," and
within another half hour had the second barge up also. This, of course,
showed that we could take barges up outside, with same depth of water
that they had in the lock, which was private property. Within a few days,
airangements were made between the old and new companies to allow the new
company s barges to pass the lock by the payment of a toll of eight
dollars for each barge, and further, that the old company should tow
all barges with the steamer
"Ottawa," between Vaudreuil and Carillon, and the new company would
have all the towing between Lachine arid Vaudreuil. A few days later,
I received a letter from Messrs. H. & S. Jones, saying that I had been
promoted to the steamer "Oldfield."
This, I considered the greatest promotion 1 ever had. I was ordered to
take the
steamer "St. David "to Lachine, which I did without delay, and transferred
my crew to the " Oldfield," Captain John Chambers taking command of the
"St. David."
3 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
We continued to tow between Lachine and Vaudreuil, the remainder of the
season of 1841. In the winter of 1841-42, I was employed fitting up the
" Oldfield " as a
passenger boat. In the spring of 1842, we began a regular passenger
line between Montreal and Ottasva ; the " Oldfield " plying on the lower
reach between Lachine and Carillon, and the steamer " Albion," Captain
Johnson, on the upper reach between Grenville and Ottawa a daily line
(Sunday excepted). This was the first regu lar passenger line on the
Ottawa ; steamers running without barges. This continued till 1846, when
the St. Lawrence canals were opened, and the old proprietors wanted to
carry on their business by the St. Lawrence route. I with other friends
pur chased the " Oldfield " in 1846, and began business on my own account.
The St. Ann s locks were opened 1111843. J ne proprietors of the steamer
"Oldfield" were Sir George Simpson, A. E. Montmarquette, J. J. Gibb and
the writer, who was appointed captain and manager; this was not a joint
stock company, but the ship owners registered at the Customs Department
as to their respective
shares.
The business continued profitable, and, in the autumn of 1847, jt
was decided to build a new steamer for the route between Lachine and
Carillon. A contract was made with Mr. Merritt, shipbuilder of Montreal,
for the hull of a new steamer, 150 feet keel and 26 feet beam. We
also made arrangements with Mr. George Brush (father to the present
G. S. Brush) for a beam engine 34 inch diameter cylinder and 10 feet
length of stroke. This steamer, a very fast one, was called the "Ottawa
Chief," and made a trial trip to Carillon in November, 1848. This
boat after a trial was found to draw too much water for St. Ann s
channel. The contract called for 3 feet 3 inches, and instead it was 4
feet 8 inches, much to the disappointment of all the proprietors, as well
as the travelling public. In the spring of 1849, we decided to sell or
charter this boat and build another one suitable. In March of that year,
the Hon. John Hamilton of Kingston came to Como to see the Ottawa Chief"
5 he was much pleased with her, and made us an offer to charter her for
five years, but would not buy her. Arrangements were finally completed,
and a charter was passed between our company and the Hon. John Hamilton
of Kingston, who then controlled
the steamers of the mail line between Montreal and Kingston.
The next thing to do was to arrange for the building of another steamer
for the
route. On the nth of April, 1849, * started from Como for Montreal on
horseback, the only way to travel at that time of the year, owing to the
bad state of the roads. I had to cross two ferries, viz., Vaudreuil
and St. Ann s. It took me all day to reach Lachine, where I called
on Sir George Simpson to arrange the finances for the new boat. This
done, I proceeded to Montreal, and bargained with Mr. A. Cantin for the
building of a hull of a steamer to draw only 3 feet of water, with wood
and water on board ; also, with Mr. George Brush for an engine of 32
inch diameter cylinder and 8 feet stroke, all to be ready by the month
of August of the same year. However, we made a trial trip in October,
1849. Tllis boat was ca ^ e & tne " Lad y Simpson," after the wife of
Sir Geo. Simpson. She was laid up for ihe winter at
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 31
Como, and the joiner work was finished and the boat furnished during
the winter of 1849-50 ; the joiner work was all done by hand, by the
day, and Mr. James Shearer, the well-known manufacturer of Montreal,
was the foreman. This boat, the " Lady
Simpson," answered every purpose. She drew 2 feet 10 inches aft, and 2
feet 6 inches forward, and could run during the lowest water, and was
a great favorite with the travelling public.
In the spring of 1850 the " Lady Simpson " too k the route between Lachine
and Carillon, and the " Oldfield " was put on the Lake of Two Mountains
to tow rafts, which at that time was a profitable business. In 1852,
I contracted with Mr. Cantin for a new hull to take the place of the "
Oldfield," 150 feet long, 25 feet beam ; and with Mr. Geo. Brush for
a new engine, 32 inch cylinder, 8 foot stroke ; this boat came out
in 1853, when we sold the " Oldfield " to Captain St. Louis. The new
tow boat was called the " Atlas," and proved to be a splendid boat ;
Captain Jos. Blondin, formerly of the " Oldfield," was her captain,
and a good faithful man, excellent pilot and good manager for the towing
business. Mr. A. E. Montmarquette, one of the owners, acted as agent
for the towing business at Carillon. I continued to command the "Lady
Simpson " till the fall of 1853, when I retired, partly from ill health
and partly from a wish to visit my native country, which I did in 1854. My
brother William, who still commands the " Sovereign," was appointed to the
command of the " Lady Simpson "; having served nine years under me on the
different steamers, he was qualified for the promotion. He has now been
forty years commander, and a very popular and exceedingly fortunate one.
After my return from England, in the fall of 1854, I had to undertake the
management of the estate of my late father-in-law, P. F. C. Delesdenier,
as well as the "homestead farm. Between the farm and the estate I
was fully occupied. In the year 1857, Sir George Simpson, who was the
financial agent of the company, asked me if I would take charge of the
company as general manager. We had now become owners of the upper portion
of the route, by the purchase of the steamer
" Phoenix," formerly the property of MacPherson & Crane.
I agreed to undertake this work, which I performed until the spring
of 1882. In 1859, we began to build the steamer " Queen Victoria," to
replace the Phoenix ; " also to build the steamer " Prince of Wales "
to replace the " Lady Simpson." Captain Bowie, who had been purser on
the " Prince of Wales " since 1854, was in 1857 or 1858 promoted to the
captaincy of the "Phoenix," afterward to the "Queen Victoria," and in
1873 to the " Peerless," now called the " Empress." In 1865 the market
business became so important a factor in our business, that we built the
steamer " Dagmar " for the trade. Captain Peter McGowan was promoted from
the "Prince of Wales," where he acted as pilot to the command of the "
Dagmar." A few years later, we built the steamer " Maude " as an extra
boat ; Thomas Ryan,
formerly engineer of the " Prince of Wales," was appointed captain. In
the year
1864, we purchased the shares of the Carillon & Grenville Railway
from Hon. John J. C. Abbott, afterward Sir John J. C. Abbott, Judge
Cross and Courtland
32 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and Freer, and formed a joint stock company under an act of
Parliament. The Hon. John Rose, afterward Sir John Rose, took charge
of the Act, and procured the char ter. The company was, and is to
this day, called The Ottawa River Navigation Company. On my giving
up the management of the company, my son, R. W. Shepherd, jr., was
appointed general manager, and has continued as such until the present
time. Mr. John McGowan was appointed manager of the Carillon & Grenville
Ry., in 1860 or thereabout ; and has continued so to this day, and has
been a faithful servant to the company) as I may say of all our present
captains and officers.
The principal boats for the Ottawa River Navigation Company, which
have been in use in recent years, are the " Sovereign," " Empress,"
" Princess " and "Maude," and during the summer 1895 a new boat, the "
Duchess of York," has been constructed.
The "Sovereign," which succeeded the "Prince of Wales," has been running
but a few years. She is a fine boat commanded by Capt. Wm. Sheppard, and
during the season of summer travel plies between Montreal and Carillon.
Passengers are conveyed from Carillon to Grenville by rail and thence
to Ottawa
by the commodious steamer " Empress," commanded by Capt. A. Bowie. Capt.
Bowie was born in Montreal ; his father was a railway contractor, and
besides many other railroads, he constructed that from St. Johns to
Laprairie, the first one built in Canada. The Captain engaged as Purser
on the "Lady Simpson" in 1854, and has held the position of Captain
since 1859.
The "Princess," commanded by Capt. Peter McGowan, has been both a market
and passenger boat for many years. Under the present arrangement for the
Fall of 1895, the " Princess" makes a weekly return trip from Montreal
to Ottawa, and the " Duchess of York," commanded by Capl. John McGowan,
makes a semi-weekly trip between Montreal and Carillon.
PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE OTTAWA.
Brief mention is here m ide of a few places along the lower Ottawa,
besides those described in the succeeding pages, which are located in
Argenteuil and Prescott.
The first point of interest after leaving Lachine is St. Ann s, which
contains many beautiful residences and is a favorite summer resort. Rapids
in the river at this point necessitated the- construction of a canal
and lock. The canal is about an
eighth of a mile in length, and was constructed in place of one built
early in the pre sent century. It was rebuilt by the Ottawa Forwarding
Company, but, as they claimed the right of use. thus causing much
inconvenience, the Legislature of Upper Canada took the matter in hand,
and constructed the present canal. At St. Ann s, also, are the costly
and imposing iron bridges of theC.P.R. and G.T. Railway Com panies. Here,
too, is the chapel of St. Anne, the patroness of the Canadian voyageur,
where, as stated above, they made confession and offered up their vows
before start ing on a dangerous expedition.
HISTORY OF ARGKNTEUIL.
o 5
The shrine formerly, it is said, was decorated with relics and votive
offerings
ing up by the voyageurs to propitiate her favor, or in gratitude for
some signal deliverance.
It was here that Tom Moore witnessed enough of the fur-trading vocation
and 5 voyageurs to gam inspiration for the writing of the " Canadian
Boat Song." Under the French rigime, a fortification was erected here,
which did service in
ihng the attacks of the fierce Iroquois. A brief account of one of their
raids be found in this volume, in the history of Calumet. The remains
of this fortification are still to be seen here.
Some distance farther up the river is Oka, celebrated not only for being
the ence of the Oka Indians a remnant of the Iroquois and Algonquin
tribes but ilso of the Trappist monks. An imposing Roman Catholic church,
with beautiful unds and stately trees, is in the foreground, and at a
short distance in the rear rises Mount Calvary, whose summit has several
shrines to which devout Catholics
en make a pilgrimage. The occupation of these monks is the cultivation of
a large farm and orchard; their life is one of seclusion, and their rules
are of the strictest char- Females are not admitted to the monastery,
nor are the monks permitted to Averse w lt !i each other. They rise at
2 a.m., and soon afterward breakfast, this mg their only meal during
the day ; and they retire at sunset.
Many of the Indians at Oka are Protestants, and have a chapel in which
they attend divine worship.
Still further up the Ottawa, and on the opposite side from Oka, is
Rigaud its mountain at a little distance from the village forming a
prominent landmark far up own the river. Rigaud College, also, which is
an institution of considerable note xupies an elevated plateau, and can
be seen from a long distance.
On the slope of this mountain is a lusus natune of great interest
to visitors and tists. This is a spot embracing two or three acres,
entirely destitute of soil, and an unknown depth with stones about the
size of a man s head, and smaller i said that certain parties, prompted
by curiosity, explored this singular spot to the epth of forty feet,
and finding nothing, still, but stones, abandoned their undertaking
What is st.ll more remarkable, the stones, chiefly, are of a character
entirely different am the mountain rock. Geologists class this curiosity
with Moraines, but it is generally known as Devil s Garden," and it is
often visited by picnic parties and others.
The next place of interest after passing beyond the counties of Argenteuil
and Prescott is Montebello, the town of the great patriot, Louis Papineau.
County of Argenteuil.
The territory embraced by this county was formerly included in the county
of York, subsequently in the county of Two Mountains; but, in 1855, the
county of Argenteuil was formed, which is bounded on the north by the
county of Terrebonne 5 on the east, partly by the county of Terrebonne
and partly by the county of Two
Mountains ; on the south by the Ottawa River, and on the west by Ottawa
county.
It comprises the following municipalities :
Villages. Grenville and Carillon.
Parishes. St. Andre d Argenteuil, St. Jerusalem de Lachute, Mille Isles.
Townships. Arundel, Chatham, Gore, Grenville, Howard, Montcalra, Went-
worth and Harrington.
Part of a Township. Morin.
Chef-Lieu.^. Jerusalem de Lachute.
RELIGIONS CENSUS OF 1891.
Roman Catholics.
<~
o ~z
, rf
a "So
3 C
5 W
Presby terians.
6 2 5
u
^
Brethren.
"a.
ri
Congrega- tionalists.
o U5
tn u *
O
^
Argenteuil
6,681
2,173
3,626
1,529
H5
7n
53
212
337
31
94
54
14
13
Carillon (Village) Chath am
217 i, 62 3
12
1 66
24
720
2
237
5 1
39i
i
179
Gore
>7
3 4
16
77
9
Grenville
9S5
306
579
226
1 08
9
277
118
69
23
.....
15
Harrington
88
74
454
5 2
8
38
Howard
418 828
3 159
34 8
25 1
42
90
2
9
Mille Tslps
FT
24.Q
I cn
57
i
i
Ivlo rin .. ...
5 1
206
5O
36
15
i
3
St Andrew s .
688
27O
536
198
10
42
St. Jerusalem
372
36
508
107
24
8
i
Wentworth and Montcalm
5 ! 4
2 5 *
83
3
J 3
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUfL. CENSUS OF 1891.
35
rt
|l
i ui -
6 % 2
3 S - -i "5 g
if o
13 o
g
p
ca
a
_O
35
si
o
!!
c u
>
OS-0
Argenteuil .... 15 158
226
ori
S/in
O T
Arundel , 743
,/ *4
127
119
IIQ
97
yu
"49 16
yy
Carillon (Village) 255
*J
/lX
/I C
c
Chatham , V37 1
40
r7
43
566
47C
.T
66
.1
21
2
3J
^/ j Q I
|
Grenville . 2 183
^6A
6
y
i j
6
Grenville (Village).. 1:02
j4
f\A
3 3
7 T
9
i >
Harrington 720
y4
I 22
/ 1 121
i
T2
3
Howard 448
IQ
77
7O
2
j y
1AA
/ /
2-^8
2 1
Mille Isles ciq
JH t
8,
3j
8;
95
9
f o
I
Morin 4.71
j
ng
^
06
j
s
I
St. Andrew s I 702
yo
^ i
yu
C 7
g
St. Teiusalem., 1.062
198
334
124
57
To!
I 7
2
Wentworth and Montcalm 898
I ^O
I sO
7
3
I
CENSUS OF 1891.
o . 4.U-5 Sug
4 ^ C3
rt 3 -j < ,o 5 o
tn hi
<U
ft
M
2,121 114 I I
442 1 06
2 7S 42
126
77 193 8? 94
233 1 86
135
i -
5JD C C CS
5
tsi 4> . O
N
o3
rt D
-, O O
(N
C .
z .5 n
<u
3 s 1
,0 S 0.
r^ cj
u S, 1) O
gti
D
u c
3 w; 3
0,
Woodland & Forest.
Gardens & Orchard.
2:421?
118
13
522
in
302
54 132
78 304 88
95 274 198
136
301
4
2
79
5
26
12
6 i in i i 40
12
666 40
2
45
40
83
. .
4 8 23
4 49 2 5 65 80 62
3H
33
i
55
21
55 19
2t 2
16
J
39 3
140, 04! 5.928 450 39,093
8,505 15,426
812 7,086 2,803
M73
7-079 4,981
18,325 22,136
6,034
85,404 4,029
243
22,226
4,364 10,389
495 5,27 1,953 879
4,929 2,864
12,968 11,416
3.378
53, 6 33
1,8/2
196 16,5:9 4.089
4,9^3 312 i,79 2 83.?
335 2,142
2,079
5,212
10,626
2,623
141,815
1 6. 533 215
25^82
9-354 26,089
, 324 12,414
10,651
882
8,379 6,281
5,062
5,417 14,632
1,004
37 1 1 308
52 74 5 23 17
59
8
38
us
94 33
Arundel
Carillon (Village) ....
Chatham
Gore
Grenville
Grenville (Village)
Harrington. .
Howard
Lachute (Town) Milles Isles
Monn
St. Andrew s
Wentwoith and Montcalm.
GEOLOGY OF ARGENTEUIL.
From the Geological Snri cy of Sir ll illiani Lrgan, 1863.
The intrusive masses of the Laurentian series consist chiefly of syenite
and greenstone. They occur in many parts of the country, hut their
relative ages have been ascertained almost altogether by investigations
in the counties of Ottawa and Argenteuil. What appear to be the oldest
intrusive masses are a set of dykes of a rather fine-grained, dark,
greenish grey greenstone or clolerite, which
36 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
weathers greyish white, and consists of greyish-white feldspar mixed
with pyroxene, occasional scales of mica, and grains of pyrites. Their
width varies from a few feet to a hundred yards, and they possess a well
marked columnar structure. Their general bearing appears to approach east
and west, but the main dykes occasionally divide, a branch striking off
at an angle of from twenty to forty degrees.
One of these dykes cuts crystalline limestone on the thirteenth lot of the
fourth range of Gren- ville. Its breadth is about thirty yards, and it has
been traced across the limestone and gneiss for a mile and three-quarters,
in which, with a few moderate zig-zags, it maintains a course of N. 85
E., until it is interrupted by a mass of syenite on the eighth lot of
the range already mentioned. Across the limestone it forms a ridge ;
but across the gneiss it is usually found in a depression, sometimes a
very dtep one. When it mounts the side of any hill which runs with the
stratification, the columnar structure gives it the aspect of a flight
of gigantic steps, well presenting the character from which the Swedish
name of trap is derived. The columns are so truly at right angles to the
plane of the dyke, that they are a sure means of determining the under
lie, which is towards the north. A branch strikes off from the dyke on
the eleventh lot of the range, and, after proceeding about a quarter of
a mile in the direction S. 30 E., it turns S- 50 E., and continues for
three-quarters of a mile move, chiefly across limestone, in a remarkably
straight line, to the eighth lot, where, having giadually diminished from
the width of eighteen yards to five, it seems to split up into a brush-
like arrangement of small dykes, and is lost. In a westerly direction from
the thirteenth lot of the fourth range, the main dyke has been traced
between four and five miles, and in its whole course from the syenite,
the bear ing is about five degrees north of west.
Another dyke of the same character, with a width of twenty- five yards,
occurs in the eleventh lot of the fifth range of Grenville, and runs
for about a mile in the bearing N. 67 E., when it is inter rupted by the
same mass of syenite as before, on the eighth lot of the same range. A
probable con tinuation of the dyke in an opposite direction is seen
crossing the gneiss on the fifth range, reaching the seventeenth lot,
with a bearing N. 75 W., and thence crossing the River Rouge.
From the sixth lot of the fourth range of Chatham Gore, where it cuts the
crystalline limestone, another of these dykes has been traced for upwards
of two miles to the first lot of the third range of Wentworth. Its width
varies from fifty to a hundred yards, but it appears to maintain a very
uniform course, and though an interval of seven miles is a long one at
which to recognize it again, yet an exposure of greenstone on the front
of the first lange of Wentworth, in the division between the twentieth and
twenty first lots, is sufficiently near the line to make it probable that
it is a continuation of the same dyke. At the latter spot it is from 1 10
to 120 yards wide, and about eleven chains to the westward it is cut off
by the syenite. It has been met with again, however, on the western side
of it, and traced acsoss the northwest comer of Chatham into Grenville,
and is probably continued to the twelfth lot of the ninth range of the
latter township, where there is a dyke of the same character. The whole
distance from Chatham Gore is about fifteen miles, and the bearing about
five degrees south of west. Still another of these dykes has been observed
in the seigniory of Argenteuil-. about a mile and a half from the North
River, on the road from Lachute to Chatham Gore. It appears to be about
twenty-five or thirty yards wide, and it bears N. 80 W., for about a
mile and a half to the town line of Chatham, which it crosses towards
the rear of the ninth range ; and although it would require a change in
its course to bring it to a dyke seen on the road between the seventh
and eighth ranges on the ninth lot, it appears probable that the two
will be found to be the same. Running west ward from the latter spot,
it comes against the syenite in the eleventh lot of the seventh range,
and is there cut off. These greenstone dykes being always interrupted
by the syenite, when they have been found to come in contact with it,
it is plain the syenite must be of posterior date. This mass of intrusive
syenite occupies an area of about thirty-six square miles in the townships
of Grenville, Chat ham and Wentworth ; and a glance at the accompanying
m?p, showing the distribution of the crys tal line limes- tone, in the
counties of Ottawa and Argenteuil, will show its shape and distribution.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. -,
In its lithological character, the rock is very uniform, being composed
for the most part of orthoclase either of some tinge of flesh-red or
a dull white, with black hornblende, and a rather sparing quantity
of greyish, vitreous quartz. The red tinge prevails more on the west
side, the white on the east. In the spur which runs into Wentworth,
mica is occasionally found accompanying the hornblende. The rock is
rather coarse-grained in the main body, but dykes of it are sometimes
observed cutting the limestone and gneiss, in which the grain is finer ;
these have not as yet been traced to any great distance from the nucleus.
The syenite is cut and penetrated by masses of a porphyritic character,
which are therefore of a still later date. These masses belong to what has
been called felsite porphyry, hornstone porphyry, or orthophyre, having
a base of petrosilex, which may be regarded as an intimate mixture of
ortho clase and quartz, coloied by oxyd of iron, and varying in colors
from green to various shades of black, according to the oxydation of
this metal. Throughout the paste, which is homogeneous and conchoidal in
its fracture, are disseminated well-defined crystals of a rose- red or
flesh-red feldspar apparently orthoclase, and, although less frequently,
small grains of nearly colorless translucent quartz. The larger masses
of this porphyry have a fine-grained, reddish-buff base, in which well
defined crystals of flesh-red feldspar of various sizes, from one-eighth
to three-eighths of an inch are thickly disseminated. In addition to the
crystals of feldspar, the base often contains a multitude of ragments
of gneiss, greenstone and syenite, varying in size from small grains to
masses several feet in diameter. These are occasionally so abundant,
as to give to the rock the character of a breccia. When the base is
green, it is rather more compact, and it does not usually contain so
many imbedded crystals of feldspar.
The principal nucleus of this porphyry occupies a pear-shaped area,
the small end pointing south, on the thud and fourth lots of the fifth
and six ranges of Grenville, from which, on the eastern side, a portion
projects into the second lot of the fifth range. This mass is wholly
surrounded by syenite, and a large part of it constitutes a mountain or
group of hills intersected by one or two ravines. In about the centre of
the mass on the summit of one of the hills, there is a circular depression
of about a hundred yards in diameter, nearly surrounded by a tufaceous
porphyritic rim, of about thirty feet in height. In this depiession there
is a turf bog, supporting a grove of good sized evergreen trees. On
sounding the depth of the bog with a boring rod, the rock beneath was
found to present the shape of a cup, with the depth of twenty-five feet
in the centre ; so that, including the rim, the depression would be
about fifty feet deep, with the exception of a break down to the level
of the bog on the east side. The nature of the rock constituting the rim
gives to the depression, in some degree, the aspect of a small volcanic
crater. But if it be the remains of one, it can only represent some deep
seated part of the vent ; for there can scarcely fail to have been here
a great amount of denudation of the ancient Laurentian surface, while
the ice groves in the neighborhood shew that there has been much erosion
over the whole country in comparatively recent times. In this vicinity,
some entangled beds cf gneiss occur, one of which, running N. 80 W. for
upwards of a hundred yards, is completely surrounded by the porphyry.
From this poiphyrilic nucleus, one or two porphyritic dykes can be traced,
cutting the syenite for short distances ; and some of a similar character
are met with at such a distance as to make K. probable that there are
other porphyritic nuclei. One of these dykes, about seven yards wide,
con taining beautiful red feldspar crystals set in a black base, occurs
on the south side of the road between the seventh and eighth ranges of
Chatham, on the eighth lot. Its bearing S. 85 W. would carry it to the
south of the porphyritic mass above described, from which the position
in which flie dyke cuts the gneiss is removed seven miles, though it is
not more than one mile from the syenite.
Another dyke of this aspect is seen in the ninth range near the
line between the thirteenth and fourteenth lots ; but in addition to
the elements mentioned, it holds disseminated grains of transparent,
colorless quartz. Its course appears to be S- 44 \V.,and it intersects
a mass of porphyritic rock of
-g HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
the same color and texture as the porphyry of the pear-shaped nucleus,
which, however, like the dyke, contains grains of vitreous quartz. Grains
of this mineral are also observed in another porphyritic mass, whose
course is N. 10 W., about a quarter of a mile from the front of the
twenty-fifth lot in the seventh range. A porphyritic dyke is observed on
the road between the sixth and seventh ranges on the twenty-third lot. It
encloses grains of quartz and crystals of flesh-red feldspar, some of
them half an inch in diameter, in a reddi.h, finely granular base. Of
tre tufaceo porphyritic rock a lenticu lar mass crosses the seventh and
eighth lots, close upon the rear of the fifth range ofGrenville. It has
a lengih of nearly half a mile by a breadth of about 150 yards in the
middle, and lies between gneiss on the north and syenite on the south.
In the vicinity of the pear-shaped porphyritic intrusion, there are met
with two veins of a special character, cutting the syenite, that deserve
to be noticed. They consist of a white, yellowish-brown or flesh-red
cellular chert, the colors in some cases running in bands parallel to one
another, and sometimes being rather confusedly mingled, giving the aspect
of a breccia. The cells are unequally distributed, some parts of the veins
being nearly destitute of them, while in other?, they are very abundant,
and of various sizes, from that of a pin s head to an inch in diameter. On
the walls of some of these cells, small transparent crystals of quartz
are implanted, and in some there aie the im pressions of cubical foims,
resulting probably from crystals of fluorspar which have disappeared.
The stone has the chemical characters and the composition of flint
or chalcedony.
One of these veins is on the north half of the first lot of the sixth
range of Grenville, where it was traced for about a hundred yards, running
about east and west, and the other in the south half of the first lot of
the sixth range, belonging to Mr. James Lowe, who was the first person
who drew atten tion to it as affording buhrstone. On his ground, the
vein has been more examined than elsewhere ; it appears to run in a very
straight nearly east and west bearing, and stands in a veitical attitude,
while its breadth varies from about fourto .seven feet. Where the vein
is banded, the colors run parallel with the sides. The attitude and
associations of the mass clearly show it cannot be of sedimentary origin,
and Us composition, taken in connection with the igneous character of the
district, suggests the probability that it is an aqueous deposit which
has filled up fissures in the syenite, and is similar in its origin
to the agates and chalcedony which, in smaller masses, are common in
various rocks.
For a distance of perhaps 200 yards on each side of these veins of chert,
while the quartz of the syenite remains unchanged, the feldspar has been
more or less decomposed, and been converted into a sort of kaolin. As
this process involves a separation of silica from the feldspar, it is
not improbable that it has been the source of the veins of chert.
The intrusive rocks which have been described have a date anterior to the
deposit of the Silurian series. None of a similar character have been met
with breaking through this series, and the rela tions of the base of the
Lower Silurian group along the foot of the hills composed of the syenite
are such as to make it evident that the Silurian beds in some places
overlie eroded portions of the intru sive rock. But all these intrusive
masses are cut by a set of dykes whose relations to the Silurian series
are not so ceitain. These dykes are composed of a fine granular base,
withan earthy fracture, consisting of feldspar and pyroxene, and having
a dark, brownish-grey color. In this base are imbedded rounded masses
of black cleavable augite, varying in size from a pin s head to several
inches in diameter. These are associated with various size 1 nodules of
calcspar filling cells that do not attain the diameter of the largest
masses of augite, and with small scales of mica, grey in fresh frac tures,
but weathering brass yellow on the sides of cracks and joints. Small
crystals of sphene and grains , of titaniferous iron occur in the rock.
One of these dykes, having a width of from three to ten feet, is traced
from the first lot of the sixth range ofGrenville, near Mr. Lowe s
buhrstone , where it cuts the syenite, to the third and fourth lots
of the same range, where it cuts the pear-shaped mass of porphyry ;
thence, it crosses to the eighth lot of the fifth range, where it cuts
both syenite and porphyry, and farther to the tenth lot of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
39
the same range, where it intersects the quartzite and the limestone. The
whole distance is upward of two miles and a half, and the bearing S. 82
W. Another dyke of this description intersects the limestone on the
thiiteenth lot of the same range, and is traced for half a mile running
east. These dykes bear a striking resemblance to some of the dolerites
which intersect the Lower Silurian group in the neighborhood of the
mountain of Montieal, and may possibly be of the same age, but none of
them have yet been traced, continuously, from the Laurentian into the
Silurian rocks.
REPRESENTATIVES.
Names of the members of the Legislative Assembly of the County of York,
Two Mountains and Argenteuil the latter having been detached from
the former.
From 1792
" 797 1801
" 1805
From 1811
1815
1817
From 1820
" 1825 " 1827
I. COUNTY OF YORK, 310 Geo. Ill, Chap. 31.
to 1796, Mr. C. de Lotbiniere, Mr. P. A. de Bonne,
to 1800, Mr. H. Lacroix, Mr. Hetien (J.).
to 1805, Mr. J. Bedard, Mr. L. C. Foucher.
to 1808, Mr. J. Mure, Mr. E. L. Dumont.
1809, Mr. J. Mure. Mr. J. J. Trestler.
1810, Mr. J. Mure, Mr. St. Julien. to 1814, Mr. F. Bellet,
Mr. St. Julien.
to 1816, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. W. Forbes,
to i Si 9, Mr. Dumont, Mr. J. B. Fare.
1820, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. A. Perrault.
to 1824, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. A. Perrault.
to 1827, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. J. Simpson,
to 1829, Mr. J. L. Labrie, Mr. J. B. Lefebvre.
II. COUNTY OF Two MOUNTAINS, 90 Geo. IV, Chap. 73.
From 1830 to 1834, Mr. J. Labrie, Mr. W. H.Scott.
1834 to 1838, Mr. J. J. Girouard, Mr. W. H. Scott. 1841 to 1844,
Mr. C. Robertson, Mr. C. J. Forbes. Mr. W. H. Scott. Mr. W. H. Scott.
1844 to 1847, 1848 to 1851,
1851 to 1854, Mr. Mr. W. H. Scott, Hon. Louis J. Papineau. III. COUNTY
OF ARGENTEUIL, 1 6 Viet., Chap. 152.
From 1854 to 1857, S. Bellingham, his election declared null.
Re-elected in 1855 election again declared null ; re-elected in 1856.
From 1858 to 1861, S. Bellingham. The name of J. J. C. Abbott is substi
tuted for the name of S. Bellingham in 1860.
From 1861 to 1863, Mr. J. J. C. Abbott re-elected as Solicitor in 1862.
From 186310 1866, Hon. J. J. C. Abbott.
Sidney Bellingham was elected by acclamation 27th August, 1867 re-elected
23rd June, 1871, and re-elected by acclamation 3oth June, 1875.
40 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Robert J. Meikle of Lachute was elected ist May, 1878.
Wm. Owens was elected 2nd December, 1881 ; re-elected by acclamation,
yth October, 1886 ; re-elected lyth of June, 1890, and resigned.
William J. Simpson elected 8th March, 1892.
Biographical sketches of several of the representatives named above Colin
Robertson, C. J. Forbes, R. J. Meikle, Wm. Owens and Wm. J. Simpson will
be found on succeeding pages of this volume ; of three others Scott,
Papineau and Bellingham the sketches given below were gathered in part
from Borthwick s " History and Gazetteer of Montreal."
W. H. Scott was the son of a baker, who was located on St. Lawrence
street, Montreal, very early in the present century. The son engaged in
mercantile busi
ness in St. Eustache, and was one of the prominent rebels of 1837. He
was arrested and indicted for high treason, but after remaining in prison
some time, was dis
charged. Like several other rebels of that time, he afterward became a
supporter of the government he had attempted to subvert, and endeavored
by his devoted loyalty to atone for the errors of the past. In the latter
part of his Parliamentary career he became a great admirer and friend
of Sir George E. Cartier.
Louis J. Papineau was a man of almost world-wide fame, and he is one
of the most prominent characters in Canadian history. Few men outside
the circle of royalty have been the subject of more pen pictures than
he, and none, perhaps, are subjects of sketches so widely different in
character. Eulogy and anathema have
been bestowed on him in turn ; he was a heio or a coward, a patriot or
a traitor, a statesman or a demagogue, just according to the views or
political tendencies of his biographer.
All, however, concur with the opinion, thai he was a man of brilliant
talent, possessed of great personal magnetism, courtly manner, and was
an orator. As time recedes, also, from the stirring events which called
him into prominence, and animosity and prejudice give place to reason
and justice; he is no longer regarded as the
rash, selfish, irrational being that he once was, and even his bitterest
foes are inclined to denounce his methods rather his aims, and even
admit that we to-day are reap
ing some benefit from both. The more charitable even of his political
adversaries endeavor to find excuse for all that he did, and ascribe to
his efforts and that of his followers all that is good in our government
to-day.
He was born in Montreal, i7th October, 1786, and was the son of Joseph
Papineau, a prominent notaiy, and for many years a member of the
Legislative Assembly, in which he was distinguished for his ability
and eloquence.
The Hon. Louis J. Papineau, after receiving his education chiefly at the
Seminary of Quebec, studied Law, and was admitted to the Bar of Lower
Canada in
1811. Two years previous to this, or in 1809, so popular had he become,
and so flattering were his prospects, that he was elected to the Assembly
for the County of Kent, now Chambly ; and in 1815 he was appointed to
the responsible position of speaker, which position he retained with
little interruption till 1837 a period of
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 41
twenty years. In November, 1827, when Mr. Papineau, according to the
custom of the Assembly, had again been chosen speaker, Lord Dalhousie,
the Governor of whom Papineau had spoken disrespectfully, refused
to ratify their choice. Some days of excitement and trouble ensued,
the Assembly would not yield, and, in con sequence, its members were
sent home. The Governor soon afterward returned to England, and became
Governor General of India. He was succeeded in Canada by Sir James Kempt,
whose conciliatory policy allayed, in a measure, the bitter
feelings in the Province towards the Government. This was only a delay,
however, of the coming storm : troubles which had long since commenced
between the different branches of Government continued to increase,
till they culminated in
the Rebellion of 1837-38. The important part which Papineau played in
all these
events is well known.
After a residence of two years in the United States, whither he had fled
in 1837, he removed to Paris, where he lived till 1847, when the issue
of the proclamation of amnesty permitted him to return to Canada. He
was again elected to Parliament, in which he remained till 1854, when
he retired from political life his last years be ing devoted chiefly to
horticultural and literary pursuits.
He died at Montebello on the Ottawa, 23rd September, 1871, at the age
of eighty-five.
SIDNEY ROBERT BELLINGHAM, who was long a popular figure in Argenteuil,
was a son of Sir Allan Bellingham of Castle Bellingham, Louth County,
Ireland, and was born 2nd August, 1808. He was educated in Ireland,
and married to Arabella Holmes, the daughter of a citizen of Quebec. He
was a loyal actor in the Rebellion of 1837-38, and, as a magistrate,
accompanied the valiant Col. Wetherall to St.
Charles, whither he had been sent in command of a few soldiers. In 1841,
Mr. Belling ham was called to the Bar of Lower Canada, and, some years
subsequently, he was for a long time political writer for the press of
this Province, chiefly of the Montreal Times and Daily News. He became
endeared to the people of Argenteuil County, not only from his association
with them as their representative, but in enterprises with which he was
connected. He was interested in the construction of the Carillon &
Grenville Railway, and in colonizing the northern section of the County.
His residence for many years was on the north brow of Mount Royal, where
he purchased a valuable tract of land, beautifully located, and erected a
dwelling. Not long after his last election to the Legislative Assembly,
in 1875, he returned to Castle Bellingham, Ireland, where he was living
in December, 1895.
MEMBERS OF THE DOMINION PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF ARGENTEUIL.
From 1867 to 1874, Hon. J. J. C. Abbott.
" 1874 to 1875, Lemuel Gushing.
" 1875 to 1880, Thomas Christie.
" 1880 to 1886, Hon. J. J. C. Abbott.
" 1886 to 1890, J. C. Wilson.
" 1891 to 1895, Thomas Christie.
4
42 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
SIR J. J. C. ABBOTT. (From the Watchman of Nov. 3, 1893, Lachute.)
The tidings that have reached the homes of the County of Argenteuil,
this week,
cause great and deep sorrow. The greatest of our sons, the truest friend
this county ever had, has passed away. None but an old resident can fully
appreciate what he was to the County of Argenteuil. In almost every good
and public work which had
for its object the interests and progress of our people, Mr. Abbott
was there with his advice always golden and with his financial aid. The
Agricultural Society has lost perhaps its oldest and best friend, for
whether in Parliament or out of it, Mr. Abbott s liberal donation was
always forthcoming.
But while his services to public objects have been innumerable, what
must be said of the kindness, the patience, the ability and readiness
which he displayed in listening to the private troubles and difficulties
of a long list of his Argenteuil brethren ? The legal advice which he
gave to his County gratis would have been worth a small for tune to any
lawyer. The widow and orphan, the poor and friendless, always had in
him one who would lay aside for a few moments the most weighty affair
of State to listen to their wants and clear away their difficulties.
But in no way did his character shine out more brightly than in his
treatment of political opponents. The same kind word, the same free
advice, the same pains taking consideration of the case before him,
was meted out to Argenteuil men, irre spective of whether they were
political friends or opponents. In this respect his example is one that
should never be forgotten. The retention of political spite and animosity
is very unfortunate, not only because of the harm it does, but because
it is foolish and senseless. On several occasions, when the flames of
political excite ment had been fanned by hot-headed partisans on both
sides, Mr. Abbott was heard to plead with the people not to quarrel with
their neighbors over politics. He declared that his opponent and himself
would remain good friends, and why should others make their battle so
personal as to be unneighborly ?
The history of the life of the first Canadian born Premier will form an
impor tant chapter in the history of our Dominion. But there is one fact
that is perhaps overlooked, viz., that to Mr. Abbott, more than to any
other man, do we owe the Cana dian Pacific Railway. There is no doubt
that the scheme of a great trans- continental railway was originated in
the fertile mind of this gentleman, and the success of the enterprise,
the opening up of the North West, and all the great benefits arising
there from, are due in a great measure to Sir John Abbott.
It has been said that he was a greater lawyer than a politician. Such
was the case, for he was at the very head of the legal profession in
Montreal, and, consequently, did not spend the greater portion of his
time in studying politics. At that time, there was the old chieftain,
Sir John Macdonald, to conduct the affairs of the party, and time and
again did he show the confidence and dependence he placed upon the advice
and counsel of Mr. Abbott. But, had the occasion arisen, we feel
SIR J. J. C. ABBOTT.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
43
sure that Mr. Abbott possessed the qualities, tact, discrimination,
foresight and cleverness which would have made him the peer of his
great leader, Sir John Macdonald. When that gentleman passed away,
how instinctively the party fell back upon him in the hour of need ;
and he did not fail them. Never was there a
time in the history of the Conservative party when its success was more
doubtful, and where a strong, courageous hand was more needed to turn
the tide than at the time when Sir John Abbott became Premier. But age
was upon him, and, burdened with the cares of State, the old man felt
his strength going. It was hoped that rest would make a change ; but
the only rest that came was the long last rest, upon which he entered
on Monday evening, October 3Oth, at half-past eight, 1893.
Any attempt to estimate the loss Argenteuil has sustained would prove
utterly futile, but we are sure that, from the most remote corner to
the Ottawa River boundary, the general feeling is one of the deepest
sorrow. Looking at the past and gazing into the future, we feel like
saying : " We shall never see his like again."
Sir John Abbott was born at St. Andrews, in the county of Argenteuil,
Lower Canada, i2th March, 1821. His father was the Rev. Joseph Abbott,
M. A., first Anglican incumbent of St. Andrews, who emigrated to this
country from England in 1818, as a missionary, and who, during his
long residence in Canada, added consider ably to the literary activity
of the country. He had not been long in Canada before he married Miss
Harriet Bradford, a daughter of the Rev. Richard Bradford, first rector
of Chatham, Argenteuil County.
Sir John was Dean of the Faculty of Law in the University of McGill
College, a D.C-L. of that University, and Lieut. -Colonel of the
"Argenteuil Rangers," known in the Department of Militia as the nth
Battalion, a corps raised by him during the patriotic time of the Trent
" excitement. He was also president of the Fraser Institute of Montreal,
and director, or law adviser, to various companies and corpor ations. Sir
John s name came twice before the public, in a manner which gave him great
notoriety. He was a prominent figure, after Sir Hugh Allan, in the famous
Pacific scandal episode. Being the legal adviser of the Knight of
Raven scrag, all transactions were carried on through him, and it
was a confidential clerk of his who revealed details of the scheme,
which culminated in the downfall of the Macdonald cabinet. His second
conspicuous appearance on the public stage was in connection with
the Letellier case, when he went to England, in April, 1879, as the
associate of the Hon. H. L. Langevin, on the mission which resulted in
the dismissal of the Lieut. - Governor of Quebec. In 1849, lie married
Miss Mary Bethune, daughter of the Very Rev. J. Bethune, D.D., late Dean
of Montreal.
Sir John s political life may be said to have commenced in 1857, by the
contest of the County of Argenteuil, at the general election held in
that year. He was elected a member of the Canadian Assembly, but was
not returned until 1859-
He continued to represent the constituency in that House until the union
of 1867 when he was returned for the Commons. He was re-elected at the
general elections
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 44
of 1872 and 1874. In October of the last named year, he was
unseated. Mr. L. Gushing, who had been his opponent at the
preceding election, again became the Liberal candidate, but Mr. Abbott
retired. Mr. Wm. Owens ran against Mr. Gushing, and was defeated. Upon
Mr. Cushing s election being contested and vo ed Dr Christie was chosen
by acclamation. At the general election of September,
1878 he was again a candidate, but sustained defeat at the hands of
his old antagonist, Dr Christie. The latter, however, was unseated in
February, 1880 ; Sir John was
again elected for the County. Then followed the most celebrated election
trial in the history of Canada. It lasted about three months, the enquete
being one of the longest ever presented to a judge. The Court was presided
over by Justice Belanger. Mr N W Trenholme, now Dean of the Law Faculty
of McGill, conducted the case for the petitioners, Thos. Hickson et
al. Mr. Tait, now Judge Tait, and Mr. Lacoste, now Chief Justice Sir
A. Lacoste, were associated with Mr. Abbott himself in the defence The
result was that the election was annulled, and Mr. Abbott was re- elected
by acclamation, and sat until 1887, when he retired. In 1862, he was made
Solicitor General in the Sandfield-Macdonald-Sicotte Administration,
and prior t acceptance of office he was created a Q.C. In 1864, while
in opposition, he was
instrumental in introducing two bills, which have added greatly to
his legal fame. The first of these was the Jury Law Consolidation Act
for Lower Canada, principal provisions were, to simplify the system of
summoning jurors and the pre paration of jury lists. The other law which
he added to the statute was the bill collecting judicial and registration
fees, by stamps. This was the most complete legislation that had taken
place on the subject, and, as in the case of his c measures, the main
principles have been retained in the subsequent legislation which has
followed. Sir John s political labors also consist of useful amendments
to bills, suggestions and advice as regards measures affecting law and
commerce. His advtc- at such times always proved of the greatest value,
and in this department it was that he achieved the most success. Upon
the death of Sir John Macdonald,
May, 1891, Sir John, then Mr. Abbott, was chosen to succeed him in the
leadership of the Conservative party and as Premier of the Dominion. The
onerous respon sibilities of this high office were accepted by Sir John
as a duty to his Party and the country. His services in this connection,
if not brilliant, were able and conserva tive, and, added to his weak
state of health, doubtless helped to shorten his life.
In the fall of 1892 he retired from active politics, and sought by
foreign travel and the services of skilled physicians to banish the
disease that racked his frame ; but it was too late, and he grew gradually
worse until the end.
In 1887, Mr. Abbott was elected Mayor of Montreal by a majority of
about 2,000 votes over his opponent, Mr. Rainville. In 1888, he was
re-elected by accla mation, and the same year was appointed president
of the corporation of the Royal Victoria Hospital, an institution which
has recently been endowed with about $1,100,- ooo by Lord Mount-Stephen
and Sir Donald A. Smith, in commemoration of Majesty s Jubilee. The
construction of the stately hospital building, costing about $500,000,
was conducted under Mr. Abbott s supervision as president.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 45
Sir John was also president of the Citizens Insurance Company, and
director of the Bank of Montreal and of the Standard Life Insurance
Company.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
It is to be regretted that the records of this Society have not been kept,
so that a connected history of it could be given from its formation.
Fortunately, a little pamphlet, 6 by 4 inches in size, and embracing
four pages, has fallen into our hands, from which we learn the date of
the birth of this Society. This relic has on its cover the following :
RULES AND REGULATIONS
OF THE
COUNTY OF YORK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Then follows a picture emblem of Agriculture and underneath, the words
MONTREAL.
PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE C. COURANT.
1828. Below, we give the entire contents, verbatim :
At a general meeting of the Inhabitants of the County of York, held in St.
Andrews on the 2nd February, 1826, Mr. John McMartin being called to
the chair,
the purpose of the meeting was explained, and the following Resolutions
were un
animously adopted, viz. :
RESOLVED, ist. That the persons present form themselves into a Society,
to be called the " County of York Agricultural Society," the object of
which will be to im prove the mode of Agriculture in the said County by
every means in their power.
RESOLVED, 2nd. That the officers of this Society shall be a President, two
Vice- Presidents, a Treasurer and Secretary, and that a Committee of ten
shall manage the business ; all which officers shall be elected annually.
RESOLVED, 3rd. That James Brown, Esq., be President, Mr. John McMartin
and Thomas Barren, Esq., Vice-Presidents.
Edward Jones, Duncan McNaughton, Henry Chapman, Wm. Tennison, Jacob
Schagel, Stephen Burwash, Thomas Cooke, John M Ewen, Doctor C. Rice were
elected to form the Committee,
Mr. Guy Richards, Treasurer.
Mr. James Murray, Secretary.
RESOLVED, 4th. That the Committee draw up Rules for the better Regulation
of this Society.
RESOLVED, 5th. That those present immediately enter their names as
members of this Society.
Which Resolution was unanimously complied with.
(Signed), JAMES MURRAY, Secy.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
On the 2 5 th March, 1 826, pursuant to public notice, a general meeting
took place, when the following Regulations were unanimously adopted :-
ist The object of this Society is to promote, by its efforts and example,
the science of Agriculture throughout the County ; to give premiums in
money or pieces of Plate, agricultural publications or implements, to
the practical farmers who shal excel in the art of ploughing, cropping,
raising stock of all kinds, in the dairy, plant ing of fruit trees,
and the general improvement of Farms and Home Manufactures.
2nd There shall be a general meeting annually, on the Twentieth day
of Jar.nary (or day following if it should fall on a Sunday), for the
election of a Presi dent two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and Treasurer,
and ten members for a Com mittee to superintend the general interests
of the Society, and six of these with the President, or one of the
Vice-Presidents, will be sufficient to proceed to business, call
extraordinary meeting, etc.
3 rd. The Committee shall remain in office for one year, and one-half
comprising it may be re-elected, but may retire after serving one year,
then the Com mittee may elect others in their stead.
4 th. The said Committee shall meet quarterly, or oftener, if required
by the
sident.
5 th. Any practical farmer or gentleman in the County may become a
memt of the Society, by paying the sum of five shillings, annually. No
expulsion can tak place unless at a general meeting, when two-thirds of
those present may expel any member for misconduct towards the Society.
6th. No person, unless a practical farmer, within the County, can partake
the benefit of premiums.
7 th. All decisions to be made by a majority of members present, and
dent to have the casting vote.
8th. The rules of competition to be similar to those adopted by the
Society of Scotland.
9 th. The judges shall be named by the Committee from among the memb rs,
who shall determine in all cases.
roth. At the annual general meeting of this Society in January, the
proceedings
of the year shall be read, a statement of the funds exhibited, the list
of subscribers read, and the annual subscription received previous to
the election of officers.
nth. No member entitled to vote on any subject, till the preceding
article is
complied with.
1 2th. That the general meeting in January shall serve for the first
quar meeting; the second quarterly meeting will take place on the
second Tuesday of March ; the third, on the second Tuesday of June ;
the fourth, on the second Tues day of September. At a general meeting of
the inhabitants of the County of York, held on the 2ist January, 1828,
the following additional resolution was agreed to :-
RESOLVED, That in order to extend the benefits to be derived from the
Associa tion, ten new members from the neighboring Parishes be added to
the number of
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 47
the Committee, and that the twenty do constitute, in future, the number
of the Com mittee, exclusive of the president, two vice-presidents,
the secretary and treasurer.
JAMES BROWN, Jr., Secy.
From this time onward for many years, the records are lost, but the
Society con
tinued to exist, and " Cattle Shows " and plowing matches were held
annually. Com missary C. J. Forbes was president for some years,
and Wm. Beaton, a teacher and bailiff of St. Andrews, was secretary,
succeeded by Errick Harrington, who in turn was succeeded by Henry Howard.
The earliest records we have been able to obtain after the above were
those of a meeting held in Lachute, 3ist December, 1869.
OFFICERS. President, Edward Jones ; Vice-President, John Hay; Secretary,
Henry Howard.
DIRECTORS.
Wm. Albright, John McGregor, Thos. Noyes, Geo. B. Hooker, Walter McOuat,
Wm. Gordon, Wm. McOuat.
In 1870 there were 95 members. Amount subscribed, $113. In December, 1874,
John Burwash was appointed president, and Wm. McOuat, vice-president ;
Gavin I. Walker, who was appointed secretary in December, 1875, stiu
holds the office.
FROM 1876 TO 1895.
Presidents. Vict-Presidents.
John Hay. Wm. McOuat.
Geo. B. Hooker. Nelson Albright.
John Morrison. Geo. B. Hooker.
John Martin. Geo. Morrison.
P- Lane. John Martin.
P. Lane. N. Albright. Geo. Fraser.
1880. No. of members 191, amount subscribed $335.00. 1890. No. of members
240, amount subscribed $495.00. 1886. Amount paid for premiums $743.75.
1894. Amount paid for premiums, $950.00.
A Government grant of $2.00 is now received for every $1.00 subscribed.
The grounds and buildings which are leased to the Agricultural Society
for its exhibitions are neat and spacious, and their annual fairs are
second only to those of the large cities of the Province, and invariably
attract a large concourse of people.
g HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
COUNTY COUNCIL.
On the 2 3 rd July, 1845, a meeting was held in a room at M. D. Seattle
s. The councillors acting at this time were John Wainright, Charles
Macdonnell, Alexis
Cameron, Stephen Burwash and Andrew McGregor. John Wainright was unanimoi
elected Mayor of the Municipality of Argenteuil.
PRESENT MUNICIPAL SYSTEM. Copied verbatim from the Records.
On 2 3 rd August, 1855, the first meeting of the County Council of
Argenteuil was held, at which meeting the following councillors were
present :- Edwin Pridham, Esq., Mayor of Grenville. Lemuel Gushing, Esq.,
Mayor of Chatham. Robert Simpson, Esq., Mayor of St. Andrews. Thomas
Christie, Esq., Mayor of St. Jerusalem Parish. George Rogers. Esq.,
Mayor of Township of Gore. Andrew Elliott, Esq., Mayor of Mille Isle.
Samuel Smith, Esq., Mayor ofWentworth. George Hamilton, Esq., Mayor
of Morin.
Thomas Christie was elected Warden, and served to March, 1858. Thomas
Barron, sen., was then appointed, and served to March, 1864. Richard
D. Byers, from March to December, 1864. Lemuel Gushing, to March, 1868.
Thomas Barron, jr., to March, 1881. Alexander Pridham, from March,
1881, to March, 1895. James B. Brown, from March, 1895, to the present.
The names of the present County Council are : Patrick A. Dunbar, Joseph
Derrick, John Chambers, Wm. D. Graham, jr., Oliver Woods, John Wade, M.
Desjardins, Hugh Walsh, James B. Brown, James Millway, Ed. Christie,
Matthew I.
Strong, George Scale.
ARGENTEUIL RANGERS.
The County of Argenteuil is deservedly proud of her rangers, though,
like for tresses scattered here and there in our land, once regarded as
a bulwark of safety, they are now less an object of necessity, and serve
more as a reminder of dangers we have escaped than of those anticipated.
A troop of cavalry was organized in this County by McRobbin 1816. He
had served in the British Army, and held the rank of sergeant, and
on petitioning Gov ernment for a grant of land, as a reward for his
service, he was granted two lots in Chatham, which are now owned by
John Kelly. He was always known as McRobb" ; he died not many years
after forming the Troop and becoming captain. Since that period, the
command of the St. Andrew s Troop has devolved on the fol-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 49
lowing : Capt. Donald C. McLean, Capt. John Oswald, Capt. John Burwash,
Capt. Martin Wanless.
Capt. McLean had been a Nor wester, and lived on Beech Ridge. He
was a prominent, public-spirited, brave man, and was a J. P. of
St. Andrews. During the disturbances of 1838, he marched with his company
to St. Eustache, on the day that the rebels were vanquished. Some years
later, he sold his property on the Ridge, and moved to Quio, where he
died. One of his sons, a prominent business man, still resides there.
Capt. Oswald, who was afterwards promoted to the rank of lieut. -colonel
of Mili tia, was in command of this troop several years ; his home was
in the County of
Two Mountains. During the Rebellion he was one of the most active of
the Loyalists, in consequence of which he was particularly obnoxious to
the rebels.
In 1879, tne St. Andrew s troop and several troops were formed into
a regiment,
which afterward received the name Duke of Conna Light Royal Canadian
Hussars. Another troop of cavalry was formed in this County a number
of years ago by Col. John Simpson of Lachute, but the organization was
not of long duration.
The Argenteuil Rangers were organized in 1862, the Hon. J. J. C. Abbott,
it is claimed, being instrumental in the formation of the Battalion. He
was lieut.- colonel of it for several years, and was succeeded by James
B. Gushing, who still holds the position.
Henry Abbott, brother of Sir J. J. C. Abbott, was sen. major till 1866,
when he
was succeeded by Allen McDonald, who, in 1883, was succeeded by
William Hoy. First Jun. Major, Sam Rogers. This position was vacant
from 1883 to 1888, when Isaac Jekyll was appointed, succeeded in 1893
by Geo. B. Martin.
Paymaster, Archibald McDonald, till 1872 ; succeeded by Thomas Lamb.
Batt. Surgeon from 1862 to the present, Dr. Mayrand. The Companies were
as follows :
Co. No. i, by Capt. John McDonald, St. Andrews. Co. No. 2, by
Capt. William Smith, Gore (West). Co. No. 3, by Capt. Geo. McKnight,
Gore (West). Co. No. 4, by Capt. A. Cleland, Lachute. Co. No. 5,
by Capt. Sam Rogers, Gore. Co. No. 6, by Capt. Geo. Sherritt, Gore.
Co. No. 7, by Capt. EdwarrKPridham, Grenville. Co. No. 8, by Capt. John
Pollock, Mille Isles.
The following changes have occurred among the captains of the different
com panies since the Battalion was first organized :
Co. No. i.
Capt. John McDonald died in 1864, and was succeeded by his brother,
Allen McDonald. In 1866, the latter became Major, and his brother Samuel
McDonald succeeded him as Captain. He was afterwards promoted to the
rank of Adjutant,
sjO HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
and H.W. Kempley succeeded him as Captain; and after the latter left St.
Andrews, Archibald LeRoy held the captaincy till 1883, when he was
succeeded by Capt- Thomas \Veightman.
Co. No. 2.
Capt. Wm. Smith was succeeded in 1866 by Capt. Jas. Smith, who, dying
in 1891, had as successor Capt. Wm. Good.
Co. No. 3.
Geo. McKnight was Captain till 1882, followed by Capt. Isaac Jekyll,
who dying was succeeded by his own son, Henry Jekyll.
Co. No. 4-
Capt. A. Cleland was Captain till 1866. From 1866 to 1883, Capt. John
Simp son. Since 1883, Capt. Geo. D. Walker.
Co. No. 5.
Samuel Rogers was Captain till 1866. The Company was disorganized
this year. Co. No. 6 became No. 5 at this time, No. 7 was disbanded,
and No. 8 became No. 6.
Co. No. 7 (FORMERLY No. 9).
Capt. Wm. T. Forbes till 1872, Capt. W. Hoy till 1883, then Capt. Edward
Hodgson.
Co. No. 8 (FORMERLY No. 10).
Capt. Jas. B. Gushing till 1883, then Capt. Geo. B. Martin till 1887,
Cap*- J ohn Sittlington till 1890; from 1893 to the present, Capt. John
Earl-
The first camp was held in 1868, at the Roman Catholic Church,
St. Andrews, eight Companies and the St. Andrew s Troop present. In 1869,
the camp was at Hill Head.
In 1870, the Battalion, on account of the Fenian excitement, narrated
elsewhere, was divided and sent to different places.
1871, Camp at Laprairie.
1872, Camp at St. Andrews.
1874, Camp at St. Andrews.
1875, Camp at Bellevue, Carillon. 1876)
1877 [-Local drills at Head-quarters of the different Companies. 1878)
1879, Companies i, 4, 7 and 8 (part of Bait.), at Lachute.
1880, Companies 2, 3, 5 and 6 (part of Batt.), at Bellevue.
1 88 1, Camp at St. Johns.
1883, Camp at St. Johns.
1884, Camp at St. Johns.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. cj
1886, Camp at Richmond.
1888, Camp at Sherbrooke.
1891, Camp at East Farnham.
1893, Camp at Laprairie.
1895, Camp at Laprairie.
When the second camp was at Bellevue, on the suggestion of the late Lemuel
Cushing, M.P., a tent was erected by the Y. M. C. Association, and ever
since, this has been an important feature in the camp. The opportunity
thus afforded the Vol unteers of obtaining good reading matter and
attending religious exercises in the evening has been improved by many
of them, and it is to be hoped that good has resulted. At all events,
the suggestion of Mr. Cushing was a noble one, and the
custom which resulted from it cannot be too highly commended.
In the years 1872 and 1874, when the camps were at St. Andrews, there were
present besides the usual companies of the Battalion,, the " Prince of
Wales Rifles," Victoria Rifles," the 6th Reg.. of Cavalry, 6th Fusiliers,
and three independent companies from the region of the Gatineau.
When at Richmond in 1886, the Rangers were presented with standard colors
Queen s and Regimental by the ladies of Argenteuil.
The Rangers have gained no little celebrity for their success in compeiing
for various prizes. On the 25th May, 1885, a tug-of-war contest occurred
at Lachute, between the Rangers on one side, and the 5th Royal Scots and
6th Fusiliers on the ether. The prize was an ornate silver cup. Ten or a
dozen men were chosen from each party, and after a vigorous contest, the
Rangers were awarded the prize. In 1893, when the camp was at Laprairie,
a magnificent and valuable silver cup was
offered by Sir Donald A. Smith to the Regiment displaying the best proof
of pro
ficiency in the qualities essential to a soldier. The prize was again
borne off by the Rangers. ,In 1887, on tne occasion of the Queen s
Jubilee, another tug-of-war contest occurred between two different
companies of the Battalion. A challenge was made by Co. No. 8, to any
other one in the Battalion, and was accepted by Co. No- i, commanded
by Capt. Thomas Weightman. A prize of a silver cup was offeied
to the victor by Jas. Johnson, a lumber merchant living near Quebec. Five
men were selected fiom each company ; the team was commanded by
Capt. Weightman, to whose company the cup was awarded.
In 1866, the first Fenian invasion of Canada occurred. For some years
certain Irish demagogues in the United States, with the object of gaining
notoriety and filling their pockets, had been concocting a scheme whereby
so they persuaded the ignorant Ireland would be released from British
thraldom. The plan proposed was to raise
and equip a grand and invincible army in the States, v/alk over and
subjugate Canada, and after England had thus been crippled, and the
Irish patriots had acquired ter ritory on which to plan and prepare for
future operations, the people of Ireland were to rise in their majesty,
and declare themselves forever free from the yoke of English despotism.
52 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Such was the ridiculous scheme proposed and advocated by these demagogues,
under the name and pretence of patriotism. Numerous individuals generally
the ones most blatant in their advocacy of the scheme were appointed
to receive contri butions towards its furtherance ; and, forthwith,
money began to flow into their coffers from the pockets of their deluded
followers. Many a poor servant girl contributed to this hare-brained
project the wages for which she had toiled for years.
The disbanding of the Federal armies, at the close of the American
Rebellion, gave an impetus to the cause of Fenianism. Thousands of men
were thrown upon the country without occupation or means of support,
and many of those whose social status is fitly described by the term
vagabond were only too glad to enlist in any crusade, which promised
food and raiment and an opportunity to plunder. "The Army of Ireland,"
as it was ostentatiously called, afforded the desired refuge, and to this
they hied. Their number was augmented by many from the cities loafers
and tramps who had never seen a day of military service, and who, in
their ignorance, had been led to believe that it would be but pastime
to conquer Canada, and that they would riot in the spoils.
It is but just to say, that the Fenians who crossed the boundary, and
made a raid into Ontario, seemed to have more the appearance of men,
and displayed more of the "bravery of soldiers. But the description
given above is a true one of the majority of the Fenians who crossed
the Line into the Eastern Townships in 1866. The discarded Springfield
muskets of the Federal Government of the States pro vided the Fenians
with cheap arms, and in the month of June, 1866, several hundred of this
fraternity suddenly appeared on the Frontier on the northern boundary
of Vermont, and crossed into St. Armand, Que. So quietly had they done
their work for a while, and so quietly had they gathered, that our people
had no idea they were so near, until they were actually crossing the
border. Notwithstanding all the boasts and threats of invasion made by
the Fenians, the people of the Townships
never really believed that it would be attempted, and, consequently,
had made no pre parations to meet them. Great was the surprise and
consternation, therefore, when the news flashed through the country,
one Sunday afternoon, that 2,000 Fenians had crossed the border, and
were marching toward the village of Frelighsburg, about three miles
distant from the Line in the parish of St. Armand East.
Most erroneous impressions were current among our people, both as to
the number and character of the Fenians. It was firmly believed, for
a while, that the first detachment comprised two or three thousand,
that this would be speedily aug mented, and that they were the veteran
soldiers of the Union army men who, in every way, would prove formidable
foes to British soldiers on the field of battle. Great was the mistake
; their number was less than a thousand, and that number was largely
composed of mere boys and such men as we have described.
It took but two or three days to undeceive the people of the Townships
and restore confidence. The Fenians soon gave evidence that their chief
object was to obtain what they could eat and drink, and what booty they
could carry away with
them.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 53
They were careful not to venture far into the Province, but camped
near the border, and spent their time between robbing stores,
drinking the liquors found in groceries and hotels, and slaughtering
such animals of the farmers as they found necessary for the supply
of their commissariat. Horses were taken in considerable numbers,
both from farmers and from such travelers as had the misfortune to meet
them. But these marauders were not destined to prolong their carousal on
Canadian soil. Only a few days elapsed, when the red coats marched into
the west end of St. Armand parish, and simultaneously the Fenians made
their exit from the east end ; not even stopping to get a glimpse of the
British soldiers, much less did they attempt to wrest Ireland from their
grasp. Several stragglers were taken prisoners and tried as criminals,
but were finally released it being the general impression that the Govern,
ment deemed it more generous, in view of their insignificance, to release
them, after some months imprisonment in jail, than to mete out to them
severe punishment, and thus give them an opportunity to pose as martyrs.
The raid made simultaneously with the above, on the Niagara Frontier
under General O Niel, was of larger proportions, and resulted in more
serious consequences. It was the design of the Fenians to assail Canada
from three points one from Chicago and places on the Lake Huron coast,
a second from Buffalo and Rochester, and a third from Ogdensburg. The
latter, which was to be the most formidable of
these undertakings, was to threaten Ottawa, capture Prescott, and overrun
the country toward the Eastern Townships. They soon found, however,
that their plans were far too great for their resources, and ere they
could put the least into execution, the places proposed to be captured
were well protected by thousands of our loyal Volunteers.
After O Niel had crossed the Niagara frontier with a large force,
a body of Cana dians 1 800 men composed of 750 regulars and the
rest of Volunteers, with a Battery of Aitillery, all under command
of Col. Peacock, took post at Chippewa, and awaited the arrival of
Lieut.-Col. Booker. The latter was a Volunteer officer, with a force
of nearly 900 men, composed of the Queen s Own chiefly college students
and other patriotic young men of Toronto, the i3th Hamilton Volunteers,
and the York and Caledonia Volunteer Companies.
While marching toward Chippewa to join Peacock, this force under Booker
unexpectedly met the Fenuns at Limeridge, where they were strongly
fortified. As Booker had no military experience, and possessed more
bravery than skill as a commander, he immediately commenced an action
with this largely superior force.
The Queen s Own was thrown out in skirmishing order, and gallantly drove
back O Niel s advanced line on his main body. But the Volunteers were
all inexperienced ; there was no force to support them ; mistakes were
made in the orders ; a panic
ensued, and the force was soon in full retreat. The Volunteers lost
in killed, one officer and six men ; while the dangerously as well as
slightly wounded comprised four officers and nineteen men. The Fenian
loss was known to be larger than our
own, though it was never accurately ascertained, as they had possession
of the battle field, and buried their dead there. As several of the
killed on our side were college students and members of good families,
their loss was greatly deplored.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Soon after this, O Niel retreated to Fort Erie, which post he found
in possession of Lieut. Col. Dennis, with seventy Volunteers. A little
before this, Col. Dennis had arrived from Port Colburne with a tug-boat,
in the hold of which were stowed sixty Fenian prisoners. An action at
once ensued, which, as might be supposed, ended in the defeat of the
small company of Volunteers, thirteen of whom were wounded and forty
made prisoners.
But O Niel had been disappointed. Instead of finding any in Canada to
join him,
as he had anticipated, the inhabitants rose as one man to drive him and
his mar
auders from the country. The spirit displayed by the few Volunteers
he had met showed him what he might expect when they had all gathered,
and he lost no time
in returning to the States, where he was arrested by order of the U.S.
Government, and his followers disbanded.
7 he trial of the Fenian prisoners took place in Toronto in October
following. Many were discharged, but true bills were found against a
large number, and several were convicted, and sentenced to death ; but
their sentences were afterwards com muted by the Queen to imprisonment
for a period in the Provincial Penitentiary.
But the lesson had been a useful one to Canadians. The great expense to
which the Fenians had put their country, and their wanton acts of robbery
and cruelty, incensed our people, and confirmed their resolution not to
be caught again unpre pared. The next two or three years, consequently,
the Volunteer companies, raised in different parts of the Dominion,
were thoroughly drilled and exercised in target practice, till every
company, when occasion required, could turn out a full complement of
sharp shooters.
In 1870 the Fenians, encouraged, no doubt, by their previous pleasant
sojourn in the Eastern Townships, again paid us a visit. As before,
also, no one knew they were coming till they were near the border. They
assembled in a large body in the town of Franklin, Vt., and intended to
enter Canada by the road leading to St. Armand East, on which they had
formerly encamped. Although no Volunteer com panies were just at hand,
the telegraph had conveyed the news of their approach, and before they
reached the Line, our Volunteers were hastening from every point of the
compass to meet them.
The road enters the Province at this point by a somewhat lengthy and
gradual descent, at the foot of which is a brook of considerable size,
then several rods of comparatively level road which soon crosses the
slope of a hill. On the left of the road, coming from the south, the
hill rises to quite an altitude, and, at that time, part of its summit,
which is broad and uneven, was partially covered with a grove of large
trees, while its southern slope, towards Vermont, contains several huge
boulders, affording admirable breastworks which our men were not slow in
utilizing. This is known as Eccles Hill ; and on the day in question,
about sixty members of the Home Guard, -who lived in that section,
and who comprised leading farmers, mer chants and business men of the
locality, took possession of the hill. Col. Asa Westover, an influential
and intelligent farmer, who lived contiguous, usually com-
HISTORY OF ARGES TEUIL. _ -
manded the Home Guard, but on this occasion, all placed themselves under
the command of Col. Brown Chamberlain, one of the proprietors and editors
of the Montreal Gazette, who had received information of the intention of
the Fenians, and hastened to the defence of his former home and friends.
On the same side of the road that the Home Guards occupied, a little more
than half a mile distant on the Vermont side, stood at that time the house
of a Mr. Rhicard. In the road in front of this house, the Fenian general
drew up his men in two columns, and ordering them to cross the line on
the double quick, and obtain possession of Eccles Hill, he withdrew to
the house of Rhicard, ascended the stairs, and prepared to observe with
his field-glass from a chamber window, the result of his orders. Rhicard,
who was born and reared in Canada, promptly followed him, and ordered him
from his house. " You have brought these poor fellows here," he said,
" to invade Canada without any cause, and now, instead of facing the
danger with them, you come back and seek refuge in my house. You cannot
stay here ;"and the General of the " Army of Ireland " walked out.
Another incident, related by an eye-witness, deserves notice. Before
the general in command had formed his men to cross the Line, one of his
captains, a soldierly- looking man, approached him and addressed him
thus :
" General, you have deceived us. You said we were to meet a regular army
and here I see no enemy. I claim to be a soldier ; as you know, I have
been in many engagements, and I do not shrink from danger, but I have
not yet sunk so low as to make war on women or children or defenceless
farmers. I tender you my sword ! "
handing him which, he jumped into a buggy near at hand, in which a man
was sitting, and drove off.
The incident shows that there were some men among the Fenians, and there
is no doubt that many others felt that they had been deceived.
The Fenians, according to instructions, went down the decline on the
double quick, crossed the bridge, and still went on, without hearing even
the report of a pistol to warn them of any obstacle to their triumphant
entrance into the fair fields of the Eastern Townships. They crossed
the line, when lo ! from the summit and side of the hill before them,
a sharp and loud report and the messengers of death fell rapidly among
them. They halted and returned the fire ; but they might as well have
fired at the moon, trees and rocks being the only enemy in vie\v.
Soon came another volley, and then another, and by this time the valor of
the " Army of Ireland " was on the wane. " Discretion is the better part
of valor," and Ireland might take care of herself; they were not going
to stand longer on the road to be shot at, and taking their wounded and
dead, with the exception of one poor fellow, who was left in the road,
all, save a few who sought shelter beneath the bridge, made a rapid
movement toward Vermont.
The second Fenian raid into St. Armand was ended. One of the Fenians,
on getting back out of rifle range, remarked to the bystanders who had
followed to
witness the " Invasion," that he had been in several engagements in
the great
c6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1I,.
Rebellion, but had never been in one where the bullets fell faster than
they did from Eccles Hill. Well might he so remark, as every man on the
Canadian side was a
crack shot.
The writer with a friend drove on the battle ground that day, but the
firing had ceased. With a glass we could see distinctly two Fenians who
had been shot one lying in the road and another in the field in the rear
of Rhicard s house, where he was shot while running across the field.
Several reporters of the New York papers were present, and many companies
of Volunteers had now arrived, and others were constantly coming, till
orders were
given them to return.
It was never known what the casualties among the Fenians were during
this raid,
as they carried away their wounded, some of whom died subsequently. It
is also stated that they carried away some who were killed.
Toward nightfall, our Volunteers buried the Fenian who was shot on the
Canadian side. He was a young fellow, and the next day his father and
mother arrived, nearly heart-broken, from their home in Burlington,
Vt.. and took back with them his remains. They had made every effort to
dissuade him from coming to Canada, but without avail.
In March, 1866, the nth Battalion, being called out on account of an
anticipated Fenian invasion, assembled at St. Andrews ; Companies i and
7 were sent to Ottawa ; 2 and 5 to Lacolle. As the other companies were
not properly officered, having been newly re-organized, they remained
at St. Andrews.
The companies that were ordered to Ottawa rode up in sleighs, and remained
there a month ; on their return in April, they went to Prescott, where
special cars were to meet them. As they were boarding the two cars, they
noticed eight men- strangers occupying seats in one of them. As the cars
were designed specially for the Volunteers, some one objected to taking
other passengers, but the strangers maintained their seats, and expressed
their determination to do so till they had reached their destination.
The cars went on to Cornwall, when, on arriving there, to the surprise
of the Volunteers, their two cars were quickly surrounded by soldiers
of the Prescott Bat talion.
The civil authorities at Cornwall had received a telegram from Toronto,
inform ing them that there were Fenians on the train. The Mayor
and Sheriff of Cornwall, therefore, visited the train, and informed
Capt. McDonald of the telegram. Believing that the eight strangers
must be the Fenians referred to, he stationed Sergts. Thomas Lamb and
Timothy Fitzgerald at one door of the car, Martin Weighttnan and another
man of his company, at the other door, with strict orders to let no one
enter or pass out. The Sheriff and one,or two others were soon admitted,
and the strangers
much to their astonishment and chagrin were arrested on the charge
of being
Fenian spie s.
They loudly disclaimed any connection with the Fenian Order, or knowledge
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
D /
of it, but on being searched, every one was found to be armed
with two revolvers and their valises were packed with ammunition and
cartridges. They finally a knowledged themselves Fenians, and were marched
off in irons to CornwaU Ml Care was taken by the officers engaged in the
arrest to conceal the matter, as fa as possible from the Volunteers,
being apprehensive of violence to the prisoners such was the hatred
borne toward Fenians by the Volunteers. These, it is said we re the first
Fenian prisoners taken in Canada, but they afterwards escaped from jail
In June, 1866, the Battalion was again called out, and the companies
arrived at
boaf I r S A n f K 7 eVening ThC f 1IOWing M nday nf S ht > th ^
took - facial boat to St. Anns, and the next day went to Cornwall,
from which place they were
reTumed "** ^^ " * UC
About the first of August, 1866, two companies, i and 4, which were
formed om Volunteers from all the companies of the Battalion, went to
Cornwall to relieve two companies of Prescott Volunteers, that for some
time had been stationed there eHef companies were there till November.
In April, 1870, the Battalion was again called to St. Andrews, and from
that TownshiT ltrCa1 WhCre ^^ WCre deSpatched t0 different P arts of
the Eastern
In the month of May following, they were once more called together
at St Andrews but many of the officers and men being absent to aid in
suppressing the first toon, the companies were not in proper condition
to be sent out Col Wolsey, who was then captain of the Prince Consort
Rifle Brigade, came to drill them WCK Vei " e Pr6pared the tr Uble in
the Northwest ha ^ subsided, and they
A rifle match was formed in connection with the Battalion, several years
aeo It he d I annually at St. Andrews, and receives for prizes a grant
from Governm?m $50 yearly, and this is increased to $120 by private
subscriptions These matches are always well attended, and have been
the means of developing many young men into crack shots. There are six
different matches : the < Nursery match President V Vice-President s,"
Military," "Association," and < Extra-Ser e "
for each of which there is a special prize.
PRESENT OFFICERS OF THE HTH BATTALION OF LVFANTRY-ARIENTEUIL RANGERS.
Lieut-Col. James B. Gushing.
Majors. William Hoy. George B< Mardn
Cap tains.
John Pollock. Albert E. Hodgson . Henry Jekyll.
Thomas Weightman. John Rogers. William Williamson.
Geo. Dunbar Walker. William Gurd. j ohn Earle
5
eg HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Lieutenants.
John McMartin. William Watchorn. Isaiah Bows.
Lemuel Berron. Samuel F, Smith. Robert Evans.
2nd Lieutcnanh.
Abr. Watchorn. Andrew Rathwell. Osmond Le Roy.
John A. Morrison. Walter A. Brown. F. Gushing. Adley
Shirritt. B. J. Williamson.
Paymaster. Adjutant. Thomas Lamb. William Williamson.
Quarter Master. Surgeon.
William Pollock. Wm. H. Mayrand, M.D.
i
THE SCHOOLS OF ARGENTEUIL. BY INSPECTOR McOuAT.
The history of education in Argenteuil begins with the struggles of
the first settlers in the county. All efforts to provide an education
amongst the early inhabit ants were, as in all other parts of Canada
at that time, purely voluntary. When a number of inhabitants felt the
need of a school, a subscription list was opened, for the purpose of
raising sufficient means wherewith to pay the salary of some person who
should be selected to conduct the proposed school. Such school was often
held in the homes of some of the people, who gave the use of a part of
their house as a contribution for the support of education. Another
form of assistance was the prac tice of boarding the teacher for a
period in turn, according to the number of pupils the person sent to
the school. Still another plan of supporting the school was by supplying
wood for heating the school room. There were also other ways of contri
buting to its maintenance. Instead of paying cash, subscriptions were
often paid in produce, especially when the teacher was a householder
with a family. There was
always a part of the salary paid in cash. In this way an exchange of
services was made, and while the pupils oji the one hand received an
education, the teacher on the other hand obtained a living, which is
about all those who become teachers receive at any time. Under such
circumstances the continuance of a school was very uncertain and
irregular, but such was the practice which obtained for many
years, until a system of education was provided by government.
In these early days there were no diplomas to guide in the selection of
a teacher, yet in most cases a person could be found who had sufficient
education to conduct the school. Such persons knew little of the methods
of teaching, and often adopted inferior methods, yet many of their pupils
were successful in study, and later, in their life s occupation.
The subjects taught in these early schools to which most attention
was paid
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
59
were reading, writing and arithmetic. Geography and grammar were taught,
the former without maps, the latter as a series of rules of speech and
composition, a prac tice too common at the present time.
In these days of which we write, it was quite necessary that the teacher
should
be able to rule the school in every respect, since there were no
school laws and no authorities to whom the teacher could appeal for
assistance. Hence, we find that as there were many difficulties hard
to overcome, especially in the discipline of the school, most of the
teachers were masters, who are fittingly described by Goldsmith, when
he writes of the master of Lissoy, thus :
" A man severe he was, and stern to view,
" I knew him well and every truant knew ;
: Wei 1 had the boding tremblers learned to trace
" The day s disasters in his morning face ;
" Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee
" At all his jokeSj for many a joke had he ;
" Full well the busy whisper, circling round,
" Conveyed the dismal tidings, when he frowned ;
Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught,
" The love he bore to learning was in fault."
The experience of many of these men was very difficult and trying,
and they are
most properly characterized by the last two lines of the above
quotation. The build ings provided for school purposes were often small,
cold, unhealthy, and poorly pro vided with furniture and appliances for
teaching ; nevertheless, much of the work done was noted for thoroughness.
This condition of things, however, gradually improved, and was finally
replaced
in 1829 by a voluntary system of education. Under this system a community
which
desired a school had to provide a suitable building for school purposes,
and had to pay a fee of admittance for each pupil attending the school,
while the Government paid the teacher directly, upon the joint certificate
of the clergy and the member for the county.
This system was abolished in 1841, and the present educational system
estab lished, whereby taxes are imposed for the support of education,
while the Government expends annually a large sum of money, paid to
schools in proportion to the latest census returns. By the system of
1841, all teachers were to be examined and certi fied, and although
such test of scholarship was but simple at first, the examination for
diplomas at present is a fair test of proficiency in the work prescribed.
Much opposition was offered to the introduction of the new school system,
chiefly owing to the taxation, and in some of the municipalities
considerable physical force and threats were used to prevent the
establishment of public schools. The better cause pre vailed, however,
and public schools have for many years been in operation in each township
of the county.
Some of these schools in the more populous parts are well attended,
and accomplish
6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
good work ; others in less favorable parts are not so well attended, yet
the work of The less favored school is often equal to those which have
greater advantages. One of the great hindrances in the establishment of
an elementary school system in our pr vince was the difference amongst
the people in race, language and religion, efforts were made to devise
a suitable system, but none succeeded until 1841, when the present
system was established, giving to Protestants and Roman Catholics ahk.
the right to provide an education for their children. Thus we have what
may be called a Dual System of education and two classes of elementary
schools. For many years in the earlier days of the country s history, the
inhabitants were entirely Eng lish-speaking, but for some years past the
remaining portions of the county have been occupied by people of French
origin, and thus we have both kinds of schools estab lished. There are
at the present time 19 Protestant school municipalities, containing 60
elementary schools, and 13 Roman Catholic municipalities containing 18
elemen tary schools. The total number of schools therefore is 78, while
the total enrollment of pupils last year (1894) was 3,403, giving an
average of 43 to each school. The total value of the school buildings
of the county is estimated at $64,790, while the total assessment of
taxable property is $1,903,624. The amount of taxes collected in 1894
was $16,576, to which must be added the Government grant of $2,631,
making the total cost of education $19,207.
The average salary of elementary teachers in English schools is placed
at ,131,
and those of the French schools at $127 per year. Of the teachers in
the elementary schools, 6 were without diplomas, 2 being in the English
schools, and 4 in the French. Such is a brief outline of the efforts
which led to the establishment of our elementary schools supported by
public contributions and Government aid.
INHABITANTS OF ARGENTEUIL.
Less than a century ago, the ancestors of the present inhabitants of
Argenteuil
were chiefly beyond the sea. Bravery and determination are qualities
which, at all times and in all nations, have deservedly been admired,
but usually they are so as sociated with war, or rendered conspicuous by
impending danger or serious calamity, that we are apt to disregard their
presence in the peaceful pursuits of life. The Scotch are proverbially
a brave people ; their deeds of valor have been commemorated sculpture,
history and song. No more striking examples of heroism are recorded than
those of Scotia s sons, when they gathered to repel Edward s invading
hosts and
rescue their country from a foreign yoke.
From that to the present time, the martial glory of Scotland has not been
eclipsed. The annals of a thousand battles fought in the wide domain of
the British Empire attest the stoicism with which Scottish clans have
marched to death to uphold the prestige of St. George s cross.
And have the sons of Erin no share in martial fame ? Are there no fields
whereon Irish valor has vied with English and Scottish prowess to sustain
the glory of Britain s
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. 6 1
flag ? Every British engagement, from the days of Cromwell to the present,
refutes the imputation. Side by side, in India, Afghanistan, the Crimea
and Egypt, have
Scotch and Irish soldiers with equal bravery marched to victory or defeat.
Was the spirit of these men wanting in those of their countrymen who
crossed the ocean to become pioneers in the wilderness of this distant and
strange land ? Did it require no bravery, determination or self-denial to
sever the dearest associations> and leave for ever the home of their
fathers, to engage in new struggles in foreign wilds ? Was there no act
of heroism in all this, which would compare with that of their brethren,
who had volunteered to fight the battles of their country ?
Let us reflect. A sea voyage in those days was widely different from
what it is
in 1895. From two to three months was the time required for a sailing
vessel to cross the Atlantic, and those vessels were but poorly
constructed, compared with the staunch steamers of to-day, to resist
the shock of the billows and storms of the deep During all this time,
the hapless emigrant had naught to engage his mind but the sorrowful
recollection of the loved ones and scenes left behind ; naught to attract
his eye but the dreary waste of waters around, which became more and
more mono tonous as day succeeded day.
And when, at last, weary and dispirited from his long voyage, he reached
port, a week or more was required for the conveyance of himself and family
to the cabin o 1 " a friendly countryman contiguous to the wilderness,
where he was to pitch his tent, and, doubtless, remain for life. Here
he leaves his family till he can erect a cabin on his own land, or take
steps to secure a place that he can call his own. But what a change
from the comforts and appearance of an old and populous country to that
presented in the wilderness! Comforts of almost every kind were wanting.
But what seems to us of the present as the greatest impediment to the
happiness of the emigrant was his total ignorance of the work it was
necessary to do his destitution of the knowledge on which all his future
success depended. Everything had to be
learned, and comforts unless he had money he was obliged to forego. As
very few had money, their lives, for many years, were a period of
privation, and when we know that hundreds of these emigrants chiefly
Scotch, but many Irish endured all this privation with fortitude ; that
year after year, through tropic heat and arctic cold, they persisted
in their endeavors to subdue the forest and transform the land they
occupied into productive fields, we can but regard it as a display of
bravery and determination of a most exalted character.
It was the same spirit which animated their ancestors to chivalrous deeds
a Bannockburn, and at a modern date compassed the downfall of Sebastopol
and the relief of Lucknow. Indeed, many of the pioneers of Argenteuil,
as will be seen on succeeding pages, were battle-scarred veterans, who had
won laurels in India, in the Peninsular war, or on the field of Waterloo.
Argenteuil, the legapy which they bequeathed to their descendants,
is the object of our present survey.
Though distant from the seaboard, her frontage upon one of the broadest
and
6 2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
grandest rivers upon the continent brings her into easy communication
with the chief cities of the Province and the markets of the world. Two
railways now cross ing broad sections of her territory increase still
further her commercial facilities, and bring together the people of
districts that were remote.
The strength and fertility of her soil compensate in part for the
roughness of her exterior, while the beauty of her scenery is a scource of
wealth more lasting than that of the mines and the productive plains of
the West. The marvellous beauty of her inland lakes, the picturesqueness
of her mountains, the wild gorges and water falls of her rivers, are
but in the infancy of their attraction. When they are better known,
and the facilities for reaching them are improved, they will form a
permanent magnet for visitors the mountains will be dotted with villas,
and the lakes with skiffs
and yachts.
Though Argenteuil has some good grain-growing sections, and usually
produces good crops of oats, corn and potatoes, it is evidently a country
better adapted to dairying and stock-raising than to other purposes.
She has cheese factories and creameries, the produce of which holds fair
rank with any in the Province. Her cattle, sheep and horses are of the
best, and the annual fairs which are held at Lachute, the chef-lieu of the
county, exhibit a variety and quality of animals, as well as farm products
of all kinds, that would be a credit to any agricultural district.
The inhabitants of Argenteuil still retain the prominent characteristics
of the
races whence they sprang thrift, honesty and hospitality forming
striking features in their character, which a stranger will not fail to
observe. The farmer of Argenteuil is determined to live within his means,
consequently there is but little, either about his home surroundings,
his wearing apparel, or his travelling equipage, that savors of a
love of display or extravagance in the use of money. If, now and then,
one is in the enjoyment of an expensive dwelling or a fine carriage,
it is conclusive evidence that he has been blesssed with fortune or
shrewdness above his neighbors, and that what he enjoys is paid for. It
is not exaggeration to say that all, or nearly all, are in comfortable
circumstances, far better than the inhabitants of some sections of the
Province where there is more outward display of wealth. Honest dealing,
and a desire to observe the Golden Rule of doing as they would that
others should do to them, is a prevalent trait. Hospitality is a quality
found in every household. Into whatever family the stranger enters,
he is welcome at the board, and a refusal to partake of refreshment,
which is immediately proffered, is very likely to be
attributed to fastidiousness or to want of geniality. However cautious
and exacting our subject may be in making a bargain, he never wants
sympathy for the needy or afflicted; and let him once become assured
that a petitioner for help is deserving, assistance is never delayed. An
additional quality of the inhabitants of Argenteuil is the love of their
homes and their native land.
It may be a knowledge of the alacrity with which their fathers responded
to the
call to arms in 1812, or the eagerness with which they rallied to the
loyal standard
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 63
in 1837, and their frantic rush to arms to preserve their hearth-stones
from Fenian touch, yet one cannot resist the impression, that a patriotic
class is that which inhabits the hills and valleys of Argenteuil a danger
menacing their homes and freedom would call forth a class of patriots
as brave as ever responded to the call of Libsrty. " Princes and lords
may flourish or may fade,
A breath can make them, as a breath has made ;
But a bold peasantry their country s pride
When once destroyed can never be supplied."
While the yeomanry of Argenteuil are brave, hospitable, moral and
industrious, a want of facilities for education in past years shows too
plainly its baneful effect, especially in a few secluded rural districts ;
but the present encouragement given to schools will preserve the rising
generation from the bane of illiteracy.
While speaking of the inhabitants of the County, we should not omit
notice of the French, who, through constant increase during recent years,
have become no inconsiderable part of the population. It is generally
conceded that the habitant is a good citizen.
He is simple in his habits, plodding and industrious, with little
ambition save
to supply the immediate needs of his family and to be regular in his
attendance at his church.
Of his brethren who possess a little more education or ambition, many
develop into able business men, and become prominent farmers, shrewd
speculators or man
ufacturers. Many embark with success in commercial life, and become
popular through their affability and the courtesy with which they supply
the wants of their customers. Another class who fill the higher positions
of life public offices or professions are those who consider and discuss
the social and political problems of the day, and desire the progress of
their race. The representative of the latter class, like the natives of
his mother-land, is proud-spirited. If the situation of his countrymen
in Canada is subordinate, he knows that it is an exception to the parental
stock he springs from a land that acknowledges no superior. If piqued
as he
sometimes is at Anglo-Saxon boasts, he consoles himself with a glance at
the fields whereon the cross of St. George has bowed before \\-\Qfleur
dc. Us of St. Denis.
Whatever chagrin he may feel at the recollection of Quebec is dispelled
by a longer flight of memory to the battle of Hastings. The Englishman
may sing the songs and boast the exploits of Merrie England, but the
Frenchman has equal com
fort in the deeds and dilties of La Belle France.
SCOTCH SETTLERS OF ARGKNTEUIL.
BY COLIN DEWAR.
A remarkable feature of the Scotch settlers of the county was the distinct
sep aration of the two races : the /{inlanders settling on the banks of
the Ottawa river and around St. Andrews, while the Laplanders settled
at and around Lachute, where for years the names of the Barrens, Doigs,
Drennans and Buchanans, together
6, HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
with the McOuats, McKimmies, McGregors and McClures, and a host of other
equally worthy names, are remembered as household words.
The early settlers in that part of the county, before the arrival of
the Scotch, had very little knowledge of farming, their chief dependence
for a living being in the manufacture and sale of potash ; but when the
timber was all cut off their farms, of course, the supply of material
was exhausted, and then they had to pay more attention to their farms ;
but as the soil was of a light, sandy nature, and their facilities for
cultivating it very few and of the most primitive character, they had
uphill work. Their only implement in the shape of a plough, during the
first and second decades of this century, was very properly called the
"hog plough," which, as its name indi cated, was not conducive to a
successful course of farming, and in a short time their farms were
completely worn out and exhausted.
About that time, a few Scotch emigrants came to the place, and finding
that farms could be bought cheap from these men who were glad to get rid
of them at any price, secured their own, and wrote for their friends
to come, and in a short time a small colony of thrifty, industrious
farmers was established, who brought not only knowledge of the. best
system of agriculture known and practised in the Lothians, which even
at that time was considered the best in the United Kingdom, but who also
brought the best and most improved agricultural implements, and also the
best tradesmen, representing the different handicrafts required in a new
country, and being careful and frugal, as well as of the most industrious
habits, a marked change was soon visible in the appearance of the country,
and in a short time the " desert rejoiced and blossomed as the rose."
In addition to all these worldly possessions and thrifty habits which
they brought from their native land, they also brought the love and
veneration for their religious institutions and privileges in which they
had been nurtured and brought up. The
remembrance of those blissful associations, with which they had been
so familiar, particularly in the rest and observance of the Sabbath,
was something they were very thankful for, as a Scottish Sabbath, as it
was known to them, was a day of rest and gladness, a day wherein man
held converse with his Maker, free from worldly cares and anxieties ;
and as they wended their way to the Kirk, which to them was the very
gate of heaven, and the morning psalm went up in a grand, slow surge,
perhaps to the tune of " Elgin " or "Dundee" or plaintive " Martyrs,
worthy of the name," there was a sense of hallowed days in the very air,
and in the words of the Psalmist they could say, " I was glad when they
said unto me, Let us go into the house of the
Lord."
In their new homes they had to forego these pleasures for a time ;
Zion was not
forgotten, and in due lime they had the extreme pleasure and satisfaction
of having their religious privileges as they were wont to have them in
their native land. Many a time, no doubt, their hearts ached with a home
sickness and longing, as they listened to the words of a simple ballad
written by one of their own poets, " O ! why left I my hame ? " one of
the most plaintive and pathetic ballads in the Scottish dialect, begin-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 65
11 ing with a wail in the minor key, in which the home life, the family
and social rela tions are bemoaned, and closing with a wild, weird burst
of sorrow, in which their religious privileges are lamented. The following
story, which was published many years ago in one of the leading Scottish
journals, illustrates the power of music and the effect it has on the
Scottish peasant :
An emigrant vessel lying at the port of Leith, bound for Australia,
was visited
before sailing by one of these ballad singers, and the above-named simple
ditty was sung as only could be sung by one of these singers, and the
result was, that in a short time the greater part of these emigrants
were weeping and wailing at the thought of leaving their native land,
and it was only that better counsefs prevailed, or they would have
deserted the vessel, their feelings were so wrought upon by this simple
but touching song.
Scotland is famed for a class of national airs of a peculiar style and
structure, and the martial music possesses a wild, spirited, strongly
marked expression of char acter, which has often turned the tide of
victory on many a bloody field of battle.
Some of the descendants of the Scotch farmers are living in comfort
and afflu ence on the old homesteads, others are occupying positions of
trust and responsibility in different parts of the Dominion, while others
have left home and friends and native land to carry the glad tidings of
salvation to heathen lands, and it does not require a great stretch of
imagination to connect these devoted workers, who have given their lives
to spend and be spent in the Master s service, with the religious training
of their forefathers and their love of the Sabbath and Gospel ordinances.
" If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure
on my holy day, and call " the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord
honorable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own " ways, nor finding
thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight
" thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places
of the earth, and feed " thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
Mr. Dewar also pays the following compliment to the French :
A tradition exists, which, in the main, is supported by history, that
Argenteuil was chosen as the trysting place or re/it/ez-roi/s of American
emissaries (or Bostonnais. as they were called by the French Canadians),
who endeavored to fan the flame of dis content among the French habitants,
with a view of helping the American nation in their subjugation of Canada.
They did not succeed in their mission, especially in the rural districts,
as the Indians remained firm in their allegiance to the British, and the
French Canadians, to their honor be it narrated, remained equally firm
and true, as was witnessed a few years afterwards, during the war of
1812-14, when the flower of their best families withstood and repelled
with great loss, the invaders of the Province at Chateauguay and Chrysler
s Farm. On this subject, the Archivist s report for 1888 says :
" But the appeals (of these emissaries) to the better class of French
Canadians
"had little effect, as is strikingly shown by the list sent by Carleton
to Lord Geo "Germain on the Qth May, 1777, in which there does not appear
the name of one
66 Hi STORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
"French Canadian. Those of that nationality who took part with the
Bostonnais " were of the lower class in the rural settlements."
The term " Bastonnais " seems to be a corruption of the word Bostonnais,
as Arnold s expedition was known to have started from Boston, and the
corruption has extended to our day, for up to the last forty years, in
speaking to old French Cana dians in reference to the American invasion,
they would invariably designate it as " la guerre des Bastonnais." We
like these national solecisms, and we have retained this one.
SEIGNIORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
On the isth of June, 1682, a promise of a grant of this fief to Sieur
Chas. Jos. D Aillebout was signed at Quebec by Count de Frontenac,
Governor of New France.
The grant was to include "a tract of land lying on the north side
of the Ottawa, extending from the foot of the Long Sault two leagues
towards Montreal, and four leagues back from the Ottawa, including all
the islands, points and sand-bars opposite of which the island named
Carillon forms a part."
In 1697, Sieur D Aillebout and his wife, Catherine Le Gardeur, sold
the grant to their son, Pierre D Aillebout Sieur d Argenteuil. The
latter in 1725 took the oath of fealty, and fyled the promise of Count
de Frontenac. The heirs of Louise Denis, widow of Pierre D Aillebout
Sieur d Argenteuil, sold this fief to Louise Panet, who took the usual
oath in 1781. In 1800 Panet sold to Major Murray, who sold to Sir John
Johnson in 1814, and the only Seigniorial claim against Argenteuil now
existing is held by his heirs.
This Seigniory was erected into a parish by proclamation of roth May,
1822. The following is a description of the Seigniory copied from
Bouchette s Topo graphy of Canada published in 1815 :
" The Seigniory of Argenteuil is on the north bank of the Ottawa, in
the county
of York. It adjoins the seigniory of the Lac des Deux Montagues on the
eastward, the township of Chatham on the westward, and a tract of waste
Crown lands on the northward; its front extends two leagues along the
river, by four in depth. It was granted yth March, 1725, to Mons. D
Aillebout. The present proprietor is Sir John Johnson, Bart. Perhaps
through all the upper part of the district of Montreal, no tract of equal
extent will be found of greater fertility, or possessing more capabilities
of being converted, within a few years, into a valuable property. The
land is luxur iantly rich in nearly every part, while the different
species of soils are so well varied as to afford undeniable situations
for raising abundant crops of every kind. The lower part bordering on
the Ottawa is tolerably well cleared of wood ; there are large patches
of fine meadows and pastures ; from hence the ground rises with a
gradual ascent towards the rear. In the back parts the woods run to
a great extent, and yield timber of the different kinds of first-rate
size and goodness, which hitherto have been very little thinned by the
labors of the woodman. The Riviere du Nord
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
crosses the upper part of the Seigniory in a direction from east to
west, discharging itself into the Ottawa, about four miles below the
great falls, and nearly half way between the lateral boundaries ; it is
navigable as high up as the first mill a distance of three miles. There is
a small stream called Riviere Rouge, running in the same direction across
the lower part of the grant as the Riviere du Nord, and falling into the
navigable part of the latter. The settlements that are already formed in
Argen- teuil hardly amount to a third part of the whole ; the remainder,
however, presents many temptations to agricultural speculation. Of
the present concessions, some are situated on the bank of the Ottawa,
where they seem to be the most numerous as well as the best cultivated ;
others on the Riviere Rouge, in a range between it and Riviere du Nord,
and along both banks of the latter ; all showing strong indications of
a thriving industry in their occupiers. There are two grist mills, two
saw mills and a paper mill, the only one, I believe, in the province
where a large manufacture of paper in all its different qualities is
carried on with much success, under the direction of the proprietor,
Mr. Brown of Montreal Not far below this mill is a
good bridge, over which the main road to the township of Chatham and the
upper townships upon the Ottawa leads. On the left bank of the Riviere du
Nord, upon a point of land near its mouth, is very pleasantly situated
the residence of Major Murray, formerly owner of the Seigniory ; this
stream and the bays of the Ottawa that indent the front abound with a
great variety of excellent fish, as do the low lands thereabouts with
wild fowl and game of several sorts. The island of Carillon, three miles
long by three-quarters broad, is very good land, but not put to any use
; this with a smaller one near it, and another at the entrance of the
Riviere du Nord are appendages to the grant. If fertility of soil and
easy access to water conveyance be deemed of influence in the choice
of situations wherein to clear and break up new lands, probably it will
not be easy to select a tract where these advantages are better combined
than in the Seigniory of Argenteuil."
SIR JOHN JOHNSON. BY COLIN DEWAR.
Sir John was a son of Sir Wm. Johnson, an officer in one of the King
s regi ments in the then Province of New York, and who resided at
"Johnson Hall," in the beautiful valley on the banks of the Mohawk,
where he had a large tract of land, and where many of his countrymen
and others had settled and lived together in peace and harmony for many
years. Sir William had also received the appointment
of Superintendent of Indian Affairs, which does not appear to have
been much of a sinecure, as his letters or despatches are dated from
different parts of the country, from Johnson Hall to Oswego, Niagara
and Lake Champlain, thus showing that he travelled extensively. On the
breaking out of the troubles which eventually en,
with the gaining of their independence, many of his neighbors (under
his ad\
68 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
influence, no doubt) refused to join the movement, preferring to sacrifice
all they possessed, and remain loyal to what they called their king and
country and as it was impossible to remain neutral, the only alternative
was to flee to Canada, which, a short time previously, had passed into
the hands of the British.
Arrangements were therefore made by which they were escorted by Indians
to Oswego, whence they went to different parts of the country.
I would not have dwelt so long on this subject were it not that I am
descended from one of these so called U. E. Loyalists, my mother s
grandfather, Arch. McDeirmid, having left his comfortable home on
the Mohawk river, and, after suffer ing almost incredible hardships,
arrived at Caldvvell s Manor, on Lake Champlain, where he had to begin
life anew, without deriving any substantial benefit for his loyalty to
his king and country.
To Sir Wm. Johnson belongs the honor of capturing Fort Niagara in 1759
and on the 8th September, 1760, the whole of Canada was surrendered to
the British.
Sir William has been accused of being the instigator, if not the actual
leader, of the raid made by Indians on the peaceable inhabitants of
the valley, when so many were ruthlessly massacred, Indian fashion, and
their houses and property destroyed by fire. There is no proof whatever,
that he was in any way connected with that raid; besides, his influence
and actionsawere always on the side of clemency and mercy. However,
it is a well authenticated historical fact, that a raid by Indians and
others was perpetrated in that place, as above described. There could
not have been any glory or honor attending it, as Colonel Guy Johnson,
St. Claire and Brant all deny having any part in it.
Sir William s intimacy and connection with Mollie Brant, which has
furnished material for writers of fiction as well as history, may have
been an advantage to him in his dealings with the Indians, but it "must
have been a root of bitterness in his own family, as she lived with him
as his wife, and was always regarded as such by the Indians, and after
his death was treated as his relict. (Archivist s Report B. 114- 63-)
As a woman, she had great influence among the different tribes, and
one word from Jier is more taken notice of by the Five Nations than a
thousand from any white man without exception. (Ibid.}
Sir William died in July, 1774, after a few months severe illness,
and was much
and deservedly regretted by all classes, and especially by the British
Government, who had great confidence in him, both as an officer in the
army and in filling the important office over the Indians.
His son. Sir John Johnson, was also an officer in the 28th Regiment of
New York, and shortly after his father s death was appointed to the
position which his late father had held, as Superintendent of Indian
Affairs a position which he faithfully filled for many years, even to
the detriment of his own private business.
He was at one time nominated for Lieut. -Governor of Upper Canada ; and
Lord Dorchester, in a letter to the Home Secretary, also recommended him,
but before the letter arrived, Simcoe had been appointed.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In 1808, he wrote to Mr. Granville, stating that he wished to resign his
office of Superintendent, and asking that his son, Lieut.-Col. Johnson,
be appointed in his stead; but the Home Government did not entertain
the application, as they consi
dered Col. Johnson was not sufficiently acquainted with the peculiarities
of the Indian tribes. It was, therefore, given to Col. Clans, a
son-in-law of Sir Wm. John son, who had been for some time acting as
Deputy Superintendent. It was a reat disappointment to Col. Johnson,
as his father, Sir William, considered that this appointment was to
remain in his family. (Ibid, 311-11.)
About the year 1814, Sir John Johnson purchased the Seigniory of
Argenteuil from Major Murray, and built the manor house on a beautiful
spot on the left bank of the North River, near where it flows into the
Ottawa. It was built on the same model (only of smaller dimensions) as
"Johnson Hall," the residence of his father on the banks of the Mohawk. In
that manor house he resided for several years surrounded by comforts and
luxuries far in excess of what might be expected in a comparatively new
country, and was very free and affable in his deportment, and was noted
for his kind and hospitable treatment to all who sought his acquaintance.
The < dinner bell " that hung in the belfry of his coach house,
and which was
\ ot summon the family and guests to the spacious dining room, he
presented to
the Rev. Archd. Henderson, who placed it on his church, where it was
used to sum
mon his congregation to worship, but after a few years was taken down
and placed in
the care of the late Guy Richards.
As he had decided to leave St. Andrews, he appointed an agent to look
after the business of the Seigniory, and went to Montreal, where he
resided until his death Tasse, in his life of Philemon Wright, mentions
these facts: "In 1774, Sir John
^ Johnson was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs, a position
which his late father, Sir Wm. Johnson, had also held. He had won the
entire confidence of the
Indian tribes, and was highly esteemed among them, as was witnessed at
the time
1 of his death in January, 1830, when a great number of Indians went to
Montreal to |^take part in ^the funeral services which were held in the
Anglican Church. An
Iroquois Indian chief even made an oration in his mother tongue on the
virtues ; | of the deceased. At St. Regis, the Indians, when informed
of his death, went around the village, uttering cries and lamentations,
and the whole population followed them in a crowd, giving signs of the
greatest sorrow."
His eldest son, Gordon Johnson, never assumed or inherited the title,
as he had,
i previously, incurred the displeasure of the family, by his marriage
with a
French Canadian woman. After the death of Sir John, the Seigniory came
into pos-
iion of his son, Col. Charles Christopher Johnson, who held it for
many years,
and was succeeded by Capt. Johnson, the present proprietor.
St, Andrews Parish.
St Andrews was erected into a Parish in 1822, and at that time it embraced
the entire Seigniory of Argenteuil. In 1852, the parish of St. Jerusalem
d Argenteuil was formed, which much to the dissatisfaction of many of the
inhabitants of Andrews-included considerable more than half the original
seigniory, leaving the northern boundary of St. Andrews about five miles
from the Ottawa instead of twelve the distance from this river of its
original northern boundary.
At some time, about or during the fifth decade of the present century,
another small tract of territory -a mile in width from the Ottawa, and
two miles in length from the east line of the Seigniory was taken from
St. Andrews, and annexed
to the parish of St. Placide.
The surface of this parish is somewhat uneven though its diversities
are not abrupt, nor does it contain any land that is not adapted to
cultivation. Its soil is good, scenery attractive, and its different
sections especially the River Rouge, Beech Ridge, and the Lachute Road
present many fine, well tilled farms.
It was here that the first settlers of this County pitched their tents ;
indeed, St. Andrews, more especially the River Rouge settlement, seems to
have been a sort of preparatory place for settlers before going elsewhere,
the number of those born
there, or whose ancestors were born there, and who are now settled
throughout the Dominion being legion.
It is said, that so little did the first settlers on the Rouge know
of graphy of the country, or understand the way of economizing space,
that m reaching the St. Andrew s Mill, for a long time they conveyed
their grain to the Ottawa,
thence by boat to the North River, and up that to the mill. Major
Murray, the Seignior, happening at this time to visit the settlement,
and learning this custom, pointed out to them the amount of toil they
were needles-sly expending ; and then, showing a map of the Seigniory,
convinced them that, in a direct course, they were about as near the Mill
as they were when theyW reached the mouth of the North River. After this,
they opened a road through the woods to the mill.
ST. ANDREWS VILLAGE.
Few, if any, country villages or parishes in the Province are more widely
o r favorably known than St. Andrews.
Settled at a comparatively early period, and possessing among its
inhabitants many of intelligence and refinement, it naturally soon
enjoyed a distinction seldom attained in the early history of country
localities. Many of its business men, also, were those who had gained
experience and formed an extensive acquaintance in other places, and
their journeying to and fro na turally helped to extend the fame of
H
CO
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
their thriving village. But not least among the things which contributed
to make it widely known was its location. Situated near the Ottawa
on the North River, which is navigable a portion of the season as far
as this village for most of the craft which ply the larger stream, it
is visited by many who, either in the course of business or pleasure,
sail up and down the Ottawa. When the water in the North River is too
low to admit the passage of steamers, they stop on the Ottawa at the
nearest avail able point to St. Andrews. The sail up the North River
is extremely pleasant, and the passenger who has never before made
this journey wonders, when the steamer turns from the broad Ottawa
towards a forest of willows and alders, whether she is about to make
a trip overland; but as she soon glides into the smaller stream, he
finds sufficient interest in observing the various farms that lie along
the shore with their flocks, herds and diversified crops. Just before
reaching the imposing iron bridge which spans the stream and connects the
east and west sections of the village, the steamer glides to her wharf. A
half-dozen or more skiffs, drawn up on the stony beach on the one hand,
and a garden descending to the water s edge on the other, contribute,
with surrounding objects, to form an attractive picture.
Back a little on shore, are a fancy dog cart, a newly painted buggy,
and a more
pretentious two-horse carriage, all in readiness with their drivers to
receive the two demoiselles, petite madame with her two children, and
the portly, elderly man, his wife and daughter, all of whom are just
returning to their homes after a visit to the city.
Nearer and closer to the edge of the wharf are several habitants, some of
whom are waiting to convey freight to the freight house, while others have
come to carry the valises and parcels of lady passengers who reside in the
village, while two or three are present to drive home the cows and young
stock which the portly old gentleman has purchased for his country domain.
Though the quantity of freight landed here by the boat is not quite
so extensive as the cargo brought by an ocean steamer to one of our
city wharves, yet that the quantity delivered at St. Andrews is not
insignificant is proved by the length of time that it takes several active
hands to discharge it. But the last article a coop con taining a dozen
brown Leghorns has been transferred to the wharf, and the gang plank
is about to be drawn in, when a loud " Halloo " stays proceedings for
a little time and attracts all eyes shoreward. An express, containing
two moderate-sized boxes, drives hurriedly to the wharf, a gentleman,
evidently a merchant, alights, throws the boxes out with no little
excitement, and then turns to inform the purser that those stupid
employees of Smith & Jones have sent him the wrong goods. Scarcely has
this message been delivered, when another middle-aged merchant, in a
smart suit, arrives, and desires to know if the hardware he ordered last
week from Messrs. Dobbs & Ferguson has arrived. On being assured that
it has not, he sends a mes sage, which is calculated to sharpen the wits
of Dobbs & Ferguson, then hurries
away.
The steamer is soon at right angles with the current, and just as the
passenger
imagines that she is about to butt head foremost into the opposite
bank of the river, she gracefully swings into mid-channel, and, anon,
is once more on the Ottawa.
7 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Such is a scene that may often be witnessed on the arrival of the
steamer at St. Andrews, an event which is always regarded with pleasure,
relieving, as it does, the monotony of village life, and affording to
the inhabitants for a time a much desired convenience.
That the channel of the North River will some time be deepened, so that
it will
be navigable for steamers the whole season, there is little doubt. But
until the pro per interests are awakened and the proper capital invested,
this work of public
utility will be unaccomplished.
It seems strange to us, who know so well the various stages through
which a new
settlement passes before it engages in important manufacturing
enterprises, that St. Andrews, in the very outset of her history, should
have had a paper mill ; yet that such is a fact is shown by " Bouchette
s Topography of Canada," as well as the testimony of many still living,
who saw the mill in operation. The following account of this manufactory
is given by Colin Dewar :
" The paper mill was started by a company of Americans, who obtained a
30 years lease from the Seignior for the necessary water power ; but as
James Brown was the owner of the land where they intended to build the
mill, it is quite probable he was a partner from the start, as it was
always spoken of as Brown s Paper Mill. The canal was dug to provide
water power, and a dam built across the river from
the shore on the east side to a point near the foot of the little island,
and as a large quantity of timber and lumber would be required in the
erection of the paper mill, they first of all built a saw mill at the head
of the canal and extending along the river bank, thus giving plenty of
room for the piling of the lumber and storing saw logs ; and as business
increased, the space between the canal and the main road, now occu pied
by the railway depot, was utilized. The paper mill was built on the site
where Alex. Dewar s store now stands, and had sufficient water power to
drive the machin ery required for doing a large business, and employment
was given to many girls and boys, as well as men. One of the foremen for
some time was Mr. G. A. Hooker (father of the late Mr. G. A. Hooker),
and who was ably assisted by the late William Zearns.
"These industries continued for several years, and were of great benefit
to the
village, in giving employment to many hands, besides, there was no other
saw mill nearer than Lachute ; and it was regarded as a public loss,
when the business of both mills came suddenly to a stop in the spring
of 1834, by the dam giving way, owing to the high water and ice. During
the summer, preparations were made to rebuild it ; but as the Seignior
protested against it, and threatened all sorts of litigation if per
sisted in, it was deemed advisable to suspend operations. After two
or three years cross-firing between them, the trouble ended by the
Seignior s making an offer to Mr. Brown for the purchase of all his
property (which was accepted) ; extending from Lot 29 to Lachute Road,
and from the Beech Ridge lots to Davis line, and including both mills
and dwellings. Some of the machinery was afterwards used, when the River
Rouge saw mill was erected."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Among the very first of the pioneers who settled at St. Andrews were a
number of Americans. Whether one of them came first and induced the others
to follow, or whether they came together, it is now impossible to say,
but it is quite certain that there was very little if any difference in
the time of their advent.
They were Peter Benedict, who arrived in 1799, Benjamin Wales, John
Harring ton and Elon Lee, who was always known as Captain Lee. All that is
known of his military career, however, is that he had been a Drum Major
in the American army during the recent struggle for independence. Two at
least of the other Americans mentioned above had served in the same army ;
and it strikes us, as an incident somewhat peculiar, that these men had
no sooner seen the object accom plished for which they were fighting,
than they again sought a home beneath the
British flag.
CAPT. LEE bought the lot, and built a hotel on ground now occupied by
the Congregational Church. He purchased all the land between the village
and the present Roman Catholic Church, lying between the road to Carillon
and the Ottawa.
His house was quite a rendez-voustoi Americans who desired to escape
military service during the war of 1812, and it is said that "jolly times
" often occurred here while they remained.
Captain Lee had the reputation of being a Christian man, and of keeping a
good Public House. In the absence of any church building, it was sometimes
found con
venient to hold religious meetings at his house, when he generously
opened his rooms for the occasion, and otherwise did what he could for
the encouragement of religion. But, financially, he was not successful
his debts having accumulated, after a number of years,to an extent that
rendered the surrender of his estate into the hands of his creditors
necessary, and he soon afterwards left the country.
BENJAMIN WALES, who married Susan, a daughter of Peter Benedict, had also
been a musician in the American Army. He Was extremely fond of music,
and sought to encourage its study among the young people of St. Andrews,
a number of whom he taught vocal music. He was a paper maker by trade,
and for a number of years
was foreman in the paper mill in this village. He was retiring in
habit, and has left to us the reputation of being an earnest, consistent
Christian ; he died in 1836. By his marriage with Susan Benedict he had
five children Henry, Lemira, Charles, Elizabeth and Mary D. In 1839,
28th August, Charles Wales was married to Lcetitia Platt, daughter of
Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, Esq., of whom a sketch will be found in the
history of L Orignal. Mr. Wales, like his father, was a Christian man,
and his influence was always on the side of morality. He opened a store,
where his son Charles now trades, and nearly his whole life was given to
the mercantile pursuit. He was a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for
the trial of small causes, and for forty years a Major of Militia. Owing
to his position as magistrate, his good judgment and pacific disposition,
he was often consulted by those in trouble, and his advice often resulted
in the amicable settlement of disputed accounts and contro versies,
which otherwise would have ended in serious trouble and litigation.
6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In the Rebellion of 1837-38, when there was a great scarcity of money in
the community, he and A. E. Momnarquette, of Carillon, .sued p rl vate
notes -or ,h n placers " a they were called-payablc at their respective
stores, which being freely cu a d in the community, proved at once a
great convemence and a blessing.
Mr Wales died 3 oth May, l8773 and it was said of him :- < The
fragrance of his memory can never die, and many a man and woman will
cherish it, as that sympaSg friend and an honest man." Mrs. Wales, who
survives him, inheriting he characteristics of her ancestors, is in every
way a worthy partner o such a man and is still active in temperance and
all other Christian work. hey h d six child ren who grew up,-two sons,
Charles Treadwell and Benjamin Nathaniel, and four dau hters Margaret
Susan, Anna L*titia, Mary Maltbie and Grace Platt Charles folow the
mercantile business in the store occupied so long by his father, whose
reputation he well sustains. He was married .irt July 1875, to Martha
W. Stowe of Sheffield, Conn., who has been an important acquisition to
the temperanc, Christian workers of St. Andrews.
Benjamin, the second son of Charles Wales, sen., studied medicine,
taking his degree at McGill University in 1874- A few years later, he
took up his residence in Robinson, Que., where he still remains in the
enjoyment of an extensive practice. He was married I 9 th November,
1878, to Emma T. Osgood, at SawyemUe, Que. Margaret S. is married to
Thomas Lamb, merchant of St. Andrews. Mary M. married Wm. Drysdale,
publisher of Montreal, ist January, 1880 She died in 1891, lamented by
a large circle of friends, her amiability and deeds of kindness and
volence being widely known.
Anna L*titia, married to Rev. D. W. Morrison, i S th September, 1881,
resides at
Ormstown, P.O. , , f
Grace Platt was married 6th February, 1895, to Mr. Kilgour, furniture
dealer, o
Beauharnois, Q. . ,
The descendants of few men have reflected more credit on their fathers
have those of Chas. Wales, sen., of St. Andrews.
The following sketches of two more of the American pioneers named at
have been contributed by Colin Dewar.
OTTAWA, ;th February, 1894- MR. C. THOMAS,
When the American Revolution broke out, Mr. Peter Benedict left his
studies in Yale College, and entered the Army as orderly sergeant, and
went with I Montgomery to Canada, to the reduction of St. Johns. Returning
to his place, he was promoted to the rank of ist Lieutenant in the 3 rd
New York nental Regiment, and remained some years in the service, but
declined further pr motion The pension laws of the United States were not
as strict then as now n regard to the place of abode, as Lieut. Benedict
lived in Canada and drew a pensi
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
75
for his services from the U.S. Government up to the time of his death
in 1830, and afterward his wife drew the pension allowed to officers
widows up to the time of her death in 1846.
He was originally from North Salem, N.Y., where all his family were born,
but came from Burlington, Vr., in the spring of 1800, with his wife
and family, consisting of three sons and two daughters, and settled on
a farm, where he resided till his death, aoth May, 1830. He was a man
of superior abilities, of a strong, cultivated and reflective mind,
well qualified to fill any position ; and it was only a short time
before he was appointed a Justice of the Peace, which office he held
for nearly twenty years. Of his family, one daughter married Dr. Beach,
and the other married Benj. Wales ; his two eldest sons died shortly
after his arrival. His youngest son, Charles, born 22nd October, 1785,
lived with him and carried on the work of the farm for
many years. Having formed a partnership with his brother-in-law,
Mr. Wales, as builders and contractors, they continued for several years
to carry on the farm and their other work to their mutual advantage.
Mr. Benedict, on the nth May, 1812, was married to Uamaris C apron,
daughter of Nathan Capron, of Keene, N.H., and after the birth of their
eldest son, George, removed to the Bay, on what was known as the last
farm in the Seigniory. After several years residence there, he removed
to St. Andrews, to a property purchased from Mr. Nolan, where he resided
until his death. He always took an active part
in all public matters, having held the office of Justice of the Peace
for many years, and was a Commissioner for the trial of small causes,
and for apprehending fraudu lent debtors, as well as for administering
the oath of allegiance. He was appointed arbitrator on a streams case
in the Parish of Cote St. Pierre, which proved to be both difficult and
complicated, but was finally surveyed and adjusted to the satisfaction
of all concerned. He also took an active part in church matters, and was
for many years one of the Elders of the Presbyterian Church. He resided
in the County for 72 years, and died on the 3151 May, and his wife on
the ist June, 1872, having lived together for the long space of over 60
years; and in death they were not divided.
His family consisted of four sons and three daughters, that lived to
grow up. His eldest son, George, born 4th July, 1814, was the only
one who settled in his native place ; he married, i4th February, 1844,
Eliza Beattie, daughter of Mr. David Beattie of St. Andrews, by whom he
had a family of five sons and five daughters. He removed from St. Andrews
in 1869 to Ogdensburg, N.Y., where he died and December, 1892. His three
other sons left home, when quite young, and settled in the United States,
where Peter died in October, 1892. Chas. and Henry are still living in New
York. His eldest daughter, Susanna, married George G. Sharpe in 1842, and
died i6th January, 1858, in the 42nd year of her age, leaving a family of
three sons and two daughters. The eldest and only surviving son, George,
lives in the State of Nebraska. The eldest daughter married the Rev. Dr.
Paterson of St. Andrews, and the youngest married Mr. Robert Stewart
of Ottawa.
The following is an extract from a diary kept by Mr. Charles Benedict,
of what
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was long remembered as the "cold summer": "Sunday, 1 2th May, 1816, heavy
rain began to fall, and continued without cessation all night, turning
cold, but still raining all day Monday. On Tuesday, very cold, with snow
squalls, ground almost covered with snow. Wednesday, so cold, obliged to
wear mitts and great coat ploughing ; heavy frost at night. Thursday,
rather fine sowed wheat and began planting potatoes ; kept cold with
hard frost at night up to the 2 Sth, when another cold rain set in. 2
9 th, around frozen two or three inches deep ; 3 oth, 3 ist, finished
planting corn and pota toes ; June 6th, cold with snow ; yth and 8th,
cold not abated, ground covered with snow, dressed the same as in winter
; cold all through the month ; woods and fields turned a pale green ;
July ist, frost killed cucumbers, etc., then cold rain set in ; the 6th,
;th and 8th, very cold, had to put on mitts and overcoat, hoeing potatoes;
loth, nth, hard frost ; and so on through the greater part of the month."
It must have been very discouraging for them to go on ploughing and
sowing in such very unseasonable weather, but they relied upon God s
promise " that seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,
day and night should not cease "
and the promise was fulfilled by the ingathering of a good average crop.
There is no record of any such cold season, as above recorded, known in
the history of Canada since that time.
JOHN HARRINGTON, sen., was an American by birth, and came to Canada
early in
the first decade of this century, when quite a young man. He married a
daughter of
Mr. Peter Me Arthur of Carillon Hill, and had a family of four sons and
five daughters.
He was a first class millwright and an excellent mechanic, and
superintended the
erection of mills in various parts of the country, and especially those
mills erected by
his son-in-law, D. McLaughlin, at By town and Arnprior. He settled on
the farm
known by his name, and built that large, substantial, brick residence
that has stood for
so many years, and is, to all appearances, as sound as ever. He died
about the year
1846, and his wife about twenty years after. Of his sons, John, the
eldest, carried on
the farm for many years before and after his father s death, and was a
pattern of
-neatness and thrift to all the farmers in the vicinity, and it was a
pleasure to walk
around his large farm, and see the convenient farm buildings, all in
good order and
condition, clean, neat and in good taste. He held many important county
and muni
cipal offices, which he was well qualified to fill.
William, the next son, left home when quite a young man, went to Montreal,
and entered a hardware establishment, where, in a short lime, he became
a partner, and married Miss Laura Seymour, and had a family of one son
and four daughters. After a time, he left Montreal and took up his abode
in St. Andrews, where ^he received the appointment from Capt. Johnson as
acting agent for the Seigniory, which position he filled up to the time of
his death a few years ago; his estimable wife died a few years previously.
The other sons, Eric and Armand, also left home early, and began business
m Arnprior, where they have remained to the present.
His eldest daughter, Sarah, never married, but kept house for her
brother John,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. yy
at the old homestead. She was an excellent woman, an exemplary Christian,
a kind friend, and charitable to those in need, and her death was
sincerely regretted by a large circle of friends. The third daughter
married Dr. Van Cortlandt, one of the leading medical men of the days
of old Bytown. The second daughter married Daniel McLaughlin, one of
the leading lumber manufacturers of his day, and who also represented
the County of Renfrew, both before and after Confederation. The fourth
daughter married Nathaniel Burwash, merchant of Arnprior. The youngest
daughter died in the spring of 1854 after a short illness. Her death
was a great shock to the family and to her large circle of young friends,
Of the children of William, his only son, Bernard, as is well known,
is one of the Professors in McGill College; he is a young man of more
than ordinary ability, as his position in life fully demonstrates.
The three eldest daughters died within a few years of each other, and
some time
prior to the death of their parents.
The youngest daughter, Laura, resides within a short distance of her
old home.
C. D.
Of those who lived in St. Andrews in the early days of her history,
probably no
one did more for her advancement or was more noted for enterprise than
JAMES BROWN. He was a Scotchman who had been engaged in the printing
business in Montreal, where he published a weekly paper called the
Canada Courant. In 1812, after coming to St. Andrews, he organized a
company of militia, of which he became captain. Among the first, if not
the first, of his acts on coming here was to purchase the paper mill. He
enlarged it, as he did, also, the canal on which it was located, built
a new saw mill and a new dam across the river, below the old one, just
at the lower end of the island. Owing to his enterprise, a good many
found employ ment not only at his mills but in other branches of his
business. He purchased five lots of land along the North River running
northward from the River Rouge, some
distance along the Lachute road. He also purchased several village lots
on the opposite side of the river, where he had a house and store both
in one building, which occupied the site of the present brick house of
Mrs. E. Jones.
Mr. Brown is remembered by many ot the oldest citizens of this section,
and all
iver that he was a clever and an upright man. He was a Justice of the
Peace, and
liseharged the duties of his office in a manner which enhanced the
respect which
he commanded in his varied intercourse with his fellow-men. One of
his daughters
was married to Royal, a son of Moses Davis; another in 1829 to
C. H. Castle,
cashier of the Bank of Montreal. The Earl of Dalhoiisie, who was then
Governor of
the Province, was on a tour to this section to inspect the work on
the Grenville
canal, then in process of construction. Being a friend of Mr. Brown,
he cheerfully
:omphed with his request to him to ba present at the marriage of his
daughter,
which occurred in the house now owned and occupied by Alexander
Dewar. A few
78 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
years after this marriage Mr. Brown donated to his son-in-law, Mr. Castle
and his wife, a lot of land, No. i King s Row, which he himself had
purchased in 1809.
It is said that some regarded Mr. Brown imprudent in pecuniary matters,
and accused him of extravagance. Whether there was valid ground for
this accusation
or not, it is certain that in his later years he was in much poorer
circumstances than he was in earlier life. One work, especially, which he
performed, was referred to by some as proof of his extravagance : this
was the building of an expensive stone wall around the Island above the
grist mill, and another along the Lachute Road on his farm. It was his
design to make a park of the Island, and with this design, he paid out
no little money. But from the removal of the trees near the margin, so
that the wall might be constructed, their roots soon decayed, the water
undermined the wall, and the whole work was soon destroyed. Mr. Brown
left St. Andrews after the Rebellion of 1837.
MOSES DAVIS, from Chesterfield, N.H., was one of the very early settlers
here, his advent being in 1801. Soon after his arrival, he opened a store,
where the shop of Daniel Sutherland now stands. Though it would doubtless
bear little comparison to similar establishments of the present day,
yet it contained what the community in those days demanded, and, like
many another, possibly laid the foundation for a
broader and more lucrative business.
That Mr. Davis was a man of enterprise, and one who was ready to see and
take advantage of an opportunity, is obvious from the way in which he
started, and engaged in manufactures of which the new settlement stood
in need. There being no tannery in the place, he opened one, soon after
beginning his mercantile venture, on a site near the present house of
Thomas Fournier, and this he kept in operation till 1847.
Harness making and shoemaking were other industries in which he engaged
and continued for many years. In 1806, he purchased a lot of ninety
acres of land, and subsequently added one hundred and fifty more. While
these different branches of business no doubt repaid him for the trouble,
expense, and attention they required, they must have been a blessing to
many others, especially to those laborers to whom they gave employment.
In 1832, he built the stone house in which his son Theodore now
resides. It will be recollected that this was the year in which the
cholera made such ravages in the Province. A man named Pitt, who was
employed in the construction of this house, in going to his dinner,
while crossing the bridge in the village, was seized with pain which
portended the dread visitor, and at three o clock the same day he was
a corpse. During the troubles of 1837-38, this house, on account of its
size, was se lected by the military authorities for a barracks, in which
the soldiers were quartered. The family of Mr. Davis patriotically
granted it for the purpose, and found a tern, porary domicile in a
smaller house in the village.
Mr. Davis was for many years a Justice cf the Peace, and a Commissioner
for the trial of small causes. He was married in April, 1806, to Lurena
MacArthur,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
daughter of another pioneer. He died at St. Andrews, 1 2th Dec., 1851,
but Mrs.
Davis survived him nearly thirty years, having lived till i3th June,
1881. They had a large family of children, two of whom died in childhood ;
six sons and two daughters grew up. Three of the former left this section
long ago, two at a more recent date, while Theodore, the fifth son,
remained on the homestead. Nelson, the eldest son, served as cornet in
the Volunteer Cavalry Company of Capt. McLean, during the Rebellion of
1837-38, and, like his comrades, cheerfully performed the duties demanded
of him during that stormy time. In 1841, he removed to Montreal, where
for some time he was employed as customs and shipping agent. Crosby, the
youngest of the family, was for many years engaged in mercantile business
in St. Andrews. In 1887 he removed to Ottawa, where he still resides,
filling a responsi ble position in one of the largest establishments
in the city. He married Margery, daughter of William McEwen, Esq., of
River Rouge, St. Andrews. Their only son is residing in Chicago, where
he is established as a dentist, and is doing an extensive and lucrative
business. Their second daughter married Mr. Paton, well and favor
ably known in Montreal in connection with the Y. M. C. A. work, and who
is now filling the same position in the city of Winnipeg. Two of the
daughters reside with their parents, and one is at present in Chicago.
Lurena, the eldest daughter of Moses Davis, married Robert Simpson, of
whom a sketch is given on a succeeding page. Eliza, her sister, married
Joseph Kellogg, for a number of years a merchant in 1 Orignal. In 1843,
they came to St. Andrews, where they lived on a farm till 1857, when
they removed to Illinois, where Mr. Kellogg died. His widow subsequently
moved to Iowa, in which State she still resides.
Theodore, as stated above, has always remained on the homestead, his
unim paired physical and mental powers after threescore and ten years
of service testify ing not only to the healthfulness of the climate in
this section, but to the fact that temperance, morality and industrious
habits are infallible aids to longevity. In the late Rebellion, like
his elder brother, he also enlisted in the Volunteer Company of Cavalry
commanded by Capt. McLean. After acting as School Commissioner for many
years, he accepted the position of secretary-treasurer of the School
Board. In 1845 he married Helen, daughter of Duncan McMartin, a pioneer
on the River Rouge, They have had eight children, Moses their eldest
son is in Montreal, having suc
ceeded to the business. followed by his uncle, Nelson, that of customs
and shipping agent. His youngest son is in business in Tacoma, Washington.
THEODORE DAVJS, a brother of Moses Davis, who came to St. Andrews in 1801,
must have been here previous to that date, judging from the fact that
records refer to a survey and proces verbal of St. Andrews, which he made
in 1799. But whether or not he was a citizen of the place at that date,
it is certain that he was at a short period subsequently. Being for some
years the only surveyor in this section, his services were often called
in requisition, and possessing an enterprising spirit, he soon became
an important addition to the business men of the place.
go HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
When steamboats began running to Carillon, they found great difficulty
in get ting up the rapids at St. Ann s, and to overcome this difficulty,
Mr. Davis constructed locks at Vaudreuil, which were in use for several
years, after which the route was changed to the north side of the
river, and locks at St. Ann s were built, thus making the route more
direct. The remains of these old locks at Vaudreuil are still visible.
Another work of public utility he performed was removing boulders from
the Ottawa above Carillon, so as to facilitate navigation. He married
a daughter of Colonel Daniel Robertson, who was the widow of De Hertel,
and the mother of Colonel De Hertel of St. Andrews. Mr. Davis purchased
a lot of land on the west side of the North River, and on it erected a
two-story house on the site of the present residence of Mr. De la Ronde,
advocate. He sold this property, not many years later, to Guy Richards,
and removed to Point Fortune, where, in company with a man named Tait,
he opened a store. They traded there for a few years, when Mr. Davis,
having purchased the farm of McRobb in Carillon, now owned by Mr. John
Kelly, removed thither, and lived here till his death, which occurred
in Hull, i6th March, 1841, at the age of 63 years.
The following sketch of other members of the Davis family has been sent
to us
by Colin Dewar :
* SIMEON DAVIS, with his wife and family of four sons, Roswell, Asher,
Lyman and Asahel, together with his two brothers, Theodore and Moses,
came from Mas sachusetts, and settled at St. Andrews in 1801, where he
remained for several years.
" Roswell, the eldest son, married Miss Annie, daughter of Nathan Capron
of Keene, N.H., by whom he had a family of six sons, viz., Edward, Alfred,
Whitcomb, Simeon, Roswell and Nathan. About the year 1840, he removed
from St. Andrews with his family to the Township of Osgoode, which at
that time was opened up for settlers. He purchased a farm on which he and
his wife resided until their death in a good old age, about the year 1866.
" His son Edward, who is now in the 84th year of his age, and in
possession of all his faculties, can recount many stirring incidents of
the early days, and remembers quite distinctly when the first steamboat
made its appearance at Carillon, and as a stage driver on the route
between Montreal and Grenville (mentioned in another part of this work)
has had a varied experience in both summer and winter travel. He relates
with pride and satisfaction, that he never met with an accident in
crossing the rivers on bad ice, and although he had to drive through
bad roads on dark nights, not one of his passengers ever received an
injury. In relating this part of his experience, which is not given in
a spirit of boasting but in that of gratitude to the Father of mercies
for His watchful care over him, he attributes his part of the success to
his habits of sobriety, which could not be said of some of his confreres.
" After his father left St. Andrews, Mr. Davis went up the Ottawa river,
and engaged in the lumber business for some years, and being of an
active, pushing spirit, was engaged in several important public works,
such as opening up new roads, build ing bridges, etc., besides having
considerable experience in mining and boating.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 8 1
" He married comparatively early in life, and had a family of four sons
and one
daughter, all of whom are married and have families of their own. He
has resided for the last thirty years at Quio, Province of Quebec,
where the greater part of his family also reside.
" About four years ago, a sad misfortune overtook him, in the destruction
of his house by fire, together with the greater part of his household
goods, which was a great loss ; but, sad to relate, his wife, who had
returned to her room to get, as was sup posed, some valuable papers,
was prevented by the rapidity of the fire from returning, and was not
missed, until it was too late to render any assistance.
" Roswell s third son, Whitcomb, took an active part in suppressing
the Rebellion of 1837, being a Volunteer in the Lachute Road Company,
under Captain John Dennison. He marched to Grand Brule with the other
Volunteers and Regulars under the command of Captain Mayne, of the
24th Regiment, to meet those coming from Montreal on the I4th December,
1837. He served in that Company until it was disbanded in 1840, when he
joined the rest of the family, and settled on a farm near his father,
where he and his wife brought up a large family of sons and daughters,
and where he died in July, 1894, aged 77 years.
" Roswell s other sons are still living in the immediate neighborhood
of the old homestead.
" Asher, the second son of Simeon, was brought up to the blacksmithing
business, which he carried on for several years, at Carillon, where he
resided until the death of his wife in 1872, when he removed to Trenton,
where he died in the year 1880. His wife was a Mrs. Cameron, a daughter
of Wm. Atkinson, who resided for many years
at Carillon ; they had no family."
The following obituary is copied from the Belleville Intelligencer,
of March, 1884:-
" ANOTHER OLD PIONEER PASSED AWAY.
" Lyman Davis died at the residence of his son in Trenton, on the 24th
March, 1884, at the advanced age of 90 years, 2 months and 6 days.
The subject of this notice was born in Massachusetts, U.S.A., on tne
i<;th January, 1794. He came with his parents to Lower Canada in 1801,
and located at
St. Andrews in the County of Argenteuil. At the breaking out of the war
in 1812-15, he was drafted, and served three years. At the expiration
of the war, he was dis charged with the other Militia. About 1825,
he again removed with his parents to the village of Hope, where he
worked with his father at the blacksmithing trade for three years,
and at the expiration of that period he removed to that part of the
Township of Hope now called Port Britton, where he still worked at his
trade till 1830, when he gave up his business, removed to the Township of
Clark, and commenced farming. And two years later (in 1832) he married
Catherine Babcock, a daughter of \Vm- Babcock of Ameliasburg. In 1840,
he removed his family to Ameliasburg, and continued farming till 1848,
whe.i he removed to Trenton, five years before the
82 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
village was incorporated, where he continued to reside till his death. Mr.
Davis had many warm friends, was very unassuming, and never took an
active interest in public affairs.
" He leaves a widow 72 years old, two sons and three daughters to mourn
his loss, all of whom are comfortably situated.
" Mr. Davis was a pensioner, and has regularly drawn his pension since
the grant was made. Thus, one by one, our old veterans pass away."
In 1804, two brothers named Peter and Duncan Dewar from Glasgow, Scotland,
made St. Andrews their home, and many of their numerous descendants are
still in the County of Argenteuil.
Duncan Dewar, the younger of the two brothers, purchased a hundred acres
of land which is known at the present time as the Harrington Estate,
but believing he could add to his income by a modest venture in the
mercantile line, he built a store on the site of the present store of
Mr. La Fond. Not finding this business suited to his tastes, however,
he sold his stock, and, during the remainder of his lite, confined
his attention to farming. He was a man much respected, very quiet,
and so domes
tic in his tastes, that he kept aloof from politics and everything
calculated to attract him away from home or the care of his domestic
concerns. He died in 1869, leaving six sons, Peter, John, Duncan, Donald,
Hugh and Alexander, and two daughters. Three of the sons, John, Duncan
and Hugh, the only ones who had children, settled in St. Andrews. The
latter, after living on the homestead till 1856, sold it, and two or
three years later went to Ottawa, where he still resides. His eldest
son, William, is manager of the large mercantile establishment of John
McDonald & Co. in Toronto. John, another son, is book-keeper for an
extensive lumber company in the same city.
Mary, one of th? daughters of Mr. Dewar, married JOHN LAMB, foreman in
a manufactory of Judge Hamilton of Hawkesbury. Possessing considerable
ingenuity in the way of invention, Mr. Lamb devoted much of his time to
this work, and invented a water-wheel, which is now in use in various
parts of Canada. Afterwards, he became the originator of several other
machines, which are in popular use. Soon after his marriage he removed
to Ottawa, where he died in 1894 ; Mrs. Lamb died in 1887. They had
six children three sons and three daughter. The sons, James B., William
and John H. Lamb, engaged in tfie occupation followed by their father,
and seem to have inherited much of his skill at invention.
Jan> a daughter of Duncan Dewar, sen., married William Kneeshaw,
and settled
on Beech Ridge ; both are deceased. They had one son, Robert, and one
daughter,
Sarh, who now reside in Illinois.
Alexander, the youngest son of Duncan Dewar, sen., met his death by a sad
acci dent in the spring of 1837. He and a young man named Abner Rice,
who was studying for the notarial profession, when together one day,
were asked by a citizen to aid him in getting a heavy canoe over the
mill dam. The water was high, and the work was one involving no little
risk. They brought the boat down, however, but
HISTORY OF ARGF.NTEUIL. 83
in the act it upset, and Dewar swam lo the shore. Rice clung to the boat
and endeavoured to right it, but seeing he could not, Dewar jumped in
and swam to his assistance. It was no easy matter, however, to handle
the boat in that boiling caul dron, and with the view, no doubt, of
getting it into more quiet water, they botli clung to the bow. As it
glided along with the swift current, it had acquired no little momentum
by the time it reached the bridge, and the young men being forced against
the middle pier were both killed.
John, the eldest son, purchased land in Buckingham, and in company with
his brother Donald, was preparing for himself a home, when circumstances
occurred which led him to make his home in St. Andrews. In January,
1836, he was married
to Elizabeth Wales, and her father dying some months later, her mother
prevailed on the newly married couple to make their home with her,
and take charge of the
farm. The following obituary published at the time of Mr. Dewar s death,
23rd April, 1875, expresses the popular sentiment in the vicinity of
St. Andrews, and shows that the lives of this couple were not spent in
vain :
" Died at St. Andrews, on the 23rd inst., after a few days illness,
Mr. John Dewar, aged 69 years, the eldest brother of Duncan Dewar, Esq.,
J.P., of that village, leaving a family and a large circle of friends
to wrestle with a sorrow, which would be infinite if they sorrowed as
those who have no hope.
" Mr. Dewar was converted when a young man, and soon after, while
living in Buckingham, embraced Baptist views, and was immersed by the
Rev. John Edwards, sen., the pioneer Baptist of the Ottawa Valley. He
married Elizabeth Wales of St. Andrews, a lady of great amiability,
whose soul was in lively sympathy with his own in respect to every
good work. About a year after his marriage he removed to St. Andrews,
where he united with several kindred spirits in forming a Baptist church.
He was chosen one of the Deacons, and continued faithfully to discharge
the duties of his office till called by the Captain of his salvation
from the field of labour to the rest that remaineth for the people of God.
"Brother Dewar was a man of large heart and warm sympathies, and while he
loved God supremely, he loved men universally. Abhorring every evil way,
he pitied evil doers and laboured for their recovery from sin. He was a
man of peace, much more willing to endure wrong than to do wrong. From
the commencement of the temperance enterprise, he was a consistent and
warm advocate of the cause. He has left an afflicted widow, three sons
and three daughters, with a large circle of friends to mourn his absence,
but to rejoice in the belief that he has gone to serve God day and night
in his temple. W. K. A."
Mrs. Dewar died in 1881. Their children were Duncan Wales, Henry, Charles
Alexander, John Edward, Mary Lemira, Esther Jane, Elizabeth, and Susannah.
Two of the sons, John and Henry, lived on the homestead till 1889,
when they sold it to J. A. N. Mackay, Esq. Those of the children now
alive are widely scattered ; the only ones living in this County are
two daughters, Mary and Jane, whose good works are a reproduction of
those of fieir parents. The former is the wife of Mr. A. L- Sharman,
a most estimable citizen of Carillon.
84 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Duncan Wales, the eldest son of Mr. Dewar, died in 1873, two years before
the demise of his father. He left a widow and two sons, Ethelbert and
Ford, who are
honourably employed in Duluth, Minn.
DUNCAN, the third son of Duncan Dewar, sen., was born May, 1807, and,
as he has been a prominent figure in his native village through nearly
all of his active and useful life, he is entitled to more than a passing
notice in these pages. It is but fair) also, to acknowledge that, but
for his great age and retentive memory, many of the incidents herein
recorded would have been lost to the future. His birthday was rendered
memorable by the erection of the first bridge that was ever built across
the North River at St. Andrews. Until the age of fourteen, he regularly
attended the village school, which was a building occupying the site of
the present town hall, his first teacher being a young man by the name
of Joseph Whitcomb, son of a mason,
who had been brought to the village by Thomas Mears. At the age mentioned
above, the subject of this sketch was seized with an ambition to take
care of himself-
A man named Timothy Bristol had a wheelwright and blacksmith shop,
in a long building which stood on ground now occupied in part by the
post-office. With this man young Duncan had become well acquainted,
and as he was frequently in his shop, he soon formed the opinion that
the lot of a mechanic was more pleasant and profitable than that of
a farmer, hence he besought his father to permit him to learn the
trade of blacksmith, a trade for which his small stature and delicate
constitution seemed scarcely fitted. After due consideration, his father
consented to his proposal, and apprenticed him to Bristol for the term of
three years. Some of the neighbours pronounced the arrangement foolish,
declaring that he would get disgusted with the work, and wish to return
home within two weeks, but Mr. Dewar, knowing his boy s qualities better
than they, said he knew that if he began the work he would stick to it
the correctness of which statement was proved by the sequel.
In those days muscular strength and ability to defend one s self
by physical force were in high esteem, while those who lacked these
qualities, the young especially, could not forbear feeling that they
were destitute of some of the essential elements of manhood. Now, though
young Dewar had no reason to repine at his want of strength, he felt that
public opinion, on account of his slight form, would naturally consign
him to the weak class, and he retained this impression, till one day,
being assaulted in the shop by a burly habitant, he soundly thrashed
him. Doubtless he was indebted for this victory to strength acquired at
the anvil ; but be this as it may, from that time onward he seemed to
hold a higher place in the esteem of his com
panions. But before he had completed his apprenticeship, another incident
occurred, which was fraught with much more important interests to him, and
which to the present has had much influence on the actions of his life.
A few prominent men of St. Andrews, having heard the noted Evangelist,
Rev. Mr. Christmas, preach in Montreal, invited him to hold a series of
meetings in St. Andrews which invitation he accepted. It is said that,
as a result of these meetings, twenty-eight individuals, a few of whom
were of profligate character, were reclaimed
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. g-
from the error of their ways. Mr. Devvar was one of the converts,
and henceforth his feelings and aspirations were far different from
what they had been. It is usual for the new-born Christian to cherish
respect and love for the clergyman under whose preaching he has been
converted. This feeling, in part, induced Mr. Dewar to seek employment
in Montreal, where he might enjoy the acquaintance and preaching of the
Rev. Mr. Christmas. He soon found work in an iron manufactory, where he
remained several months, during which time he was a regular attendant
at the church of Mr. Christmas, and he induced a cousin of his to go
with him, who, in the end, was also converted. A chance to obtain better
wages next led him to Grand Isle, Ver
mont, and after working there nearly a year he came home to attend
school. He had always been anxious to obtain an education, and he
determined to devote what money he had earned to this end. After
this supply had been exhausted, he went ttawa, and procured work in a
government shop at $1.25 per day, making irons which were used in the
construction of canal locks. In the society into which he was there
thrown, his temperance principles were pretty strongly tested. In the
afternoon of his first day in the shop, he saw one of his fellow-workmen
collecting money from the others, and presently he came to him. Asking the
purpose of the Section, he was told that it was to purchase liquor. He
replied, " I do not drink and it is against my principles to encourage
it." " Well," was the answer, " no man can stay here unless he joins
us." Mr. Dewar then gave them money to assure icm that he was not actuated
by parsimony, but expressed his determination not ste any spirituous
liquors. They never asked him for money again, nor did they invite him
to drink, although they all continued to use liquor themselves, and
often o excess. One thing, however, they would not permit, but doubtless
they were prompted more by a spirit of fun than of ill-will. A milkman
came around daily and raising a window of the shop, passed a pint of
milk through it to Mr. Dewar but soon, before he could get it, a sly
tap would send the contents on the floor, and after occurred several
times, the attempt to obtain milk was abandoned. When had earned $100,
he once more returned to St. Andrews, and attended school, 1 in this
manner secured a degree of scholarship rather above what was accorded
at that time to the young men of his age.
About 1828 he entered the store of Mr. Guy Richards as clerk, and remained
im six years, and he attributes much of the knowledge of business and
moral ived to the wise instructions and good example of Mr. Richards. In
.834, he and John Richard Hopkins, nephew of Mr. Richards, bought
Richards stock ierchand.se, and Mr. Dewar for many years followed
the mercantile business, agn, as his means increased, he added other
branches of business, yet without much ready profit. About 1850, he
built a tannery, and then a bark mill. The owing year he received a
diploma from the Provincial Industrial Exhibition in the best specimen
of harness leather manufactured in Canada. In 1856 annery was burnt, and
his insurance policy having lapsed, it was an entire loss, s immediately
rebuilt. He met with various other losses during his earlier career,
one of a boat for which lie had paid $600.
86 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In December, 1836, Mr. Dewar was married to Margaret Tread well,
daughter of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, Esq., Seignior of Longueuil. Miss
Treadwell and a sister had been for some time living at L Orignal with
their brother, Charles, and they often came to St. Andrews to visit the
family of Mr. Richards. It was thus that Mr. Dewar became acquainted
with his future wife. After a courtship of two years, they married at
her father s residence in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Mrs. Dewar possessing much of the ability of her family was a help-mate
in the most significant sense of that word a woman whose counsel was
wisdom, whose example was virtue. Her father and her distinguished
sister, Mrs. Redfield, often visited them at their home in St. Andrews,
and these were occasions of no little enjoyment, for no man could better
appreciate cultured society than Mr. Dewar.
In his youthful days, he was a schoolmate of the late Sir J. J. C. Abbott,
though some years his senior. Though they differed widely in political
principles in after years, a warm friendship always subsisted between
them, and letters that Mr. Dewar received from Mr. Abbott, which he
still retains, show that the statesman esteemed him as an honorable and
able political foe.
Some years ago he was instrumental in obtaining a grant of ^900 from
Parlia ment, for the purpose of improving the navigation of the North
River ; but owing to some political chicanery, this sum was diverted
from its proper object, and used for other purposes. Though a confirmed
Liberal, he has never sought political office ; the only public position
he has held being that of magistrate, in which office he acted ably and
conscientiously for nearly a quarter of a century. His attention during
the last fifteen years has been chiefly confined to his drug store,
the first and only one ever opened in this village.
He has three sens now living ; Guy Richards, his second son, has
been postal clerk for the last sixteen years between Montreal and
Toronto ; the two others, Dun can Everett and Alexander, have long
been engaged in mercantile business, the for mer in Aylmer, Quebec, the
latter at St. Andrews, where he has followed his present vocation many
years. Retiring in habit, he has never sought public positions, and is
respected for his moral Christian character. He has two children, a son
and daugh ter ; the former, Alexander, is studying for the ministry, and
for the past three years has earnestly devoted himself to Christian work,
spending some months in this work in New York in the summer of 1893. He
is president of both the St. Andrews and Argeuteuil C.E. Societies.
In the beginning of the present century, JOHN MCMARTIN of Genlyon,
Perthshire, Scotland, decided to try his fortune in the New World. His
wife having relatives at the Bay of Chaleurs, on the north of New
Brunswick, thither he went, and prepared for himself and family a home. A
year or two subsequently, learning that two of
his brothers, farmers in Scotland, were about emigrating to Canada,
he deci ded to seek with them, when they arrived, a more suitable place
for agriculturists than could be found near the Bay of Chaleurs. In that
locality the inhabitants subsisted almost wholly by fishing; but as this
method of procuring a livelihood was not congenial to
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. g
his tastes, and the land there was generally sterile, he gladly
availed himself of a chance to dispose of what he had purchased. This
he exchanged with his wife s uncles for land which they had received
for service rendered the Government -md
which was situated in the County of Huntingdon, Quebec. On reaching
Montreal however, he learned that his estate in Huntingdon was in an
unbroken wilderness
and that should he settle there, his nearest neighbour would be thirty
miles distant.
At this time Major Murray was in Montreal, endeavouring to obtain Scotch
set tlers for his Seigniory on the Ottawa, and Mr. McMartin was induced to
sell his land in Huntingdon, and with his brothers take up his residence
in the Seigniory. Accord ingly in 1801, or the year following, he came
hither, and purchased two lots on the south side of the River Rouge which
are now owned by the family of the late Geo. Hyde. The inevitable log
house and small clearing were here on his arrival, but in a few years,
about 1810, he built another house, which, with some alterations and
additions, is still standing and occupied by the family of Mr. Hyde. Mr.
McMartin added another lot to those which he first purchased, and with
the help of his sons cleared up the greater part of these three lots ;
he died in 1847. Four of his sons Finley, Duncan, Daniel and Martin,
joined the Cavalry Company of Capt. McLean in the Rebellion of 1837-38,
and all remained in it, till advancing years induced them to yield their
places to younger men. Mr. McMartin had fifteen children, thirteen of
whom arrived at maturity ; eleven of them settled on the River Rouge ;
the youngest son, Martin, lived and died on the homestead.
FINLEY MCMARTIN, the sixth son, after living and working on the
homestead till he was about thirty-four years of age, entered the store
of Mr. Charles Wales, sen., of St. Andrews, as clerk.
At the expiration of a year, believing that trading on his own account
would be
more profitable than his present work, he hired the store across the
street opposite that of Mr. Wales, which was occupied by Frederick
McArthur, and purchased his stock of goods. Subsequently, he purchased
the store and house, both being under the same roof; but in about ten
years from the time he began to trade, this building, together with
his entire stock of goods, was burned. He then hired another store,
in which he traded till 1858, when he built a large brick store, which
is now owned by Wm. D. Larmonth, and is used as a boarding house.
In 1868 he disposed of his store, and the next year purchased the
grist mill and iree hundred acres of land adjacent. At the expiration of
fourteen years he sold the mill to Mr. Walsh, its present proprietor, and
since has confined his attention to s farm. Although an octogenarian, he
is so well preserved physically and mentally that few would imagine him to
be more than sixty. His honesty, sobriety and dili gence in business have
won the respect of his fellow-citizens, yet, the only secular office he
has accepted at their hands is that of School Commissioner, a position he
has held for many years. He was secretary of the Baptist Church Society
for a long time, as well as a member and generous supporter. He has been
twice imrried, the first time in 1847 to Christy McFarlane, who died in
1865. His second marriage
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was to Amanda Wales. By the first marriage he had three children, John
., Elizabeth and Kate. Elizabeth married E. M. Kneeshaw, and Kate,
J. S. Buchan, a rising young lawyer of Montreal, son of Win. Buchan,
Esq., of Geneva. Mrs.
Buchan died in 1894.
TOHNF MCMARTIN at the age of sixteen engaged to a firm in Montreal as
and subsequently became a commercial traveller, a position for which
his rectitude, affability and fine address eminently fitted him. After
an experience of eight years in this line, he entered the firm of
J. W. McKeddie & Co., on Victoria Square, as
partner.
GUY RICHARDS was another man prominent and influential in the youthful
days of St. Andrews. He was born in Norwich, Conn., on 8th November,
1787 ; he went from there to New York, and after a few years came
to Montreal. His ability soon secured him many friends among the
Americans in that city, and through them he became established in
a thriving business as merchant. In the war of 1812, believing that
he could make much profit by providing clothes for the Volunteers,
he invested lately in woollen fabrics, paying a high price for them;
but just after he had embarked in this venture, peace was declared,
his scheme collapsed, and if not financially ruined, he was at least in
embarrassing circumstances. Previous to this, he had
formed the acquaintance of a Miss Graham from Massachusetts, who was on
a visit to an aunt residing in Montreal, and the acquaintance ripened
into friendship, and
finally terminated in marriage.
With the view no doubt of improving his financial condition, Mr.
removed to St. Andrews ; here he also engaged in trade. He bought
the property of Theodore Davis, the surveyor, enlarged the house, and
used one part of it as a store. After trading here for about thirteen
years with good success, and doing considerable business meanwhile as a
lumber merchant, he sold his real estate, and then, about 1827 built the
brick store which is now occupied by Mr. La Fond. He was very successful,
financially, while he lived here, yet, owing to his benevolence and severe
losses, it was found at his death that he was not worth as much as had
been supposed. He was highly esteemed as a citizen, and his purse was
always open to encourage
every good work. One young man was educated for the ministry through
the means of money that he supplied : he died 2 ist September, 1839.
Cynthia Graham, a sister of Mrs. Richards, bom in Comvay, Mass.,
lyth Decem ber, 1800, came to St. Andrews to live with her sister in
1819. While living here, she became acquainted widi HENRY BENEDICT WALES,
and in 1829 they were mar ried. Soon afterward they moved to Pt. Fortune,
and purchased the farm about a mile belotv the village, now owned by
Mr. Williamson. A quarter of a century later, Mr. Wales sold the farm,
and built a steamer, known as the " Buckingham," which
for seven years did duty on the Ottawa under his own management.
He then sold it to his brother, and purchased a farm in Alfred/Ontario,
which he also sold in a few years, and returned to St. Andrews, where he
died in 1889. One of the daughters of Mr. Wales married the Rev. John
Dempsey, a Baptist nun-
,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. go
ister, who labored many years in St. Andrews, and another was married
to Finlay
McMartin, with whom her mother, Mrs. Wales, who has just celebrated
her ninety-
third birthday, now lives.
It is impossible to speak of this lady, who still retains her mental
faculties to a remarkable degree, without pondering for a moment the
mighty changes that have taken place in the world s history within
her recollection. She was seven years old when Robert Fulton made a
voyage from Albany to New York in the first steam boat the world had
ever seen. She had attained an age when the events of the war of 1812,
the battle of Lundy s Lane, Queenstown Heights and Pittsburgh must have
aroused her imagination and stamped themselves upon her memory. She was
bud ding into womanhood when the battle of Waterloo was fought, an event
which oc curred nearly two decades before the binh of those who are now
threescore years of age. Statesmen and warriors whose achievements have
startled the world have begun and finished their parts in the drama of
life since the days of her childhood She was nearly thirty years old
when the first railway in America was con structed, and forty before the
invention of the electric telegraph, and, yel, she has lived to see the
social and commercial world revolutionized through the mighty agen cies
of steam and electricity.*
ROBT. J.SIMPSON, from Mascouche on the St. Lawrence, was another man
who may be classed with the pioneers of this section, as he was here
and keeping store as early as 1807, m a large wood house, occupying the
site of the present dwelling of Mr. Howard, notary. His career, however,
was soon terminated by death.
Trustees of his estate apprenticed his son Robert, eleven years of age,
to James Brown, who had a printing house in Montreal, to learn the trade
of printer. After mshing his term of apprenticeship seven years youn^
Simpson engaged to work or Mr. Brown another year, at the expiration of
which time he returned to St Andrews, and purchased a farm on the River
Rouge, now known as the Blanchard farm.
About this time, Mr. Moses Davis being occupied with his plan of erecting
a iery, accepted Mr. Simpson as partner in the work, and, henceforth,
the ter was one of the enterprising spirits of St. Andrews. In 1 824,
he formed a closer ice with Mr. Davis, having entered into a contract
of marriage with his eldest aughter. A few years afterwards, deciding
to engage in the business of tanning on own account, he erected a
building for the purpose, on the site of the present annery which is in
disuse. Some years later, this having fallen a prey to fire, his the one
mentioned above, which is now standing. Mr. Simpson, like his r-m-law, in
addition to his business of farming and tanning, added that of harness-
sing and shoemaking. He seems to have been a man of much influence in
the :e, one of those whose advice is sought by neighbors in the troubles
and disputes into which they sometimes fall, and one who by force of
character is able to sway others.
I .
-"Mrs. Wales died a few months after the above was written
n
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
He was a Justice of Peace, Commissioner for the trial of small causes,
and for
some time Mayor of the Parish.
At one period, during the construction of the Grenv.lle Canal, he had a
con tract for supplying the Royal Staff Corps at Grenville with beef-a
contract which, on account of the distance and state of the loads,
involved, in summer especially, no little hardship. The beef must be
in Grenvllle before 9 o clock thus necessitating constant worry and
watchfulness on the part of Mr. Simpson, lest the man he employed to
carry it should oversleep, and trouble arise in consequence
A few years later, during the Rebellion, he took another contract to
supply the
soldiers stationed at Carillon with bread. The carrying out of this
contract, though not without its vexations, was less irksome, on account
of the shorter distance to be travelled. During this exciting period,
Mr. Simpson s services were called in requisition in many ways and
on various occasions. He was especially serviceable in obtaining the
restitution of such property as the belligerent parties took f
other at the time of the greatest excitement.
Being well acquainted in the neighborhood of St. Eustache and St. Benoit,
ar having friends there among the Radicals, he was often visited by
some of the latt and solicited to use his influence in securing the
restoration of articles which, in t. days of recklessness with regard to
the laws of mtum and tuum, had suddenly change hands. More than once,
also, he was solicited to visit the above localities to secure the
return of property which had mysteriously slipped from the possess.on
c of his loyal neighbors. On one occasion, however, his mission was
a higher His old employer, James Brown, who now lived in St. Andrews,
and Montmarqu. a merchant from Carillon, while returning from Montreal,
were taken prisoners by t insurgents, and held at St. Benoit. Mr. Simpson
s object was to obtain their r and having been successful in his purpose,
he returned in company with them t Andrews, where they received quite
an ovation. It has been stated that the dwe of Mr Davis was used as a
barracks for soldiers who were quartered m the village. Another large
building used for the same purpose was the house already ment which was
formerly the house of Mr. Simpson, and which stood where Mr. I brick
house now stands.
Several prisoners had been taken at St. Eustache and in that vicinity,
a were tried for treason by court martial, the sessions of which were
held in this Nothing very criminal being proved against them, they were
released was their fear of being ill-treated by the crowd gathered there
to listen to ceedings, that they earnestly entreated Mr. Simpson to
escort them some distan beyond the village a favor he cheerfully granted.
Mr. Simpson died 2 4 th May, 1870, but his widow survived till 19* Sept
1895. She was a woman of much intelligence and activity, and though
she the age of eighty-eight, her mental and physical faculties were
well preserved.
They had eight children, of whom one died in infancy. Robert, the eldest
: spent some years in New Zealand, engaged in mining. He returned,
married, an<
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
9 1
died in St. Andrews, where his widow still resides. Moses Davis
s
- " " >. ,
which ill-health induced him to
/// / cv ST - ANDREWS, 2 3 rd March. 1877
7 " / "" Smtary **""**"** Ai
S, R Aviation
ssT-
Yours truly,
GEO. SIMPSON.
Robert S. is a dental surgeon in Montreal.
Surgeon
92 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
house of Jas. McDougall & Co. The youngest of these brothers, George F.,
is still at school, and of the daughters, Agnes L. and Jane Klyne, the
former was married 1 6th March, 1895, to D. A. Mclntyre, of Calumet,
and the latter resides with her brother at The Willows, their home in
St. Andrews.
MARTIN JONES was one of the very early settlers at Carillon Bay, and
his advent
must have been about the beginning of the present century ; he settled
on land now
owned by Raymond. It is related that one winter, while he resided here, he
found it necessary to go to Lachine for provisions, and so destitute was
the country at that time of means of travelling, that he was obliged to
go on foot. Taking a neighbor, a habitant, with him, and a hand sled to
convey his supplies, he performed the journey by way of the Ottawa on
the ice.
The cold was excessive, and they suffered severely, the potatoes being
frozen before they had accomplished. half the distance ; but their
return was hailed with far more delight by their families than is the
one who now returns in a palace car, with numerous boxes of presents
and delicacies for the Christmas cheer. In 1803, Mr.
Jones purchased lot No. 3 on the east side of the North River, where A. C.
Robillard now lives, which had been granted by the Seignior, i/th May,
1793, to
Ignace Samson. He lived here till his death in 1838, leaving one son and
three daughters. The eldest of the latter was married to Wm. Le Roy; the
second, in 1820, to Thomas Wanless ; but the third never married. The
son, Edward Jones, spent many years of his life in keeping a public
house the building used for the purpose being one opposite the store
of Mr. Wales. In 1843 ne purchased Carillon Island, in the Ottawa,
comprising about 1000 acres, since which it has
generally been known as "Jones Island." He never lived on it himself,
but his son Edward resided there for many years, and then leaving it
in possession of his own son, Robert, he came to St. Andrews and Jived
in the house still owned by his widow, till his death, iyth June,
1890. He was quite successful in financial matters, and was a man of
respectability and influence. He was Justice of the Peace for several
years and a member of the Local Council.
THOMAS WANLESS mentioned above came from Yetholm, Roxburyshire, Scotland,
and settled in St. Andrews about 1812, and did business here as an artisan
many years. He had twelve children, but only one son now remains in
this section. One of his sons was living in Denver, Colorado, and while
on a visit to him, Mr. Wanless died in February, 1873.
The son, MARTIN WANLESS, now living here, has been one of the active
citizens of the place, and prominent in both civil and military
affairs.. He was a member of the village Council eight years, and one
term its Mayor, and has officiated as Secretary Treasurer fourteen
years. After acting nine years as chairman of the School Board, he was
chosen as its Secretary-Treasurer, and has held the position seven years.
In 1849, he joined the St. Andrews Troop, and in 1867 became its
Lieutenant. In 1880, he received his commission as Captain, and in 1890
was promoted to the
rank of Major.
HISTORY OF ARGENl EUIL.
93
Early in the present century a young man whose home was in Bath, England,
decided to visit Canada with the view of settling here, eventually,
should the country please him. A confectioner by trade, it is quite
probable that he designed establishing his business in the new colony,
provided conditions were favorable. However this may be, influences
more potent than pecuniary interests induced him to remain. He formed
the acquaintance of a young German lady in Montreal, who, like himself,
had recently left her native land, so John Teasdale and Mary Dock- stadter
became one. He engaged in his former business of confectioner, and pros
pered ; then he bought a fine house with a large garden attached, and
this was made to contribute in no small degree to his income. He planted
a nursery, sold stock, cultivated choice flowers, imported rare plants,
and thus gradually swelled his coffers, till he was reputed well off
in this world s goods. But if his business expanded, so likewise did
his family, and in time he became, in the language of Grecian mytho
logy, the father of a beautiful offspring. In consequence of too fully
realizing this fact, however, and thus becoming an over-indulgent parent,
he was destined to ex perience much sorrow. His eldest son, William,
and another one, John, were young men of romantic nature, with a strong
predilection for fashionable and gay society ; they had received good
advantages, and were passionately fond of music, as the number of musical
instruments provided for them through paternal kindness abund
antly attested. But notwithstanding all this indulgence, parental wisdom
was not entirely inert, and it was decided that the sons must have
something to do, some useful occupation to employ their minds and provide
means for future requirements. A little more parental discretion and
authority at this juncture of affairs might have prevented misfortune,
but, unfortunately, the choice of vocation was left to the younger minds,
and for them nothing short of mercantile life would suffice. St,
Andrews was the location selected for this mercantile venture, and,
forthwith, a build ing was erected for this purpose. This stood on ground
now occupied, in part, by the cottage of Mrs. Meikle ; it was a long
structure, designed not only for a store, but for one or more tenements.
In this, then, the young men were soon established as merchants ; but
whatever their success and habits at first, it was soon evident that the
store was of secondary importance and that their minds were "on pleasure
bent." The country at that period being new, and the forest abounding
in game of various kinds, presented great attractions to one inclined
to sporting. The pleasure thus afforded to the two younger brothers was
one they were not likely to ignore. But in order to pursue
it in becoming style, they must have horses and dogs, and thes? were
soon provided. While they were employed with the delight of the chase,
business did not thrive ; the interests of those left in charge of the
store were not identical with those of the pro prietors, and the losses
thus sustained, added to expenses incurred in the rounds of pleasure,
presented in the end a discouraging spectacle in the account of profit
and loss.
As may be supposed, and as the citizens of St. Andrews had prophesied,
the new
94
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
mercantile firm soon failed ;-but parental pride and affection willing to
give another trial, their debts were paid, the store restocked, wholesome
reprehension and advice were given, and the sons started anew. But they
had not had that experience necessary to success. It is an admitted fact
that very few men are qualified to
handle money unless they have earned it. The second trial was begun, no
doubt, with good resolutions, which for a time were carried into effect,
but the final result was failure more disastrous than the first.
The elder Teasdale, collecting together what remained of his property,
moved to
St. Andrews, deciding that he could support his family at rr.uch less
expense here than in the city, while the sons now adopted a course which
developed their latent energies and ability, and properly fitted them
for the battle of life.
WILLIAM, the elder son, studied with Col. Fortune, a provincial land
surveyor and civil engineer, who at that time was also agent for ( the
Seigniory of Argenteuil, ard lived at the Manor House at the Bay. His
pupil being an apt scholar, thoroughly mastered his profession, and for
years was employed in surveying lands in this section of the Province. He
surveyed much in Argenteuil, and it is said that he named some of her
beautiful lakes. But he finally suffered from an affection of the eyes,
and eventually became blind ; he died at Rigaud about 1862. JOHN,
his brother, studied medicine with the late Dr. Wolfred Nelson, and
subsequently settled in Rigaud. In the commencement of his last illness,
he visited Montreal for treatment, and died therein 1870. His obituary
says: " Dr. Teasdale has been living and practising in Rigaud for the last
forty years, where he was much esteemed by a large circle of fiiends, not
only as a physician, but as a true friend. His loss will be deplored, not
only by the people of his own parish, but by all the surrounding district,
and the name of Dr. Teasdale will be remembered for generations to come."
The father for a" time traded in the store which his sons occupied in St.
Andrews, and died therein 1830. Mrs. Teasdale survived till 1870. Julia,
their sixth child, married GASPARD BE COLIGNY DENYS DE LA RONDE, a notary,
8th February, 1829. Mr.
de la Ronde, who was born in St. Anne, descended from a lineage that might
satisfy the most ambitious, his ancestry on the maternal side running
back through illus trious families to the King of Portugal, and on the
other, through houses equally famous ; ihe last of his distinguished
paternal ancestors being General de la Ronde, who, connected with the
army of Burgoyne, fell at the battle of Ticonderoga in 1777.
Gaspard de la Ronde studied for the notarial profession in Montreal,
and immediately after passing his examination came to St. Andrews and
practised. He
had an extensive business for many years, and besides attending to the
duties of his profession, often acted as counsel for litigants, pleading
their cases in the lower courts. He died 8th June, 1882, at the age of
78. His widow is still at St. Andrews, and, though fourscore years of
age, her mental faculties are intact. They had ten children five sons
and five daughters, who lived till past the age of twenty, though but
few of them are now alive.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 95
J. T. de La Ronde, the eldest son now living, after spending some years
in the States, employed in commercial business and as proof-reader in
a newspaper office in Plartsburg, N.Y., returned to Canada, and now
resides at St. Andrews.
R. P. DE LA RUNDE, his brother, in his youth learned telegraphy ; he
then studied law in the office of Chapleau, Ouimet & Mathieu, and was
admitted to the Bar in
1867, and the following year was married to Martha McMartin, daughter
of Duncan
McMartin, J.P. He lives at St. Andrews, where he has built up an
extensive prac
tice as an able and honorable barrister.
Stewart E., another son of the late Gaspard de la Ronde, has been
engaged for the last nineteen years in the commission business in
Ottawa. Margaret, a sister of the above, married J. H. P. BROWN, son
of Dr. E. B. Brown of St. Anne. Mr. Brown has for several years been a
mail clerk, and is now employed as such on the Canada Atlantic between
Montreal and Ottawa.
HENRY ALBRIGHT, a German, was one of the U. E. Loyalists who sought
an asy lum in Canada at the beginning of the American Revolution. In
Montreal he engaged to Dr. Meyers to take charge of a farm, which he
owned on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence. But he soon experienced
much trouble with Indians, whose thievish
propensities seemed likely to leave him but little personal property,
and after he had one day driven away several of them, a friendly chief
advised him to leave the place. Believing this to be judicious counsel,
he followed it, and engaged the friendly chief to convey his family
across the river in a canoe. His young boy, Martin, on the
voyage across, fell out, and was saved only by the activity of the chief,
who caught him by the hair as he rose to the surface.
Mr. Albright came to the Bay, and settled on land until recently occupied
by Matthew Burwash. Not long afterwards, he purchased the lots on the
North River now owned by Alphonse Dorion and Charles Hunter, where he
lived until he died in 1820 ; he left two sons and four daughters :
Valentine, one of the former, lived and died on the homestead. Martin,
another son, who owned a farm adjacent
to his brother s, sold it, and moved to the farm now owned by his own son
Nelson He spent the greater part of his life here, and died in 1872. He
married Jane Hyde, and their ten children have helped to swell Canadian
population, and extend the fame for thrift and industry of Canadian
citizens. Nelson Albright, mentioned above, is one of the leading men
of the parish ; he takes a lively interest in the Agricultural Society,
and his fine farm, on which he has recently been awarded a silver medal,
always displays, among other things, a choice stock of cattle.
ANGUS McPniE came with his family from Fort William, Invernessshire,
Scotland in 1802 : two brothers, Ewen and Ronald, also making the journey
with him. He first went to Pte. Claire near Montreal, and lived there
a few years, learning to speak French fluently, and then settled in
Chatham, on land now owned by the Fitzgeralds. While living there, he
was, in company with Noyes and Schagel, carrying freight from Carillon
to Grenville. He had three sons and three daughters : John, the second
son, bought a farm on Beech Ridge, and lived there till his death. He
was married in
96 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
1827 to Mary Cameron, sister of the Cameron who first settled at Pt. an
Chene, and had five sons and five daughters ; three of the former and
four of the latter grew up. Besides his military and other offices,
Mr. McPhie was president of the Agricul tural Society several years. He
was an extremely enterprising man, taking a deep interest in farming, and
improved his own land to such an extent, that he was awarded three medals
by the Agricultural Society, besides gaining several prizes ; he died in
1874.
JOHN McPniE, jun., the fourth son, in his younger days spent three
years in
California, then travelled a few years in the commercial line. In 1872,
he bought the farm of 270 acres where he now lives, and was married the
same year to a daughter of Charles Albright. Mr. McPhie has been School
Commissioner several yeais, and is one of the influential and respected
citizens of St. Andrews.
The following letter may properly be inserted here, as it treats of
the early
history of St. Andrews :
OTTAWA, 1 8th January, 1894.
Mr. C. THOMAS.
DEAR SIR, In writing a sketch of St. Andrews, as well as of the
inhabitants before my time, it may as well be said here, that the
information given is partly from tradi tion and partly from personal
observation, and is written entirely from memory.
Before the advent of steamboats on the Ottawa river, between Carillon and
Lachine, it was no easy matter to travel between these points, and paddle
your own canoe. A decided improvement was made, when a line of covered
stages (each drawn by four horses) was started to run from Montreal via
St. Eustache and St. Andrews to Grenville. The trip was intended to be
made in three days or two trips per week each way. They also carried the
mail, and the stage driver s capacious hat contained what letters and
newspapers were to be delivered between the different offices, and which
were usually thrown out in passing. The stage house in St. Andrews (where
they changed horses) was kept by a Mr. John Russell, and was a large,
two-story
wooden building next to Mr. Guy Richards store, and about where Janvier
Soulier s house now stands. After a time, he removed across the river to
premises situated between Robt. Simpson s garden and Edward Jones house,
where he died. His widow
kept the house for a time, when she married a Mr. Bowman, and removed
to Buck ingham. The arrival of the stage in the village was always
heralded by the driver s horn, and was as great an event to the gossips
and idlers then, as the arrival of a fast train in these days at a
rural station. After the steamboats were fairly established, the trade
was diverted from the land route, and the stages were taken off the
through line, and placed between Carillon and Grenville, and between
Point Fortune and L Orignal. There vas also, for many years, a winter
line of stages on the same route from Montreal to St. Andrews, and at
certain seasons of the year the trip was not accomplished without great
difficulty and frequent loss, as many fine horses were drowned crossing
on the treacherous ice at St. Eustache.
The industries of St. Andrews consisted of two general stores, an
ashery, a
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 97
tannery, with saddlers and shoe-makers shops, a paper mill, saw mill
and grist mill, with the usual village blacksmiths. The taverns were
also there, but they could not be properly classed among the industries.
One of the stores was kept by Mr. Guy Richards in a large, two-story
frame build ing, next to John Russell s stage hotel (which was afterwards
occupied as a residence and registry office by Col. De Hertel) .
After the main street, as it now stands, was opened up, past where
the Baptist and Episcopal churches are situated, down to where the
bridge spans the river, Mr. Richards removed his store, up to a large,
two-story stone building (which is still standing), where he did a large
and prosperous business for many years, retiring from active life a
short time before his death in September, 1839.
The other store was kept by Mr. W. G. Blanchard, who also conducted
the ashery, where the inhabitants could send their ashes and get a fair
price for them. And as the country was new, each farmer would have a
good many bushels of ashes
saved up after burning his log heaps. Many a poor family enjoyed
little luxuries, such as tea and sugar, and other articles, from
the sale of their ashes, that they otherwise would have had to do
without. Mr. Blanchard was a kind-hearted, easy going man, who put
too much dependence on some of his unscrupulous neighbors, as it was
currently reported that he paid more than once for the same ashes.
Mr. Davis tannery was a long, low building nearly opposite where
1). Sutherland
has his tailor s shop ; the saddlers and shoemakers were on the other
side of the street, and a brisk business was carried on in all of them.
The Seigneur had at one time a sawmill situated on the west side of
the island,
but it was either burnt or otherwise destroyed several years previous. The
grist mill was a short distance above the present one, and was one and
one-half stories high, built of cedar logs and clapboarded ; the water
wheel and other machineiy were of a somewhat primitive construction,
perhaps as good as it was possible to get in those days, but they could
not compare with the "Lamb" or Leiffel of these days. The corn was
ground, but not bolted or sifted ; that had to be done at home with a
sieve, made from a partially tanned sheepskin, stretched over a hoop,
and per forated. The miller who presided over that institution for
many years was certainly not in advance of his surroundings. He was a
Highlander from Argyleshire (not far from that celebrated spot where the
horrible " Glencoe" massacre was perpetrated), by the name of MacCallum,
but who rejoiced in the not very euphonious sobriquet
of "GoeA-cum-gaw."
The blacksmiths, in the earlier days, were not noted for fine work,
and the hoes, axes and forks made by them, and which have come down
through several decades, to say the least, had no scarcity of material in
them. But later on, there was a great improvement in all farming tools,
and a large business was done in making axes,
which were then in great demand, one firm having a " grindstone " run
by water power to grind, polish and finish them up ready for use.
The members of the medical profession, as they styled themselves,
had nothing
93 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
to b,oast of in regard to ability or skill, and it would be difficult to
tell what college they graduated from. All diseases were, for the most
part, treated with liberal doses of calomel and jalap, together with the
free use of the lancet, and, in cases of sur gery, heaven help the poor
wretch who required their services ! After a few years, a better educated
class settled in the country, viz., Drs. Beach, Ellis, and Rice; the
last named also carried on a farm, which is now owned by Mr. T. Davis,
and he lived where George Simpson s house now stands. About the same
time Dr. Rae came to the village ; he was a young Edinburgh graduate
of high standing and pol ished manners, and in a very short time was a
general favorite and a successful practi tioner, being consulted in all
serious cases, and sent for from Lachute, Chatham and Grenville.
In those days, wheel carriages were not in use, the only means of
travelling was on horseback, consequently, a country doctor had a hard
life, and required a good strong constitution to stand the wear and tear
and exposure to all weathers, so that in a short time Dr. Rae s health
began to give way, and at his death he was much regretted.
He resided for many years in the house which is now occupied by
Dr. Mayrand, and, after his death, his wife and family went to
Montreal. Shortly before this, another young Scotchman by the name of
McCallum, a graduate from the same college, opened an office and began
the practice of medicine, and very soon had the reputa tion of being very
skillful and energetic. He enjoyed a large and growing practice, and when
the cholera broke out in 1832, he did good service among the poor, and
was very successful in his treatment of all those infected with that
terrible disease. His career of usefulness was brought to a sudden
termination by an accident which in a short time carried him off. During
his residence in the county he made many warm friends ; and as he was a
single man, and had no relatives in the country, he was well and tenderly
cared for in his last illness, and his untimely death was much lamented.
There was not a single representative of the legal profession in the
county in early times, not but what there was plenty of law going on,
but it was all carried on through the Magistrates Court, which had plenty
to do with some of the residents of Chatham, who spent a good part of,
the proceeds of their potash in law.
There were several notaries in the county before Mr. Nolan came;
he practised for many years, and was regarded as a careful, reliable
man in his profession. He owned and resided on the propertyjwhich he
afterwards sold to Charles Benedict.
About the time Mr. Nolan left St. Andrews, two other young notaries
Larue and Goudie opened an office on the corner^vhere Mrs. Caution s
house now stands.
Yours truly,
COLIN DEWAR.
In order to show the difference between the prices of articles eighty
years ago
and the present, the following are copied fron a well preserved Day Book
that was
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
99
used in St. Andrews in 1814. The items are drawn from several different
accounts, as there is not a single account in the book in which
four-fifths of the items charged are not for liquors of various kinds,
by the glass, gill, half-pint, pint, quart, etc.
This is not surprising, whenVe reflect that traders ail sold spirituous
liquors, and their patrons all used it.
The charges were all made, of course, in pounds, shillings and pence,
but have been changed into dollars and cents. The merchant seems to have
sold every
thing from a jews harp to a log cabin :
1814 Feb. 6 To
Mar,
a
tc tl
Apr.
it
it
Jure
1 1
Jiy
t (. it
Aug.
1815
1814
Oct. (i
i a ti
n ii
tt tt it
i n
21
9
< i
29
1 1
12
it
May 4
t <
K
tf
K
II Ii il tl
Bushel Corn at
Pr. Socks "
Pr. Scissors "
Lbs. Loaf Sugar
Bush. Salt
Mug Cider
Lb. Chocolate
Bushels Rye
Pint of Rum ,
Lb. Tobacco
" Raisins.
" Tea
" Powder "
" Shot
Pint Gin
63^ Yds. Cambric, at 74C
i Lodging and % Sheet Paper
, j i int Rum, i supper
$2
OO
75 50 40 40 20
5 40 60
34
i So 68
40
30 5 oo
15 50
2 5 34
. it
1 1 ,t ft it
i Almanac. So Board Nails. .
2500 Shingle Nfils i 50
3000 J ,ai ge Nails 9 oo
5 Yds. Lining, at 5oc 2 50
3 " Sheeting i 50
loo Board Nails 40
5 Yd.=. Blue Cotton 3
i Gill Peppermint
i Set Cups and Saucers 4
1 Tumbler broken
2 Candles
i Lb. Putly
\Yz Bush. Oats i
1 Quart Brandy
2 Slings
i Skein Silk
6 Yds. Co.ton at5octs. 3
i Glass Bitters
, Pint Pepp-rmint
I Bush . Barley 2
i Hair Comb
i Spelling Book
1 Lb. Rice (by wife) ,
Yz Doz. Plates and 2 Tumblers
2 Bowls and I Pepper Box
Yz Lb. Pepper
Yi " Spice
I Yard Gingham
i Qt. Beer
i Pint Port Wine..
oo 15 15 15 5 15 oo
75
25 10
oo
5 25
CO
30 3 15
So
77 2 5 -5 40
20
45
100 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
1814 Tune 7 To 10 Yds. Calico $5 2O
" " " I Paper Pins 30
" " " 2 Ozs. Cinnamon 25
I Dinner (St. John s Day) i oo
9 " y?, Lb. Copperas (by Betsy) 10
17 " y 2 " " (by Jack) 10
18 "I Pair Overalls 3 70
" "i Stick Twist 10
" " i Scythe .. 200
z}/ 2 Yds. Cotton i 50
1 i Lb. Dried Apples 20
1C
.
Cr.
Nov. 9 By 6 Bushels Onions, at $1.50 900
" " " 169 Lbs. Beef, at 7C H&3
" " 600 " Pork, at 1 8c 108 oo
The earliest physicians of this place have already been mentioned in
the letter of Mr. Dewar.
Among the other prominent men belonging to the medical profession who
have lived in the parish was DR. THOMAS JAMES HOWARD.
He was born at Exeter, Devon County, England, in February, 1796, and
in his early life entered the Royal Navy as midshipman on His Majesty
s frigate " Canopus." He was in active service three years in the
Mediterranean, during the wars with
France, Turkey and other powers, but was obliged to retire from the
Navy on account of ill health. Subsequently, he held the commission of
Lieutenant under
Colonel Rolle in the South Devon Militia, and afterwards practised as
physician and surgeon in Devonshire. In 1844, with his wife and twelve
children and maid servant, he sailed for Canada, a part of the vessel
being fitted up for their special use and accommodation. After a voyage
of seven weeks, during the months of April and May, this sailing vessel
Tarrived in Quebec. The following summer Dr. Howard spent in Montreal and
in travelling through Ontario, seeking a desirable place for location ;
but he finally settled in St. Andrews, and began the practice of medicine.
His confreres were Dr. Pyke, Dr. Lawrence succeeded by Dr. Wm. Robertson,
Dr. Fenwick and Dr. Mayrand. Having purchased a farm on the River Rouge,
he retired to it after a practice of three or four years, and thence
removed to Lachute, where he died in 1871.
HENRY HOWARD, his second son, born in 1828, was fifteen years of age
when he crossed the Atlantic with his father s family, he remained two
years in St. Andrews, and then went to study French and the Notarial
profession inti;e office of Mr. T. J. Girouard at St. Benoit. Mr. Girouard
had been one of the active promo
ters of the Rebellion of 1837-38, and the village of St. Benoit, which had
been burned by Sir John Colborne, had then just been rebuilt. Travelling
vehicles were of a
primitive and rustic style ; a buggy being a thing unknown, while homespun
tuques and beef-skin moccasins were articles deemed indispensable in
the attire of the habi tant. Very few understood a word of English an
advantage, no doubt, to the young student, in view of the object at
which he aimed.
HISTORY OF ARGKNTEUIL. IOI
On receiving his commission as notary public for the Province of Quebec,
in Nov
ember, 1851. he settled in St. Andrews, with which place his history since
has been closely identified. He has filled many responsible offices, some
of which have been either removed or abolished. Active in the formation
of the County Agricultural Society, he was appointed Secretary-Treasurer,
and held the position for twenty-three years, when the office was removed
to Lachute. He has at different times been Deputy Clerk of the Circuit
Court, has been Deputy Coroner. Official Assignee of the Coun ties of
Argenteuil and Ottawa, and Secretary-Treasurer of the Local Council ;
in all ot which he has sustained a reputation for efficiency in business,
while commanding respect as an intelligent, public-spirited citizen.
Mr. Howard was married in 1853 to Marie Aurelie Clouthier, of St. Eustache
; they have three sons and one daughter. William Henry, the eldest son,
a graduate of McGill, is now superintendent of the Pueblo Smelting and
Refining Company, Colorado ; Ernest, the second son, is a member of the
Montreal Stock Exchange ;
Herbert, the youngest, is a bank clerk, and the daughter, unmarried,
remains with her parents.
DR. ROBERTSON is a name that has been familiar to the inhabitants of
the Ottawa
Valley for two generations ; Dr. Patrick Robertson, who has won honorable
distinc tion during his life-long residence in this county, being the
son of a doctor who was in successful practice here for more than a
third of a century.
The latter, Dr. William Robertson, a graduate of King s College, Aberdeen,
Scotland, and of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, London,
came from Perth, Scotland, to this country about 1834. He first practised
a year in Williams- burg, Dundas Co., Ontario, and then, for the purpose
of looking after the business of his half brother, Colin Robertson,
who represented the people of this County in Parlia ment, he removed to
Lachute. Soon afier this, he opened an office on Little St.
James street, Montreal, and practised there a year. About 1842, he was
married to Miss Tiernay, daughter of a gentleman connected with the
Customs Department, and in 1847, he removed to St. Andrews, where he
spent his remaining days, dying 6th March, 1871 ; Mrs. Robertson died
6th February, 1890. They had two sons and four daughters. DR. PATRICK
ROBERTSON studied medicine, and graduated at McGill in 1868. He then
settled in St. Andrews, where, with the exception of one or two years
spent in England, he has since resided, and built up an extensive and
successful practice; he has recently removed to Montreal.
Of the remaining children of the late Dr. Robertson, William, the second
son, became general manager of the London Life Assurance Company, and
died in 1889. One daughter was married to Col. MacDonald, Indian agent
of the North West Territories ; another married Bruce Harman of Toronto ;
a third wedded Chas. Handy- side, of the firm of H. & A. Allan, Steamship
Co. of Montreal ; and one died when but ten years of age.
102 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
DR. GEORGE FLANIGAN SHAW, a rising young practitioner, associated with Dr.
Robertson, is from a family in the Dominion Capital whose members are
represen tatives of the most honorable occupations and professions.
He was born in Ottawa in 1862, and is a son of Charles Shaw, one of the
oldest officers of the Post Office Department. Henry S. Shaw, one of the
brothers, is also an official of the same department ; and of his three
remaining brothers, the eldest, C. S. Shaw, is one of the prominent
business men of Ottawa. Dr. W. F. Shaw is G. T. R. physician, located
in Gravenhurst, Ont. ; and Rev. J. Arthur Shaw, M.A., of Bishop s College,
Lennoxville, is Rector of Cobden in the Diocese of Ontario.
The subject of our sketch was educated in Ottawa, and at Bishop s College,
Lennoxville, and graduated with honors at McGill University, Montreal,
taking his degree of M.D., CM., and while there, was for a year editor
of the McGill Fort nightly.
He has travelled extensively in Europe, visiting hospitals both in England
and on the Continent, and thus keeping pace with the rapid advancement
in knowledge, which of late years has signalized the march of medical
and surgical science. He is a member of the Montreal Medical Society
and of the College of Physicians and Sur geons of Quebec and Ontario.
Since the writing of the above, Dr. Shaw has dissolved partnership
with Dr. Robertson, on account of the latter s departure for Montreal,
and is no\v established in St. Andrews upon his own responsibility ;
he has recently been appointed Health Officer of the parish, and church
warden, to fill places rendered vacant by the depart ure of Dr. Robertson.
WILLIAM H. MAYRAND, M.D., is another of the physicians who have earned
a livelihood and reputation in St. Andrews and vicinity, and he is one
of the few remaining who were prominent in the generation past. He was
born at Louiseville, Riviere du Loup, and is a son of the Hon. Etienne
Mayrand, who for several years was an M.P.P. After spending two years
at St. Hyacinthe College, he went to Nicolet College, and remained
five years. On leaving that Institution, he studied medicine a year
with Dr. Morin of Quebec, and then entered the Medical Depart ment of
McGill University, and graduated there in May, 1847, m tne sama class
with Dr. Christie of Lachute. He immediately settled in St. Andrews,
and in April, 1848, was married to Catherine Sophia Pecco, a daughter
of the late Commissary General Pecco, of Corfu, Ionian Islands, and a
niece of Commissary General Forbes of Carillon. The social qualities of
the doctor, united with his skill as a physican, soon pro cured a good
practice, and for nearly half a century he has been a familiar figure in
this section. Though preferring to give over his practice to younger men,
he is still the dependence for medical treatment of many households.
Mrs. Mayrand died August 8, 1888, leaving two sons. Henry Wellington,
one of these, is employed in the Merchants Bank at Halifax ; Geo. C. is
in business in
Nelson, B.C.
A recent addition to the medical men of St. Andrews is Dr. WALTER
W. AYLEN,
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 103
who was born in 1865 at Aylmer, Que. He received his early education
in Aylmer,
Ottawa and Gait. In 1885, he entered the Medical Faculty of McGill
College, and
received his degree of M.D., C.M., there in 1889. I 1 1890, he went
to Sheldon, N. Dakota, and during his stay there enjoyed an extensive
practice. In 1891 he was
married to Eva, daughter of Finley McMartin, of St. Andrews. In 1895,
desiring to come East, he sold his practice in Sheldon, and bought that of
Dr. Robertson of this place. Dr. Aylen is a worthy son of a clever family,
the Aylens of Aylmer having given the medical and legal professions some
of their most gifted members.
DR. WILLIAM S. ALLEN, who has also but lately visited St. Andrews
profession ally, was born in Montreal, his parents coming from Nottingham,
Eng., where his
mother, Jane Stanley, belonged to one of the leading families. He was left
an orphan at the age of four years, and while still very young, began
life as junior clerk for the Canada Paper Co., Montreal. A year later,
he became private secretary to John Macfarlane, Esq.. president of the
Company, in which position he remained two years, and afterward acted
asjprivate secretary to Jas. Bryce, Esq., superintendent of the Canadian
Express Co. He was indentured to Dr. J. B. Vosburgh, Montreal, and
began the study of dentistry in the fall of 1891, and also took a partial
medical course in the University of Bishop s College, Montreal ; he
received the degree of L.D.S. in October, 1895.
Dr. Allen is a young man of much geniality as well as enterprise, and as
his pre sence in St. Andrews fills a long fell want, it is to be hoped
that he may meet with deserved success.
Dr. Legault is another physician who has been here for the last six or
eight years, and has practised very successfully during the time.
CHURCHES.
Though considerable pains were taken to obtain a more complete history of
the Anglican Church here, they were fruitless. Eor the sketches of the
remaining churches, we are chiefly indebted to the courtesy of others ;
the biographical sketches of iheir pastors being, of course, from our
own pen.
Itinerant ministers visited St. Andrews, and preached in the early years
of her
history ; but the first church formed was the Church of England, by
the Rev. Richard Bradford, as early as i8ri.
The first resident clergyman was the Rev. Joseph Abbott, who was born
in the north of England, and who graduated at a Scotch University. He
arrived in St. Andrews in 1818, and the services, until 1821, were held
in a school-house. The Rev. Mr. Henderson, a Presbyterian clergyman, who
came about the same time that Mr. Abbott did, also held services in the
same school-house ; but as Mr. Abbott had little regard for dissenters
of any creed, it is not surprising that these different services did
not continue in the same building in the strictest harmony. Serious
differences, however,. were avoided by the withdrawal of the Presbyterians
to a private dwelling, and both clergymen were provided with church
edifices the same year, 1821.
I0 . HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
After remaining here a few years, the Rev. Mr. Abbott removed to a field
in the
Eastern Townships, which, from his own name, is now known as Abbottsford,
and left the church at St. Andrews in charge of his brother, the
Rev. William Abbott. The latter remained here till his death, which
occurred in 1859.
Not long after coming to Canada, the Rev. Joseph Abbott was married
to Harriet Bradford, a daughter of the Rev. Mr. Bradford of Chatham,
and their descen dants are among the most influential citizens of the
Province. The late Sir J. J. C. Abbott, their eldest son, was born
here i2th March, 1821. The Rev. Mr. Abbott exchanged his property in
Abbottsford with his nephew for that in Chatham, lately owned by his
father, the Rev. Mr. Bradford, and returned to this section, settling in
Grenville, accepting the pastorate of the Anglican church there, till
he went to Mon treal. He was appointed Bursar of the McGill University
in that city, in 1843.
The Rev. Richaid Lonsdell, M.A., accepted the charge in St. Andrews
after Mr. Abbott s death, and held it for many years ; he won the
esteem of his parishioners, and the number of communicants increased
during his ministrations. He removed in October, 1885, and was succeeded
by the Rev. Mr. O Sullivan, but an affection of the" throat caused the
latter s resignation in a few months.
The Rev. F. N. Bourne was the next clergyman in the field, who, after
supplying
it till the fall of 1893, relinquished it for the rectorship of Dunham,
Que. ; he has also since accepted the principalship of Dunham Ladies
College.
In January, 1894, the Rev. J. W. Dennis became incumbent, and his
ability, geni
ality and courtesy have secured for him much popularity.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ST. ANDREWS.
BY THE REV. DR. PATERSON.
The first recorded movement towards the establishment of the Presbyterian
Church in Argenteuil is embodied in the following document, which is
without date, but evidently a copy made at the time, and belonging to
the year 1816 :
" We, the subscribers, inhabitants of the Seigniory of Argenteuil,
deeply impressed with a sense of our destitute condition with respect to
the regular ordinances of divine worship, and sensible of the important
benefits which we and our families would derive from the labors of a
faithful minister of the Gospel, have agreed to use our endea vors in
order to attain this desirable object, trusting to the Great King and
Head of the Church for crowning our endeavors with success.
" As we are under the paternal care of the British Government, and are
therefore strictly connected with Great Britain in politics, commerce,
and similarity of manners, so it is natural for us to look to that
quarter for a pastor who may take the oversight of our spiritual concerns.
" We appoint the following gentlemen to be a corresponding committee,
with such friends and promoters of Christianity in Britain as may be
deemed by them the most active and influential in promoting a design of
this nature, to wit, Messrs. Rev.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Robert Easton, John and Phineas Hutchins, Benjamin Wales, and Wm. G. Blan-
chard."
And they promise, the document further says, to pay to the clergyman
who should come the sums opposite their names, yearly ; and at the end
it is stated that the number of subscribers was sixty-four, and the
"sum total subscribed, 101 ;"
but unfortunately the names are not given.
The Rev. R. Easton was minister of the Presbyterian Church in St. Peter
street,
Montreal, then in connection with the Associate (or Burgher) Synod, of
Scotland ; the Messrs. Hutchins belonged to Lachute, and Messrs. Wales
and Blanchard to St. Andrews.
Mr. Easton, to whom doubtless the original document was sent, wrote to Dr.
James Hall, of Edinburgh, a leading minister of the Associate Synod, who
brought the matter before his Presbytery. At the same time, a similar
application was sent by the Presbyterians of Rideau in Upper Canada ;
and the Presbytery, in compliance with these requests, appointed the
Rev. Wm, Taylor of Falkirk to Argenteuil, and Mr.
Wm. Bell, a probationer, to Rideau. Application was made to the British
Government for assistance, and as that government was desirous of
encouraging a good class of emigrants to settle in Canada, a salary of
,100 stg. a year was promised to each of those ministers, " in addition
to such provision as might be made for them by the settlers."*
In due course, Mr. Bell was settled at Perth in the Rideau district;
but Mr. Taylor, instead of coming to Argenteuil, went to Osnabruck on the
St. Lawrence, and pitched his tent there. On learning of this, Dr. Hall
corresponded with the Rev. Archibald Henderson, M.A., of Carlisle in
England, who, after due consideration, accepted the appointment thus
vacated (the same provision being made for him by
the Government, as had been made for Mr. Taylor), and came to St. Andrews
in the
summer of 1818.
Mr. Henderson was born at Doune near Stirling, Scotland, on the syth
September,
1783. He attended the Grammar School of Stirling under the famous
Dr. Doig, from whom he imbibed that love of learning and that accurate
scholarship by which he was distinguished. At the age of 16, he entered
the University of St. Andrews, the most ancient of the existing seats of
learning in Scotland. There he studied under another enthusiastic scholar,
Dr. John Hunter, whose editions of Virgil and Horace and other classics
used to be so familiar in the Scottish grammar schools. Mr. Henderson
was an able mathematician, as well as scholar, and was advised by the
Professor of that branch of science to devote himself to it. He had,
however, higher views, and went to Selkirk to attend the Divinity
Hall of the Associate Synod, which was presided over by the well-known
Dr. Lawson. That great man was Principal and Professor of all the
* As stated in a despatch to Dr. Hall from Earl Bathurst, Secretary of
State for War, the adminis tration of Colonial alTairs being at that
time in the hands of the War Department. The salary was paid out of
the Military Chest at Quebec, afterwards at Halifax, when the British
Garrison had been removed from Quebec.
8
10 6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
departments of Theology, in his single person, and trained an able and
well- furnished race of ministers. Mr. Henderson had thus the advantage
of sitting at the feet of three teachers of the very first eminence in
the country, and he showed himself a pupil worthy of them. Dr. Hall,
in a letter to Mr. Easton, in September, 1817, says of Mr. Henderson :
" If he will come, I could not point out one in all the Synod better quali
fied. He is pious, modest, active, and persevering. He composes elegantly,
pro nounces the English language unexceptionally (a rare thing, I suppose,
for a Scotch man in those days), delivers himself with a manly fluency
and grace, and, lastly, is an admirable classical scholar, and completely
fitted to superintend an academy. I can stake our credit on him."
He had been settled in 1810 over a church in the City of Carlisle, and
from thence he came to this country, at the call of the inhabitants of
Argenteuil, to take the oversight of their souls and preach to them the
Gospel of the Grace of God.
He sailed from Greenock at the end of May, i8i8 ; and arrived in Canada
in July. He brought with him a letter from Earl Bathurst to the Governor
General, Sir John C. Sherbrooke, by whom he was kindly received. Leaving
his wife and three small children in Montreal, he came to St. Andrews,
and preached to the people, who were much pleased with him, even beyond
their expectations. He was speedily recalled to Montreal by the sickness
and death of one of his children. With a sorrowing heart he returned with
his family to the village which was to be the scene of his labors and his
home for nearly fifty-nine years. St. Andrews, beautifully situated at the
foot of a rapid, on both sides of the North River, was a small place, and,
to the new comers from the crowded Old Country, scarcely visible. Mrs. Hen
derson used to tell how she asked on arriving and looking round :
"Where is the
village?" and received the reply : "It is on the other side of the
river." When on that side, she still asked : " But where is the village? "
Again the answer came : " On the other side of the river."
The district was in much need of Gospel ordinances, no minister having
ever been settled in it. Mr. Easton of Montreal occasionally came to
attend to the Pres byterians. An Episcopal minister preached once a
fortnight to the people of that body, while a good man, Hugh Cameron,
of Cote du Midi, was wont to exhort the people, and even, it is said,
sometime to baptize children. He was usually spoken of as " Hughy the
Minister," and his descendants are still distinguished by the cognomen of
" the minister."
There was now, however, an abundance of clerical provision, for on the
same day with Mr. Henderson, and in the same building, the Rev. Joseph
Abbott of the
Church of England began his labors. Fora time, the two congregations held
service at different hours on the Lord s Day in the village schoolhouse,
the Presbyterians meeting in the forenoon and the Episcopalians in
the afternoon.
The people who formed Mr. Henderson s congregation were chiefly of two
classes, both of vigorous and reliable character. The greater part were
Scotch settlers,
HISTORY OK ARGENTKUIL. 107
mostly Highlanders ; the other families were chiefly of United Empire
Loyalist stock^ or who had more recently crossed the lines from the
neighboring Republic in the
same spirit.
BUILDING OF THE CHURCH.
On the 26th January, 1819, a meeting of Mr. Henderson s congregation
was held in the schoolhouse, to consider " the necessity of building
a place of public worship." Capt. Elon Lee was appointed Moderator,
and Guy Richards, Secretary. It was motioned, seconded and unanimously
voted, that a church ought to be built, and a committee was appointed
to determine whether it should be built of wood or stone, and to
examine various proposed sites for the crurch. The committee consisted
of Messrs. John Brush, James Bro\\n, Charles Story, Duncan Dewar of
Chatham, Wm. Blanchard, Judah Center, John McMartin, Hugh McLachlin, John
McLean, Moses Davis, Charles Benedict, Phineas Hutchins, Thos. Barren,
G. A. Hooker and Peter
Deu-ar. They wisely decided on stone, and in the fall of that year,
the people were busy quarrying near the Red House, and in drawing the
stone and other materials.*
In 1820-21 the church was built, on a site given by the Seigneur, Sir
John John
son, Bart., on the west side of the North River. It was a plain but solid
structure, which still stands as strong as ever, but enlarged and greatly
improved in appearance. The builders appear to have been A. Graham for
the stone work, and Archibald and Malcolm McCallum for the wood-work,
and they built faithfully and well. Friends in Montreal gave generous
assistance, a subscription list being headed by the Seigneur with 25 in
money and material, and W. McGillivray with 10, and amounting in all
to 148 i2s 6d. It is interesting to see on the list the names of families
still flourish ing m Montreal, prosperous and liberal, such as Torrance,
Frothingham, Ogilvie,. Johnstone, Gibb, and that of George Pyke,
afterwards one of the judges of the King s. Bench.
REGISTRATION OF ACTS OF CIVIL STATUS.
One of Mr. Henderson s first acts on settling in the country was to get
an official register for the due recording of " Acts of Civil Status,"
according to the laws of Lower Canada. It was authenticated on the first
page in the following form :
" This book, containing eighty-eight folios or double pages, was
this day presented by the Reverend Archibald Henderson, minister of
the Presbyterian Parish Church, St. Andrews, Argenteuil, to serve as
a register of the Acts of Baptism, Marriage and Burial, to be by him
performed, and the same was this day paraphed by me, the Hon. James Reid,
one of the Judges of His Majesty s Court of King s Bench for the Dis
trict of Montreal, pursuant to the Act in such case made and provided.
"MONTREAL, I2th day of August, 1818.
"J. S. REID, J.K.B."
*The " Red House " was an old post of the Hudson s Bay Co., and stood in
a conspicuous posi tion on the shore of the Ottawa River, some distance
higher up than the Manor House. Both these houses have disappeared.
108 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Five days later the first entry was made : it was of a marriage, in
these terms :
Daniel de Hertel of St. Andrews, Argenteuil, Esquire,
Maniage of and Lydia Brown, minor daughter of James Brown of the city
DANIEL DE HERTEL of Montreal, Stationer, were married by License
on the seven- ami teenth day of August, in the year of Our Lord one
thousand LYDIA BROWN. eight hundred and eighteen, in the presence of
the undersigned witnesses, by me.
ARCH. HENDERSON, A.M.
JAMES BROWN, DANIEL DE HERTEL. Minister.
T. DAVIS, LYDIA BROWN
The next entry is of the baptism of a child a month old, as follows :
A son of Zechariah Whistle and his wife Eve, born on
. of the twenty-third day of July, in the year of Our Lord one
s \MUEL WHISTLE, thousand eight hundred and eighteen, was baptized on the
twenty-third day of August following, by the name of Samuel, in the
presence of the undersigned witnesses, by me.
SAMUEL LISCOM, ARCH. HENDERSON, A.M.,
GEORGE ROBERTSON. Minister.
The next entry is of the baptism of George, son of George Robertson of St.
Andrews, papermaker, and his wife Margaret. It is not till a year after,
that the maiden surname of the mother is given, as well as her Christian
name. Nor are the names of the parents of the parties recorded in the
entries of marriages, as has to be done now, and the want of which has
caused disputes in matters of property. The
first burial entered is not till a year has passed, when on the i3th
August, 1819, occurs the burial of a child who had died the day before,
viz., James, the sixteen month old " son of the late Amos Blanchard of
Montreal, cabinet-maker, and his wife Susan."
While deaths were so few, Mr. Henderson in the first year baptized
fifty children and married twenty couples, people coming to him for
those services from consider able distances all round, from Lachute,
Chatham, Rigaud, River du Chene, and even from Montreal in several
instances. Lachute is called "the Chute," or "the Chute settlement,"
and our familiar River Rouge is translated into " the Red River."
These fifty marriages were all " by banns " or "after proclamations of
banns," except two, which were " by license." The number of marriages
by license gradually increased, engaged couples apparently growing in
shyness or pride, as the country grew in wealth and society developed
itself. At length, about 1846, banns and licenses balance each other, and
a dozen years later, marriage by license had become general; and for more
than thirty years banns are almost unknown to the record, very few being
willing to have their matrimonial intentions publicly announced in church.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Not one has been so announced since the law was authoritatively declared
to mean that where banns are published they must be published on three
successive Sundays and not, as had been the ususal practice, three times
in one day.
The Register is very carefully kept aM through in regard to marriages ;
but it is less so for a few years after 1824, in regard to baptisms
and burials. At that time there were some who questioned the legal
right of the clergy of the Church of Scotland to keep registers or to
officiate at marriages, and in a particular case the Court of Appeals
decided against them. Mr. Henderson took an active part in vindicating
the rights^of himself and his brethren. A Bill was brought before the
Legislature of the Province, " for the Relief of Ministers connected
with the Associate Synod," and when the Legislative Council desired
information in regard to that body, he drew up a Memorial setting forth
the history and principles of
the Church of which he was a minister, and its high standing in
Scotland. The Act was passed, and the disabilities which it had been
attempted to impose on him and others were cast aside, and their claim to
" Equal Rights " publicly recognized.
KULING ELDERS.
A Presbyterian Church is not completely organized without Ruling Elders.
Accordingly at an early period three were chosen and ordained to
that office, to wit, Messrs. Wm. G. Blanchard, Benjamin Wales, and
Cummins. Other Elders appointed in after years were in August, 1832 :
Wm. McEwen, John McConnell, Win. Cook and Guy Richards; in May, 1836,
Charles Benedict and Peter McMartin ; in March, 1863, John McGregor
and Alex. McLachlan ; in March, 1877, James Middle- ton (formerly an
Elder in Stanley St. Church, Montreal), Charles Wales (son of Benjamin
Wales above named), and James McOuat; in February, 1881, John Robertson
(formerly an Elder in the Free Church of Scotland, and subsequently,
after completing his theological studies at Queen s College, Kingston,
ordained Dec., 1884, as Minister of Mill Haven and Ernestown in the
Presbytery of Kingston) ; in 1887, Charles T. Wales* (son of Charles
Wales above named), David Rodger* and John F. K. McMartin.* Thus in the
Wales family there have been three generations of Elders in succession,
a circumstance not unprecedented, but yet not common, although it ought
to be of frequent occurrence, the sons walking in the footsteps of their
Godly fathers.
GROWTH OK THE CHURCH.
Mr. Henderson labored, as Presbyterian Minister of the Seigniory of
Argen- teuil, with much activity. Besides his work at St. Andrews, he pi
cached regularly at Lachute, where he established a Temperance Society ;
at Chatham also, travelling
* Those whose names are marked with an asterisk (*) form the present
session along with the Rev. Dr. Paterson, the Moderator. Mr. Michlleton,
.1 man much beloved, died at the age of 86, while this book was passing
through the press, all the rest having gone before except Mr. Robertson,
who lives in Nova Scotia.
110 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII .
the seven or eight miles to those places by roads which were mere bridle
paths through the forest, beset sometimes with wolves and bears. He
had service also in the dis tricts round the village on the Sabbath
afternoons, as there was only one diet of worship in the church on
that day. Through his pastoral care and fidelity the Presbyterhns
of his wide field were nourished and strengthened till, in 1832, a
separa e congregation was formed at Lachuie. One of the few minutes
of Session extant of the early period relates to this matter. It is
dated St. Andrews, nth July, 1832, and bears that : " A petition wjs
presented from the following church members re siding at Lachute and the
neighborhood, viz.: [the names are not given], pray ing the Session to
disjoin them from this Church, that they may be formed into a distinct
church of the same denomination under the pastoral care of the Rev. Wm.
Brunton, who now ministers among them. The Session agreed that the prayer
o^ this Petition Le granted, and the petitioners are hereby disjoined."
After some years, the congregation of Lachute divided into two, one
of them becoming connected with the Free Church. A third was formed at
Chatham, in connection with the Church of Scotland, and at a later period,
a church was built at Pt. Fortune also, for the accommodation of the
members of the Chatham congrega tion residing there. Thus the St. Andrew
s Church grew after the manner of the banyan tree, the branches of which
stretch out on all sides, and by and by reach to the ground, where they
take root and grow up into so many distinct trees, at a distance from
the parent stem, yet vitally connected with it and with each other,
and spreading one wide umbrageous shelter. Although of three different
sections of the Presbyterian Church, yet all these congregations were
alike in doctrine, government, and worship, and they were all united
again ; three of them at the union of the Free Church and the United
Presbyterian Church in i86r, and the others at the memorable and happy
union of the J5th June, 1875, when all the Presbyterian b >dies in
the Dominion, with the exception of a few congregations here and there,
were formed
into one, under the name of " the Presbyterian Church in Canada."
THE PRESBYTERY.
In the meantime, although Mr. Henderson and his congregation were
Presby terians, they were for many years without the oversight of any
Presbytery. He, how ever, had been in the habit of meeting with his
ministerial brethren for mutual fellowship and counsel. In 1843, tne "
Missionary Presbytery of Kastern Canada" was formed
by authority of the United Secession Synoi of Scotland. It consisted
of the Rev. Andrew Kennedy of Lachute and the Rev. Alex. Lowden
of New Glasgow, with their respective Elders, Messrs. John McOuai
and John Murray. It was strengthened in 1845 by the accession of the
Rev. Dr. Win. Taylor, of Montreal, and his con gregation in Lagauchetiere
street, which had been organized in 1833, but had hitherto been in
Presbyterial connection with Upper Canada.
When this Presbytery was formed, Mr. Henderson desired to become a member
of it, and sent a memorial to the Synod in Scotland, stating his position,
and request-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. Irr
ing to be admitted, with the condition that he should be allowed to retain
his annual grant from the government. But the Voluntary Controversy had
been agitating the
Churches of that country for a number of years, the ministers and people
of the
Secession generally taking strong ground against the establishment and
endowment of the Church by the State. They were, therefore, unwilling
to admit him unless he gave up the government salary, but offered to
guarantee him an equal amount. He, however, did not wish to be a burden
on their Mission funds, and declined the pro posal, continuing in his
former isolated condition till the year 1860.
A COLLEAGUE OBTAINED.
In that year, failing sight and strength compelled him, now in his
yyth year, to seek assistance in his work, and he made application for
a preacher to the United Presbyterian (formerly the United Secession)
Presbytery of Montreal. They were not able at the time to send one, and he
applied to the Montreal Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Canada,
which was in connection with the Free Church of Scotland. In due course,
he and his congregation were received into that body, and a preacher was
obtained from them, who gave satisfaction to the congregation and was
duly called : but his settlement did not take place. In the same week
in which he was expected to be ordained, the present pastor arrived in
Montreal from Scot land. He was at once sent up to St. Andrews to supply
the vacancy, and preached
on the next two Sabbaths, 291)1 July and 5th August, 1860, Having received
an appointment to preach in another place, he left for five weeks, and
returned to begin his regular work on the i6th Sept., and has continued
ever since, through the help of God, to go in and out among the people
till this day. He belonged to the United
Presbyterian Church, but the two bodies were to be united shortly, a basis
of union having been mutually agreed upon, and he had no conscientious
difficulty in antici pating the Union by a few months. He therefore put
himself under the care of the Free Church Presbytery, and on the 24th
October he was ordained, "by the laying
on of the hands of the Presbytery," to be Assistant and Successor to
the venerable servant of God, who had been himself ordained, just fifty
years before, at Carlisle, and had borne the burden of pastoral duty at
St. Andrews for two and forty years un
aided, save by the grace that is promised to every true worker, and by
the sympathy and help of the able and faithful Elders and other members
of his church, who had mostly grown up under his ministry.
MR. HENDERSON S LAST DAYS.
Mr. Henderson now practically retired, the work bzing lefc entirely
to the young minister; but he retained the status of Senior Minister
and his position as a member of the Presbytery. Only three weeks after
this happy settlement, as it was to him. a great sorrow came upon him
in the brief sickness and death of his wife. She was the daughter of
the Rev. Mr. Morton, the Relief Minister of Leslie in Fife, and a woman
112 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of piety and shrewdness and kind-heartedness, with a touch of racy humor,
in which her husband also abounded, and a spirit of hopefulness which
was a strong support to him in the despondency to which he was somewhat
prone. She died on the i6th November, being within a month of eighty-one
years of age.
Two years later he lost the only remaining member of his family, his
son Peter,
who was a physician in Ottawa, and died unmarried, 26th November, 1862,
at Burritt s Rapids, where he had some property, and to which he had
gone for his health. He was 44 years old.
Mr. Henderson preached occasionally in the absence of the pastor,
usually tak ing part also in the quarterly communion services and in the
prayer meetings. His pist birthday happening on a Sabbath, he preached
an earnest and affectionate dis course to the young, addressing them as
from the borders of the eternal world, and testifying that it was only
the fear of God and the faith of Christ that could make their lives
truly useful and their end happy. Towards the end of 1876 his health
rapidly declined, and on the iQth January, 1877, he suddenly passed away,
having lived ninety-three years and nearly four months. He died in the
house of his col league, where he spent the last eight years of his
life. He had been very reticent, like most of his countrymen, as to his
inward thoughts and feelings, but a day or two before the end he began to
open his mind a little, saying in reference to his hopes for eternity :
" I cast myself, as a sinner ready to perish, on the mercy of Him who
is mighty to save." He did not remember when or where he had " cast his
first an chor," to use an expression of John Knox s, but he had cast it
long ago on safe
ground, and his hope was sure and steadfast and entering into that which
is within the veil.
THE CONGREGATION.
The history of the Congregation had been one of harmony, except at one
period, in the 30% when misunderstandings arose between the minister and
some of the peo ple, resulting in a number of them leaving the Church ;
but, in course of time, most of these returned to their former fold. With
that exception, the Church had a peaceful and prosperous existence,
their accomplished pastor feeding them with knowledge and understanding
from the stores of his biblical and theological learning, and his deep,
though unobtrusive, spiritual life. Liberal himself and large- minded,
he taught them to take an interest in Bible Society and missionary work,
having a weekly prayer meeting, and, once a month, a "monthly concert"
or missionary meeting, which has been kept up to this day. The money
raised was sent for many
years to the American Board of (Commissioners for Foreign Missions ;
but when the Canada Presbyterian Church established foreign missions of
its own in Formosa, China, India, the New Hebrides, and other parts of
the world, the members thought it their duty to give their contributions
to the support of their own Church missions.
The Congregation still has over sixty families connected with it,
although its field
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 113
has been contracted by the establishment of other four or five
Presbyterian congre gations within its original bounds, besides a number
belonging to other denomina tions ; and, although there has also been a
constant drain of the young men to the ever inviting and largely promising
West, besides the frequent removal of families to other localities,
lessening the Protestant population in its different branches.
The membership has increased to above one hundred and forty, through
the occasional incoming of new families and the steady growing up of
many of the young (why should it not be so written of all?) into a solid
Christian life. On several occa sions, through means of special services,
large additions were made to the number of communicants.
The Congregation has grown in the grace of liberality in giving to the
cause of
God. Before 1860, they gave little for the support of the Church, the
salary which their minister received from the military chest seeming to
them to relieve them from almost all responsibility on this behalf. By
their enjoyment of Gospel ordinances with so little charge to themselves,
they lost the privilege of exerting themselves for the sup port of Christ
s cause and the blessing which is promised to those who are faithful
in this duty; and when, all at once, the whole burden of supporting
their minister was laid upon them, some, faint-hearted, were ready
to shrink from it. Tae greater part, however, stood manfully forward,
and by bearing became stronger to bear. For to
him that hath shall be given." They found a new pleasure in new duties
and new relations, and were ready to acknowledge that Christ s way
was the best, viz., that they who preach the Gospel should live of the
Gospel. They undertook to give their new minister $600 a year, and in 1861
their contributions to all church purposes were $728, a large sum for a
people that had probably not given more than $150 in any one year before.
Since that time the stipend has been increased twice, while the
contributions to the schemes of the Church have also increased. In iSyo
they raised $1,283, includ ing subscriptions for some special objects,
and for the last four years the congregation has contributed, for all
purposes, from $r,ioo to nearly $r,3oo each year, being an average of
$20.00 per family. This may seem large to some, but it is less than the
average over the whole Presbyterian Church in Canada, which was in the
latest report $22.82. But what is that to what is still due to God? If
all the tithes that are unpaid were brought into His storehouse in the
spirit of consecration, the \vorld would soon be changed. The truth is
that the Church of Christ has only beun to give.
In 1877 the church building was greatly improved from its former
unadorned, barn-like appearance, by having a new and handsome front
erected, with corner tower, and much work done inside, costing in all
$2,500. Four years later, in i88r, the manse also underwent a much needed
renovation, at a cost of nearly $600. both cases the Ladies Association
contributed a large proportion of the expenses. The manse, with garden
and small meadow attached, is the house which Mr.
114 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL..
der<on built for himself shortly after his arrival here, and which
he made over before his death to the Congregation, as their property
for the use of the minister.
The Congregation has, doubtless, much to lament over in its history and
experi ence, while there is much for which to give God. thanks. Many men
and women who have been brought up in it, now scattered over the Dominion
and the United States, are in their spheres, some of them prominent,
supporting the cause of truth and righteousness ; and thus its influence
is widespread. It has helped to keep the Gospel light shining here for
seventy -seven years, and borne its part with other churches in testifying
for Christ and in training the people for His Kingdom."
The REV. DANIEL PATERSON, D.D., was born in Greenock, Scotland, and
studied at the Grammar School of that place, under the tuition of James
Lockart Brown, LL.D., an excellent teacher and scholar. He next went
to the University of Glasgow, where one of his professors was the great
scientist, Wm. Thomson, now Lord Kelvin, and there received the degree
of A.M. He studied theology in the United Presbyterian Divinity Hall,
Edinburgh, and came to Canada in the summer of 1860, and was ordained at
St. Andrews, October 241)1 of that year. He has been connected with the
Presbyterian College of Montreal since its commencement, as a trustee
and member of the Board cf Management, as one of the examiners for eight
years, and as a member of the College Senate for thirteen years. He
received the degree of D.D. from the College in 1892. He was appointed
one of the representatives of the Montreal Pres bytery in the Campbell
heresy case, to defend the action of the Presbytery before the Synod of
Montreal and Ottawa, and did so with the other representatives, who were
Drs. McVicar, Scrimger, and Robert Campbell.
Dr. Paterson is one of those quiet, unostentatious men, whose godly life
is a more powerful sermon to the unconverted than usually falls from the
pulpit. Though schol arly and thoroughly well-informed respecting current
events, his sermons are anything but pedantic ; he preaches only Christ,
and Him crucified, in a simple, convincing man ner. He is, in short,
a minister whom the unregenerate man would prefer at his bed side,
when he feels that he is drifting out upon the great unknown.
It is but just to add that, in his many years of faithful labor at
St. Andrews,
Dr. Paterson has been ably assisted by Mrs. Paterson, who is devoted to
temper ance, benevolence, and every Christian work.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST. ANDREWS. BY REV. F. A. DUGAS.
About midway between the villages of St. Andrews and Carillon, at an
angle formed by the king s highway, and a few rods from the noble Ottawa
River, rises a modest stone church. The solitude of its position seems to
invite to meditation and prayer. The young but sturdy greenwood about it
is a proof of the respect with which it is regarded; it is the Catholic
Church of St. Andrews parish, where meet in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 115
prayer the Catholic population of St. Andrews, Carillon and Point
Fortune ; the date of its construction is 1835. Prior to that period,
the Catholics of the locality were ministered to by the parish
priest of Rigaud. Their number having sufficiently in creased to
claim a resident cur, in 1830, they applied to Mgr. Jean Jacques
Lartigue to obtain permission to erect a church. The proceedings
were not a little protracted, however; but in 1835 work was fully
under way, and Messrs. Owen, Quin, Gaspavd de la Ronde, William
Byrnes, A. E". Montmarquet, O. de Hertel and Edouard Dorion petitioned
Mgr. Lartigue to send a delegate to bless the corner-stone and the cross
of the new church.
The church then built was sixty feet in length and forty-one in
breadth. It was
blessed on the iyth of March, 1836, by the Rev. M. Archambault,
arch-priest, cure of Vaudreuil. The text of the Act is as followr, :
On the r 7 tli day of March, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six,
in the ( forenoon, we, arch-priest and cure of St. Michel de Vaudreuil,
have solemnly blessed a church dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle,
built in the Seigniory of
Argenteuil, and for the use of the inhabitants of the said Seigniory ;
in the presence ( of Messrs. Pierre Jacques de Lamothe, parish priest
of St. Anne du Bout de 1 Ile de Montreil; of Nicolas Dufresne, priest of
St. Sulpice, missionary at the Lake of Two Mountains; of Jacques Janvier
Vinet, parish priest of Ste. Magdeleine de Rigaud ; a ad of Edouard
Montmarquet, Esquire, merchant of the said Seigniory of Argenteuil,
who have signed with us. the day and the year as above.
It is this same church that still exists, with, however, an extension
of thirty feet, and a sacristy added to it.
The registry of the parish begins in 1833. The first act mentioned therein
is that of the marriage of Eustache Perrault and Sophie Maheu. According
to these acts, we
find eighteen priests who h?,.ve discharged the functions of parish priest
up to the present time. There are actually 260 Catholic families, with a
population of 1400 souls. Seven Catholic schools are in steady, active
work. The best attended are: i st. th? St. Andrews village school, 120
children are inscribed on the roll- call ; and, the Carillon school, whose
roll-call numbers 85 ; 3rd, the convent, with 40 boarding pupils. These
three institutions are under the direction of the Sisters of Providence.
Behind the church, and towards the Ottawa River, lises another substantia
building in stone, three stories high, with mansard roof; it i- Father
Bonin s College If the Province of Quebec be visited, and the question
asked : who were the founders of all the educational establishments
noticed in so many parishes ? the answer would almost invariably be :
it is the work of our parish priests.
By economical living, Father Bonin had been able to lay aside some
savings ; and, like so many of his brother priests, his desire was to
advance the cause of the education of youth. Therefore on the 91)1 of
August, 1848, the Rev. Father Bonin, an ex-Sulpician, the parish priest
of St. Scholastique, proposed to the members of the Fabrique of Saint
Andrews, that they grant him land whereon to build ; and he promised to
erect, at his own expense, a college for the instruction of youth. His
Il6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
wish was to procure for the children of the place the advantages
of education with out obliging them to leave their homes and their
parents. There was not, at that date, any establishment of the kind
in the neighborhood. This proposal of Father Bonin was accepted on th-
i3th of August, 1848. The ground was given to him on which he built the
house, to-day occupied by the Sisters of Providence.
At its inception, this Institution was confided to the Clercs of
St. Viateur. It was very prosperous for some seven or eight years,
counting, in fact, as many as 150 to 200 pupils, who received a superior
educat ion, and even a classical course was introduced. A college Had been
built at Rigaud one year after the opening of the Bonin Academy ; these
two houses were in too great proximity to both flourish. The number of
pupils decreased, rapidly in the Bonin Academy. Classes were continued,
however, up to the month of April, 1878 ; then, there were not more than
20 young boys in attendance.
The Reverend Father L. Z. Champoux, at that time parish priest at
St. Andrews, saw that Father Bonin s generous gift to the parish would
benefit a larger number, and that the bequeather s intentions would
be more truly carried out, if the college were transformed into a
convent. He therefore called the Sisters of Providence to the place,
with the permission and authorization of the Bishop of Montreal. The
Reverend Sisters tcok possession on the i4th of September, 1878.
Father Champoux had wisely consulted the best interests of St. Andrews ;
to day, the Sisters have 250 pupils in their classes, and it may be said
without exaggera tion, that they perform admirable work in the parish,
both by education and by the relief of the sick.
The priest s residence was successively the sacristy of the church,
Father Bonin s house, and, since 1889, the actual handsome presbytery.
A fact worthy of note, and which proves the good will of the Catholics
of St. Andrews, is, that all thai has been done by them was by voluntary
contribution ; recourse has never been had to the legal means provided
by the statutes."
Rev. F. A. Dugas was born at St. Jacques de 1 Achigan, Co. of Montcalm. He
took a classical four years course at the College of 1 Assumption, and
afterwards, till July, 1878, wasprofessor of Belles Lettresinthe same
institution. He was ordained priest, 7th February, 1878, and was vicar
of St. Roch de 1 Achigan from July to
October of the same year; and of Chambly from the latter date till May,
1884. During 1884 and 1885, he was fora year Director of the Classical
College of St.
Boniface, Man., and then cure of the Cathedral till July, 1889. After
this, he was employed as lecturer in behalf of colonization till February,
1890, since which he has been cure of St. Andrews.
The Rev. Mr. Djgns is a courteous and affable gentleman, and is respected
by all. He is devoted t:> his work, and is a stiong advocate of
temperance among his parishioners.
HISTORY OF ARQENTEUIL. 117
BAPTIST CHURCH.
(Copied chiefly from the Church records.)
"The Baptist Church at St. Andrews, Lower Canada, commenced in the follow
ing manner :
" In the year 1835-36, Mr. Gilmour, having resigned his charge at
Montreal, spent some time with the people at St. Andrews, and preached
the Gospel much to
their satisfaction, and, it is hoped, not without some success, either
as to the awaken ing of the careless or the comfort and edification
of believers.
"But in June, 18.36, Mr. Gjlmour left 0:1 a mission to Boston, to procure
assist ance to the newly formed Institution at Montreal for the education
of young men
for the ministry, and for the more general diffusion of religious
instruction through the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.
" In the month of July, the same year, the Rev. Mr. Tapscott, who had
just arrived from England, was directed by the providence of God to visit
this place. The meetings held here, and in surrounding neighborhoods,
were well attended, and some good seemed to be effected.
There were several persons, members of the Church of Chatham, who were
regular worshippers with us ; some others had been baptised by Mr. Gilmour
three on the loth, and two on the i5th August, in the North River.
"August i5lh. A discourse was delivered relative to the nature of a
Christian church, after which those present, who had been baptized
on a profession of their faith, gave to each other the right hand
of fellowship, in token of their union with each other as the Church
of Christ.
"The church being formed on the principles of free communion, two persons
were received, the same evening, without being baptized. The church,
at present, consists of sixteen members. May we walk together in the
fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and be multiplied.
"March i2th, 1837. Mr. Tapscott having received an invitation to spend
some time in Toronto as an evangelist, and conceiving it his duty to
comply with it,
signified his intention of leaving us as soon as the term of his
engagement expires .
" March 26th. A letter to the Ottawa Association was read, asking to be
received into the Association.
"March 29th, 3oth. The Ottawa Baptist Association held its second annual
meeting with us at St. Andrews, and we were received into the Association
according to our request.
" The meetings were well attended and were interesting. The letters
contained little information of an animating nature ; in some of the
churches unhappy differ ences exist; in others, great apathy. Much
important business was transacted, and great harmony prevailed.
"April 2nd. At a church meeting it was resolved : that an invitation
be sent to Rev. John Edwards, jr., requesting him to spend one half his
time as a minister of the Gospel among the people of St. Andrews.
JT g HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
" The records show that Mr. Edwards accepted the call, and began
his regular labors on the 7 th day of May, 1837, and continued
till October, 1843- After his resignation the Baptists attended the
Congregational Church, of which building they were joint owners with
the Congregationalists; but in 1849, the Baptists became
sole proprietors of the church, and the Congregationalists P repared L
to build a new one.
" In June 1848 in compliance with an invitation from the Baptist Church,
the Rev. John Dempsey arrived, and on the fourth day of that month began
his regular
VA difficulty of rather grave import stood in the way cf Mr. Dempsey
s becom ing their pastor The Church was open communion in practice,
and the majority of
its members in principle. He, on the other hand, was a close Communionist,
and
could consent to be nothing else.
\ meeting was called on Friday evening, ist September, 1848, to consult
what principle the Church could proceed in future with respect to
the subject of communion. In this meeting, not only the members of
the Church, but all baptized who attended, took a part. The question
was then put whether the should proceed in future on the open or close
communion principle, and a vote taken, it was carried in favor of close
by a majority of one.
After the departure of Mr. Dempsey, the Baptist Church seemed never the
degree of spiritual health and firmness that she had before possessed. A
decline began, numbers decreased, and after a few spasmodic efforts to
rekindle the early zeal and establish vigor, the church as an organization
ceased to exist.
Early in the year 1865, the Rev. J. W. Manning was engaged as pastor,
and his pastorate continued to ,869, when another minister officiated
till 1872. The was supplied the next six years by students, when the
Rev. Mr. Moyle accepted call. His pastoral services terminated in about
a year, however, and with them end all regular services in the Baptist
Church of St. Andrews."
The following sketch of Rev. Mr. Dempsey is an extract copied from the
Canadian Baptist of May i8th, 1893 :
"Mr Dempsey was born near a small hamlet, called Resharkin, in the county
Antrim, Ireland, December 2 8th, 1822. With his parents he came to Canada,
and settled in the township of Oxford, county of Grenviile. From his
earliest years, his religious training was of the stern, unlovely kind,
which was, unhapp.ly, not mon in Scotch Presbyterian families of an
earlier day. Though trained in a ngi< morality, diligent in the study
of the Bible, and strictly attentive to all the ,extt of religion, God was
to him a God of terror rather than a God of love. At seve teen years of
age, his eyes were opened to the necessity of the spiritual change which
alone he could become a child of God. After weeks of intense mental gle
and anguish, the gracious Father sent him the light, and joy came to him,
real and gladsome, and peace so full and sweet !
" Being fully persuaded of the necessity for thorough preparation for
the gr<
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. uy
work before him, he entered Montreal Baptist College, took the full
four years course, and graduated June ist, 1848, having made a record
for earnest, patient and success ful work. His first field of labor
after graduation was St. Andrews. Entering upon the work under great
difficulties, caused by divisions and bitter contentions which had
been going on in the church for years, he finally got together a little
band of sixteen, over which he was ordained pastor on September i8th,
1848. For sixteen
years he continued in St. Andrews, being instant in season and out
of season, preach ing the word of life. He baptized there over 400
people. During all these years
he did the work of an evangelist throughout the neighboring country. He
left St. Andrews in 1864, having received a call from the church in
Port Hope.
" A sketch of Mr. Dempsey s life would be incomplete without some
allusion to the evangelistic work he accomplished, apart from his
regular pastoral duties. While pastor at St. Andrews, he travelled on
foot or on horseback, alone, or in company with brethren King, Edwards,
McPhail or Anderson, throughout the entire region of the old Ottawa
Association. Breadalbane, Notfield, Osnabruck, South Gower, Aug mentation,
Riceville, Lanark, Kemptville, Osgoode, Kenmore, Ormond, Clarence,
Thurso, Papineauville, and many other places from Quebec to Kingston,
have listened to his earnest preaching of Christ. These preaching tours
involved much hard work and hardship, yet it was gladly engaged in,
and God abundantly honored it.
" Mr. Dempsey, besides being pastor and evangelist, was intensely
interested in
all denominational matters. Dr. Fyfe found him a steady friend to the work
in Woodstock. He was secretary of the Ottawa Association ; secretary of
the East ern Convention from 1858 to 1864; secretary of the Superannuated
Society from the beginning. He has been officially connected with our
missionary organizations from their inception; and perhaps to no man
among us has been given a larger share of responsibility and work,
in connection with the planning and advocacy of the united
work of the churches."
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
BY REV. J. McAoiE.
" The Congregational Church in St. Andrews, which is the only
representative of
this denomination of Christians in the county of Argenteuil, was
organized in 1838. In its early history the Church was beset with many
difficulties, and its subsequent career has been a chequered one ; yet,
here have been nurtured men and women who, for steadfastness of purpose,
loyalty to principle and to conscience, intelligent in. terest in the
welfare of the community, and activity in the service of Christ for the
propagation of His kingdom, will not be easily surpassed.
The Rev. Wm. McKillican of Indian Lands, one of the pioneer Congregational
ministers of Canada, and a devoted servant of Christ, had for many
years paid an annual or bi-annual visit to St. Andrews, preaching, not
the special beliefs of his own denomination, but the simple Gospel of
a full and free salvation; and, at length, he had the joy of forming,
in what was then one of the most thriving villages in th c western part
of Lower Canada, a Church of his own faith and order.
, 20 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In a house, that has since disappeared, on the east side of the North
River, occupied by Mr. Blanchet, the Church was formed; the only clergyman
present being the Rev. Mr. McKillican. The little Church shewed signs of
vigorous life, and was soon engaged in building a house for the worship
of God. But scarcely had their
meeting house been completed, when trouble arose, owing to some
arrangements for a joint* occupancy and ownership with the Baptist
denomination, and it was not until a separation had been effected, that
harmony was restored. This took place in 1848, the Baptists retaining
the building.
On October 25th, 1845, the Church, on the outlook for an under shepherd,
called
the Rev. Charles McKay, who had just graduated from the Congregational
Theolo gical Institute in Montreal, as the Congregational College
was then called. That most interesting and solemn occasion, when
the minister is set apart for his work, which is losing much of its
meaning amid the innumerable pastoral changes, now so common, is one
never to be forgotten by the young preacher. It forms a climax and a
turning point in his life. It is for this he has struggled and hoped
and prayed. Amid the discouragements of later years, he often looks
back for inspiration to that happy occasion. There were present, besides
the Church and Congregation, the Rev. Thomas Bayne, some day to become
successor of Mr. McKay; the Rev. Mr. Mc Killican, that aged soldier of
the Cross, and sainted father of the Church ; the Rev. I. J. Carruthers
of Gosford street church, Montreal, so sympathetic and eloquent. They,
with due solemnity, set the young man apart with the laying on of hands
to the ministry of the word, and the Church rejoiced in the newly formed
relation. ^ Mr. McKay endeared himself to all by his straightforward
and manly conduct, his inde pendent bearing and his faithful preaching
of the Gospel, and his name is still held in loving remembrance by some
of those who heard the Gospel from his lips. Never robust in body,
it soon became evident that he could not long sustain the strain of the
severe climate of this new country. He was advised to try the sea coast,
and left St. Andrews at the close of 1848 for St. John, New Brunswick,
and was pastor of the Congregational Church there for a number of years.
The Church was three years without a pastor, when the Rev. Thomas Bayne,
who had been in charge of the churches of Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill
for several years, was called to fill the vacant office. He did so in
the beginning of 1849. and remained until 1852; but did not lay hold of
the affections of his people, as did his predecessor. During this period
the Church was engaged in choosing the site for
their new meeting house and in its erection, which was not done without
some in
ternal disturbance. A beautiful site was chosen on the west bank of the
North River, and the church, a beautiful brick edifice, was, for the time,
one of the best appointed village churches in the Ottawa Valley. Its
erection was not completed until 1851. For a year after Mr. Bayne left,
the Church was supplied by the Rev. Mr. Chase,
Rev. John McKillican and the late Mr. Hibbard, until in 1854, when
the Rev. Alex. Sim, M.A., was called to the pastorate. Few records
remain of the spiritual con
dition of the Church during this period, but the membership is said to
have been 32 ;
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. i _> I
some of these res ding in Point Fortune, Lachute Road, Beech
Ridge, River Rouge, Cote du Midi, Cote St. Pierre, as well as in
St. Andrews. Mr. Sim, who was a gra duate of the University of Aberdeen
and of the Congregational Theological Academy, Glasgow, was ordained to
the " Ministry of the Word," at Aberdeen, on the i2th day of July, in the
year 1853. He came to Canada to fill a position as Professor in Gorham
College, Nova Scotia ; but that institution was reduced to ashes before
he arrived, and has never been rebuilt. Mr. Sim remained for about eleven
years, and during this period the Church exercised an extended influence
throughout the com munity. In addition to his ministerial duties, he added
others of a scholastic charac ter, as teacher of a private and also of
the public school. On leaving St. Andrews, he went to Franklin Centre,
where he stayed for a short time, and finally took up a section of land
in Western Ontario, where his family still reside. Mr. Sim passed away
a few years ago to his final rest.
From 1868 to 1885 is a long period, but few records remain to tell its
story. The shepherdless flock held together for a long time, though
diminished in numbers. The Sunday School was faithfully conducted by
Mr. Devvar, the senior deacon of the church, who remained true to the
cause, amid storm and sunshine, in good and evil report. Among the
students who supplied the pulpit during college vacations, we
may mention Mr. Nighswander and Mr. Cossar.
At length, in the summer of 1885, prospects brightened, and the
little company were encouraged by the Rev. Thomas Hall to make another
effort. The Church was supplied during this and the succeeding winter
by students of the Congregational College, and in the fall of 1887,
the Church called a graduate of the College, who had spent the previous
summer as student supply, to be its pastor. In the presence of many
beloved fathers and brethren, Mr. McAdie was set apart for the ministry
of the Word. During this period the church was renovated and partly
rebuilt, at a cost of over $1600, all of which, save about $roo, has
been paid. Mr. McAdie s relation
to the Church, first as student supply, and then as pastor, continued over
six and one half years. But other events are too recent to be discussed
at the present time, and must be left for a future historian. One member
of the Church remains who saw its beginning. We trust he may not see
its close."
MR. McADiE still lives in St. Andrews, where he has many warm friends. His
time is devoted to teaching and literary work, chiefly to writing for
religious period icals. Mrs. McAdie also has displayed ability in the
same work, and during the past year or two has delivered an occasional
lecture, which was both interesting and instructive.
Since Mr. McAdie retired from the pastorate, the Church has been supplied
by students, FREDERICK LEITCH being the first. He officiated for nearly
two years, with much ability and popularity. He graduated from McGill
in 1894," and is now pastor of a church in Portland, Maine.
He was succeeded by CHARLES ASHDOWN, a clever young man, earnest in
h:s work, and discharging his duties to the great satisfaction of his
congregation.
9
122
HISTORY OF ARGENTFU1L. THE METHODIST CHURCH Methodists, like the
Baptists, were once
n
tllis
are * a g ood ly
-h. ,
census of
u
or
at St. p. ri .h-
The most active con-
funds frorrUhe year 1841 to 1865 inclusive :
Number of members.
Church Relief Fund.
Contingent Fund.
Educational Fund.
B
*~* r-Z S
CO
.
1841 1842
1843 1844
1845 1846
1847
1848 1849 1850 1851 1852
* 1853
1855 1856
1857 1858
1859
1860 1 861
1862 1863 1864 1865
[ohn Armstrong, Wm. Dignam
315
$7 70 9 12
9 20i
6 83
7 53 8 oo 16 oo
12 3 8 12 90 13 07 I 3 27
12 37
12 98
13 75 7 3 2
10 12
7 16 7 75 S 75 7 24 2 3: 2 8;
5 cc 5 IC
$i 79
2 50
3 76
2 63
3 oo
3 7 2 8 50
13 32 11.48 u 68
12 OO 12 CO
7 oo 7 37 5 25 7 3 4 75 i 8 co
) 10 OO
13 26 I 14 15
) II OO
) 12 OO ) 12 50
[ohn Armstrong, Wm. Morton
365
377
3 9
278
264 280 267 277 280
33 353 440
164
175 167 248
244 266 258 260 217 220
Wm. H. Williams, John Gemley Wm H Williams, 1 homas Hanna
J Hughes, M. Baxter, J . Annstrong
Michael Baxter. Charles laogait .
$8 56 6 94 6 23 6 27 6 46 6 50 u 50 8 30
3 3 1
7 45 4 12
4 25 4 5 358
David B. Madden, David C. McDowell
David B. Madden, Richard Wilson
Francis Coleman, John Armstrong 2nd
Francis Coleman, Richard M. Hammond
1 homas W. Constable, Richard M. Hammond
Thomas W. Constable, Silas Huntmgton
Thomas W. Constable, Wm. Scales
$5 oo
3 5c 3 oc
3 5 C 4 oc
2 4f
I
i 6<
2 0< 2 H
Tames H. Bishop, Andiew Armstrong
Edward H. Dewart, Jidmunu ^. a
Edward H. Dewart, tdmunct ,. oweci. .
Robert Brown, Henry F. Bland
Robert Brown, Henry F . Bland
Alfred Andrews, Wm. M. Cooly Alfred Andrews
Wm. D. Brown, Alex. Campbell, 2nd
2 97 3 3 3 35
* Qrenville set off.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 123
BIBLE SOCILTY.
Besides her generous support of churches, St. Andrews has been active in
the formation and maintenance of Christian societies. The Bible Society
was formed in 1841, and ever since has been in a fairly prosperous
condition. The first officers chosen were as follows : W. G. Blanchard,
president ; Charles Benedict, vice- president ; Charles Wales, treasurer ;
J.Edwards, jun., secretary. Duncan Dewar
was appointed depositary, and has filled the office ever since, with
the exception of a few years.
The succeeding officers were : The late John Middleton, president; Thomas
Lamb, vice-president ; C. T. Wales, treasurer ; and Rev. Dr. Paterson,
secretary.
The late Rev. Mr. Henderson was president from 1850 until his death in
1877, and was succeeded by Mr. Finlay McMartin, who was in turn followed
by Mr. Middleton. The latter held the office until his death.
C. E. SOCIETY.
A Christian Endeavour Society was organized here in 1887, the first in
the County of Argenteuil, and one of the first formed in the Province.
It was organized through the efforts of Miss H. Hibbard, who has ever
since labored assiduously to promote its growth and the success of its
object. Beginning with a membership of eight, it increased till its
members numbered eighty ; but, owing to removals from the place, it is
not now so large. The meetings are held in the Congregational Church,
though its members represent all the different Protestant denominations
of the Parish.
Alexander D. Dewar, president of the County Union, is also president
of the
Local Union at St. Andrew s.
W. C. T. U. SOCIETY.
The W. C. T. U. organized a Local Union in St. Andrews in March,
1883 ; the first president was Mrs. (Rev.) Moyle ; she was
succeeded by Mrs. Finley McMartin, who held the position several
years. Mrs. Chas. T. Wales followed, and three years subsequently 1894
she was succeeded by Miss Julia E. Davis.
St. Andrews has also supplied three presidents for the County Angus
McPhie, Miss Julia E. Davis and Mrs. Wm. Barclay.
WOMAN S MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, December 8th, 1875, a meeting of the
ladies of St. Andrews was held at the Presbyterian Manse, in accordance
with the notice ,
from the pulpits of the several churches in the place, for the purpose
of organizing a Auxiliary to the Montreal Branch of the Woman s Board
of Missions
There were present : Mrs. Paterson, Mrs. C. Wales, Mrs. A. McPhie,
Mrs ; Wales, Miss Clare, Miss Barclay, Miss H. Davis, Miss M. Sharpe,
Miss A. Wa *, Miss M. Wales.
124
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
The following officers were chosen :
President, Mrs. A. McPhie.
( Mrs C Wale 5
_. T . ^ . , 1 ITJL I o * v> i T a, iv, _
Vice-Presidents, j Mrg< Paterson>
Secretary, Miss Wales.
Treasurer, Miss Barclay.
In November, 1891, the Canadian Woman s Board (of which the St. Andrews
had been an Auxiliary for sixteen years) disbanded, having accomplished
the object for which it had been organized ; leaving the members free
to enter more fully into the missionary work of the Churches wilh which
they were connected.
We decided, however, not to disband, but continue as a Union Society,
working together in the cause of Foreign Missions. We have raised, each
year, sums varying from $12.21 to $83.79 : the average being, in the
first six years. $21.56, and in f he last six years, $73.20. Some years
ago we adopted the plan of placing Mission bags, marked " For the Lord,"
in each family, asking the women to put one cent a week
in it, which had the effect of increasing the subscriptions. In this
way, we have been enabled to send sums, yearly, to the Missions of the
Presbyterian, Congrega tional and Baptist Churches. Although never a
large Society, it has been a means of contributing something towards
the spread of the Gospel abroad, and has been
found very helpful to the members themselves.
B. PATERSON,
Secretary.
A Masonic Lodge was organized in St. Andrews in 1813 ; the following
record of the event is copied from the old Masonic Register :
March ist, 1813. MURRAY LODGE No. 17, Register of Lower Canada.
This day being appointed for the formal installation of this Lodge,
the Petitioning Brethren having assembled at the house of Brother
Benjamin Wales in the village of St. Andrews, at i p.m., the Worshipful
Jabez D. Dewitt, Past Master of St. Paul s Lodge No. 12, accompanied by
the Worshipful J. D. Turnbull, Master of Union Lodge No. 8, Montreal,
arrived from that city, and produced the authority of the Grand Lodge
of Lower Canada, as below specified.
QUEBEC, 2oth February, 1813. BROTHER :
You are hereby authorized and directed to install this Worshipful Master
of Murray Lodge, No. 17, agreeably to ancient custom, and to deliver
over to him the warrant of Constitution, etc. With brotherly regard,
I am yours in truth,
(Signed), WILLAM DOWNS. To BRO. JABEZ DEWITT of Paul s Lodge, No. 12,
Montreal.
,J. A. N. MACKAY.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. I2 r
Lodge opened in the first Degree of Masonry by
Worshipful Jabez D. De Witt, Wl. pro tern. Worshipful J. D. Turnbull,
J. W.pro tern. Brother S. Goodrill, J. \V. pro tern.
BRETHREN PRESENT.
Worshipful B. Wales, Master Elect. Bro. J. Masham, Sec y Elect
Bro. Elon Lee, S. W. Elect. Arthur Jackson, S. D. Elect
Reuben French, J. W. Elect. Gust. A. Hooker, J. D. Elect.
Ames Matthews, Treas. Elect. D. Flint, Tyler,/ tern.
At a meeting held 6th Jan, 1824, "It was moved, seconded, and unanimously
agreed that the thanks of this Lodge be given Brother Thomas Barren
for the faith- lischarge of the duties of his office in the Provincial
Grand Lodge." Brother Thomas Barron was unanimously elected to be sent
to the Provincial feud Lodge at Montreal, to assist in framing By-Laws
for the government of that
Lodge.
Among the members of this Lodge previous to 1826 appear the names of
Wm. Beaton Wm. Streeter, jun. John Me Arthur
John Harrington James Proctor Elijah Kello-g
Timothy Bristol James Volla Judah Center
Archibald Rae Richard Mears Justus Barnet
Peter F. Le Roy Benj. Wales Wm. Dixon
Daniel Foss Andrew Simmons P. F. Peabody
Wm. Streeter Wm. McDole W. G. Blanchard.
Later, appear the names of Wm. Zearns, John Oswald, Hugh Dunlop,
D. Beattie, H. Maguire.
This was called Murray Lodge No. 5 " until April, 1825, after which it
was called " St. Andrews Lodge No. 5."
J. A. N. MACKAY is the only representative of the legal fraternity in St.
Andrews Asides Mr. de La Ronde. He was born 1840, in St. Scholastique,
and educated in colleges in Montreal, Ottawa and St. Hyacinthe, the
latter being the place where his studies were completed.
The ancestors of Mr. Mackay were men of military proclivities, and
distinguished
in the service in which they were engaged. Francis Mackay, who was a
near relative
Lord Roe, had three sons Stephen, Francis and Samuel ; the two former
in their
youth served under the Prince of Orange, as lieutenants of The
Guards. Samuel,
vho was then too young for military service, subsequently, distinguished
himself in
Hungary, in the service of Maria Theresa. In 1756, the three brothers
all entered the
I2 6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
" Royal American Regiment," which afterward became the 6oth Reg. of
Col; Alexander Mackay ; Stephen, the eldest, died while captain in this
Regiment, before t he Conquest of Canada. The two remaining brothers
served during the Conquest, at Montreal, where they remained. Samuel
served at the blockade of St. Johns, and was with Burgoyne during his
unfortunate expedition to the States. He was buried at the foot of Mount
Royal, Montreal, near the garden of the Seminary, where he had formerly
commanded a picket at the taking of Montreal.
The brothers all married French ladies belonging to the most prominent
and aristocratic families of Canada. Samuel Mackay left two sons Samuel
and Stephen ; the former settled in the States ; the latter, as captain
and major, served in the war of 1812. He married Miss Globensky, settled
at St. Eustache, and died there in 1859. He left several children, of
whom one son was Augustus Mac kay, who practised the notarial profession
for forty-seven years, and died in 1872. J. A. N. Mackay, one of his sons,
and the subject of our sketch, studied law under the Hon. Wilfrid Prevost,
the late Hon. L. T. Drummond, and the Hon. Louis Belanger, Judge of the
Superior Court. During the year 1862, he practised with Mr. Drummond,
and the same year was admitted to the Bar. The prospects for business at
that time being much better in St. Andrews than in the city, he settled
here, and has since practised
with much success.
He has been employed in several murder trials, in which his success has
given him no little celebrity. The following are the most important of
these cases with which he has been connected Queen vs. James and John
Byrne, for the murder of Valiquet in 1867 ; this trial was conducted at
St. Scholastique, before Judge Monk, and lasted fifteen days ; Queen
vs. Barnard Cain, for the murder of James Nagle ; Queen vs. Pierre
Durocher and wife, for the murder of John Mullin ; Queen vs. Mrs.
Lacroix and daughter, for the murder of a child.
In most of the above cas.-s, and especially the first, Mr. Mackay was the
only lawyer for the defence, and in every case he was successful. In 1894:
he went to England, and argued before the Judicial Committee and Privy
Council of Her Majesty an important water-power case between Hamelin &
Ayre and the Banner- mans. Sir Richard Webster, Attorney General, was
Mr. Mackay s Counsel, with Vernon Smith, Q.C. ; the former argued the
case personally with Mr Mackay.
He was married in 1864 to Miss Papineau of Montreal; she died in 1870,
leaving one son Alfred, now a barrister in Montreal. In 1874 he married
Miss Desjernier of St. Hennas; they have three sons: the eldest, Adolphe,
is in the employ of Messrs. Hodgson, Sumner & Co., Montreal ; the other
two are in college. Mr. Mackay has an attractive residence surrounded by
well laid out grounds in St. Andrews, and a fine farm near this village,
which he has brought to a high state of cultivation.
COL. D HERTEL was, for quite a number of years, Registrar of the County
< Argenteuil, and relinquished the office when it was removed from
St. Andrews Lachute. He enlisted at the age of eighteen, and was in the
battles of Pittsburgh
HISTORY OF ARGENTKUIL. 12J
and Chrysler s Farm. Deserving promotion, he was eventually rewarded with
the commission of Colonel, fie came from Montreal to St. Andrews, and
during his residence here was esteemed for his intelligence and probity.
At the time of the Fenian Raid in 1866, several companies of Volunteers
having been called out, they assembled at St. Andrews, preparatory
to their departure for other points. Col. D Hertel, on account of his
position and military experience, naturally was requested to address
them. He was a fine, soldierly-looking man, full six feet in stature,
but the days of his military prowess had passed. In full uniform, bat
trembling from weakness and age, he spoke a few words, and then closed
with the rermrk: "You know I cannot always be with you, boys." He then
returned to his home, which was the present residence of Mr. De la Ronde,
barrister, and had scarcely reached the threshold when he expired.
In 1837, MR - ADAM DRYSDALE and Mary Black were married in Montreal
at the house of James Roy, merchant, and they immediately removed
to St. Andrews. The father of Mr. Drysdale, who was a retired sea
captain, having for many years sailed between Glasgow and Montreal,
came with them. While living at St. Andrews. Capt. Drysdale taught
J. J. C. Abbott, afterwards Premier, the use of the compass, astronomy
and higher mathematics subjects for which young Abbott, in his thirst
for knowledge, had a great liking.
Adam Drysdale was a wheelwright by trade, and a good carpenter and
builder. He was engaged in manufacturing plows while he lived here,
and as they proved very satisfactory, many were sold to the farmers
in Argenteuil. In 1842, he returned to Montreal with his family then
increased by three children, Adam, Thomas and Margaret. One of his
daughters Grace was married in 1879 to Joseph B. Taylor, of Isle aux
Chats, Argenteuil County ; she died a few years since.
WILLIAM DRYSDALE, another son of this family, is the well-known bookseller
and publisher of Montreal. He married a lady of Sr. Andrews, as stated
elsewhere ; and it is no discredit to Argenteuil that in the phalanx of
prominent and worthy men with whose associations she is blended may be
numbered William Drysdale. He has had large experience in his present
business, and has ever taken a lively interest in the development and
promotion of Canadian literature.
His establishment on St. James Street, 112 X 20 ft. in dimensions, and
four stories high, is fitted up with all the requirements of the trade,
and every variety of useful books may here be found. David Drysdale, i
is brother, who is also much respected in Montreal, has a large hardware
store on Craig street.
WILLIAM R. HIBEARD is another of the esteemed citizens of St. Andrews.
Many years of his life have been devoted to railroad affairs, and he is
now connected with the Canada Atlantic. In 1853, he purchased a farm for
his parents in St. Andrews, where they spent the remainder of their
days. William 1\. was married in 1852 to Sarah Cameron, of Montreal ;
they have had six children, of whom one died in infancy ; two sons and
three daughters are now living. The sons are in business,
J2g HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and of the daughters, the eldest, the widow of George May, sen., resides
in Los
people by theu acts of benevolence, and the earnestness with wh,ch they
have encouraged and aided every moral reform.
HUGH WALSH, the present Mayor of St. Andrews, and propr.etor of the
in. grist mill, came to this village from Ormstovvn, Quo., in 1883.
His grandfather and two of his sons enlisted in the Brmsh Serv.ee,
and lost he r lives in the Peninsular War. His father, R. J. Walsh,
was educated ,n Dublin,
tered the British Navy as midshipman, and after serving seven years,
came O, dt tdw on ofU,e early sealers inChateauguay. He was in Mon.real
atthe Urn of the Riot of ,849, and was writing in the Parliament House
when it was mobbed and set on fire j he died at Ormstown. He had seven
sons and two daughters
""" S Hngh?nt to the youngest son, was married ,6th February, ,869,
to Catherine M Cam bell of Ormstown, and was engaged in mercantile
business ,n that place number of year,. He purchased the grist mill on
coming to St. Andrews, and has improved it and increased its capacity
for work. It is now one o, the best equipped Manufactories in its line
in this part of the Province, and u does a large business. Mr. Walsh
is a public-spinted, enterprising gentleman, and takes much merest ,n
local affairs-; he has been mayor of the Parish, and chairman o. the
Model School Board several years.
UMES MARTIN from the County Down, Ireland, came with his family to
Montreal in 1828, and after living there till 1830, he settled at
St. Andrews on the River Rouge. In the fall of 1838 he removed to a
small farm on the Lachute Road, but as he was a carpenter by trade,
his time was almost constantly devoted to ih.s occuit,on Mrs. Martin
died with the cholera in 1832, leaving three sons-Edward, ( James,
and three daughters Mary, Martha and Jane.
Edward died in Illinois in 1894; Charles is still living in Marquette
Co M, and James died in i8 5 4-*ged about . Mary married John McMarUn
of the River Rouge; Martha married George Powers, and died in Ottawa ;
Jane married Jor Parker, and after living in St. Andrews a number of
years, they removed to ( where Mr. Parker died. Mrs. Parker now lives
in St. Andrews with her sis the widow of John McMartin.
Mr. Martin s second marriage was, in 1835, to Clarissa Flint, daughter of
J merchant of St. Andrews, whose store occupied the site of the present
dwell >t M Hibbard. They had five sons and two daughters-two of the
former and one latter died in childhood ; the other daughter died at
the age of 20. Of the remai tlr-e sons, Thomas B. lives in California ;
George H., the youngest, in \ and,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
129
111. John, the eldest of those living, remained on the homestead, and
added to it till it comprises about 120 acres.
Mr. Martin having also become joint owner with A. Le Roy of the
Harrington estate, comprising 240 acres, has recently removed to the
commodious brick dwelling on this estate in the village. He is one of the
leading men of the parish, is a J. P., and secietary of the Model and
Elementary School Boards. He joined Maj. Simpson s Troop when it was
organized, and after serving in it eight years joined the St. Andrews
Troop, with which he was connected sixteen years, and was at the front
during the Fenian Raids. Mr. Martin has taken a lively interest in the
County Agricultural Society, of which he was vice-presidentfour years,
and presidentfive years, during which period the Society was in a most
prosperous condition. He has been
twice married first, to Ann Mclntyre, 6th August, 1864 ; she died igih
October, 1890, and he was next married to Kate Mclntyre his first wife
s sister in December, 1891. Since the above was written, Mr. Martin has
sold his property and removed to Califcrnia.
THOMAS TURNER, from London, Rng., came to Montreal a short time previous
to the Rebellion of 1837, and was married there, 22nd May, 1837, lo
Elien Walker from Dunbarton, Scotland. A few years later, they removed
to Toronto, and after
living there and at Stowville and Claremont about a quarter of a century,
they removed to this section, being interested in the settlement of the
estate of Mr. Walker -Mrs. Turner s father who had lived near Belle
Riviere, and had recently died. They settled in St. Andrews, where
Mr. Turner died nth February, 1875, anj Mrs - Turner Qth December, 1878.
They left three daughters Elizabeth, Mary and Helen. Mary married John
Webster, and Helen was married, 2 5th November, 1884, to Win. Somerville,
a farmer of St. Andrews; Elizabeth lives with her sister, Mrs. Somerville;
these sisters are among the respected Christian ladies of this locality.
PETER WEBSTER from Leeds, England, settled in St. Andrews in 1839. He wa $
a tailor, and after plying his trade here eighteen years, he conducted an
hotel at dishing for a year, in the present stone dwelling of R. Hartley.
He then returned to St. Andrews, and about three years later purchased
the lot and erected the brick house where his son J. W. now lives. During
the later
years of his life he was much interested in religion, and was active in
religious work. He died 2ist March, 1891, at the age of 82 ; Mrs. Webster
died i6th June, 18771
aged 65. They had eight children three sons and two daughters grew up.
William, the eldest son, a steamboat engineer of long experience, died
in Toronto in August, 1890.
Thomas, a merchant tailor in Montreal for many years, died 28th June,
1890.
John W., who has long been a popular tailor and citizen of this place,
was mairieJ 151)1 May, 1873, to Mary Turner. He joined Co. No. i of
the Rangers at Us formation, and served seven years. He then joined the
St. Andrews Troop, and
served in that, also, seven years. Mr. Webster has a good farm of about
200 acres in Bethany and another of 100 acres on Beech Ridge.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
DANIEL SUTHERLAND was born in 1819, in Cromarty, Rothshire, Scotland,
where his father, William Sutherland, was a contractor, and owner of
a granite quarry. In his youth, the younger Sutherland had the good
fortune to enpy the friendship of the celebrated geologist and author,
Hugh Miller, who worked in the quarry ; Mr. Ross, who built the St. Ann
s Bridge, was also his school-mate in Cromarty.
Mr. Sutherland s brother-in-law conducted a large military tailoring
establishment, and it was here that Daniel learned his trade. He came to
Canada in 1842 and settled in St. Andrews, opening a shop in the brick
building opposite the hotel ; he afterwards built the house in which he
has since resided. Mr. Sutherland was married April nth, 1852, to Mary
Ann, daughter of the late Robert Simpson. Mrs. Suther land died in 1887,
leaving two sons and one daughter; the youngest son, William E. D.,
died 1894 in Pasadena, Cal, whither he had gone hoping to benefit his
health, leaving a widow and one child. He was interred in St. Andrews
cemetery. eldest son, Robert S., is a commercial traveller in Chicago,
and the daughter, Catherine Mary, is living in St. Andrews with her
father. Mr. Sutherland is one of the respected citizens of St. Andrews ;
owing to advanced age he has retired from business.
WILLIAM CAUTION, from Perthshire, Scotland, came to Canada in 1843 5 lie
was a cabinetmaker by trade, also a carpenter. In 1851 he was married
in Point Fortune to Agnes, daughter of the late John Pitcairn, and the
sirae year he settled in St. Andrews. He opened a cabinet shop here,
and did an extensive business as
contractor and builder, employing many men and several apprentices. He
died in March, 1891, aged 70 ; his widow still lives here.
They had four children three sons and one daughter, but only one son and
daughter are now living.
Alexander, the son, residing herewith his mother and sister, still
industriously
prosecute? the business followed by his father.
W. J. MORAW, second son of John Moraw, was born 2 4 th July, 1856,
in Center- ville. He remained on the farm until twenty-five years
of age, when he started in the cheese business with Thomas Ross, at
Point Fortune, and remained with him a year. He has continued in the
business ever since, and has bought one factory and bull! four in this
county. Mr. Moraw has also a creamery in this village, which has been
in operation four years. He was married September yth, 1887, to Mary,
daughter < Martin puncheon, of Beech Ridge. They have one son and
one daughter.
JOSEPH ROBINSON, from the County of Antrim, Ireland, came to St. Andrews
in I845 he was married 2 3 rd July, 1852, to a widow, Mrs. Rlizabeth
Colligham. have had five children three sons and two daughters. Joseph,
one of the when seven years old met a sad death by the destruction of
the St. Andrews 1 an account of which is given elsewhere.
Margaret, the eldest daughter, was married isth June, 1887, to John
Hend< abrass finisher by trade, of Montreal. He died i 4 th May,
1891, leaving one child, a
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 131
boy three years old. Mrs. Henderson resides in a fine, commodious,
brick dwelling, beautifully located on the bank of the North River,
where she ably entertains summer guests.
JAMES MIDDLETON was born gth April, 1809, in Cortachy, at the county seat
of Lord Monboddo, Monboddo House, parish of Forden, Kinkardineshire,
Scotland. After leaving school, he received thorough training in
agriculture and arboriculture, and was yet a young man when he managed
these departments of an estate at Castle Sample. Mr. Middleton left
Glasgow in March, 1842, on the sailing ship " Mohawk," and with his wife
and family reached Montreal after seven weeks. A short time after his
arrival, he took the position of superintendent of Judge Reid s house,
property and grounds, on the spot where Sohmer Park now stands, remaining
here until 1848. He then came to St. Andrews and farmed for five years,
after which he entered into the management of the late Mr. William Ltinn
s estate, taking charge of it twenty- three years. His reputation as an
arboriculturist may be somewhat appxrent from
the fact that, from 1847 unt il ne ceased active labors, he had gained
650 prizes. In grape culture, he almost invariably won first prizes,
and had no superior in Canada. He was one of the earliest members of
the Montreal Horticultural Society, and was one of their judges for many
years. Mr. Middleton possessed much ingenuity in handicraft, and some
articles of furniture made in his spare moments especially a finely
carved clock and a centre-table, which was made from 1500 different
pieces of wood, and a diminutive summer house are well worth seeing.
He died at his home in St. Andrews, 2nd November, 1895, leaving a widow,
one son, Mr. J. Middleton of Point Fortune, and a daughter, Mrs. Smile,
of Montreal.
MERCANTILE.
The men who in past years were for some time connected with mercantile
busi ness in this place have already been mentioned, as well as
Mr. Devvarand Mr. \V:i!es, who are still trading here.
Besides the stores of these two gentlemen, which are of long standing,
especially that of Mr. Wales, which is almost coeval with the village,
there are the stores of Thomas Lamb, J. H. LaFond, the grocery of
Chas. Ladouceur, and the tin shops of
Dorion and Ladouceur.
THOMAS LAMB is a son of the late Wm. Lamb, noticed in the history of
Point Fortune. He came to St. Andrews as clerk for the late Charles
Wales, in 1856, and remained in this position five years. In 1866,
he entered into partnership with Alex ander Dewar, and in 1877 became
a partner of Charles Wales, jr., in the present store of Mr. Wales. In
1886, he commenced trade on his own account, in the store occu
pied for some years by the late Thomas Meikle, and where he still
continues the
business. Having the unqualified respect and confidence of the public,
he receives a good share of public patronage. He is also Postmaster,
having been appointed to the position in 1870. He joined the Rangers in
1862, at their organization, and was
132 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
promoted to the rank of and Lieut, in 1866. to that of Captain in 1870,
and to the rank of Major in 1880 ; he has been Paymaster of the Battalion
since 1870.
He was married July i5th, 1869, to Margaret S., daughter of the late Chas.
Wales, sr. Like her husband, Mrs. Lamb is well known for her interest and
activity in Temperance and Christian work, and esteemed for her deeds
of kindness and benevolence. Their only son, W. H. Lamb, is assistant
in the stort hnd post office.
THOMAS MEIKLE, mentioned above, was for several years a prominent man
in this place. On his monument in the cemetery is the following:
" Thomas Meikle a native of Glasgow was for many years Postmaster and
merchant at St. Andrews. He perished with his aged father by the burning
of the
steamer Montreal near Quebec, 26th June, 1857. He was 45 years of age."
F. H. LAFOND is comparatively a newcomer, having opened his store in
this place in 1893. He is a native of St. Hermas, and after spending
some years as clerk in Montreal, he began trade in Lachute in 1887,
where he remained till he came to St. Andrews. He has quite an extensive
stock of merchandise, and seems to be pros pering in his business.
The store he occupies is that built and occupied so long by Mr. Guy
Richards. Frank Farish also was a merchant in the same store for n"iany
years. He took quite a prominent part in local affairs, and was secretary
of the School Board for some time. Some of his letters, which are still
extant, show elegant penmanship, and are also very c orrectly written. It
was he who built the present dwelling of Mr. McKay, advocate.
CHARLES LADOUCEUR who has a grocery here, has been in the grocery business
and a successful dealer in live stock for the past twenty years.
HLRCULE LADOUCEUR is proprietor of a bakery, which he has successfully
conducted for many years. His father, Joseph Ladouceur, came to
St. Andrews from the county of Two Mountains nearly sixty years ago,
and died here about 1867. He had four sons and six daughters who grew up.
Hercule, the third son, spent several years of his youth on the Ottawa,
after which he. found employment for four years in the States. Returning
in 1865, he took up the mason s trade, which he followed a number of
years, erecting, besides the brick hotel of John Kelley in Carillon,
many other good buildings in this part of the coun try. As Mr. Ladouceur
has always been inclined to work, whenever he had oppor tunity, during
the winters of the period when he followed the mason trade, he was em
ployed in different \vays, and sometimes as clerk in a store.
In 1878, he opened a bakery, with which he is still engaged. He was
married in March, 1864, to Ksther Haspeck, whose grandfather, from
Germany, was one of the early settlers of St. Andrews. Of their four
children, three are married. Mr. Ladouceur has been Municipal Councillor
nine years, and Churchwarden three.
\V. A. LaFond, who came from St. Hermas in 1894, is the only barber in
the village.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
EDWARD DORION was one of the active business men of St. Andrews in
the generation past. He came here a young man from St. Eustache, and
married a Miss Ladouceur of this village. He was by trade a tinsmith,
and followed this through life, much of the time doing quite a prosperous
business. He had four sons and two daughters that grew up.
Ferdinand, his third son, learned the trade of his father, and has
followed it very successfully for many years. During the last decade,
he has employed several hands in the work of furnace setting, plumbing,
roofing, etc. His house is one of the most attractive in the village,
and his shop contains a good stock of tinware and a variety of stoves and
other hardware. He was for several years a member of the local Council,
but. owing to the demand of his business, he declined further service.
He was married 8th April, 1861, to Margaret Hartigan ; they have had six
sons and seven daughteis, but three of the former are deceased. Their
eldest daughter is a nun of Providence of the Sacred Heart at Great
Falls, Montana.
St. Andrews has not been fortunate in her efforts to obtain a railway
the first
one which was to have passed through this parish never having approached
nearer
than Carillon.
In 1891, the Parish Council granted a bonus to C. X. Armstrong, for
the construc tion of a railway from Lachute to some point on the Ottawa
near St. Andrews, and a railway station within half a mile cf the iron
bridge. It was supposed that this would form part of a railway crossing
the Ottawa not far from St. Andrew?, and thence
running to some point in Ontario. The road was constructed from Lachute
to St. Andrews, but the other terms of the contract were not fulfilled
; and as the amount of travel and freight to be carried between the two
places is insufficient to pay the expense of running a train and keeping
the road in repair, especially in winter, there are only a few months
in the year at present when St. Andrews has railway accommo dations.
A daily stage conveying the mail runs between Carillon and Lachute
via St. Andrews; this line has been in operation for the last fifteen
years under the proprie torship of Magloire Campeau of this village,
who also has a contract for carrying the mail.
The Town Hall, a fine, brick building, was erected in 1881.
Members of the Municipal Council of 1855 the first under the present
municipal system ; the meeting was held in Jones " white house " :-
Robert Simpson, John Hoy, Carillon; Edw. Jones, jun., La Baie ; John
Bur- wash, River Rouge ; John McPhie, Fred. H. McArthur, La Baie j
Thomas Jefferson,
Lachute Road. Robert Simpson was elected Mayor, and Thomas Wanless
appointed Secretary-Treasurer.
Among the different enterprises which have been started in St. Andrews was
that of a newspaper, The Progress, which was first published in 1873,
edited by
- Chambers ; Thomas Dorion, proprietor. Mr. Chambers subsequently was con-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII..
nectecl with The Chronicle (Quebec). During the early part of its
existence The
"vl was Conservative in politics, but afterwards it came under the
eduonal ement of R. P. de La Ronde, advocate, when it became poht.ca
ly .denufied w it Mho Ttral party. It appears to have been a lively,
well conducted, loca, sheet ; but owing to the removal of the printer,
its publication ceased 876
* * *
A Model School was established in St. Andrews about .85, Adam Walker
.the first teacher. For some reason this school did no. prosper m after
years A Gove" ment grant was withdrawn, and the school closed , ,876. t
was e nened n "59,, in a substantial, commodious brick school butldmg,
smce whtch t, been in a flourishing condition ; many good scholars havmg
been fined here for belt mstitutionsof learning, the counting-room,
or other busrness vocauons The Cher, who have officiated since the
opening of the school m ,89. are as Inow - 1 Proctor, A. E. Rivard,
Thos. E. Townshend and F. W. Vaughan
FRED K,CK W. VAUGHAN, the present Principal, was born ,n Coattcook Stan-
stead County Que., in 1875. He attended the village school m Avers rial,
, place his par nts moved in ,876. Until fifteen years of age, h,s
academtcal
duca, on was a quired at Hatley Model School and Coaticook Academy
from the
u" which he graduated, and matriculated at McGill. He recetved tus Academy
& 1 in .894, a d has since been teaching in St. Andrews wr.h a marked
degree
"ce s the tandard of scholarship under his tnit.on havmg rn.ten.lly
advanced.
Mr Varan s energy and ability give promise tha, he will be an .mportan,
addu.on
10 n eo a separate school municipality in March, ,8,,, and the Model
and Elementary Schools arc taught in the same buildrag.
Mr Colin De-ar contributes the following history of the bridges :-
- -te marntenance of the bridge across the North River at St. Andrews
has alw.ys been a heavy tax upon the inhabitants, especially smce some
of the adjommg parishes were released from their liab.lity J confute ^
M, d . men _
The first bridge was erected m 1807 , it was a
d pimitive design, consisting of five spans, supported on four trestles,
and occupymg a much .owe? level than the present structure; as the
country was not then cleared up and drained, the spring freshets were
not so great.
THs bridge, with occasional repairs and renewing of portrons m whole o,
m par, supplied the wants of the inhabitants until r8 3 3, when a new
one was erected
^^r^tJSS.^t*- occurred, by which a man ,ost his life . i was caused by
two of the striken slipping off the trestles taktng a portron
he covering with them, leavmg a large open space, which, unfortunately was
le guarded. A tanner by the name of Daggett (who was the owner of the firs
annery ha. started working in St. Andrews) was coming home late on
Saturday
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
135
night, and not knowing that part of the bridge had fallen down, fell
through the open space, striking his head on a boulder, and was killed. On
Sunday morning, there
was quite an excitement when his dead body was discovered by individuals
on their way to church. The testimony of at least two living witnesses
confirms the above facts, and places the date of the occurrence at
about 1817.
In 1832-33 a contract was given to a man by the name of Pierce, for
the con struction of a new bridge of larger dimensions and different
design, consisting of four spans resting on three cut stone piers and
abutments. The plan and specifications were drawn up by a well-known land
surveyor ; but they, unfortunately, exposed his ignorance of architecture,
as the specifications were in the main points very defec tive, and,
in consequence, the work was not well done.
The bridge was opened for traffic in the summer of 1833, an d in the
spring of 1837 a large portion of one of the piers was broken up by the
action of the ice and high water, causing the bridge to topple down. It
was temporarily repaired to allow traffic to be carried on, and in the
month of September a heavy trestle was substi tuted for the pier, and
with other necessary improvements and occasional repaife it stood until
the igth March, 1859, wnen it was swept away as before. A temporary
foot bridge was made by stretching three strong chains across the open
space, cover ing them with planks, where people could cross in safety ;
while a ferry above the mill dam, and another at McMartin s, served for
horses and carriages, until the bridge was ready for traffic on the 27th
August the same year.
It was not for any great length of time that the rate payers were
exempted from
further expense, as in the early part of March, 1863, a large portion of
the bridge was again swept away ; this time, unfortunately, attended with
loss of life, two young lads who were on it at the time being drowned. A
temporary structure for the con venience of people on foot was placed
opposite Mr. Duncan Dewar s and Mr. Edward Jones , while the ferry was
again opened above the mill dam, and at Col. De Hertel s for horses
and carriages. This arrangement continued until 1865, when a new bridge
of a more pretentious and different style of architecture was built by
Messrs. Moody of Terrebonne. It was supported on piers of close crib
work filled with stones, and strengthened overhead with short trusses,
and was opened to the public in September of that year, and lasted until
the present beautiful light iron structure was completed in 1885."
The present bridge was erected at an expense of $.10,200 ; the iron part
of the
structure costing $5,950, and the abutments and approaches forming the
balance of the cost.
The following, the writing of which was suggested by another letter in
The Star, was copied from that paper :
" Your reminiscences, of course, deal principally with the Rebellion, as
it existed in another part of the country from where I was living at the
time : but I have a distinct recollection of the events (being about 14
years of age) from reading the same in the public journals of the day, and
your account brings all these scenes very vividly back to my remembrance.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
" I see that you mention the attack and burning of the village of
St. Benuit. I
may state in this connection, that seven or eight companies of Volunteers
from St. Andrews and vicinity were there at that time, having been
ordered to meet those
coming from Montreal, as you relate. As you may not know why there were
so many
companies of Volunteers organized in St. Andrews, a short statement may
not be out of place. The village at that time was largely settled by
English-speaking people, not many French being among them ; but on two
sides the east and south were the French parishes of Cote St. Pierre and
Les Eboulies. In the latter place, they were red hot Patriots, meeting,
drilling and getting ready for the fray; and on a hill a short distance
from the Ottawa River, not far from St. Placide, on Point Aux Anglais,
they had formed a barricade or fort, with trees and brush, which would
have been of great service had a small number of men come against
them. Early in the
month of November, 1837, a courier came galloping up to St. Andrews with
the intel ligence that the Patriots were preparing to make a raid on the
village and country adjoining. We well knew they meant to plunder, burn
and kill ; and well do I rttiember hearing him cry out, They are in the
Bay ; will be here in a short time ! Anything you have put it out of the
way ! etc. In less than an hour, all who were able were marching into the
village, and such a crowd ! Among two or three hun dred men, there were
not even fifty fowling pieces. The remainder were armed with pitchforks,
clubs, broken scythes, etc., and nothing but an overruling and kind
Providence saved us from attack. If they had come on, as was intended,
they would have had their own way, as there was not sufficient force with
suitable arms to stop them. There was at that time a small detachment of
the 24th Regiment stationed at Carillon, under the command of Capt. Mayne,
who supplied a few old, flint- lock muskets ; and with these, all the
roads leading out of the village were guarded, night and day. Companies
of Volunteers were formed as quickly as possible, so that by
the lothor 1 2th of December seven or eight companies were regularly
enrolled, armed and drilled, and, as already stated, were marched to
Grand Brule, according to orders from headquarters. The expedition was
not attended by any loss of life, the Patriots wisely keeping out of the
way, but it was attended with a great deal of hardship and exposure to
the rigors of a Canadian winter. Owing to inadequate clothing and want
of proper food and shelter, many of them were not the better of that
trip for many a day. A few of the companies were disbanded and allowed
to return to their homes, to be ready, if wanted, at a moment s notice;
the rest were kept in barracks and thoroughly drilled, so as to be ready
in case of another outbreak, which, happily, did not occur in our pait
of the country. I think the few remaining Volunteers of that period
who took up arms to defend their country are entitled to some compensation
for service which ought to have been acknowledged long ago. I have no
personal interest in this movement. My father and two brothers who took
an active part in it have long since passed away to the silent majority
; but I have an old friend who was among the first to join the ranks,
and on his account, as well as on that of others, I should like to see
them paid a small sum in cash, to sustain their declining years.
" Yours truly,
" COLIN DKWAR."
Cote du Midi and the Bay.
The above localities are in the parish of St. Andrews, between the
River Rouge Settlement and the Ottawa, Cote du Midi being, as its name
indicates, a hill or
ridge of land lying north of the Bay Settlement ; the latter settlement
is generally designated as "The Bay," bordering, as it does, on a very
pretty bay formed by the Ottawa.
Though the land is considerably diversified in both these localities,
and the roads hilly, there are some fine farms which are comparatively
level, and the scenery in certain parts is romantic. The farm of Charles
Hunter, a prominent and respected citizen on the Bay road, with its neat
buildings, is attractive, and another large one adjoining it, owned by
A. C. Robillard, one of the ex-Municipal Councillors of the parish. "
Glencoe," the estate of Mr. John McGowan, the old homesteads of the Hydes,
Biirwashes and Albrights are all valuable farms located at the Bay.
"Silver Heights," and ihe farms of John McMartin and Archibald Graham,
are among the most attractive and valuable estates at Cote du Midi.
CAPTAIN JOHN WAINWRIGHT of the Royal Navy, came to Canada with his
family in 1833. He was born in Wickham, Hampshire, England, 3rd May,
1800, his father also being a captain in the Royal Navy. When he was
only eight years
of age, his father took him on his ship to India ; but while there,
he was ordered to proceed up the Persian Gulf, and thinking that the
mission might be attended with danger, he sent his son back to England on
an East Indiaman. Soon after this, he was sent to a Naval School, from
which he entered the service as midshipman, and passing the different
grades of promotion, in time, secured a Lieutenant s commission.
While holding this rank, he sailed with Captain (subsequently Admiral)
Beecher,
who was sent, in the interests of science, on an expedition to the Pacific
and Arctic oceans. On this voyage they came near a small island in the
Pacific, which some
of the young devotees of science insisted on visiting. A heavy surf
rendered the approach to it dangerous, and their boat was smashed in
the effort to land, though all reached the shore in safety. But now a
difficulty arose as to the manner of returning to the ship. One boat
only remained, and this the Captain positively forbade his men to lower,
fearing that this, too, would be ruined ; but he gave orders to construct
a raft with which to bring the men off, and when it was finished, Lieut.
Wainwright, with some others, went to the relief of their stranded
friends. They had to remain for some time a little distance from the
shore before all were embarked, and mean while Lieut. Wainwright,
stripped to the waist, had to stand in the water exposed to a boiling
surf. The exposure was more than his constitution was able to bear,
and he was soon seized with a severe illness, from the effects of which
he never entirely recovered. Eventually, he was awarded a medal for the
part he took in this expe
dition.
Not long after his return to England, he was married to Elizabeth Powers,
daughter of Samuel Powers, Esq., of Harley street, London, and soon
afterward he
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. j
sai ed for the Mediterranean in His Majesty s ship " Melville." Within a
year however, he was again taken ill from the same cause, it was believed,
that gave rise to his former illness, and invalided home. During his
absence at sea, 2oth December, 1829, his eldest son, John Wroughton, was
born. Though he received his commis sion as captain, Mr. Wainwright, on
account of the debilitated condition of his health never accepted command
of a vessel. In 1833, through the influence of Commissary C. J. Forbes,
who was then in England, and of whose wife Mr. Wainwright was cousin,
he came with his family to Carillon. After remaining a year with Mr.
Forbes he purchased of Archie McVicar, a Nor Wester, for ^roor, the farm
of 400 acres known as " Silver Heights," which is now owned by his son
John Wroughton Wain wright.
This spot, which he chose for his home, possessing naturally rare
features of beauty, he adorned in many ways which characterized it as
an English homestead.
Possessed, as he was, of English ideas with regard to social status, and
having been a naval officer, it is not surprising that he should have
formed one of an exclusive circle and been regarded an aristocrat. But
whatever may have been his ideas of social rank, he performed the duties
of Justice of the Peace, for many years, with strict impar tiality,
careful consideration, and to public approval.
James Francis Ballard, the youngest brother of Captain Wainwright,
became Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, and was in command of the "
Black Prince," a vessel which formed the escort of the Great Eastern
" when she was laying the Atlantic cable. In 1851, Captain Wainwright
visited the Great Exhibition in London, and later he removed with his
wife and daughters to England, where he died; Mrs. Wainwright died in
1881. They had six children two sons and four daughters! They were John
Wroughton, Emily, Harriet Forbes, Mary Elizabeth, Charlotte* Catherine,
and George Hadden Richmond.
Emily, the second child, died at the age of 8 ; Mary Elizabeth, the
third, was married to Lieut. Penethorne, of the Royal Artillery, but
died soon afterward. George H., unmarried, is a broker in Montreal.
JOHN W., the eldest of the children, has always remained on the homestead;
content with the society of his family and with the enjoyment of his
rural abode, he has had little to do with public affairs. He was married
May nth, 1864, to Amelia Elizabeth Caroline Carter, daughter of the late
Dr. Edward Carter, of Sorel, P.Q.
^ They have had seven children three sons and four daughters. Of their
sons, . E. R. is employed in the Merchants Bank at Calgary; J. G. R.,
who graduated with honors from McGill in 1892, is a civil engineer in
Hamilton, Ont., andS. F. A. is a student in the Medical Department of
McGill University.
FINLAY MACMARTIN was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1812, and came
to Canada with his father, Donald MacMartin, in 1827, and settled in
Grand Foamier, near St. Eustache. The following interesting letter,
written by his sister, was
copied from the British Whig (Kingston), of October 28, 1890 :
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
"THE REBELLION 7 OF 1837-38.
" MONTREAL, October 23, .
"To THE EDITOR, _ My brother, Finlay MacMartin, served as a Volunteer
under Captain Globensky, of St, Eustache, County of Two Mountains. He was
at the battle of St. Eustache, i4th December, 1837, and was one of the
party finding the body of ihe rebel leader, Dr. Chenier, shot down trying
to escape, his followers having taken refuge in the Catholic church,
hoping thus to save their lives. I well remember my brother s tale of the
exciting times they had, while waiting at the village of St. Martin (nine
miles from St. Eustache). for the ice to become strong enough to enable
soldiers to transport their cannon and ammunition across the Riviere
du Chene, a branch of the Ottawa. The Regulars were commanded by Sir
John Colborne, who afterwards became Governor-General of Canada. After
imprisoning all who surrendered, the troops fired the church and
village of St. Eustache, then marched to the village, twelve miles west,
St. Benoit, another stronghold of the rebels. Here lived Dumouchelle,
a noted rebel, father of the late Senator Dumouchelle, of Two Mountains,
Although only six years old at the time, I well remember passing through
St. Benoit, when it was a heap of smouldering ruins. My mother, being very
nervous, left home with the younger members of the family, to reside with
an uncle at St. Andrews, where the English population was more numerous;
my two elder brothers were enlisted as Volunteers. My father, then over
sixty years of age, ;ind a farmer, located in the very centre of a rebel
community, was placed in a trying position. He could hardly leave home,
and by remaining would be forced to join the rebels, or be put under
arrest by them. He and my only surviving brother, James MacMartin,
now living on the homestead at St. Eustache, betook themselves
to the woods, then pretty dense, and made dismal by the howling
wolves, which they kept off by burning fires day and night. A.S the
night advanced, they would venture out as near home as they deemed
safe, then my sisters, aged respectively eighteen and twenty, who had
brave y volunteered to remain at home, would set out a signal, when it
was safe for them to come to the house. My father finally got things
satis factorily arranged, such as putting all his threshed wheat into
barrels, and concealing it where the rebels never thought of looking
for it. There was not much to conceal, as threshing was a slow process
in those days. All had to be done with the flail, an implement of which
the farmers of to-day know little. He placed his highly prized gun (after
taking it apart) in an old metal pot, and buried it in the earth. No vile
rebel would ever get that into his hands. He then slatted off, accompanied
by my brother, who was then a young boy, to rejoin mother and family at
St. Andrews. They had to keep under cover of the wood?, as they were
sure to be arrested if they ventured on the highway. The hardships and
sufferings they encountered were terrible, wending their way through
snow and" half-frozen swamps, up to their knees in water. My brother
was taken ill with inflammatory rheumatism shortly after, and has been
a martyr to that disease in a chronic form ever since. After wandering for
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 141
two days and a night, they reached Lichute (instead of St. Andrews)
in the early part of the second night, well nigh exhausted by fatigue,
hunger and cold. They got a hearty welcome from the loyal-hearted
Scottish farmers, who attended to their wants, and sent them on their
way rejoicing to St. Andrews. Of the sisters who remained at home and
attended to the cattle, the youngest. Mrs. Alex. Patton, County Bruce ?
Ontario, is still living; the other, Mrs. Maxwell, mother of John Maxwell,
barrister and Crown Attorney for Prescottand Russell, also of Robert
Maxwell, carriage builder, of Kden Grove. Bruce County, Ontario, died
ten years ago. Finlay MacMartin, whose service as a Volunteer is above
recorded, died sixteen, and his brother died nine years ago.
" Shortly before the battle of St. Eustache, a party of rebels came to
ov.r home^ while my sisters were alone, and asked where my father and
brothers were. They were very civil, with the exception of one, who
shoved his old rusty gun through the window, for which he was sharply
reprimanded by his leader. They asked for fire
arms, money, etc. ; not getting this, they went to the stables, took the
best horse, harness, and an old traineau, for sleighs were not in use
in those days. From the sheep pen, they took of the fattest. Returning
to the house, they gave my sisters a . note to the effect that payment
would be made when Mie Republic of Canada was |
declared and established.
"The leader of this party, named Jerod, was recognized by my sisters
on the morning of the b.-wtle of St. Eustache, miking his escape on
horseback, without
saddle or bridle, but a halter made of his military sash.
Respectfully yours,
MACMARTIN."
Finlay MacMartin came to Cote du Midi in 1848, and settled on a farm which
he bought from Archibald McCallum, one of the first settlers here. He was
married, April Qth, 1850, to Christi.ia, daughter of Donald McKeracher,
of Dalesville, the first settler of that place. They had four sons and
four daughters. Mr. MacMartin died nth December, 1874. age 1 sixty-two ;
Mrs. MacMartin still survives him, living on the old homestead. Of the
children, Margery A., the eldest, married to W.G. Cameron, lives in
Ontario ; Jean O., married to M. L. Foley, in British Columbia ; Maggie
L., married to J. E. Playfair. in Ontario ; and Eugenia, who is a teacher,
is also in Ontario. James A. P., the second son, learned his trade as
bridge builder, and was a contractor in that line; he was last heard
from when in New Mexico, six years ago. Geo. D., after spending four
years with Mr. Chas. Wales of St. Andrews, in the mercantile business,
went to Montreal and spent six years part of this time in travelling
in the same line of business. In 1891, he went to Chicago, and now has
charge of the office in that city of J. W. Goddard & Sons, wholesale
woollen merchants of New
York. While in Montreal, he was a member of the Victoria Rifles, and
was cham pion shot of Quebec for two years. Colin B., the youngest son,
lives at home.
I4 2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JOHN F. K., eldest surviving son, was born in Cote du Midi. It was his
inten tion to prepare for business or a profession ; but the father
dying when the family was young, it became necessary for him to take the
management of the farm, in which he is still engaged. Being a teetotaler
from infancy, he early became an active
temperance worker, taking a prominent part in attempting to secure the
passing of the Dunkin and Scott Acts, and also by working as a member of
the Sons of Temper ance, I. O. G. T., and Royal Templars of Temperance,
having filled the leading offices of the different societies for various
terms in succession. He was Master of St. Andrews L. O. A., No. 52,
for a number of years, and was also an officer of the County L. O. A. of
Lachute. He became a member of the active militia of Canada at an early
age, and served as a private and non-commissioned officer ; in 1880, he
went to a Military school, and, having obtained a certificate, was given
the commission of Second Lieutenant in No. i Company, Eleventh Battalion,
A. R., and three years later, the commission of First Lieutenant ;
he is also a commander of the Colors party.
He early took an active part in religious matters, became a member in full
com munion of the Presbyterian Church, and, a few years later, was elected
to the Elder ship. Since the introduction of the Patrons of Industry,
he has been President of one of the Associations, and has successfully
organized a number of Associations through out the County and Province.
In the summer of 1817, ALEXANDER MCGREGOR, of Breadalbane, Perthshire,
Scotland, came to Canada, and found employment at Chute au Slondeau,
Ontario. On the last day of the following April, he crossed the Ottawa
on the ice, and made his way to Cote du Midi and purchased the two
lots now owned and occupied by his son John. He was a weaver by trade,
and with that thrift characteristic of his country men made a hand loom
earn many a penny during the long winter evenings and days
when he could not wage war on the forest with which much of his land
was covered. Owing to the scarcity of cloth manufactories, his loom was
an implement of great utility to his neighbors, for whom he wove many
of the fabrics then in common use. In the Rebellion of 1837, ne an<
^ ms eldest son, Alexander, promptly enlisted in the Company commanded
by Captain Robert Simpson.
He had eight children, but only two of the sons, Alexander and John,
respected citizens, live in this section. The latter, who lives on the
homestead, is a prosperous farmer.
The history of THOMAS HYDE, whose descendants are numerous in this
section, is replete with romantic incidents. His home was in Exeter,
England, and his father was a captain in the Royal Navy.
Thomas had spent some years on the ship of Admiral Rodney, and in company
with a young friend named Ramsey he left the service and came to New
York. Both
had money supplied them by their parents, and they purchased a stock of
goods, and went to the North West to trade with the Indians. But they
met different tieatment from what they had anticipated, and learned the
treachery and barbarity of the
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 143
savages ; they were robbed of their goods, and soon saw that their lives
were in danger. Hyde made good his escape, but Ramsey was captured,
bound, and then, according to the custom of the Indians, was subjected
to torture. While lying on his back, stripped, his tormentors amused
themselves by pricking his body with their knives, and then wiping the
blood from them on his lips. But his revenge was at
hand. They had been drinking, from the effects of which they were soon
in deep slumber, leaving him, as they supposed, securely bound. When he
saw their uncon. scious condition, however, by great exertion he freed
himself from the thongs, seized a tomahawk, dispatched fourteen of his
captors, and escaped. He finally reached
England, but not receiving the welcome from his family which he desired,
and induced by that love of adventure which young men having once
experienced, seldom abandon, he colored his red hair, came to America,
and once more mingled with the Indian^. His disguise, however, was not
so complete as to prevent recognition, but by some means, of which we
are ignorant, he gained the esteem of the Indians, married a squaw 5
and was granted by her tribe a large tract of land in the vicinity of
the Great Lakes. Some years subsequently he corresponded with his old
friend Thomas Hyde, who was then ?t St. Andrews, and made him liberal
offers of land, if he would go out and settle near him; but having too
vivid recollections of his former experiences among the Indians, Hyde
declined the tempting offer. After escaping from the Indians, Hyde went
to Michilimackinac, and was there employed by the superintendent of Indian
affairs, as clerk in the Indian Store. While there, he married Margaret
Anderson, a young woman who had been indentured, when quite small, by
her mother to the superintendent, and whose term of indenture had now
expired. Her father lived, at the opening of the American Revolution,
on the Susquehanna River; and being an U. E. Loyalist, his property was
confiscated, and he came to Canada in com pany, it is said, with two
families named Ogilvy and Glassford both having been
exiled by the same fate and whose descendants are no-v prominent citizens
of Montreal. These loyalists were at Michilimackinac, and the celebrated
Indian chief, Brant, was also there at the same time.
Brant, knowing Mr. Anderson, borrowed of him a sum of money, which
was counted and delivered in presence of a number of Indians. Whether
incited to the crime by the sight of the gold, or whether they were
led to it by some other motive, is unknown ; but soon afterward, they
shot Mr. Anderson between the crevices of the logs in the house where
he resided. Being unwell at the time, he was lying on a
couch when the dastardly act was commuted. Mrs. Anderson being thus
left a widow with her young children, was prevailed on to indenture
her eldest child, Margaret, to the superintendent, and it was to her,
now arrived at wominhood, that Thomas Hyde was wedded.
A few years after this marriage, some dissatisfaction having arisen
between the
superintendent an< i the Government, he left his position, and though
he offer.- 1 Hyde the u?e of his house, furnished, if he would re-main at
Michilimackinac, on account of his dislike and distrust cf the Indians,
he declined the offer, and with his wife and
144 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
two children came with the superintendent to Montreal. There he was
introduced by the superintendent to Sir John Johnson, Seignior of
Argenteuil, these two gentle men being cousins ; and by Sir John he was
ind ced to purchase two lots of land at St. Andrews Bay, to which place
he removed about 1792.
In the war of 1812, he became Captain of a Miliiia Company, and his
eldest son,
who was born at Michilimackinac in 1789, was Sergeant of the same
Company. In 1815, they were ordered with the Company to Montreal, but
before arriving there
peace was declared, and they returned home.
Mr. and Mrs. Hyde, whose early life had been one of so much romance and
sorrow, lived here until their death. They h a d twelve children ; George,
the eldest, bought a farm at the Bay about a mile from the homestead ; he
also had twelve children, who grew up; he died in 1887. Jane, the eldest
daughter, born at Michili mackinac, married Martin Albright ; she died
in 1879. Sarah, the second daughter, married Edward Jones. Alexander,
another son, bought a farm and settled on the River Rouge; he had eight
children, three sons and five daughters; his own son George, who remained
on the homestead, and still owns it, has recently purchased the fine
old homestead of John McMartin. Charles, another son of Thomas Hyde, pur
chased a farm on the River Rouge near his brother Alexander ; but he had
no children. Nelson, the youngest son of this old family, never married,
and remained on the home stead till 1880, when he sold it, and now lives
in the village of St. Andrews. He is another of the octogenarians in this
section, who are witnesses, not only of the salu brity of the climate,
but of the benefit resulting from industry and temperance.
JOHN CAMERON came from Fort William, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and
after living a year in Lachine, came to Cote du Midi about 1802. He was a
Presbyterian, and the first, or one of the first, who preached hereabout
; the reader will find him alluded to in Dr. Paterson s sketch of the
Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews, as one of the early workers for the
Christian cause; his sermons were delivered in Gaelic. As there were so
many of the same name in this section, he was distinguished by the name
of Preacher Cameron," and one of his sons in turn by the same cognomen.
Mr. Cameron took up the lots of land now owned by his grandson John. While
he was away six weeks in Lachine, on duty as a Volunteer in the war of
1812, a large number of his sheep died from cold and starvation.
His eldest son Hugh, who was in Capt. Simpson s Company in 1837-38,
lived on the homestead. He had seven sons and six daughters ; he died
about 1867.
John and Alexander are the only two living in this section ; Hugh,
a farmer, lives in Ottawa.
SIMEON LERov was the earliest pioneer of whom we have received any record
; he located here as early as 1785.
At the opening of the American Revolution, he, with two or three
brothers, lived in Genesee County, N.Y. ; but their loyalty to the
British Government for
bidding their casting in their lot with those who had thrown off their
allegiance, they felt that safety demanded a removal. Simeon first went
to No/a Scotia, and afie r
HISTORY OF ARGENTRUIL. 145
spending a few years there, and in other places, he cams to St. Andrews
and settled on the River Rouge, on land now owned by John McGregor and
Stephen Burwash.
At the time the LeRoys left Genesee County, haste prevented their making
any effort to sell their property, hence they left all, glad to escape
only with their lives. The country then being new, and land worth but
little, they probably did not regnrd the sacrifice they were making as a
great one. Since then, however, the same land owing to the rapid growth
of villages and cities has become very valuable, and,
not many years ago, an effort was made to find the heirs to the real
estate vacated by the LeRoys. An agent visited this section of Canada,
and endeavored to induce descendants of the LeRoy brothers to Ijok up
their claims to the property ; but
believing they had no right to the improvements which had been mide
thereon, and regarding it of little value when their ancestors abandoned
it, they, conscientiously, decided to have nothing to do with the matter.
Mr. Simeon LeRoy lived on the land where he first settled on the River
Rouge till his death ; he had three sons William, Simeon, Henry, and
two daughters Sophia and Hannah.
The homestead was divided between William and Sim^o;i ; Henry bought the
lot now owned by John Me Martin. He sold out not many years subsequently,
and moved to East Hawkesbury, where he spent the remainder of his
days. William
was the only one who remained in this section. He married a daughter of
Martin Jones, an early pioneer at St. Andrew s Bay, and spent his life on
the horn - stead. They had ten children five sons and five daughters ;
six of these three sons and three daughters settled in East Hawkesbury,
Ont., one son and two daughters in Montreal, and another son, Martin,
bought a farm on the Rivjr Rouge. He was married to Mary, daughter of
Malcolm McCallum, a worthy pioneer of this locality. They had twelve
children eight sons and four daughters.
Mr. LeRoy died ist January, 1893; Mrs - LeRoy, ist November, 1889. Of
the children, six settled in the State of Michigan ; one daughter in
Manchester, N. H. ; Malcolm, the eldest, in Calumet Island ; Archibald
C., and Miry, who married Martin LeRoy ; in Hawkesbury, Ont.
ALEXANDER is the only one who has remained in the neighborhood of
his birth. He is one of the highly respected citizens of the parish,
whose counsel is sought in matters of moment to the municipality ;
and he has served it in the capacity of
Justice of the Peace for a decade, and as School Comnissio:ier about
the sanu time. He married Hannah, a daughter of Henry Albright, in
187 i. They have three children jiving, and Osman Edgar, their eldest,
is a graduate of McGill and ha; obtained au A -ademy Diploma. Mr. LeRoy
has lately purchased the Harrington Estate.
The BURWASHES, of whom there are many in this section, are am >ng
the sober,
thrifty and industrious citizens who do credit to their country.
Nathaniel Burwash was born i:i Kent, England, and his f.ith-r dying while
he was very young, he was adopted by an u icle captain of a vessel in
the Merchant
Marine. He was employed several years on this vessel, during which time
it was
146 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
captured by the French and retaken by the English. Finally, he came to the
United States, married, and settled in Vermont ; but preferring to live
under the British flag, and induced by the cheapness of land, in 1 802,
he came with his eldest son to Canada to prospect for a location. They
had but one horse, and this they rode by turn?. They came to Carillon,
and after surveying different lots, selected three on the River Rouge.
After returning home, Mr. Burwash learned that his mother had recently
died in England : and on going there, he received as legacy a sum of
money, which placed him in good circumstances, and enabled him to purchase
lands in Canada for his sons. Soon after returning from England, he moved
with his family to this section, and took up his residence on the River
Rouge, on land now owned by his great- grandsons, Martin Burwash and
Martin Albright. A few years subsequently, he divided this farm between
his two elder sons, Adam and Stephen, and purchased another tract which
forms a part of the farm long known as " Silver Heights." Later, he
bequeathed this to his youngest son, James, who soon sold it to Archie
McVicar, a Nor Wester, and moved to Plattsburg, N.Y., where he died.
Mr. Burwash, sen., after seeing his sons well settled, made his home
with the eldest, Adam, and lived with him till his dea h, yth November,
183 r, at the age of 88.
Adam Burwash had ten children seven sons and three daughters, but only
one of these, John, is now living. Four grandsons of Adam Burwash are
clergymen, three of the Methodist and one of the Baptist denomination.
Stephen Burwash, the second son of Nathaniel Burwash, had eight children
who grew up six sons and two daughters. Of the sons, Matthew and John
still live here, the former in St. Andrew s village, though still owning
his farm : the latter, on the River Rouge. Mr. Bunvash died :8th January,
1887, aged 60.
Matthew, the third son of Nathaniel Burwash, whose farm given him by
his father was located at St. Andrew s Bay, was drafted in the war
of 1812, and though not a participant in that engagement, was within
hearing, marching toward it, when the battle of Chrysler s Farm was
fought. Two years previous to his death, he was awarded a pension by
the Government. He died i3th September, 1876, aged 87 ; Mis. Burwash,
in 1890, aged 95. He was married to Mary, daughter of Ewen Mel achlan,
who came from Scotland and settled on the River Rouge in 1802. Mr.
McLachlan sold his farm and purchase 1 one in Point Fortune, on which
his great
grandson, Victor Angus, now resides. One of his sons, Ewen, built the
mill at Arn- prior, which is now owned by his own so;is, Hugh F. and
Claude McLachlan.
The only children of Matthew Burwas\ sen., now living are Matia in St.
Andrews, and William at Southampton, Out. His son Matthew remained on the
homestead, and during his lifetime was one of the influential farmers
of this section. His widow still lives on the homestead, which is now
managed by her son Thoma^. a Municipal Councillor, and a member of the
St. Andrew s Troop. His brother Harry, also a member of the Troop, is
c erk in the store of Mr. Banford, Lachute. Thomas, the fourth son of
Nathaniel Burwash, though very young, was drafted during the war of 1812,
but he soon died from the measles which he caught in camp.
River Rouge.
This settlement is an important and beautiful district of St. Andrews
parish, about five miles in length, commencing about a mile east of
St. Andrew s village, and terminating at the east line of the county. It
embraces two ranges of lots one on each side of the river called the
Rouge, a small stream about ten miles in length, rising in the county
of Two Mountains, and pursuing a devious course westerly into the North
river near St. Andrews village. The locality is elevated, affording an
extensive view, and as an agricultural section it is rarely equalled,
the farms being beautifully located and possessing a strong and productive
soil. Among the fine
farms here many of which are mentioned in the following sketches is that
of R. P. De La Ronde, barrister -af St. Andrews, which contains over
300 acres with good
buildings.
WILLIAM S. TODD, eldest son of Andrew Todd, was born in 1852, in St.
Eustache; he was married in 1882 to Agnes, daughter of Joseph Rodgers. In
1890,
he bought his present farm, the old Peter McMartin place, on the north
side of the R iver Rouge.
WILLIAM McKwEN came from Perthshire to Canada in 1818 ; he was a
carpenter, and worked at his trade in Montreal for some time, then
came to River Rouge, and bought the farm now owned by James McOuat. He
was married in Montreal to Catherine McLean, of Breadalbane ; they had
thirteen children eight sons and five daughters. Donald, the eldest son,
born 1820, always remained in this locality. In 1838, he became a member
of Captain Simpson s company of Volunteers, and was married the same
year to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter McMartin. They had three children,
one son and two daughters. Catherine, the eldest, married John McGivern,
and died in Montreal in 1877, leaving one daughter.
Margaret, the second daughter of Donald McEwen, married to J. C. Lock,
is now living in Montreal. William A., the son, remained at home ; he
was married June 4ih, 1884, to Catherine, daughter of Alfred Center, of
Centerville. They have four children, three girls and one boy. Mr. Donald
McEwen now lives on the old homestead, his father having retired from
active work.
JAMES, eldest son of WALTER McOuAT, was born 1818, in Montreal. In 1825,
he removed, with his father, to Lachute, and in 1844 was married to
Jeannette, daughter of the late John Christie, of the East Settlement ;
she died 251)1 August, 1888. In 1845, Mr McOuat came to the River Rouge,
and bought the farm now owned by Mitchell Fournier; he afterwards sold
this, and bought his present fine farm of Charles Albright. Mr. McOuat
has six children three of each sex. Of the
daughters, Elizabeth, the eldest, lives at home; Jane is the wife of
Nelson Albright;
148 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and Jeannette, who married Gavin J. Walker of Lachute, is deceased. Henry,
the youngest son, remains at home; John R. is a merchant in Lachute ;
and James, the eldest, lives on the south side of the River Rouge ; he was
born 8th November, 1848, and removed to his present farm, Lots 28 and 29,
in 1876. On the 2ist November } 1888, he was married to Agnes, daughter
of the late James McAdam ; they have two children both boys. Mr. McOuat
has a good farm, fine brick residence, and all his surroundings betoken
enterprise and thrift. He circulated a petition lo have a Post Office
established here, and that object was accomplished in July, 1894. The
Post Office, bearing the name of Kilo wen, is at the east end of the
River Rouge settlement, and from it the mail is distributed twice a
week. Mr. George Giroux is postmaster.
PETER MC/MARTIN, whose ancestors were Highland Scotch, came to Canada from
Stirling, Scotland, with his family in 1830. They were eleven weeks making
the voyage across the Atlantic, being shipwrecked during their
passage. Mr. M Martin first began work in Vaudreuil, remaining there
two years. He then came
to Carillon Hil 1 , and hired the farm of Peter McArthur, now owned
by Henry Bar clay, dying there at the end of eleven years. He had five
children, of whom two
daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth, and one son, Peter E., are no.v
living. Catherine is the wife of Dr. Christie, M.P., of Lachute, and
Elizabeth is married to Donald McEwen. Peter McMartin, the sen, who was
born 1822, October 6th, came with the family to River Rouge in 1844,
and bought the farm now occupied by Andrew Doig. He afterwards sold ii,
and bought his present farm from Thomas Fournier. He was married in 1849
lo Susan, daughter of the late William McEwen, and has seven children -
four girls and three boys. Peter James, the eldest son, after spending
several years in New York and Montreal, where he was employed three years
as shipping clerk lor William Johnson & Co., relumed home in 1890, and
is now man aging the farm ; Alfred, the second son, is living in Iowa;
and Norman, the youngest, is with Wm. Johnson & Co., Montreal. Margaret,
the eldest daughter, is in Montreal; Charlotte, a teacher, is at home;
while Caroline and Priscilla, the yo.mger daughters, who are both trained
nurses, are working at their professions the former in New York and the
latter in Massachusetts. Mr. McMarlin, their father, and the subject of
the latter part of iliis sketch, has taken an active i^art in military
affairs, having been Sergt.-Major of the 6th Cavalry Regiment, of which
he was a member thirty years, and he was in the Eastern Townships with
the Volunteers du-ing the Fenian Raid, 1870. He has been Municipal
Councillor of St. Ar.drews Parish for seven years.
WILLIAM YOUNG, a Scotchman, was an actor in the American Revolution,
and also served under Admiral Nelson, as sailor in a British man-of-war,
and was in the battle of Trafalgar. He retired from a sea-faring life,
and came from Stirling, Scot land, about 1825, first settling in Chatham;
he afterwards sold out here, and went to Huron County, Ontario, where
both he and Mrs. Young died. They had six sons and two daughters : of
these, Elizabeth, married to William Fraser of Bethany, and Thomas, the
second son, born 1821 in Stirling, Scotland, are the o >ly ones in this
HISTORY OF ARGEXTEUIL.
I 49
country. In 1849 Thomas came to River Rouge, and bought hib present farm
; the same year he was married to Jeannette, daughter of John McOuat, of
"Burnside Farm," Upper Lachute ; she died 26th June, 1886. They had six
daughters and on a son, of whom all but one daughter are now living. Of
the others, Elizabeth and Ellen live in Kansas; the former being the
wife of Alexander Mustard, and the latter of James Mustard. Margaret, the
eldest, Janet, Mary and William live at home. Mr. Young has a large farm,
owning one lot on the south side, and two on the north side of the river,
also one hundred acres bush land in the rear of Lachute.
NICHOLAS B. MCKERRICHER, a Highland Scotchman, was one of the early
settlers on the River Rouge, coming here about 1831. He was twice married
the first time
to Miss Clark; by this marriage they had one son, who went to Missouri
years ago, and has not been heard from since. Mr. McKerricher married the
second time Catherine McOuat, and became the father of three children,
of whom only one, Nicholas, is now living. The latter, born in 1843,
lias always remained here; he was married in 1885 to Mary, daughter of
Ewen Cameron, Cote du Midi ; she died five
weeks after the marriage. Mr. McKerricher s father having died soon after
the b rth of his son Nicholas, the latter lives with his mother on the
old homestead, where he has a fine farm of 270 acres. His grandfather,
Donald McKerricher, came to Canada in 1802, settled on the south side
of the River Rouge, and afterwards went to Cote du Midi.
JAMES GORDON came from Scotland to this place about 1835 > ne was
married to
Catherine, daughter of John McMartin ; they had thirteen children seven
sons and six daughters all of whom are living. Of these, Peter A., John,
and Ellen, the wife of Charles McGregor, live in this place. Mr. Gordon
died 5th March, 1886, at eighty- six years of age, and his wife died
2yth January, 1886, age J seventy-nine. John, on of the sons, bought
his present farm on the north side of River Rouge from D.e Howard about
1875; his brother, Peter A., the youngest son, born February, 1847.,
lives on the old homestead. He was married in 1894 to Anna, daughter of
David Paul, of Bethany.
JAMES McADAM, from Ayrshire, Scotland, was one of the early settlers
in this place, coming here about 1849. He was mairied in I.achute to
Catherine, daughter of John Mclntyre ; they had ten children eight
sons and two daughters all of whom are living. Mr. McAdam died February
5111. 1884, aged seventy-three. Mrs. McAdam died 25111 March, 1888. Of
the children, Agnes J., married to James ( . McOuat, is living on the
south side of River Rouge; Alexander, Thomas A. and Elizabeth live on
the homestead, and the other sons are in the Western States. David in
Kansas, William and Andrew in Nebraska, James and Quintin R. in C rado,
and John in California.
JOHN FRASERcame from Inverness-shire, Scotland, and was one of the first
settlers here. James, his second son, was married to Ann, daughter of
John McMartin, and
bought the farm now owned by Alexander, his son, and lived here until
his death,
150 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
which occuired 6th January, 1876. Mrs. Fraser died 2$th October,
1882. They had eight children, of whom three daughters and four sons
are now living; ; the
daughters and two sons, Angus and Alexander, being on the homestead,
while James and Samuel are, respectively, in California and Missouri.
DUNCAN MCGREGOR came from Perthshire, Scotland, and settled in the States.
On the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, being too loyal to fight
against King George, he came to Canada, and remained in or near Quebec
city until 1802. In this year he removed to River Rouge, and bought the
farm now occupied by his grandson, John McGregor. Mr. McGregor was a
Captain of the Militia during the war of 1812; he died in 1819. His son,
Gregor McGregor, remained on the home, stead; he was married to Susan
Robertson, and had five sons and two daughters; the latter are both
living; but of the sons, only one remains. Mr. McGregor died in
1850, aged fifty-two, and his wife died ten years later.
JOHN MCGREGOR, their son, now living here, has always remained on
the home stead. In 1848, he was married to Miss McArthur, daughter of
Archibald McArthur
of Dalesville ; they have eight sons and one daughter. Of the sons,
Gregor A., the eldest, is with Sheppard, Knapp & Co., and Arthur A. is
with Oppenheim & Sons, both in New York city ; Robert S. is studying
medicine in Columbia College, New
York; John R. is with J. C. Wilson & Co., Montreal; Peter C. is studying
for the ministry in McMaster University, Toronto ; Harold W. D. is with
Dobson Bros., New York; and Herbert D. and Norman F. are at home. Miss
McGregor is attend ing college in Montreal.
MALCOLM McCALLUM came from Argyleshire, Scotland, located in the River
Rouge Settlement in 1820, and bought the farm now owned by Mrs. David
McAdam. Donald, his son, who was born in 1817, always took an active
part in the military affairs of the country, and in 1837 was a member
of Captain Jones Company. After the Rebellion, he became a member
of the militia, and held the rank of Captain, when the soldiers were
disbanded. He was married to Mary, daughter of John McMartin,
of River Rouge, in 1850. They had two sons and five daughters, of whom
one son and three daughters are now living.
Beech Ridge.
This locality is in the eastern part of the parish of St. Andrews, and
received its name from the quantity of beech growing here at the time
of its early settlement. A post office was established here in 1878
; A. B. Bell, who settled here in 1851, being appointed post-master
a position he still holds. Mr. Bell has also won the esteem of his
fellow-citizens the fact being attested by his election as Municipal
Councillor of the Parish.
The first settlers here were Nichols, Jacob Minkler, William, Stephen
and David Bond, and another, whose surname was Borden. Nichols settled
where William Drew now lives ; Minkler on the lot now owned by William
and Malcolm Smith. A man named Ward Smith had located on land now owned by
G. W. Bond, whose brother, Stephen Bond, purchased it of Smith. In 1824,
the latter sold 200 acres of land to WILLIAM CATION, who for some years
previous had been in business at St. Andrews. He had been an officer in
the British army, and was a good linguist, being able to speak several
different languages. He rather astonished the inhabitants of this
section by the stock of merchandise which he brought, with the view of
engag ing in mercantile pursuits having, besides a lot of fancy goods,
a large stock of the finest and most expensive silks. A few years later,
deciding to engage in farming, he sold the land he had bought of Bond,
and purchased a tract about a mile further east, where his two sons,
George and James, now live. The old log house which he erected in the
days of his pioneer labors is still standing. He remained here till
his death, and his sons, who are among the industrious and respected
citizens of the locality, have continued the improvements he began,
developing good farms with corresponding comforts.
In 1825, the improvements made by Borden were purchased by THOMAS COOK,
who in company had been engaged in the jewelry business in London,
Eng. The firm was known as Cook & Walker, and they had a branch house
in Montreal. Mr. Cook, however, did not live long after his removal to
Beech Ridge, for in 1832, while on a visit to Montreal, he was suddenly
seized with the cholera, and died. His son Thomas remained on the farm
at Beech Ridge, and cleared much of it.
In 1834, DONALD LOYNACHAN, from Argyleshire, Scotland, came to Canada,
and in 1837, bought a lot on the Ridge, now owned by John Webster of
St. Andrews. There were only two acres cleared on it at the time of
his purchase, and Mr. Loyna- chan, in common with the other pioneers,
endured many hardships in clearing it and providing for the wants of
his family. Bears were not numerous, but wolves made
frequent raids on the cattle and sheep, rendering it necessary that
the latter should be kept in folds, from which they were not released
till late the next morning. Wood, as may be supposed, was not of much
value. Mr. Loynachan in those days bought
tj 2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
cow valued at $30, agreeing to pay thirty cords of hard maple wood for
her, and
deliver it at the village of St. Andrews. About twenty years after he came
here, one of his small boys, one day in summer, finding a large wasp s
nest in a stump near the house, and little knowing the consequences, set
it on fire. The wind soon blew the fire into another stump, which in turn
kindled others, from which the fire was com municated to the woods. It
continued to rage for six weeks, covering a large area of forest land,
destioying much timber, bark, shingles and cordwood. Mr. Loynachan
died in 1886 ; his widow still lives here.
ANGIS D. LOYNACHAN, one of his sons, an intelligent farmer, married
the daughter of Mr. r l homas C. Cook, and until recently lived at the
Ridge, his time being employed between the duties of farmer and that of
auctioneer ; he removed to Montreal about a year since.
Through the influence of Donald Loynachan, a friend of his, named
ANGUS LDYNACHAN, also originally fiom Argyleshire, Scotland, settled
at Beech Ridge in 1842. He arrived in Canada in 1837, and a short time
subsequently joined the Glengarry Volunteers. In the- fall of 1838, he
joined a Volunteer company of artilleiy in Montreal. On coming to the
Ridge, he purchased two lots of land, where he still reside-. Through
strict industry, integrity and good judgment, he added to his estate,
and provided a competency for his declining years. His wife died in 1889
and he now lives with his son-in-law, R. Morin.* He has had ten children,
six of whotr- four sons and ivvo daughters are m-w living.
The eldest . on, Duncan, and second, John B., are with the Shedden
Company, Montreal ; the third, Angus A., is in company with Ford, and they
are milk dea ers, 29 Coursol street, Montreal : the youngest, Donald H.,
is in company with Scriver, and they are wholesale commission merchants,
321 and 323 Commissioners street, in the same city. Mary Jessie second
in the family, now Mrs. Robert C. Morin lives on the old homestead ;
Flora Jane, fourth in the family, lives in the same place with her sister.
As above mentioned, one of the first settlers in Beech Ridge was STEPHEN
BOND, who came with his family, among whom were three sons William,
David and Stephen from Randolph, Vt., about 1797, and bought five hundred
acres of land on the road from St. Andrews to the Ridge. He afterwards
returned to Vermont, and died there. Stephen, the youngest of the three
sons, was born in 1792; he was married in 1827 to Miss Dorinda Powers
of Bethany, and took part of his father s farm, which is now owned by
John Lr.ynachan. He lived there a number of years, and afterwards sold
it, buying the lot opposite, where he died in 1858, aged sixty- five ;
Mrs. Bond died in 1844, aged thirty-eight. Mr. Bond was drafted into the
militia in the war of 1812, and was stationed three months on Isle aux
Noix ; he served a year altogether. Mr. and Mrs. Bond had two daughters
and four sons ; of these, George W., the second son, is the only one
of this family now living in Quebec. He was born nth June, 1835, an
d has always lived in Beech Ridge ; in 1860, he was married to Fliza,
daughter of the late Walter McVicar, of Chatham. They have two
* Mr. Loynachan died 2nd Feb., 1896.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
sons, George W. and Franklin, who are both merchants in New Mexico,
the former being in Wagon Mound, and the latter in Espanola, about 185
miles apart.
SAMUEL RENNIE came from Belfast, Ireland, to Canada in 1838. He was an
engineer by occupation, and was employed as such in Montreal for seventeen
years ; during that time he was with William Dow, J. H. Molson, Handyside
and Wm. Johnson. He was also a distiller, bul owing to ill-health was
obliged to give up this business. He came to this place in 1851, and
bought the farm now occupied by his son, with whom he is living, still
active at ninety-three. George, the youngest son, born 1852, who remained
a 1 home, deals extensively in live stock, taking it to the Montreal
market. He was married in 1879 t Jennie, daughter of the late John Oxley
of Montreal ; they have one son and one daughter. Mr. Rennie is Municipal
Councillor of St. Andrews.
THOMAS SMITH was born in Dundee, Huntingdon Co., Que., May 24th, 1829. He
was twice married the first time, to Catherine Stewart of Huntingdon ;
by this marriage, they had two sons, Malcolm and William Scott. In 1855,
Mr. Smith came to this place, and bought Lots Nos. 4 and 5. Mrs. Smith
died in 1867, aged 37, of diphtheria one of the first cases known in the
country. Mr. Smith was married the second time in 1864 to Mary Ann Ford,
of Huntingdon ; Mrs. Smith died in 1875, aged 37, aud Mr. Smith died ten
years later, on his 66th birthday; they had two sons and one daughter
one son is now deceased. Janet L., the daughter, married to F. McArthur,
lives in Montreal ; and Thomas F., the son, is in the milk business in
the same place.
MALCOLM, the eldest son, born June, 1855, remained at home, and
was married in June, 1887, to Jane, daughter of HughCleland, jun.,
of Jerusalem ; they have three children. Mr. Smith lives on Lot 4 the
old homestead ; he has taken an active part in the County Agricultural
Society, having been director of it for several years. He is also
licensed auctioneer for the District of Terrebonne and agent for the
Canada Carriage Co. He has a fine farm, on which he has this year been
awarded a silver medal; he has also engaged extensively in fruit growing,
having an orchard of about 700 trees ; 25 different varieties of fruit
from these were shown at the County Fair in 1894.
WILLIAM SCOTT, second son of Thomas Smith, was born iath September,
1858, and was married loth September, 1884, to Ellen, daughter of
Captain Kenneth Urquhart, of Glengarry ; they have four children, all
boys. Mr. Smith lives on Lot 5, half of the old homestead ; he also
takes much interest in fruit-growirg, having an orchard of several
hundred trees.
JAMES COWAN was born in Co. Antrim, Ireland, in 1792. On first coming
to this country in 1823, he settled in Jerusalem, and in 1841 removed
to Beech Ridge, where he lived for eighteen years on a farm owned by
David Bond. He then bought
the farm, Lot No. i, now owned by his son Thomas. Mr. Cowan took an
active part
in the movements of the Militia, being with them at St. Eustache in
1837-38. He
died in 1871, aged seventy-nine; he had five sons and three daughters,
of whom three
ii
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
sons are now living. James is living in New York State ; William in
Vermont ; and Thomas, the youngest son, born 1833, remains at home. He
was married in 1^63 to
Isabella, daughter of the late Francis Carson of East Settlement;
they have three sons and one daughter, all at home. Mr. Cowan has been
Municipal Councillor and School Trustee for several years, also a member
of the St. Andrews Troop cf Cavalry for eighteen years.
JOHN FRANCIS MITCHELL was born in Brussels, Belgium, and when 10 years
of age came to Canada with his father s family. He was married to Hannah
M. Lawson
of Sheffield, England, and came to this place, hiring the farm, Lot 22,
on the south side of Beech Ridge. This he bought a few years later,
and has since put it under a fine state of cultivation, making many
improvements, and building anew residence; he
keeps a stock of sixteen head of cattle and three horses. Mr. Mitchell has
three boys and three girls ; Hannah, the eldest, married to William Hume,
lives in Bethany ; Harriet is in Montreal ; Hugh B., the eldest son, in
Minnesota ; John F. is in Montreal; and the two youngest remain at home.
The following sketch of pioneers of this locality was prepared at our
request by a former citizen of the place :
" About the year 1829, Beech Ridge was inhabited chiefly by New
Englanders, whose habits of neatness and thrift, with fair practical
knowledge of farming, resulted in giving the locality a prominent position
in the county.
" The Pecks, the Bonds, the Minklers, the Greens, Centers, McArthurs,
Coles and
other pioneers of that comparatively olden time had cut away the
forests, erected comfortable dwellings and substantial out-houses,
planted orchards, laid out gardens, and, generally, created one of the
prettiest rural settlements in Lower Canada. The very few who remember
the widow Peck s residence and surroundings, some sixty- seven years ago,
will have difficulty, even now, in finding an equal in all respects even
in progressive rural Ontario. The homestead with its immense barns,
byres, stables, sheep houses, cheese room, corn house, swine pen,
driving sheds, and all necessary buildings, large orchards and gardens,
well tilled and fenced fields, and fine sugar bush, was too attractive
to remain long without a purchaser, after the owner had decided to cast
her lot in the embryo village of Chicago. The new proprietor, anxious to
have early possession, had already sent in some servants with furniture,
before the widow, her two sons, and old " Uncle Bill" had fairly started
for the new home in the far West.
" Capt. McLean about this time bought the Dr. Green property ; Thomas
Cook, Esq., the farm opposite Peck s, besides the disposal of several
other farms to new comers, among whom were Mr. Catton, Capt. McCargo
and Major May ; but the Yankee settler made no objection to this foreign
invasion.
" No man could be more respected and beloved by his neighbors than James
Kennedy Johnstone, Esq., of Ayreshire, Scotland, who succeeded Mrs. Peck.
Though highly educated, by birth an aristocrat, and son of an aspirant
to the titles and estates of Annandale, yet he appreciated the quiet,
honest, pious, respectful people among
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
whom he had come, and in their religious meetings and Sunday School
he took an active part, thus gaining the affection of old and young,
especially of the latter, upon whom his smiling countenance and pleasant
words of advice made an indelible im pression. In religion, Mr. Johnstone
was Scottish Episcopalian ; in politics, Conser vative. At the time
of his death in March, 1833, he had arranged to visit Scotland during
the summer, with the object of pushing his claim to the Marquisate and
estate of his forefathers in Annandale. Five sons and two daughters with
their mother were left to mourn his death. The sons were James Kennedy,
Wellesley, Quintin, Samuel and Washington Joseph, and the daughters
Matilda and Elizabeth.
" James, without issue, died at St. Andrews, after having long retired
from active business; Wellesley, with a family in the West his son James
being inspector of gas, Toronto, devotes himself to the political press,
favoring responsible government and every real reform, entire free trade,
beginning with the Mother land, standing in the front. He sometimes
expresses serious dissatisfaction vvith the ignorance of political
economy evinced daily by Canadians in the House of Commons, who claim
to be statesmen. Quintin adopted the profession of land surveyor. He
died at Thorold,
Ont., leaving a family ; one son James Kennedy Johnstone, M.D. Samuel had
long resided in New Orleans, where he died leaving a family. Washington
and his son of the same name entered the Civil Service the former
as inspector of weights and measures, the latter in the Post Office
Department. Matilda and family reside in the State of New York. Elizabeth
died early, at the old homestead on Beech Ridge, deeply regretted. Like
her mother, she never sent the beggar away empty-handed or hungry. Her
chief happiness in the absence of children of her own was in doing good,
and not refusing the cup of cold water in His name.
The residence of W. J. Johnstone, Esq., vvith its orchard and well laid
out grounds, still helps to preserve the fair name long enjoyed of Bonny
Beech Ridge."
Geneva.
This is the name of a Post Office established in 1860, nearly midway
between St. Andrews Village and Lachute. It is on the road connecting
these places, and which has always been designated as the "Lachute Road
"the name being much more frequently used to distinguish places, even
in proximity to the Post Office, than Geneva.
The Lachute Road settlement has always been an important district,
both in the parish of St. Andrews and in the County from the fact that
it possesses superior agricultural qualities, and for two or three
generations has been inhabited by a class of most intelligent, upright
and thrifty farmers. There is neither a poor farm nor a poor farmer on
this road, in St. Andrews parish; and a drive along this route in summer
is one of interest to any individual interested in agriculture. Those of
whom the following sketches are given reside in St. Andrews, and have
good farms, and besides these are the fine farms of William Todd, Wood,
Jas. Bradley and
some others.
Early in this century, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS HOOKER, a young man who had
worked in a paper manufactory in Boston, came to St. Andrews, and was
employed for a number of years in the paper mill in that village. He
was born in Boston, 3rd April, 1784, and was the son of one of the
revolutionary heroes, whose name was
Zibeon Hooker. History informs us that the latter was born in Sherburne,
Mass.,
I2th February, 1752, and that he was one of a company of " Minute men"
organized in the place of his nativity, who proved themselves deserving
the title assumed, by proceeding to Lexington on the igth of April, 1775,
as early as intelligence of the battle at that place reached them. They
were not in season, however, to aid the
inhabitants in defending their homes from the invading foe. From the same
source we learn that Mr. Hooker commenced his military career at the
age of seventeen, as a musician. During the engagement at Bunker Hill,
the drum which he carried was
pierced by a shot of the enemy. Divesting himself of this now useless
instrument, he seized the musket of a fallen companion and rushed into
the heat of the battle. This circumstance attracted the attention of
the commanding officer, and he was
raised above the rank of a common soldier, from which appointment he
eventually
succeeded to a lieutenantcy. Having joined the Continental army under
General Washington, he never grounded his arms until peace was concluded
in 1783. From a sermon delivered at his decease, we copy the following :
" As a man, our departed father possessed great moral worth, the
strictest inte
grity, uncommon purity of character, and in the most exemplary manner
discharged the relative duties of life. Such was his peaceful disposition
that, during an unusually protracted life, never was he known to beat
variance with any human being. Of him it can with truth be said, he had
not an enemy in the world. Above all, our
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 157
departed father was a sincere Christian ; no man entertained a more
becoming sense of his own unworthiness than this Israelite, indeed."
Not long after, his son, Gustavus Adolphus, came to St. Andrews, he
purchased a
gore in this parish, known as Lot 5, comprising about 200 acres, and
a part of which is now owned and occupied by the family of his son,
G. A. Hooker.
On January 6th, 1808, he was married to Pamelia McArthur, daughter of
Peter Me Arthur of Carillon Hill. After the paper mill was closed, he gave
his attention to his farm, and, like the other pioneers of those days,
he made many a barrel of potash, with which to procure the necessaries
of life. He was Captain of Militia many years, and in the troubles of
1837-38 was a member of the Home Guard. It is quite probable, therefore,
that, had the opportunity been given, he would have emulated the bravery
of his father. He died 7th April, 1870; Mrs. Hooker, ist April, 1876.
They had twelve children who grew up six sons and six daughters. One son,
George, and four daughters are now living. Of the latter, Mrs. Giles
resides in Lachute, one in Illinois and two in Glengarry, Ontario.
George in his younger days bought a farm in Centerville, Chatham,
on which he lived till a few years since, when, selling it to his son
George, he moved to St. Andrews. He has been one of the substantial men
of Chatham, has served as Muni cipal Councillor, two or three times as
Assessor, and as President of the County Agricultural Society. He was
married June i4th, 1845, to Sarah Jefferson from the North of England,
by which marriage he had eight children. Mrs. Hooker died i5th November,
1870, and he was again married in September, 1873, to Annie M. Hoare,
from Surrey, Eng., and by this marriage has three children.
Gustavus Adolphus, who remained on the homestead, preferred to give his
atten tion to his farm rather than to public affairs ; he, however, was
a School Commissioner, and accepted the position of Post-Master when the
post-office was established, holding it until his death. It was at his
suggestion that the office received the name Geneva. He was married in
1864 to Alice, daughter of Peter McMartin of the River Rouge Settlement;
four children two daughters, twins, and two sons were born to them.
Mr. Hooker died 20th August, 1895, and his loss was deplored by a large
community.
JAMES BUCHAN, with his wife, his son David and three daughters, from
Perthshire, Scotland, settled on the Lachute road in 1817, taking up
a large tract of land, part of which is now owned by his grandson,
William Buchan, and the balance of it by
Mr. R. VV. McGregor, who still occupies the stone house built on it
by Mr. Buchan. He was followed, in 1823, by his son, John Buchan, who
settled on part of the land taken up by James Buchan, and which part is
still in the possession of the family. John brought with him his wife,
four sons, Thomas, Peter, James and Andrew, and
one daughter. Andrew died soon afterwards. Thomas and James went to
Ontario and settled near Hamilton ; the former died in 1895, James is
still living. Their father, John Buchan, died in 1876, and their mother
in 1873, both of them being
upwards of ninety years of age.
David, some years after their arrival, purchased land at L Orignal,
which is now in the possession of his son Andrew. David married Flora
McLachlan, sister of
158 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Hugh McLachlan, Esq., of Arnprior, and had a large family, of whom two,
David and Daniel, died, the former early in 1896, and the latter about
1877. Another sou,
William, lives at White Lake in Ontario, and Andrew and a daughter, Mrs.
Campbell, still live in L Orignal. William, the youngest son of John
Buchan, and his sister Mary were both born in Canada, and both have
remained at the homestead. In December, 1851, William married Katharine
Stewart; they have had five sons and four daughters, but four of the
sons are deceased. Peter, aged twenty-one, died
July 2nd, 1875. William, aged eighteen, died April 2ist, 1882; Andrew,
aged sixteen, died at Los Angeles, California, the 28th of November,
1888, and another died in infancy.
John S., the only son now living, graduated from McGill University in
1884 and is now a successful Barrister in Montreal. He married on the
i5th September, 1885, Katharine, second daughter of Mr. F. McMartin,
of St. Andrews. She died in August, 1894, leaving two children, John
Stuart and Katherine McMartin Buchan.
Katherine, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Buchan, married
David Todd, and lives on the farm adjoining the homestead. Annie, another
daughter, married Duncan McGibbon, and lives in Brownsburg. Mary and
Margaret, the two remaining daughters, live with their parents.
Mr. Buchan is one of the thrifty, intelligent and highly respected
residents of the county, and for a number of years filled several public
offices with great ability.
Among the early residents of the parish was "Johnny " Blais, who was for
many years almost the only French speaking settler in Lachute Road. He
owned the farm next to that belonging to John and afterwards to William
Buchan, where he lived
with a large family until his death, about the year 1860. His funeral
was attended by almost the whole of his neighbors, by whom he was held
in the highest respect in his lifetime.
Walter Galloway lived on the farm adjoining that of Mr. G. A. Hooker. He
was a typical Scot, and very popular with his neighbors. His son James
lived for some years in Carillon, but died in middle age. His daughter
Isabella married J. A. Sharman, who lived until the time of his death,
in 1874, on tne Galloway farm, where he also carried on a tailoring
business. After his death his son, Walter G. Sharman, lived in the
same place, and carried on the business until about the year 1884,
when he sold the farm and removed to Montana, where he is now living.
Thomas Jefferson was a typical English Squire. He owned the large and
fertile farm now the property of Mr. Robert Watson, where he employed
a large number of people, and prospered from year to year. He always
practiced the best methods of farming, and by his success demonstrated the
truth that business methods pay in farming as in any other pursuit. After
selling his farm to Mr. Watson he lived for some years on a piece of land
opposite the homestead, which he reserved, and eventually removed to
St. Andrews, where ha died. This sketch would be incom plete without a
reference to James Foley, long the trusted foreman for Mr. Jefferson.
"Jimmy," as both young and old loved to call him, was capable,
hard-working, and of sterling integrity. When the Jefferson farm was
sold he moved to Point Fortune, where he purchased a farm, and farmed
it with the success which he well deserved.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. l -g
BENJAMIN COLE, from New Hampshire, was one of the earliest settlers on
the Lachute Road, and he lived here till his death.
Willard, one of his sons, bought the lot on which his own son Benjamin now
lives; he was married in 1818 to Susan McLaughlin, of St. Andrews. They
had two
sons and seven daughters of whom only one son, Benjamin, and three
daughters are now living. Benjamin lives on the homestead with one of
his sisters, Isabel Cole ; neither of them has ever married. Mr. Cole is
very particular respecting the care of his cattle and horses, of which
he always has a superior quality.
RICHARD WILSON MCGREGOR was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in October,
1815 ; he there learned the carpenter s trade, and followed it until
the spring of 1841, when he came to Canada, remaining for a time with
his brother on the LachuteRoad. He worked at his trade in this locality,
St. Andrews and Carillon, for five years. In 1848, he was married to Jane,
daughter of the late Dr. McGregor, of Lachine, and came to live on his
present farm, which he had bought from David Buchan, two years previously.
Mr. and Mrs. McGregor have had three sons and five daughters, all of
whom are living. Margaret, the eldest daughter, and Anna, are both in
California; Mary, mar ried to Wm. Elliott, grocer, lives in Montreal;
Isabella, married to \Vm. McOuat, lives in Brownsburg ; and Catherine
is at home. Norman P. is a Commercial Traveller in Minneapolis ; John
and Andrew live at home.
Mr. McGregor has taken an active part in the affairs of St. Andrews
Parish, having been Councillor several terms, Chairman of the Board
of School Commis sioners fifteen years, and Justice of the Peace and
Commissioner for the trial of small causes for twenty years ; he was
also a member of the Militia for a number of years, and held the rank
of Sergeant when the Militia was disbanded ; he was Quartermaster of
the Argenteuil Rangers, and retired with the rank of Major.
JOHN FRASER came from Banffshire, Scotland, to Canada, in 1834, with
his wife and eleven children. He first settled in Thomas Gore, remaining
there one year,
and then went to Hill Head, where he lived seven years ; he afterwards
came to Lachute, and bought the place now owned by his youngest son,
Hugh. After this, he spent seven years on a property near Back River,
Montreal, returning at the end of that time to the Lachute farm, where
he and Mrs. Fraser both died. While in Hill Head, Mr. Fraser conducted
a distillery five years.
George Fraser, the third son, born 1824, remained at home until sixteen,
at which age he went with his father to Montreal, remaining on the farm
at Back River seventeen years. During that time, he had opportunity
to help back to health some of the victims of the terrible ship fever
raging in Montreal, by supplying them with buttermilk, carrying to them
140 gallons, daily. He was asked one day by the doctor who attended the
emigrants if he was not afraid ; upon his answering " No," the
doctor remarked " I do not want to stop you, for taking the buttermilk
means life to them." As is well known, hundreds, even thousands of these
poor people perished ;
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Mr. Fraser says, he lias seen them die by the dozen in the large
emigrant shed. He at last gave up supplying with buttermilk from fear
of spreading the disease. He was married in 1848 to Miss E. Carmichael,
daughter of Donald Carmichael of St.
Eustache, and in 1864 came to Lachute Road, and bought from the
late Andrew FcGregor his present farm, on which he has made many
improvements. Mr. and Mrs. Fraser have had three sons and three daughters,
of whom only two sons are living, Daniel, the elder, is farming on the
Island of Montreal, and John, the younger son remains at home. Miss
Jessie Carmichael, sister of Mrs. Fraser, also makes her home with them.
ANDREW TODD, third son of the late Wm. Todd of East Settlement,
was born Au gust. 1831, at Lachute. When sixteen years of age, he
commenced learning the black smith s trade with John McAllister of
East Settlement. He was married in 1851 to Margaret, daughter of the
late David Roger of the same place, and first started in business for
himself in St. Eustache. He opened a shop there,, remained two years,
and was afterwards in Lachute ten years, and in Beech Ridge the same
length of time. In 1874, he bought his present farm from John McConnell,
but still has found time to work occasionally at his trade. Mr. and
Mrs. Todd have six sons and four daughters ; Robert, the youngest of
the family, and Jennie, are at home. The former, having taken a course
in the Military School at Quebec, is and Lieutenant in Captain Wanless
Company of Cavalry at St. Andrews.
DAVID, third son of DAVID RODGER, was born in East Settlement in 1838. In
1868, he bought his farm here, and in 1869 was married to Alice Young,
adopted daughter of the late Dr. Barr of Belle Riviere. Mr. Rodger has
been one of the prosperous farmers of Argenteuil, bringing his farm
into a fine state of cultivation. Mrs. Rodger died in 1878, and her
death was followed, twelve years later, by that of the oldest son,
David John. The latter was an exemplary young man in every respect,
and his early demise at the age of twenty years was deeply deplored.
Agnes H., the daughter, was married in July, 1895, to David Taylor of
Isle aux Chats. William George is attending Military School in Toronto,
and holds a com mission in the St. Andrews Troop. Mr. Rodger has retired
from farming, having sold his farm to his brother in 1893.
JAMES ARMSTRONG was born in 1803, and came from County Monaghan, Ireland,
to Canada about 1825, and died May 7th, 1873. Mrs. Armstrong died in 1878,
at the age of seventy-five.
JAMES, their second son, was born April lyth, 1836, in the Seigniory, and
remained at home until about twenty-six years of age ; he was married Feb.
25th, 1862, to Margaret, daughter of the late James Scott of Lakefield,
and after living ten years on the farm given him by his father, sold it
and bought his present one from Dr. Christie. Mr. Armstrong has erected
several new out-buildings since coming here, and made other improvements
; he has always been a liberal supporter of the Presbyterian Church,
and has been Elder in Henry s Church, Lachute, for the past
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
twenty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have had four sons and six
daughters ; of whom two sons and five daughters are now living. James,
the elder son, has taken an active part in the Y. P. S. C. E. of Lachute,
having become a member soon after the Society was organized, and was
President of it for a year; Bella teaches the Geneva school ; Catherine
A. attends the Lachute Academy ; and Mary, Elizabeth E., Lucinda J. and
George S. remain at home.
The following sketch is contributed by Colin Dewar:
JOHN DENNISQN was the man chosen for Captain by the Volunteers of Lachute
Road at the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1837 5 ne was a cooper by
trade, which at that time was a good paying business. He was a man in
the prime of life, active and intelligent, and although moving in the
humbler walks of life, was well fitted for the position to which he had
been chosen, and which he filled to the complete satis faction of his
commanding officer, as well as that of his Company. He was passion ately
fond of hunting and fishing, a circumstance he turned to good account,
as wolves were very numerous and a great nuisance to the farmers ; and
he was successful in capturing quite a number, for which he received
the Government bounty of ten dollars each.
He left St. Andrews a few years after the close of the Rebellion, and
as the part of the country he went to had few postal facilities, there
was very little heard of him, and in a short time he was in a measure
forgotten. About the year 1880 or 1881, I noticed an article taken from
a Renfrew paper mentioning the death of John Dennison. and giving some
details of his previous life, which sufficiently identified him as the
former Captain of the Lachute Road Volunteers. The article went on to say
that Mr. Dennison, although well up in years, still kept up his habit of
hunting, and had left to visit his traps at some distance from his house,
and not returning at the usual time, search was instituted, with the
terrible result, that his dead body was found very much mutilated; and
every indication of a fearful encounter having taken place, as the dead
body of a large bear lay close beside him ! What a fearful struggle that
must have been to a man nearly eighty years of age, and at what a cost !
Mr. Dewar says: "The summer of 1847 brought that terrible scourge, the
Ship Fever, into Canada. A few emigrants from an overcrowded steamer
going westward landed at Carillon, and two of them, a man and his wife,
left there to seek friends living beyond Lachute. They got as far as
Andrew Shield s house on La- chute Road, and being unable to proceed
any farther, were cared for by his wife, who, with the help of some of
the neighbors, placed them in a nice, clean, airy build ing, and nursed
them for many weary weeks. But with all their care, the husband
succumbed to the disease, and was decently buried in the cemetery on
Carillon Hill. His wife eventually recovered, and was sent on to her
friends. In this case, those who nursed and cared for this suffering
pair, for so many long weeks, were those who had their own daily tasks
to perform, which at times were none of the lightest, but they never
shirked the duty, faithfully attending them, night and day. Truly, it
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was a labor of love, for there was no reward in prospect, only the
satisfaction of a good conscience ; and it is worthy of remark that none
of them took the disease."
JOHN WATSON came from Glasgow to Canada, and started in business in
Mont real,* in the boot and shoe trade. He was married in this country
to Miss Janet
Cumduff, by whom he had three sons and three daughters. After leaving
Montreal,
he went to East Hawkesbury, and bought the Island at the foot of the Long
Sault, now owned by Henry Stevens. He afterward removed to Melbourne,
Que., and became superintendent of the slate quarry in that place.
Robert Watson, his eldest son, born in 1845, remained with his father
until 1873 ; he was married in that year to Jane, daughter of Mr. George
Hooker of St. Andrews, and went afterward, with his wife, to California,
where they remained six years. On his return, Mr. Watson bought the old
Jefferson farm on the Lachute Road. His father lived with him until his
death, which took place in 1883; his mother is still living.
Mr. and Mrs. Watson have four sons and three daughters all living at
home, with
the exception of Roy, the eldest son, who is in the milk business in
Montreal.
Carillon,
This place, the name of which in French denotes a chime of bells, is
located on
the Ottawa, two miles west of St. Andrews, and is famed for the beauty
of its scenery. It is a part of St. Andrews Parish, and was incorporated
as a village in 1887.
Land here had been granted to individuals by the Seignior previous to
1800, but
there is no evidence that they ever settled on it. Peter McArthur was
undoubt edly the first actual settler in the limits of what is now the
corporation ; hence we are to understand that the subject of the following
sketch was the first in what is generally regarded the village, i.e.,
the most populous part.
CAPT. JACOB SCHAGEL is said to have been the first settler, and to have
built the first house in Carillon ; this house (of course a log one)
was located on the river s bank, just in rear of the present hotel of
John Kelly ; this occurred about the year 1804. He came from the States,
and lived a while in Stanbridge, one of the Eastern Townships, before
coming to Chatham. Soon after this, he sent to Stanbridge for
his brother Samuel, who, on joining him., erected for an hotel the long,-
low building IK,W owned by Mr. Kelly, which stands a little to the west
of his present hotel. This building he used as a public house fora number
of years ; he died at Carillon in 1839.
Mr. Jacob Schagel, soon after his arrival, took a contract from Government
for carrying freight between Carillon and Grenville, a business he
followed several years.
I
I
till
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 163
In 1809, April 2nd, he married Polly, a daughter of Captain Noble. The
latter came from England, where he obtained his title from having command
of a militia
company, and had settled in Chatham on a lot of wild land, a few miles
from Caril lon. Quite a good sized creek crossed this land, and on this
he erected a saw mill ; he died some time previous to the Rebellion of
1837. This farm became the property of his son-in-law, Captain Schagel,
who spent many years of his life on it, and died there, i6th May, 1874,
attheage of 88. Captain Schagel s military title was conferred on him a
short time previous to the Rebellion, he having been appointed Captain
of Militia ; his Company was ordered to the front, and he gained much
credit for his activity during the troubles of that period. Before his
death, he was promoted to the rank of Major.
In the early part of his residence in Chatham, he purchased a tract of
land ad joining that of Captain Noble, and which is now owned by William
Graham ; he lived on it till he sold it in 1851. That Captain or, more
properly, Major Schagel was much respected, and a man of influence,
is evident from the manner in which his
name is always mentioned by those who still remember him, and its
association with every important local event of the generation past. He
had fourteen children, of whom one son and eight daughters grew up.
Jacob D. Schagel,* the son, was married, i7th December, 1850, to Phillippa
Grace Mount-Stephens, and in 1856, or the following year, he bought the
homestead on which he still resides. He built a new saw mill on the site
of the old one erected by his grandfather, Captain Noble, and it answered
its purpose well for several years ; but owing to the partial drying
up of the stream, as the land was cleared, the mill fell into disuse,
and the only vestige now remaining is the dam ; this is a stone struc
ture, and now, covered with soil, makes an admirable bridge. Mr. Schagel
ably sustains the fair reputation of his ancestors, and while giving
due attention to the cultivation and improvement of his farm, he has not
neglected those things tending to the moral and intellectual growth of his
family. He has had ten children five of each sex ; two of the sons are
deceased. Of the daughters, Charlotte Amy, married to William Nichols,
lives in Ottawa; Julia Agnes, married to W. S. Gliddon, also lives in
Ottawa; Alice Phillippa, the wife of George W. Bixby, resides in Steele
county, Minnesota; George S., one of the sons, living on the homestead,
was mar
ried 6th September, 1894, to Justina Elliott ; he was licensed by the
Methodist Con ference as a Local Minister, 22nd February, 1892; he is
also Secretary of the Argen- teuil County C. E. Union.
PETER MCARTHUR was one of the very early pioneers in this section,
having located on Carillon Hill. His house, which was a large two-story
building, occupied the site of the present residence of Henry Barclay. The
hospitality of the family was well known ; and for a number of years
this house often afforded a home for
Scotch immigrants until they could secure homes of their own.
* Mr. Schagel died in December, 1895, since the above was written.
164 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Mr. McArthur had lived in the States previous to corning here, and had
married in Vermont, Phcebe Lane, a sister of Jedediah Lane, who purchased
the tract of land in Lachute known as " Lane s Purchase."
They had six sons Lane, Royal, Peter, Erick, Armand and Arthur ; and
four daughters, Lurena, Charlotte, Phoebe and Pamelia.
Of the latter, Lurena was married to Moses Davis ; Charlotte, to John
Harring ton ; Phoebe to Robert Simpson ; Pamelia to G. A. Hooker.
Erick McArthur remained on the homestead till he sold it to James Barclay
in 835> vvnen he went to Ottawa, opened a public house, and remained
there until he died. Lane McArthur, the eldest son, erected a large
building in St. Andrews, where he kept hotel for a number of years,
and owned a stage line.
His two sons, Crosby and [Frederick, followed mercantile life _ the former
in Ontario, the latter in St. Andrews, having purchased the store of W. G.
Blanchard whose adopted daughter he married. He was killed by accident,
in Montreal, leaving one son, William, now living in St. Andrews, and
a daughter who married William
Larmonth, a merchant in Montreal. Arthur McArthur, the youngest son
of Peter bought a lot in Lachute, and lived there some years ; but he
finally sold out and left the county.
Royal, another son, studied surveying, moved to Ohio, and surveyed much
of the wild land of that State.
MR. C. THOMAS, : WA JanUary 23
DEAR SIR,
A history of Argenteuil would be incomplete -without more than a passing
notice
ot that lovely spot well known as Carillon Hill.
In point of situation, nothing can surpass its loveliness. Standing on
the brow
of the hill, and taking a survey up and down, whichever way you turn,
your eyes rest on the natural beauties of both land and water the view
of the Rapids and country ay to the west, the lovely appearance of the
country to the south, the course of hat magnificent expanse of water,
as it flows on until it seems to be lost or shut in ligaud Mountains,
and the pure invigorating breeze as it rises from that stream of water,
always spoken of in early days as the " Grand River." No wonder this
lovely spot could always boast of an intelligent and industrious
icnest yeomen ; and if it be true that he who makes two blades of grass o
grow instead of one " can be called a benefactor, so well might they be
called by the lame, as all of them did their best, not only to beautify
their homes, but also
>enefit future generations (and it was from no fauh of thejrs tfa Jn
after their labors were destroyed).
This thrift could be witnessed by the splendid gardens and orchards
surrounding
the shade trees and cherry trees growing along the highway, the pastures
HISTORY OK ARGEXTEUIL. 165
filled by nut-bearing trees, as the hickory, oak, beech and butternut
; all of this, and more, could be seen in the first decade of this
century, when such men as my grand father Dewar, Major Muir and Auer
Mathews occupied the property now known as " Bellevue "Peter McArthur
owned where Mr. Barclay lives, Peter Benedict wheie Benj. Wales, and in
later years John Dewar lived, and Mr. Donnelly was on the farm now held
by Hugh Robertson.
It was a sight well worth witnessing for one to pass through their gardens
and see the beautiful flowers and vegetables, and to go through their
large and extensive orchards and see the lovely and delicious apples
and plums growing in such rich pro fusion, scarcely a vestige of which
is to be seen now. Scientists may be able to explain the cause of the
destruction which came upon the fruit trees in that locality ths fact
remains that they have nearly all disappeared.
C. DEWAR.
From the deck of a steamer ascending the Ottawa, the traveller notices
as she rounds a headland, away on his right, a high ridge, or bluff,
descending abruptly to the river. Cultivated farms with good looking
dwellings and white picket fences in front stretch along the brow of this
ridge, and these, with the fruit and ornamental trees around, give the
impression that the proprietors are well-to-do as well as per sons of
taste. The river, still preserving its noble breadth and volume, flows
quietly on but just ahead are rapid, tumbling waters, and, beyond, the
imposing Dam of Caril lon stretching from shore to shore. On the left,
the land, for the most part pasture and meadow, and clothed here and
there with groves of trees, rises gently as
recedes from the river.
The steamer now draws nigh to the wharf, yet the traveller is scarcely
cons( of the fact, so engrossed is he with the scenery around him. The
ridge above re. ferred to, receding at this point a little farther from
the shore, leaves a leve ground near the river, at the eastern end of
which is Carillon Park, shaded with thick growth of hickory, oak and
maple. Standing vis-a-vis on opposite sides of the river are the small,
quiet villages of Carillon and Point Fortune, the white cot., of which,
with their green fields and evergreen trees in the background, form,
esre cially at sunset, a most beautiful picture.
A number of substantial brick and stone houses are also found in ea
and especially the Government houses in Carillon, in which dwell the
officials nected with the canal, are attractive, as well as the grounds
around steamer s wharf is a long, low building, which serves as station
and freight both steamers and the railway. Several rods distant, and
the first structure entrance to the village from the east, stands a
very large and imposing stone bu. which a sign proclaims is the <
Sovereign Hotel," but which for severa has been known through all the
country side as " The Barrack
1 66 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
But directly back of the station, on the brow of the ridge, one hundred
feet or
more above the river, is a clump of buildings to which the traveler
ascends in order to enjoy the wide view which their location commands. But
his attention is soon
engrossed by the buildings and surrounding objects ; everything has
such an evidence of care and prosperity in years bygone, that he will
inevitably wish to know the history of the early proprietor.
A delightful grove of pine, butternut and acacia trees, in which squirrels
chatter and gambol, nearly approaches the buildings on the east. Passing
through this, one enters an extensive pasture, where a number of horses,
sheep and cattle are grazing, or seeking shelter from the sun, in the
shade of gigantic elms, oaks and maples. A few yards in front, a lakelet,
formed partly by nature and partly by art, sends its waters in a babbling
stream down through a deep gorge, rendered dark by overhanging trees
across the park to mingle with the Ottawa. On the farther side of this
gorge, located in a bower of evergreens, stands the cottage of Mr. John
Halsey. the engineer on the Carillon & Grenville Railway. Twenty yards
in front of this are the roofless walls of a stone structure, enclosing
trees whose tops shoot many feet above them.
And thus one may wander for a day, over a tract of land stretching from
the Ottawa half a league back to the North River ; and at every step will
be discovered some memento of a time when energy and wealth were expended
with lavish hand to render this a beautiful and productive homestead. Here
and there tumble-down stone walls nre found in woods where once were
cultivated fields. Here, the last decaying timbers of an old mill ; and
there, in the forest, are moss-covered mounds, which tradition says are
the resting places of the servitors of the "Lord of the Manor "the toilers
who helped to clear these lands and rear the structures now in ruins.
During this survey of so many vestiges of the past, the impression has
been stead ily growing, that the early proprietor of this estate must
have possessed means far exceeding those of most of the early pioneers,
and that he used it in opening up busi ness, the extent and character of
which seem unique in the features of a new settle ment. The researches
incited by our curiosity develop the following facts :
One hundred and six years ago, or in 1790, the lot on which the house
and out buildings stand was granted to a man named L OIive. In May of
the same year, however, it was reunited to the domain, by a judgment of
the Court of Common Pleas ; and on the 3rd of May, 1792, it was granted
anew to M. J. Ladouceur. It
seems, however, that it must have once more returned to the
Seignior, as it was again granted, Jan. 7 th, 1800, by Maj. Murray to
J. Whitlock. Eight years later, it was sold to Peter Dewar, who retained
it till the year 1819, when he sold it to Maj. Muir. 27th May, 1827,
Maj. Muir conveyed it to Commissary General C. J. Forbes, during whose
ownership the buildings house, barns, hotel, brewery, malt house and
-were erected, and the large improvements made, the place receiving
the name < Bellevue," by which name it has been known for more than
three-score years. By
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 6
Sketdl haS been P re P^* ^ one familiar with the
"BELLEVUE."
CHARLES JOHN FORBES was born in Hampshire, England, Feb. xoth, i 7 86
and dunng his hfe on the Ottawa, the loth of February was as well known
to his C circle of friends as Christmas or New Year. At an early age
he was Allege of Altona in Denmark, and when only fourteen, L "recked"
el LV England on the coast of Holland. While waiting for a ship to carry
them to their des tmation, be was taken by the Captain to a country Fair,
and such was his wonder ul memory and genius for poking up languages,
even at that early age, that he learnt fcere a song, sung by the
peasantry, and afterwards discontinued by order of the Govei ment, but
remembered and repeated by him in a visit to Holland in his seventv-
th year. On his return to England, he entered the Navy ; but when he
was nineteen he went into the army, and first saw active service in that
unfortunate affair in E-ypt under Sir John Stuart. He was taken prisoner
and confined in the dungeons of the citadel qf Cairo but was fortunate
enough to attract the notice of Mahomed Ali and a friendship struck
up between the English boy and the powerful Pasha The following year,
he again served under Sir John Stuart, at the battle of Maida, and then
the En-lis arms was victorious. For several years he saw service in the
Mediterranean bein* present at the taking of the Ionian Islands and the
taking of Sicily. He was alsc daring enough on one occasion, to swim out
under a heavy fire with despatches to the Admiral of the fleet, for which
service he received the thanks of Government and a gold snuff-box. He
served in the Commissariat department through the Peninsu lar war, where
his knowledge of languages made his services very useful Fro; there, he
was sent to join the army under Sir James Packenham, and was present at
the battle of New Orleans. In a letter, now in possession of his family
written to uncle in England, immediately after the battle, he describes
that unfortunate affair and the misapprehension of the feeling in the
Floridas and Louisiana, which led to such a small force being sent ;
but he always retained a profound respect for General Jackson.
" On his return to England, the following summer, he married Miss
Sophia Mar garet Browne, and their bridal tour was from the church
door to Waterloo. Imm- d.ately after that decisive victory, Mr. Forbes,
accompanied by his wife, was sent to Vienna, to take charge of the money
lent by the Rothschilds to the British Govern ment for the payment of the
Prussian troops. Mrs. Forbes often described the heart-rending scenes they
witnessed; whenever they stopped to change horses, they saw women who,
having heard of a great battle, were hoping to get news of hu.sb.uuK
lathers and sons.
"The peace of Europe being now established, they went to Florence,
where they continued to reside for some years, their eldest children
being born there. Daring their sojourn in that delightful city, they
made acquaintance with some very cele-
1 63 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
brated people, among them, the Countess of Blessington, Lord Byron and
the Abbe
Mezzofanti, known as the greatest linguist of his own or any other day,
being able to speak and write seventy different languages. In 1825,
Mr. Forbes was ordered to Nova Scotia, leaving Mrs. Forbes in England. She
followed him as soon as possible under the escort of an old friend,
whose son was afterwards Principal of the Lennox- ville College. From
Halifax, Mr. Forbes was transferred to Montreal, but as that town was
not healthy for his children, they decided to buy a place where they
might be sent. Accordingly, they bought the property known as Bellevue
at Carillon, on the Ottawa, from Major Muir. They liked their home on
the Ottawa so much, that they bought two other farms, one from Major
Burke and the other back of the village of Carillon from Mr. Cameron,
which was ever afterwards known as " Cam eron s Land.
" The society of Montreal was at that time exceedingly good, as, besides
the mili tary, there was the old aristocratic French element, the De
Montenachs ; the De
Lotbinieres, whose daughters inherited the seigniories of Rigaud,
Vaudreuil and De Lotbiniere ; and many more of the old French families
who formed at once the most exclusive and charming of societies. There
were, besides, the Scotch merchant princes of Montreal, whose dignified
hospitality added so much to the delight of Canadian life.
"This pleasant style of life continued, partly in Montreal and partly at
Bellevue, till Mr. Forbes was ordered to the West Indies, at the time of
the emancipation of the slaves. While there, he had two attacks of yellow
fever in three months, and was invalided home. He returned to Canada,
and took up his abode permanently, at Bellevue. His only official duty
from that time was acting as adviser to Sir John Colborne, Governor
General and Commander of the Forces, during the Rebellion in
1837-38. He also acted for many years as Paymaster to the old
pensioners,, and was once unanimously returned as Member for the county of
Argenteuil. A curious thing happened in connection with his election. At
a dinner given at Bellevue to his constituents, a quantity of silver was
stolen, but was shortly afterwards returned by the priest, who requested
that no questions should be asked, as it was restored under the seal of
confession. Families of old friends and relations had, in the mean time,
come out from England, and settled in the neighborhood ; the society
was delightful : Mr. \Vainvvright, R.N., bought a place which he named "
Silver Heights, from the white daisies growing on the hill at the back
of the house; Mr. Cunning ham, afterwards Sir Francis, at Milnecraig,
called after the family residence in Scot land, and whose house as they
insisted on being their own architects was found to be minus stairs or
a support for one of the gables, which had to be built on a heavy beam
through one of the bedrooms ; Mr. Stikeman, at Rose Cottage, across the
river, one of whose sons married Mr. Forbes second daughter, Florence;
and Mr. William Abbott, the genial clergyman of the parish, without
whom no festivity in the neighborhood was complete. His still more
talented brother, the Rev. Joseph Abbott, was also a constant visitor,
while his son afterward Sir John Abbott spent a great
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 16
deal of his early life at Bellevue. Prior to this, the building of the
canal from Caril lon to Grenville brought a large military force into the
neighborhood, the officers of which generally made their headquarters
at Bellevue ; and for many years afterward, soldiers were stationed at
Carillon for the protection of the canal the military ele ment adding
much to the social enjoyment of the neighborhood. In connection with
military matters, may be mentioned that, during the Rebellion, Bellevue
became the House of Refuge of the ladies who were left defenceless from
their male relatives going off to join the volunteer companies then
formed. Some of these ladies thought the cellars, which run the entire
length of the house, would be a hiding place, in which no adventurous
rebel would ever find them, and insisted on dragging bedding and other
things down there. Mrs. Forbes, however, who felt the warlike spirit
strong within her, remained on deck, spending one whole night casting
bullets, as Mr. Giraud, one of the leaders, and who had been tutor to her
sons, knowing how well the place was victualed, declared his intention
of eating his Christmas dinner there. His intentions, however, were
frustrated by the determined defence made by our Volun teers. Mr. Forbes
son-in-law, Mr. Edward Jones, immediately formed a Cavalry company,
in which Mr. Forbes eldest son, Carlo, served as cornet. They did va
liant service, both at Grand Brule and St. Eustache. Many deeds of
valor were done by heroes from that section, a son of Judge McDonell,
of Point Fortune, driving down on the ice and capturing some of the
enemy s cannon, and dragging them up behind his sleigh. Quiet was at
last restored, and Mr. Forbes, who always had a mania for building,
was able to pursue his favorite occupation in peace.
" His fancy for building and agriculture never proved profitable, the
brewery, which was built in 1833, being a constant bill of expense, and
the Barrack, which was built in 1830, became useless after the troops
were removed ; the powder magazine had only the advantage that it blew
up without hurting anybody, and the saw mill only led to a feud with
his old friend, Col. Johnson; the Seignior. In right of the seigniorial
law as at that time established, he prevented his using his saw mill for
anyone s benefit but his own. The agricultural arrangements were not much
more profitable, except so far as it enabled unbounded hospitality to
be at all times exer cised. Arthur Young, the great English authority,
was constantly consulted; but what might have suited English farming
did not suit Canadian, all root crops had to be transplanted ; a lime
kiln was built, to keep a constant supply of lime on hand for the land;
large holes were dug in the bog to extract the marl at the bottom ;
and though the farm included 500 acres of woodland, a number of Irish
laborers were con; employed to make peat to burn in the house, as the
ashes were supposed to be gooc for turnips. However, all these theories
gave constant employment to the peopl around there ; those who wanted
work were never denied it ; and if sickne them or their families, they
were always generously provided for. social life was of the pleasantest :
people of distinction constantly coming stay Sir John Colborne, the Earl
of Dalhousie, Sir James Kempt, Sir Charl >t,
Sir Charles Metcalf and Lord Sydenham-all Governors of Canada-have
been enfe
1.2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
tained at the old homestead. Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson
Bay Company, was a frequent visitor, while Monsignor Forbin de Jonson,
the Catholic
Bishop, who put up so many of the crosses on the Catholic churches in
Canada, staytd at Bellevue, and even claimed relationship, as he said
his family were origin ally Forbes, but the French pronunciation had
changed it to Forbin. Of the Epis
copal Bishops, Stuart, Mountain and Fulford always made Bellevue their
stopping
place on their parochial visits up the Ottawa. While, in spite of
political differences, Mr. Papineau was a welcome guest, his courtly
French manner being delightful.
Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, only four are alive. The oldest
son, Charles, or Carlo, became a civil engineer, and is now living at
St. Paul, Minn. The youngest, Frank, is in the City Engineer s office in
Chicago. The second daughter, Mrs. Stikeman, removed after her husband
s death to California, as did the youngest daughter, Elizabeth; while
of the two nieces of Mr. Forbes, whom he took as children and brought up
as his own, the eldest married Captain Powell, of the 9 th Regiment, and
the youngest married Dr. Mayrand, of St. Andrews, who is related to some
of the old French families. Bellevue, as a home of the Forbes family, has
long ceased to exist; and the life in the old homestead is only a pleasant
memory of a by-gone time to many scattered in various parts of the world."
F.
Mr. Forbes died 22nd September, 1862; Mrs. Forbes died 23rd June, 1869.
The latter had been on a visit to " Silver Heights," accompanied by one
of her nieces. In returning, the horse, a spirited animal, took fright,
the carriage was over turned, and Mrs. Forbes being thrown violently
against a rock was instantly killed. Her untimely death was the cause of
much sorrow in the community, especially among those who had experienced
her kindness and benevolence. She was a woman of excellent judgment,
active temperament, generous and kindly disposition.
Mrs. Palliser, now living in Carillon, spent several years of her early
life in the service of the Forbes family, and has many interesting
reminiscences of Bellevue. She remembers particularly the benevolence
of Mrs. Forbes, and how generously she always supplied poor families
with fruit at the season of fruit-gathering.
In those early days, serious and bloody fights were of frequent occurrence
among the raftsmen on the river, which were usually followed by the
arrest of one or more of the most vicious combatants on their arrival
at Carillon.
The culprits were usually brought before Mr. Forbes for trial, and a
strong- room in the basement of Bellevue confined the prisoner till
the hour of his trial arrived. The door of this "lock-up," together
with a padlock, which looks as if it might have done service in the
Bastile, still remain as mementoes of those rude scenes which, happily,
no longer occur.
In 1864, the Bellevue property, consisting of 700 acres of land and four
houses, was purchased by the Ottawa River Navigation Company, of which
the late R. W. Shepherd, sen., was president, and his son R. W. SHEPHERD,
jun., is now manager.
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
171
The latter left school in 1865, and entered the office of the Company
as clerk.
During the time thus employed, he overlooked the building of the steamer "
Dagmar, in the Company s shipyard, learned much about boats, their speed,
construction, etc., knowledge which was of much service to him in after
years. In 1866, when the " Dagmar " commenced running, he was appointed
purser on her, and remained two years, when he became purser on the mail
steamer " Prince of Wales," and held the position till 1870. In February,
1871, he made a trip to Europe, and on his return, the same year, was
appointed assistant manager of the Company a position he occupied till
1882, when he became general manager.
The construction of the palatial iron steamers "Sovereign " and " Empress
" was
entirely under his control and supervision, and the designs for them
were prepared by him, after several trips to the States to obtain the
most modern and suitable plans for river steamers designed for pleasure
travel. That he attained his object is abun dantly proven by the fine
appearance of these steamers and their popularity with the traveling
puclic.
Mr. Shepherd was married 26th June, 1879, to Miss Margaret A. Robertson,
daughter of Hugh Robertson, of " Milncraig," Carillon Hill, Quebec.
Military affairs have also engaged a share of his attention, and during
the Fenian raids, he was ensign in the Cotno Rifles, and was stationed
with his company to guard the approach to the bridge at St. Ann s. For
eight years, he was an officer in the Prince of Wales Rifles, ist
Battalion, and retired with rank of Captain. He saw
active service when connected with this Battalion, during the Fenian
excitement, the Guibord interment, and the Bread Riots in Quebec, in 1878.
He has taken great interest in horticultural matters and fruit growing,
and for
several years was director and vice-president of the Montreal
Horticultural Society, and is now vice-president of the Pomological
Society of the Province of Quebec a Society indebted chiefly to him for
its formation. Fruit growing has engaged much of his attention for more
than twenty years, especially the cultivation of* the best table apples,
and his fine nurseries at Como are now well known in this part of the
Dominion. He was assistant Commissioner of this Province for the World
s Fair at Chicago, and the fine collection of fruit sent from Quebec
was collected under his supervision.
Carillon, even for a country village, is remarkably quiet ; a bakery and a
carpen ter shop comprising all its manufactories. It has neither church,
minister, or lawyer, and but one store. The Roman Catholics attend their
church at St. Andrews, and the Protestants the different denominational
services of the same place, or the service held occasionally at the
residence of Mr. Sharman in this village.
But notwithstanding the lack of mills and stores, there is considerable
travel through the place even in winter ; and when the spring opens and
the boats begin to run, the aspect of Carillon, as a business place,
is greatly improved. This being the terminus of the steamboat line from
Montreal, as well as that of the railway running
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
to Grenville, it is a depot for both passengers and freight ; and when
summer advances, and people seek the refreshing air of the country,
numbers flock .to Carillon ; its beautiful and expansive water front
and otherwise charming scenery attracting num bers which, through July
and August, greatly enhance the life and gayety of the
village. .
The store referred to above is worthy of notice, not only on account
of its anti quity, but from the events which have therein occurred ;
more than one of the occu pants having acquired a competency, while
others have experienced the lot of bank-
rupts.
It was built, sometime in the third decade of this century, by
A. E. Monimar- quet from Montreal. Having no competitors in the place,
he soon became forehand
ed, and possibly, it may have been from the opportunity he had, of making
what the Scotchman called " four per cent." profits, really four times
the cost. However this may be, he acquired much influence in the County,
and the following letter, copied from one in the archives of Quebec,
shows that he was not devoid of public spirit.
CARILLON, Sept. i6th, 1846. To the Supt. Schools,
Canada East.
g IR \ve have received a petition from the inhabitants of the school
district of
Carillon, asking for help towards erecting a school-house in said district
; and as we are not aware that there is any money in the Government hands
to be appropriated to this district, we would feel extremely obliged if
you will let us know whether you have any to spare, and what will be the
amount you will be able to grant them. An answer will greatly oblige
the inhabitants of Carillon school, particularly Mr. A. E. Montmarquet,
who is taking great interest in having a school-house erected in said
village.
We are, sir,
Your obedient servants,
G. N. BENEDICT, MOSES DAVIS,
Secretary- Treasurer. Chairman.
When Mr. Montmarquet left Carillon, rumor claimed that he was worth the
snug sum of $100,000 ; it is said that he was one of the founders of
the People s Bank at Quebec.
In 1837, hi s store was tne scene of a startling occurrence. At the
time when the greatest excitement prevailed in St. Eustache, many of
the inhabitants of that place fled from their homes, leaving them to
be plundered by any who might feel so disposed. Very soon, therefore,
the work of pillage began. Stock was drawn off,
hen roosts and pig sties were rifled, houses broken open, and their
contents carried off or scattered along the street. In such a condition
of things, it was quite natural that many who would scorn to be the
first to enter a house to appropriate its effects, should pick up and
carry off things which they well knew would otherwise soon be come the
prey of others.
HISTORY OF ARGRNTEUIL. 173
On the Saturday night following the fight at St. Eustache, a man named
Hoyle was in the store of Mr. Duncan Dewar of St. Andrews, declaiming
loudly against those who would appropriate the property of the absent
proprietors. At that moment Mr. Jamieson, a brother-in-law of C. J. Forbes
of Carillon, and who lived on the Forbes estate, chanced to pass with
a single bleigh load of the confiscated property from St. Eustache. The
opportunity was favorable for Hoyle to advertise his hon
esty and achieve notoriety; and abruptly leaving his auditors, he rushed
oat, caught up with the sleigh on the bridge, seized the horse by the
head, and launched into a furious philippic against the astonished
Jamieson. The latter merely replied that he deemed himself quite
responsible for whatever property he had taken, and drove on.
On the succeeding Monday, Hoyle inquired at the store of Mr. Dewar fora
quantity of his favorite brand of tobacco, and Mr. Dewar having none,
he informed him that he could procure it of Montmarquet, at Carillon. To
the latter s store, therefore, Hoyle proceeded, and Jamieson, in whose
breast the insult recently offered him was still rankling, seeing
him pass, and divining that he had gone to the store of Mortmarquet,
followed. His first words on entering the store and seeing Hoyle were :
" How dare you insult me, sir, as you did Saturday night in St. Andrews ?
and at the same moment he struck him across the back with his cane, word
of warning, Hoyle instantly drew a pistol from his pocket and shot him.
crowd soon collected, in which there were three physicians, who pronounced
wound fatal.
Hoyle quickly placed himself under the protection of Maj. Mayne, <
the two companies of soldiers at the Barracks, who refused to deliver
him to the in dignant citizens clamoring for his trial, according to
the code of Judge Lynch,
do not know," he said to them, " that Hoyle has committed murder ;
Jamieson may
yet recover ; " and he did recover.
Forty-one years afterwards, when he died, the bullet and a part of a
suspend buckle which it carried with it were found in his body.
FROM THE FENELON FALLS (ONT.) GAZETTE OF DEC., 1878.
Rl-LICS OF 1837.
Mr Jamieson, of Point Fortune, Quebec, who died in this village on Monday
last at the residence of his sister, Mrs. Cunningham, requested a few
days ago that if the attach from which he was suffering should prove
fatal, his body should be opened before bunal, and made for a pistol
bullet and a portion of a brace buckle which he had been carrying ,
within him for about forty-one years.
In ,8,7, the memorable year of the Rebellion in Canada, Mr. Jam^on then
a young
strong man, res.ded at Caullon in the Lower Province. One day in the
post office . arguing politics with a rebel, whose language became so
insulting or otherwise provol M? . JamLon struck him, whereupon he drew
a pistol and fired at his loyal oppone, I he MM
broke the iron buckle of the right suspender, and then entered Ins breast,
inflicting. nearly proved fatal, and from which he was laid up fur six
weeks. At the expuaUon of Uu was ne Lly well again, and never afterwards
felt any ill effects from the hurt ; but as the bull.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
been extracted, and as it was believed to have taken the missing part of
the buckle with it, Mr. Jamie- son often expressed the wish during his
last illness, that, after his death, the locality of the "foreign bodies,"
as medical men would call them, should be ascertained ; and Drs, Allen and
Bryson searched for and were successful in finding them on Monday last.
They were near together and close to the spine the bullet resting on
the diaphragm, and entire ly enveloped by a cartilaginous formation
of considerable size, while the other article was partially hidden by a
deposit more nearly resembling flesh. The bullet is for a pistol of rather
large size, and \vas originally round, but is much damaged at one spot,
no doubt where it struck the buckle, which was broken by the blow. The
part with the tongue or tongues attached probably remained fast to the
suspender. The portion driven in by the bullet formed three sides of the
buckle, and is of the simplest description, being merely a piece of iron
wire about two inches long and bent at right angles, a little more than
half an inch from each end. It is only rusted in spots, and not deeply,
and the mark made by the blow of the bullet is still plainly visible.
Mr. Jamieson died 28th December, 1878.
After two weeks, Hoyle was sent to Montreal to be tried, but received
bail the same day, and nothing further was heard of the case.
A. E. MONTMARQUET sold his store and other property in Carillon to
Mr. Schnei der, and left the place in 1860. In 1871, Schneider sold
to John Fletcher, a young man from Rigaud, who had spent the four
previous years in Scotland in acquiring a know ledge of mercantile
business. He died, however, a short time subsequently, and his brother,
Wm. L. Fletcher, became his successor in the store and post office.
The latter was married in June, 1872, to Miss O. Charlebois, daughter
of the postmaster at Rigaud. During the few years that he survived,
Mr. Fletcher was an active citizen, and filled municipal offices. He
died 23rd November, 1877, and Mrs. Fletcher was appointed postmistress,
a position which she still retains, assisted by her daughter Maud.
Five or six years ago, the Montmarquet store was purchased by M. Dwyer, of
Kingston, who had been in trade in this village for several years. Success
attended him, and after sixteen years residence in Carillon, he left in
the Spring of 1894 for Kingston, several thousand dollars better off
than he was when he came here. As he had always dealt fairly with his
customers, and on leaving took special pains to accommodate his debtors,
the good wishes of the community went with him. About two years before
his departure, he sold his store and stock of goods to R. V. Gauthier,
a young gentleman who had acted as clerk for him during the six preceding
years.
Mr. Gauthier springs from stock whose energy and loyalty form an heir-loom
of honor to their descendants. His grandfather, JOHN BAPTISTE GAUTHIER,
was born 2ist October, 1796, at Montreal Junction. At the age of 18, he
enlisted at Montreal in a regiment of Voltigeurs, and took an active part
in the battle of Chateauguay, for which service he subsequently received a
pension. In the Rebellion of 1837, he joined a company of loyal Cavalry,
and was often employed in carrying dispatches. After the Rebellion,
he settled at St. Anne, where he died in 1886, upwards of 90 years of
age. He left two sons and two daughters.
Victor, one of the former, a man of much enterprise and intelligence,
learned the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 175
trade of carpenter, and for some time was employed by the Great North
Western and Montreal Telegraph Company. In charge of a number of men,
he erected many of the lines of this Company in Ontario, and in 1872,
as a stationary mechanic of the Company, settled in Carillon. In 1867,
he v/as married to Hermine Crevier of St. Anne. During his life in this
Village, he took an active part in whatever promoted its prosperity. He
was a member of the Municipal Council, and also of the Board of School
Commissioners; in the latter, owing to his desire for the encouragement
of education, he was particularly active.
He seems to have been one whose natural endowments and powets of observa
tion compensate for the lack of a liberal education, and his charts
display no little skill as a draughtsman. He died in 1890, leaving a
family of children whose modesty and politeness reflect no small degree
of credit on their parental training.
His eldest son, R. V. GAUTHIER, took a commercial course at Rigaud
College, from which he graduated in 1887.
While there, the same devotion to duty which has characterized his
subsequent career, enabled him always to take either first or second
place in his classes, and win honors of which a young man less modest
might sometimes boast. He won the highest prize offered for proficiency
in the study of commercial law, political economy and bookkeeping ;
the first prize in science, grammar, analysis and themes ; and in 1887
he won the silver medal offered by Messrs. Fogarty & Co., of Montreal,
for pro ficiency in the study of commerce, besides the $30 prize awarded
by the Institution. Since his purchase of the store in 1892, his trade
has steadily increased, custom ers being attracted, not more by the fair
prices than by the probity and courtesy of the merchant. His younger
brother, Thomas, entered the boot and shoe store of James Leggatt of
Montreal, in 1889, as clerk ; he has been their manager, and is now
tra veiling for the same firm. Donat, a brother still younger, is the
assistant of R. V. in his slore.
JAMES BARCLAY, who lived for many years in Carillon, was one of her
most enterprising and influential citizens, and was well known and
popular throughout tiie County. His father had taken an active part in
the political troubles by which Scotland was agitated, and his radical
principles incurring the animosity of the Gov ernment, his property was
confiscated and a price set on his head. But he succeeded in escaping,
and in 1820, with his wife by a second marriage, and his only surviving
son James, then 17 years of age, came to America. He remained two or
three years in Montreal, and then removed to New Glasgow ; but the
place, at that time especially, offered but little encouragement to
men of enterprise and ambition : and after a residence there of three
or four years, the father and son decided to go to South America. With
this design they had gone as far as Montreal, when, by one of tlv
simple events which sometimes effect great changes, they were led to
throw up their plan and remain in Canada.
The younger Barclay happened, unexpectedly on the street, man named John
Wanless, whom he formerly knew in Edinburgh, but who then live.
176 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
in St. Andrews. On learning Barclay s intention of going to South America,
so eloquently did he portray the risk he was incurring in going to that
semi- barbarous and tropical country, and so effectually did he plead
the advantages afforded by Canada, that young Barclay and his father
decided to return with him to St. Andrews.
One Sabbath morning, while living in this Village, James strolled out
on the road leading to Carillon, and as he passed over the " Hill," and
saw the beautiful gardens and the fine orchards just then gorgeous with
a profusion of blossoms, he thought he had seen no other spot in this
country so attractive, or one which reminded him so forcibly of Scotland ;
and he then said to himself that, if he ever purchased a farm in Canada,
it would be on Carillon Hill. After a residence of a few years in St.
Andrews, he removed to Carillon Village, where for a long time his
enterprise contributed to the activity of the place. Besides opening
a boot and shoe shop, he started a stage lire between this Village and
Grenville, which at that time, before the construction of the railway,
was an enterprise of great utility*
In accordance with his determination mentioned above, in 1835, ne
purchased the farm on Carillon Hill which had been owned by Peter
McArthur. It was some time, however, before he lived on this farm,
though he employed men to cultivate it. He was for some years agent
for the McPherson & Crane Forwarding Company. When the Carillon &
Grenville Railroad was completed, he was the first conductor on it ;
but soon afterward, advancing age compelled him to resign this position,
and his last years were spent in quietude on the pleasant farm still
occupied by his children.
During the Rebellion of 1837, his knowledge of the country and extensive
acquaintance with its inhabitants, added to his good judgment and
activity, rendered him a very useful servant of the Government, and
he was frequently employed to carry despatches between Montreal and
St. Andrews. One night, having occasion to stop at a wayside tavern to
have his horse fed, he found there a number of rebels who suspecttd him,
and intended to take him prisoner ; but one of their number, who some time
previously had, been in his employ, followed him to the stable, revealed
the plot of his fellow rebels, and advised him to escape. Trusting the
man, and
deciding to follow his advice, he mounted his horse, and putting spurs
to him, was soon clear of the place, but only in time to escape the
volley of shots fired after him. It is perhaps needless to say that he
did not draw rein until he was well out of their reach. The despatches
were carried between the soles of his boots.
In politics, he was a staunch Conservative, being a warm admirer of the
late Sir hn A. Macdonald, and his influence in behalf of Conservative
candidates was always displayed, in no small degree, in times of elections
; indeed, he was one whose abilities were worthy of a broader field of
action. He was a man of sterling integrity and inflexible will, yet he
possessed a great fund of humor, and enjoyed a good practical joke.
Mr. Barclay was twice married : the first time, in 1832, to Ann Hayes
of Limerick, Ireland, who died in 1839, and he then married her sister,
Joanna, who died in 1866.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 177
By the first marriage he had four children, but only the eldest, John,
is now alive ; he is engaged in an extensive commission business in
Glasgow. By the second mar
riage, he had a large family of children ; but of these, only four sons
and two daughters
are now alive.
William, the eldest of these, and a man of ability, is a commercial
traveller for the house of Frothingham & Workman, Montreal; he was married
in 1873 to Adria Haines of that city. His family resides in St. Andrews,
where the influence of Mrs. Barclay in support of temperance and
Christian work is strongly exerted. Hanam,
their eldest son, is pursuing a course of study in mining and engineering,
in Chicago.
George, the second son of James Barclay, is engaged with Mclaughlin Bros.,
lumbermen, in Arnprior, Ont. Henry, the third son, after spending some
years in
Montreal as machinist, returned to Carillon ; and now lives on the
homestead with his sisters, Joanna and Florence all, like their parents,
deservedly esteemed by the community around them. Colin Campbell, the
fourth son, is in Rico, Colorado a dealer in hardware and mining supplies.
ALEXANDER MC!NTOSH, from Lochaber, Scotland, spent part of his early life
in England, and in 1850 went to Australia, being in the latter country
while the gold fever was at its height. He afterward returned to Scotland,
and in 1866 came to Can ada and bought the " Prioiy " on the " Field Farm
" in St. Andrews. This building was then the property of Mrs. Abbott,
widow of the late Rev. William Abbott.
Mr. Mclntosh was married in England to Miss Ward, and they had three
children all daughters; he died in St Andrews in 1884. Mrs. Mclntosh
survives him, living with her daughter, Mrs. McNaughton.
The latter, who is the youngest of the three sisters, married Dr. Donald
Mc Naughton of Hudson ; they removed to Carillon, and purchased the
present pro perty of Mrs. McNaughton, " Dunderav," formerly known as
" Milncraig," a beau tiful place on the road leading from Carillon to
St. Andrews.
Dr. McNaughton died in December, 1888, leaving a widow, one son and five
daughters.
The eldest daughter, Anna, married to C. V. De Boucherville, lives in (
Eliza, married to Martin S.Albright, lives at Prospect Place, La Baie ;
Eleanor, married to James Machan, lives in Grenville ; Grace M. and Flora
are attending Dunham Ladies College; Duncan, the son, is in the States.
Miss AGNES TAYLOR, of Carillon Hill, has been a resident of this place
for several
years.
Her parents, James and Elizabeth (Beattie) Taylor, came to this Scotland
in 1837, and first settled in St. Andrews. Mr. Taylor was employed,
s after his arrival, as foreman on the estate of Commissary Forbes,
Carillon ; Rebellion was then in progress, in going to and from his work
lenged by sentinels posted between the two villages, and compelled to
word. He afterwards removed to Isle aux Chats, where he di Taylor died
in 1888. They had four sons and six daughters.
1 78 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
James, the eldest son, is the proprietor of a fine farm in East Hawkesbury
; David, the second son, is in Independence, Oregon ; Joseph, third
son, lives on the homestead ; and Robert, the youngest, in British
Columbia. Of the daughters, five married, and all who are now living
remain in Canada. Mary A., one of the daughters, married to James Taylor,
lives at Isle aux Chats.
Agnes R., who is the fourth daughter, came to this place in 1889,
and purchased
the residence, of her brother David, who was about leaving for the
West. Miss Taylor has made many improvements, and her pretty residence,
known as " Rosebank Cottage," with its fine view of the Ottawa and
profusion of flowers in summer, adds much to the attractiveness of
the street.
JOHN A. SHARMAN, a native of Norfolk, England, a tailor by trade, came
to America in 1830. He soon returned to his native country, but came
back again in
J 833, and before 1849 na d crossed the Atlantic with his family nine
times, on a few occasions as super-cargo, thus saving the expenses of the
voyage. On one of these trips, the vessel, when returning to England,
heavily laden with lumber, encountered a severe gale, and sprang a
leak. The storm continued three days ; the hands were all set at the
pumps, and to encourage them, the captain supplied them liberally, as well
as himself, with rum, till, with the exception of the carpenter, they were
all drunk. Mr. Sharman, seeing the condition of things, and knowing that
their escape from death depended entirely on the ability of the sailors
to work the pumps, assumed command, and with the aid of the carpenter
managed, with much difficulty, to keep the sailors at work. So badly did
the vessel leak, that for some hours he could not see that the water in
the vessel diminished. Concealing this fact, however, from the sailors,
and exhorting them to persevere, the ship out-rode the storm, and even
tually, badly water-logged, reached port.
During the year that Mr. Sharman lived in this country, he plied his
trade in different places : New York State, East Hawkesbury, Ont,
Chatham and St. Johns,
Que., and lastly on the Lachute Road, St. Andrews, where he died, 24th
January, 1875, aged 79.
He lived in New York about the time the Canadian Rebellion was
approaching ;
and his outspoken English opinions were not calculated to make friends
in that
locality, hence he came to Canada. Mrs. Sharman, his second wife,
died i4th
November, 1852, aged 44. He married a third time, but had no children,
save by
the second marriage ; these were two sons and two daughters.
ALONZO L., the eldest son, followed the trade of his father, which he
still pur- s in Carillon. He was married 26th October, 1865, to Mary
Gordon. She died zoth
June, 1875 ; they had tsvo sons and a daughter. He married a second
time, 25th ebruary, 1878, Mary L., daughter of the late John Dewar ;
they have one son and
one daughter. Mr. Sharman is a Christian man, and an earnest advocate
of temper
ance. In the fall of 189.1, aided by Mrs. Sharman, he organized a Sabbath
School in this village, which is held at his residence.
HISTORY CF AKGEM EUIL. 179
Th e Carillon & Grenville Railway is only a section of a road which was
to be built from Montreal to Ottawa ; and though it commenced with a
fair prospect o f success, it ended disastrously for its projectors.
It was begun in 1857 by two brothers from England, William and Samuel
Sikes, both skillful mechanics, and one, at least, being a mechanical
engineer. The money for the enterprise was to be provided by an English
banking firm, SikeF, DeBerg & Co., of which firm, Alexander Sikes,
a brother of the two named above, was a member.
Labor on the road was commenced at different points, Montreal,
St. Eustache, St. Andrews, etc., a steam mill being erected at the latter
place, near the River Rouge, to saw lumber required in the construction
of the road, and artesian wells were sunk to provide the mill with water.
The work had progressed favorably for nearly two years the men employed
had been promptly paid, and the money to pay the last sum of indebtedness
for labor had been sent from England, when a sad accident abruptly
terminated the whole project.
Immediately after the last instalment of money had been sent, Alexander
Sikes took passage on a vessel for America, with a view, it is supposed,
of inspecting the work in which his company had invested so much money
; but the vessel, with all on board, was lost. When this sad accident
became known in England, the company of
which the deceased, Mr. Sikes, had been a member sent to their
representative here, requesting him to return the money he had lately
received.
The order was obeyed, and thus the Sikes brothers on this side of the
Atlantic were without means to accomplish their object. Unwilling,
however, to abandon the work, they invested what little capital they
possessed, which being soon swallowed up, the work, from necessity,
was abandoned.
Others besides the Sikes brothers lost heavily in this unlucky venture
perhaps, more largely than Sydney Bellingham, M.P.P. for Argentcuil.
The only completed portion of the road was that between
Carillon andGrenvil and this coming into possession of the late
Hon. J. J. C. Abbott, solicitor for
managers, was, by him, sold to the Ottawa River Navigation Company
in 1863.
JOHN McGowAN, the present superintendent of the abcwe Railway, and one
of prominent citizens and business men of Carillon, was born in Balmagh
parish, g land. He came to Montreal in 1842, and was first employed
by a i near the city, with whom he remained two years. He then engaged
Thomas Masson, Notre Dame street, Montreal ; but at the erpiration of ilm
declining health compelled him to abandon the store. His father s fam.l
in this country, and in connection with his father, he bought a farm
at where he was engaged till about 1858. In the year previous, he was
marnc McCuish, who died in 1870, leaving eight children. Four of these
died and two more after reaching the age of eighteen. In 1859, Mr. M<
to the Ottawa River Navigation Company, and for five years was loca
lgo HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In 1863, the Company purchased the Carillon & Grenville Railway, and
the following year he came to Carillon to act as superintendent for
the Company.
While thus engaged, he has not been indifferent to the public
affairs of villas and has taken special interest in schools. He was
Secretary-Treasurer of the School Board when living in Hudson, and is
now Secretary-Treasurer of the dissen tient school of this village. He
was Miyor of the village in 1893, and once since has been elected to the
same office. In 1874 he went to Scotland, and while there was married
to Jane Edgar. Mr. McGovvan is a man of much energy and activity, and a
very proficient and careful manager of the interests committed to his
charge. John, his eldest son, who was employed several years as purser
on the steamer Princess," the duties of which position he discharged to
the unqualified approval ot the Com pany and the public, has recently
been appointed Captain of the new steamer
" Duchess of York."
George, the only son by his second marriage, who has lately attended a
Com mercial College in Montreal, is now ai home.
Isabella, his only daughter, was married in May, 1893, to Ernest Howe,
of the firm of Howe & Mclntyre, commission merchants of Montreal.
JOHN HALSEY, the engineer on the C. & G. Railroad, was born of English
parents in Dublin, and cam; to Canada in 1870. His father and grandfather
had been in the Navy, and the former served at the blockade of Kiel, and
in Egypt won three medals for his proficiency and bravery. He afterward
entered the Coast Guard service, and moved to Dublin.
Mr. John Halsey served his apprenticeship as locomotive fitter on
the Great Southern & Western R.R., and received the most flattering
testimonials from the
officials.
After going to Montreal, he worked two years in the Grand Trunk shops,
then
three years in Brockville for the Can. Central R.R., after which he
worked another
year in the Grand Trunk shops at Montreal. He then accepted the
position of
Locomotive Engineer for the Ottawa River Navigation Company, and has
held it, to
their great satisfaction, for eighteen years. He was married, 22nd June,
1876, to
Margaret, eldest daughter of James Beaton, of Her Majesty s Customs,
Stornoway,
Island of Lewis, Scotland. They have had nine children eight sons and one
daughter, of whom six sons are living. The eldest, Robert, who is learning
the trade
of machinist, has been with the Ingersoll Sergeant Drill Co. of St. Henri,
since
March, 1893.
KELLY S HOTEL, which has been known to the public for nearly fifty years,
is the only one besides the Sovereign, in Carillon. Large as these two
houses seem for so small a place, they are inadequate in the summer
season to accommodate the number applying for board.
JOHN KELLY, the oldest English-speaking resident of Carillon, is a son
of J. Kelly, one of the early settlers of Grenville, and he came to
Carillon in 1848. Patrick
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
lo I
Murphy who had kept a public house in this village, was now deceased,
and Mr Kelly married his widow, and became proprietor of the hotel. Being
active/and po .es of an enterprising spint, as well as shrewdness, he
engaged in whatever nT of business besides hotel keeping presented to
him an opportunity of making money
In those days, before the advent of railways, the travel through Carillon
"far exceeded w,,at it has since. The large number of lumbermen who were
employed on the upper Ottawa and its tributaries all passed to and fro
through Carillon, and be umber manufactured at the Hawkesbury and other
mills, which now is borne off by
locomotives, all came down the Ottawa in rafts, manned by a number of
men whose
patronage added not a little to the profits of the hotel-keeper. At
that time the business of towing, in which Mr. Kelly largely engaged,
was not the least profitable source of his income, and, besides, he
also became a dealer in wood. He had several horses, and their constant
employment in conveying travellers, towing and drawing wood and freight,
together with his farm, secured to him a good income Whi]
thers slept, or whiled away their time to no purpose, Mr. Kelly was hard
at work three and four o clock in the morning being not an unusual hour
for him to begin
In those days of greater financial prosperity, his income from different
sources often exceeded $150 a day - $800 sometimes being realized between
Monday morning and Saturday night. To the credit of Mr. Kelly it can
also be said that, while he was economical, his economy never bordered
on penuriousness, his purse
always being ready to encourage charitable objects or public
improvements. " Money is power;" and when to this its possessor adds
shrewdness and affability, he exerts an influence among his fellows
which those who seek favors at the hands of the public are always sure
to court. For this reason, the aid of Mr. Kelly has not infre quently
been sought in election campaigns ; and a history of the scenes of
political excitement and political chicanery he has witnessed would
alone fill a volume. In 1875, he was induced with some others to place
a steamer on the Ottawa, to rim in opposition to the old line between
Carillon and Montreal, he advancing the money for the purpose. The first
boat purchased was the " Manitoba," at a cost of $ 4,000 which, after
running for four years, was condemned by the inspector. The company then
purchased the " T. B. Maxwell," but after a while financial difficulty
arose, in consequence of which the shareholders- with the exception of
Mr. Kelly and Nelson Burwash withdrew, Mr. Kelly again advancing money
to purchase the shares of the retiring partners. After running the boat
five years longer, and not finding it a remunerative investment, they
sold out to a company in Toronto.
Mr. Kelly was a member of the Municipal Council of St. Andrews for a
period of fifteen years, but seeing the necessity of sidewalks and other
improvements in his own village, he took steps to have it incorporated
into a separate municipality, which event was secured in the fall of 1888,
against determined opposition ; he was Mayor the first four years after
its incorporation, and has recently been elected Mayor by acclamation. In
1874, he erected his present hotel, which is of brick, and thclliu-st
building in Carillon ; he has retired from active business, having given
the mana- ment of his business affairs to his son, T. P. Kelly. The
latter was married 5th
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
February, 1890, to Emma Burrows, of P.ospect, Ont. They own considerable
real estate in this section, the taxes on which amount to a large share
of all levied in the
municipality.
Mr Kelly s first wife died i 9 th September, 1870 ; he was married, 2?th
October I875 , to Julia, second daughter of the late William Lawler,
Esq., of Hawkesbury;
she died i8th October, 1889.
The " SOVEREIGN HOTEL," which, as stated elsewhere, has long been
called Barracks," is a fine commodious stone building located near the
Ottawa. Though erected for an hotel in 1830 by Commissary Forbes, it was
found to be too large and expensive for that period, and has not been
used as a public house until recent years. For the last three years it
has been under the management of N. L. LADOUCEUR, an active young mm,
who has discharged the duties of his calling efficiently, and to the
satisfaction of his patrons. He is the youngest son of Odilon Ladouceur,
noticed in the succeeding sketch. In his early days he learned the trade
of machinist, which trade he followed ten years, and then conducted
a grocery for a while in Ottawa. H< was married, i 7 th January,
1893, to Victoria Clairmont of Rigaud ; she died 2 4 th March, 1894;
and Mr. Ladouceur was next married, isth July, 1895, to Helen Deschamps
of Montreal.
In 1858. ODILON LADOUCEUR came from St. Scholastique, his native place,
to St. Andrews, where he still resides. He is a builder and contractor,
and has followed this occupation throughout this section ever since his
arrival. He married Mdlle. Mathilde Lalonde ; they have had seven sons
and three daughters that have arrived at maturity.
One of the sons, EDMOND A. B. LADOUCEUR, is a member of the Montreal
Bar. He was born at St. Andrews, 8th October, 1866, received his
early training at the school of the Viateur Brothers in that place,
and entered the Bourget College, at Rigaud, in 1879. His course there
was a very successful one; he was at the head
of his classes, and thus, naturally, won the approbation of his
professors. He also displayed a taste for literary work, and several of
his essays, some of which were in verse, secured for him many compliments.
In 1885, having completed his studies, he settled in Montreal, where he
was suc
cessively attached to L Etendard and La Patrie.
In 1886, he was admitted to the study of law, took his law course at Laval
University, being attached at the same time to the office of
Hon. J. J. Curran, now judge of the Superior Court, and to that of
Mr. J. L. Archambeault, the Crown Pro.
secutor. While a student, Mr. Ladouceur wrote for several publications,
contributing
to the Monde Illustri, under the noni de plume of Lorenzo; several of
his poems
were accorded much credit.
He is a fluent and ready speaker a talent that he has used effectively
on the
political hustings in behalf of the Liberal cause.
He has spent some time in the New England and Western States, and,
while in
Michigan, took part in the presidential campaign of 1892. He afterward
settled in
Biy City, where for a time he had editorial charge of the French newspaper
A. II. LADOUCrri;
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Le Patriote. Attachment to Canada, however, led him back to Montreal,
where he was admitted to the Bar, i3th January, 1893.
DENNIS GAHERTY, a gentleman well known among contractors and business men,
is at present a resident of Carillon. He came from Dublin with his father
about 1827, when he was but three years of age. In 1843 ne was given an
important Government contract on the Ottawa, and since that time has been
employed chiefly with large contracts of various kinds. His extensive
experience and correct judgment with regard to labor have caused his
services to be largely sought; and many difficult and dangerous jobs
given up by others have been brought by him to successful completion. He
has also engaged quite extensively in running boats and in boat building,
having at different times owned thirteen boats which plied between Quebec
and Kingston. In 1879, in company with two others, he received a contract
on the new canal at Carillon, and lived here ten years ; he returned in
1891, and was superintendent of repairs on the Dam a structure in which
he had before made extensive repairs on account of breaks. For nearly
a year he has been employed at Lachine and St. Anns.
Mr. Gaherty has been twice married ; the last time to Miss Ellen Davis,
a sister of his first wife. By the first marriage, he had t\vo sons and
three daughters ; one of the former is deceased; the other, D. G. Gaherty,
is an M.D., who, on account of ill health, gave up an extensive practice
in Montreal, and now resides in Carillon.
Though Carillon has no important manufactory, this want is in a great
measure supplied by the Canal a goodly number of men having found
permanent employment on it, ever since its completion, sixty years ago;
and while this benefit, added to that of its aid to commerce, renders
it a work of great public utility its value to the place, as a work
of art, is a matter not to be ignored its massive cut-stone locks,
the trees that adorn its margin, with the pleasure always afforded by
running water along a ^raveled route, make up a feature in the landscape
of which the visitor never tires.
It was the hope of the writer, that he would be able to publish so:neof
the corres pondence and documents relating to ihe canal at its beginning
; but, as will be seen by the following letter, such papers are not in
existence. The letter was written in reply to an application of Mr. Colin
Dewar, on behalf of the writer, for information
respecting the subject in question :
OTTAWA, 20th July, 1894.
DEAR MR. DEWAR,
At the request of Mr. Brophy, I send you some information regarding
the canals in front of the County of Argenteuil, the most of which was
extracted from printed reports in this office.
Mr. B. says some valuable papers which belonged to his late father,
and which would have given many details not now available, cannot b>
found ; but he tr
that some of the dates furnished may not be too late for the object
Mr. Thomas has
in view.
Yours truly,
D. SCOTT.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Enclosed with the above letter was the following brief but valuable
history of the
canals :
" The Grenville Canal lies on the north shore of the Ottawa, and carries
naviga
tion around the Long Sault Rapids. It is excavated partly through
solid rock and partly through earth ; the locks are of cut-stone. It
was designed and commenced by the Royal Staff Corps, for the Imperial
Government, in 1819; but owing to the limited amount appropriated to
this work each year, its progress was very slow. As in the Carillon
and Chute au Blondeau canals, the original designs contemplated locks
corresponding in size to those of the Lachine Canal.
" Three of the locks were commenced and completed on these dimensions;
but in 1828, the enlarged scale of the Rideau locks was adopted for the
four remaining.
" All records relating to the establishment of these three canals the
Carillon,
Chute au Blondeau and the Grenville were kept in the Ordnance office in
Montreal, and were destroyed by fire in 1849. ^ appears, however, from
information given by parties engaged in the construction of the works,
that the Grenville canal was completed in 1829, the Chateau Blondeau
in 1832, and the Carillon in 1833; an d, - further, that on the 24th
of April, 1834, the canals were opened, and the steamer St. Andrews,
with two barges in tow, made the first passage through them.
" These canals were transferred to the Canadian Government about forty
years ago, and since that time their capacity has been greatly enlarged."
It will be seen by this that there were three different canals, though the
Chute au Blondeau has not been used since the erection of the dam. Two of
them the Carillon and Chute au Blondeau, however, are short, the former
not being more than half a mile in length, and the latter about one-third
of a mile. The Grenville Canal begins at Grenville and terminates at
Greece s Point, the distance between the two places being six miles.
Previous to the erection of the Carillon Dam, in order to increase the
depth of
water in the canal, a channel was dug from the North River, near the
Isle aux Chats, about a mile to the canal. This ingenious device,
to augment the value of the canal to commerce, was aptly termed the "
Feeder," a name that still not infrequently
rouses the curiosity of strangers.
After the dam was constructed, a new canal also was made, a little
shorter and nearer the river than the first; and as the water has since
been quite sufficient in quantity, the "Feeder" has fallen into- disuse.
As stated above, the canal was constructed by the British or Imperial
Govern ment, the Canadian Government at that early day scarcely being able
to afford the outlay for such public works. Two companies were enlisted
in England for this purpose, composed chiefly of sappers and miners, and
were called the Royal Staff Corps a name that will often be mentioned
on succeeding pages. Besides these, many other transient laborers were
also employed on the canal. Labor was first commenced on the canal at
Grenville, and it was several years before work was begun at Carillon. The
present Sovereign Hotel, formerly known as " The Barracks," was
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 185
occupied by the officers of this Corps during the time they were in
Carillon, hence the name "Barracks."
Mementoes of those days and those who were employed here, and of which
few of the present inhabitants of Carillon have ever heard, are still to
be seen. On the shore of the Ottawa, at a point nearly opposite that
where "The Feeder" formed a junction with the old canal, are the stone
foundations of an old building, now, owing to the encroachments of the
river on the land, almost perpendicular with the water. Trees and bushes
have grown up so thickly in and around these walls, that they may easily
be overlooked.
Here, about the year 1824, a Scotchman named Hugh Chisholm erected
a dis tillery. Farmers, in those days, found a good market at this
for the little grain they raised ; but, unfortunately, they nearly all
accepted, as compensation for it, the whiskey into which their grain was
converted. It is stated as a fact, that men sometimes took a quantity
of grain there, hoping to obtain with it a little money, and, meeting
congenial companions, would begin with a social glass, and before leaving,
would exhaust not only the price of the grain, but be in debt to the pro
prietor. But though he had such patrons, the business of Mr. Chisholm did
not prosper ; and, after a period of four or five years, he abandoned
it, went to Bucking ham, and became the partner of Mr. Bigelow, a
lumberman. In this vocation, he was more successful, so that in a few
years he was able to retire. During the last years of his life, he was
a Christian and an active supporter of the cause of temperance.
Mr. C. Dewar thus writes :
" At the time of giving you the sketch of Mr. Chisholm, I forgot to
mention an incident that occurred when he lived at the Old Distillery,
and which goes to show the instinct and sagacity of the brute creation,
and their wonderful powers of compre hension. Mr. Chisholm always lived
alone, and was in the habit of talking to his pets as if they were human
beings, a fine collie dog being his constant companion.
"One day he had been at work in the hayfield on the Island with my father,
and on his return home found that he had lost the key of his house. He had
small hopes of finding it, but, calling the dog, told him he had lost it,
and ordered him off to find it. The dog started off, but returned in a
short time, very dejected and crest fallen ; he was scolded and sent off
again, his master repeating over and over the words find it. In a short
time became bounding over the hill with every demon stration of joy,
having the key in his mouth, thus performing a feat that a human being
could not do. 1
The building used as a distillery by Mr. Chisholm was afterward occupied
by members of the Royal Staff Corps, during the time they were employed
on the canal. A rough frame work for a bell tower was erected near it,
and a bell was rung to warn the men of the hour of beginning and closing
work and to call them to their meals. In proximity to this distillery was
a log building, which was originally used for a house, and subsequently
for a blacksmith shop. It was vacant at the time the canal laborers came
here, and they used it as a blacksmith shop in connection with
their own work till the completion of the canal.
13
jg6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
FORMER AND PRESENT EMPLOYEES ON THE CARILLON CANAL.
JOHN FORBES, who had been in the British service, connected with an
Artillery Company, came to Carillon about 1842, and soon afterward
was appointed Lock Master ; he died about 1860, leaving three sons and
three daughters.
William B., one of the former, succeeded his father as Lock Master,
and, later,
was promoted to the position of Superintendent. A short time before his
death, which occurred in 1889, he purchased the homestead of the late
Lemuel Gushing, and repaired and embellished it at much expense. He left
one son, John William, who
was married to Alice Rodger.
George Thomas Forbes, brother of William B., succeeded the latter as
Lock Master. He died April 26th, 1872, leaving a widow (who, before
her marriage, was Miss Schneider) and three children two sons and a
daughter. Of the former, George Archibald, the elder, married to Elise
Bissette, of Quebec, is employed as Bookkeeper with James Whitham & Co.,
boot and shoe manufacturers, of Montreal. Arthur Thomas, the second son,
has early in life attained a responsible position, being manager and buyer
in the retail department of J. Eveleigh & Co., wholesale trunk and bag
manufacturers of Montreal. He was married i4th June, 1894, to Margaret,
daughter of the late Captain J. H. Leslie.
DANIEL MURPHY, the present Collector of Tolls on the Canal, is a son
of Patrick
Murphy, who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1774; the father became
a sailor early in life, and came to St. John, N.B., in 1798, and was
for some time Captain of a fishing vessel connected with that port. He
afteiward returned to his native land, entered the navy under Nelson,
and was in the battle of Trafalgar. Subsequently
he came to Quebec, where he was stevedore, and then conducted an hotel
till about, 1840, when he came to this section and Jived on a farm a
while, in Chatham, which he left to keep hotel in Carillon. He died here
in 1848, leaving one son, Daniel. His widow, a woman of much tact and
energy, married Mr. John Kelly, who con tinued the hotel business.
After his school days were ended, Daniel became manager in the
hotel. Business at that time was most lively in Carillon, and his
activity and faithfulness in the dis charge of his duties being noticed
by Mr. Sipple, chief engineer on the Canal, the latter gentleman suggested
that Mr. Murphy should apply for his present position, that
of Collector. After some deliberation, he acted on the suggestion,
and, aided by the influence of Mr, Kelly, received his appointment in
1872. It will thus be seen that he has held the position twenty-four
years, and during this long period has dis
charged his duties faithfully, and to the approval of commercial men
and the public; he has also served several times as Assessor for this
municipality. He was married 28th January, 1891, to Emma Jane, daughter
of Patrick Kelly of Grenville.
WILLIAM BROPHY came from Queen s County, Ireland, to Montreal in 1823.
About two years later, he went to Hawkesbury, Out., where he remained
three
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
years, and then removed to St. Andrews, in vrhich village he worked
several years at his trade of shoemaker. About the beginning of the
Rebellion, he moved to Lachute, and enlisted in Capt. Quinn s Company of
Volunteers. He went with that Company to Cornwall where he became ill,
and died in 1838 ; he left one son and four daughters. Margaret, one
of the latter, taught school in Lachute for a number of years. John,
the son, at an early age, went to live with an uncle in St. Andrews,
and remained with him until his marriage to Mary Banfield in 1864. Miss
Banfield s father was a sergeant in the Royal Staff Corps, and after
the canal was completed, he was appointed Lock Master of Lock No. 2,
Carillon. He died in 1841, leaving two sons and three daughters ; the
sons are now deceased, and the two sisters of Mrs. Brophy, Anna
and Susan, the former married to Rufus Lamkin, and the latter to William
McKeever live in Cambridge, Mass.
Mr. Brophy is a carriagemaker by trade, to which he has devoted many
years of his life ; in June, 1872, he was appointed Lock Master at this
place, and still holds the position. He has most carefully provided
for the education of his children, who have proved themselves worthy of
his solicitude.
John C., the eldest son, received a thorough training at the private
school of George Wanless of Carillon, and then attended Montreal
College, from which he graduated in 1885 with the highest honors,
winning the Lansdowne Medal, and taking first prize in every branch of
the curriculum. After a few years study of Philosophy and Theology, he
received his degree of Bachelor of Divinity, and in 1890 went to Rome,
where he pursued his studies for two years, and received the degree
of D.D. Before returning to Canada, he visited France, England, Ireland,
and other countries of Europe. On his return, he accepted a Professorship
in his Alma Mater, and is now Professor of Theology in the Grand Seminary.
The two remaining sons of Mr. Brophy Thomas J. and William P. are both
employed in the General Post Office at Montreal, the former in the
Money Order,
and the latter in the Registry Department.
Mary J., the daughter, attended the Convent of the Sisters of St. Ann s,
at Lachine, where she also received the Earl of Derby Medal, in 1893.
, JOHN MASON of Wolverhampton, England, at the age of 18, enlisted
at Charllon,
on the 24th April, 1820, in the Royal Staff Corps. He was made a corporal
in his company, which was commanded by Col. Duvernay, Mrs. Duvernay
accompanied her husband to Canada, and her maid was a girl named Mary Ann
McCue. Between this maid and John Mason, an attachment sprang up after
they had arrived in Canada, and, in time, they were married. The young
couple were deservedly esteemed by the Colonel and Mrs. Duvernay, who,
cherishing the best wishes for their prosperity, advised them, when the
canal was finished, to remain in Canada. IHit John Mason had decided to
return to England with a number of his Corps, who could not be induced by
the offer of free grants of land to remain. After vainly endeavoring to
dissuade him from his purpose, his wife appealed to her mistress and the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
1 88
her behalf, so her husband was finally induced Colonel to i-^^S^Jto rt
position on ,M canal, no, already filled, that
Z*a^
U,. r^mnine^ tVipre until his ChUar \N c
that appointment. He reman school, when, for the purpose
em-gc, ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
that appomtmem. * 1 ^ ^^ advantages , hc
1 B-> renville. Theresa, the youngest daugh.er, , marned in ,866 to
Joseph Bryarton, bailiff of Carillon.
RV the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Mason, after being employed many
h Otuwa was appointed, ,st August, ,87., to his father s pos.t.on as
years on the Otta .^ ^ ^ Qf the same year
X^eorH^Cvi.ag, .^ his father ; Mr Mason is desirous of Tducadng his
children, and has sen, his ,on Herbert to R.gaud College.
P G,RD, who lives in Carillon, is foreman on the canal, and also
Secretary- Treasurer of the Village Council and Board of School Commoner,
H,s nat.ve is Point Levis, Quebec, and there he learned the trade of
h,s father who was 1 buiWer In connection with him, he built many of
the fine boats now plymg lake of Canada. In the fall of ,871, he came
to Canllon to bu.ld the
- **** Mary Boyerof this vil-
- " hey have eight children-four of each sex. Since that penod, h,s
home has
alfvaU been at Carillon, thonghfor a year he worked in Ottawa and was also
three North West building boats for the North West Navigat.on Company.
ir,^: h w P ott ed tin on the canal, and after the Superintendent, Mr
George Simpson, was incapacitated through illness, Mr. G.rard performed
the ofTe office tar sixteen months, or until the appointment of the
present super,,,
tpnrlent Mr Herbert Simpson. .
Mr. Girard is a careful and efficient business man, and possesses the
geniality
and courtesy of the people of his nationality.
FREDERICK POULIN, who has a farm and a fine brick residence in Carillon
has been an employee on the canal for many years ; he was formerly foreman
of the Mechanical department ; he married Miss Boyer of Carillon. Godfrey,
his eldest
is employed in the boot and shoe store of Mr. Mallette, McGill street,
Montreal . Alphonse, his second son, is checker for the Richelieu &
Ontario Navigation (
TORN HODGSON, a native of the county of Vaudreuil, has been employed as
mechanic by the Government, for several years ; he has recently erected
a gc "sidence in Carillon. Mr. Hodgson was married i 5 th June, 1887,
to Elizabeth,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 189
daughter of the late James Beggs, of East Hawkesbury. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Hodgson
are staunch and worthy members of the Methodist Church.
WALTER MCGREGOR, a young man of industrious habits, has been a faithful
employee here for the last eight years. His parents formerly lived in
Carillon, but removed to Ottawa in 1889, where his father has since died.
THOMAS FAG AN, who owns the stone residence formerly known as the
Wanless Academy, is employed by the Government as diver; it often
being necessary to descend to the bed of the canal to make repairs. A
water-tight rubber suit, supplied with life line and hose, through which
air is pumped to the diver, renders the occu pation a comparatively safe
one, though somewhat gruesome to the novice.
ALEX. BERNIQUIER and C. RAFFERTY are lock-men at No. 3 ; the former
has been employed on the canal 10 years. During this time, he has spent
his winters
in the lumber-woods, where he formerly worked.
The river boats, also, obtain several employees from Carillon.
ISIDORE LEFEBVRE has been an engineer on the Ottawa 32 years. His
eldest son, Isidore, is assistant engineer on the steamer " Hall,"
and his second son,
Florimond, holds the same position on the " Olive ;" Olier, another son
of Mr. Lefebvre, is one of the noted cheese-makers of Argenteuil.
ALFRED BOILEAU, a very industrious and skillful mechanic of this village,
has been in the employ of the Ottawa River Navigation Co. for 32 years.
Carillon, besides being supplied with three mails a day in summer,
and two in winter, has a telegraph and a telephone office. The forner
is in the house of N. Raymond ; his daughter, Miss Donalda Raymond,
being the operator. The telephone
is in the office of the Canal Superintendent.
J. B. GAUTHIER, a brother of the late Victor Gauthier, has long been
in the employ of telegraph companies as a mechanic, and is now in the
employ of the G. N. W. Company. He came to Carillon from New Brunswick in
1889, leaving there his two eldest sons, Edmund and Joseph ; the former
has succeeded to his father s position, and the latter is engaged quite
extensively in the electric light and telephone business. Victor and John,
two younger sons of Mr. Gauthier, who live at Carillon, are also in the
employ of the G. N. W. Telegraph Co. Victor, besides possessing
much mechanical ingenuity, is also quite a skillful taxidermist.
The succeeding paragraph or two, and account of the robbery at Carillon,
are
sent us by Colin Dewar.
* The water was very low in the North River during the summer of 1840,
a considerable difficulty was experienced in passing heavily laden
barges through the canal, as the " Feeder" could not get the supply. To
remedy this, a large money was expended on the dams at the mouth of the
" Feeder," in the spr 1841, which, however, was not of permanent benefit.
In 1842, John Brophy, Esq., C.E., was appointed Superintendent of I and
Grenville canals, a position which he held for many years.
HISTORY OF AROENTEUIL.
Owing to the-constantly increasing traffic through the canals, the old-
fashioned system of working the lock gates by means of a capstan was
too slow and tedious, and Mr. Brophy had them removed, and the windlass
introduced instead *hich proved a great benefit. Under his directions
the dams on the North River were greatly improved by filling up, and
preventing the waste of water thus keeping up a uniform height. It
was also under his directions that the Upper Locks were taken down and
rebuilt, a defect in the fuddling " when they were constructed causmg a
continual leakage.
On the night of the "Cattle Show" in September, 1844, the Government omce
at Carillon was broken into, and robbed of a large sum of money. The
robbers had procured an old ricketty ladder, which they placed against
one of the upper windows in the rear, and entering the cashier s office,
secured the small iron chest, which at that time contained over one
thousand dollars, as pay day was near at hand, threw the chest out of the
window, where the marks were visible, and earned it down near the locks,
where it was found in the morning, broken open and empty.
Three or four suspected persons were arrested, and sent to Montreal ;
but as nothing could be proved against them, they were discharged,
and that was the end of it
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.
Mayor, John Kelly ; Councillors, Mercien Desjardins, ex-mayor, Andre
Vivarais, Fred. Poulin, Gedeon Thibodeau, Emile Rochon.
M. DESJARDINS, owner of a pleasant brick cottage in this village, has
long kept
a boot and shoe shop here, assisted by his son Gedeon ; the latter
received a two years course in the Commercial Department of Rigaud
College. Hilaire Desjardins, father of the ex-mayor, now 88 years of
age, lived at St. Eustache during the Rebellion of 37, and was wounded
in the leg while watching the combat.
Mr. THIBODEAU was engaged in teaching for many years ; he was also
Secretary- Treasurer of the School Board at Hochelaga, previous to coming
to Carillon. A few years since, he married Miss Boyer, of this village,
sister to Mrs. Poulin and Mrs. Girard.
E. ROCHON has long been a skillful blacksmith in this village ; he has
a penchant for fine horses, of which he always has one or more.
ANDRE VIVARAIS, eldest son of Andre Vivarais, was born in Brown s
Gore. Ar- genteuil County, in 1848 ; he lived there until March, 1886,
when he sold his farm, and bought from Robert White the one on which
he still lives in Carillon. He has been twice married, first to Agnes
Ploof, who died in 1883, leaving two sons ; and the second time in 1885,
to Adele Beaudry, widow of Baptiste King. Mr. Vivarais has
been Municipal Councillor of Carillon for the past five years. His father
died here in 1894, and Mrs. Vivarais, sen., resides with her son, who
is one of the industrious farmers of the community.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 191
WILLIAM MAN SON is proprietor of the bakery referred to elsewhere. He is
a native of Como, and was married ist June, 1880, to Miss Louisa Parsons,
of Hudson. He has lived in Carillon but four years, during which he has
prosecuted his business with a good deal of energy, and the productions
of his manufactory have given general satisfaction. Mr. and Mrs. Manson
have three children, one son and two daughters.
Among the several fine stone dwellings of Carillon is that of
T. Pagan. This was erected about 1830, by Rinaldo Fuller, contractor,
for an academy, and soon after wards was bought by John Wanless, who
lived in it, and conducted a private school many years.
Mr. Wanless was from Scotland, and was a graduate of one of the Scotch
Uni versities. On coming to America, he was first employed in teaching
in New York,
and afterward, about 1827, came to St. Andrews, and for a year or two
conducted a private school in the building which is now the Anglican
parsonage. While there, he married a cousin named Wanless, and moved to
Carillon. He was a fine scholar, a
strict disciplinarian, and his school was highly popular, being patronized
by the sons and daughters of all the leading citizens of this section,
the late Hon. J. J. C. Abbott being of the number. He died in 1882,
and his former pupils, from respect to his memory, erected at their own
expense a tombstone at his resting place in the St. Andrews cemetery.
THE DAM.
The Carillon Dam, across the Ottawa, is one of the great works of art
and triumphs of engineering s kill of the present century. It was built
by the Canadian Government, in the interests of commerce, to increase
the depth of water in the
canal, constructed at this point to overcome the obstruction of rapids
in the river ; it cost $1,350,000. On account of the great expense,
there was much opposition to the project, and for this reason, during
the McKenzie administration, work on the structure was wholly suspended ;
but it was resumed when the successor of McKenzie came into office.
The Dam is 2,400 feet long and 12 feet high ; its construction was
commenct in 1873, the engineer being Horace Merrill, late Superintendent
of the Ottawa River Works ; and the contractors were F. B. McNamee &
Co. It was made of cribs filled with stone, which was supplied by the
neighboring farmers, at 45 and 55 cts. yard. Near the middle, is a
slide for the passage of timber; this is 28 feet wide, feet long, and
approached by 2800 feet of boom ; an apron, at the top and foot the slide,
regulates the quantity of water required, and " stop logs" serve the
purpose in the passage of timber. A house, painted red, covering the
entrance slide, is quite a conspicuous object on the Dam, and serves to
attract the curie
of strangers.
The structure was completed in the fall of iSSr, and when the closed,
and the water had reached its full height, it was found that it mis
water at Greece s Point six miles up the river two feet.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In 1883 a portion of the Dam gave way, and was repaired at an expense
of $ 20 coo Although the bed of the river, where the Dam crosses it,
is entirely of rock it was found to be so soft in character, that the
water had undermined the
Dam thus causing the breakage. Since that, much money and labor have
been expended to add to its strength and durability, and it is believed
it will now effectually withstand the assaults of water or ice.
Mr John Middleton,of Pt. Fortune, slide master, reports that in 1882, 73
r passed through the slide ; in the years following, the number varied
considerably, and in 1895 only 6 passed through. But the rafts of late
years have been much larger than formerly; one composed of 50 cribs used
to be regarded a raft of good size, while now one of 210 is not uncommon.
Notwithstanding the large number of men employed for so long a time,
and the danger of the work, only one serious accident occurred during
the construction ot the Dam. On the day the sluices were closed, a man
named Dernier, who had been employed on the work, slipped as he was
walking on the Dam, fell into the river, and
was drowned.
A few years later, however, an accident occurred, which, though not
attends with loss of life, escape from so sad a result seems due to
nothing short of a miracle. Late one summer night, a steam tug came down
the river, having in tow several barges laden with lumber. Just as the
tug entered Lock No. 2 at the Dam, the nearest barge struck the end of
the pier; the tug gave a vigorous pull, but instead of bring- in- the
barge into the lock, the tow line parted, and the barge swung outward
into the swift-flowing river, a few rods above the Dam. Capt. Smith,
the owner of the ill fated barge, and his wife, both quite aged people,
were on board.
Like an electric shock, news flew through this little fleet that
Capt. Smith and his barge were going over the Dam. Quick hands seized
ropes, and soon the men were on the broad pier running at right angles
to the Dam, and several feet above it. Through the vapor and darkness,
they descried the outline of the barge fast hasten ing to its doom. But
there was no need of light to show them where to direct their aid,
the cries of Capt. Smith and his frantic appeals for help defined
the spot. A rope thrown by dexterous hands falls on the barge at the
Captain s feet. He is safe. Alas . he is not ; hi sees it, but the
roaring of the grim monster, now but a few yards distant, which he
feels will in a few seconds devour him and all that he holds most dear,
has filled him with an awful dread, and rendered him powerless to act.
The barge is gliding on, and the rope falls into the water, astern ;
but still there is a moment left, which the anxious, beating hearts
on the pier are determined to improve. Again the rope shoots out, and,
fortunately, this time rests on the Captain s shoulder ; now, surely,
he will grasp it and be saved, but no, he sees it slip downward, glide
across the deck, and drop into the water ; he is too paralyzed to move.
His last chance has flown, the awful moment has arrived, yet, strange
to relate, his facul ties return, reason resumes her throne. He knows
that his wife has descended to
the cabin, and believes it to be the most dangerous place. He calls her,
and then,
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
193
throwing himself flat on the deck, he thrusts his arm through a large
hole in an upright plank before him, bends his elbow, and to this object
clings with desperation. The other arm encircles the waist of his wife,
who has thrown herself beside him. They were not kept long in this awful
suspense. Fortunately, the water was low ; the barge struck the Dam,
and quickly swung around, so that she lay broadside against it.
The water, thus checked, raised the opposite side sufficiently to throw
her entire deck load of lumber, consisting of many thousands of feet,
into the abyss below. The barge, now buoyant, rose to the surface, and
so quickly followed the lumber, that it rested fairly on it, and thus
was prevented from being submerged. The boil ing waters, however, soon
carried away the lumber ; the barge, borne down twenty yards or more,
struck broadside against a large rock, and there, nearly broken into
two parts, remained. The Captain and his wife retained their recumbent
position, till they found the barge moored against the boulder, when
they rose to take notes of their strange situation, and calculate the
probabilities of once more seeing New York. It is to be presumed,
however, that, like Christian people, their first act was to thank God
devoutly for their late miraculous escape from death.
But like the novelist, we must now invite the reader to another scene in
this story. After the barge went over the Dam, the men on shore hastened
to the nearest point whence they could see the barge, and shouted to
ascertain if it con tained any living occupant. No answer being returned,
they turned away with sor
rowful hearts, to ponder and discuss the awful doom of their companion
and the sad tidings they must bear to his friends. But not long
afterward, Mr. Mason, the Lock Master, who had been roused from his
sleep, discovered, as the mists from the river rose occasionally and
floated away, that there were living people on the wrecked barge ; but,
to his surprise, he could obtain no answer to his shouts. The next
morning, he and one or two more with a skiff rescued the ship-wrecked
couple, and then learned that their shouts had not been heard, every
other sound having been drowned by the roaring waters of the Dam.
We may add that Capt. Smith made two or three trips up the Ottawa,
after his per ilous adventure. His barge was insured, but the lumber it
carried was a total loss.
ISLE AUX CHATS.
The Isle aux Chats is a small island in the North River, located about
a mile from Carillon. It contains no inhabitants, but the fact that it
has been the site of mills for many decades, and that there is a small
settlement of intelligent farmers near it, has rendered the locality
quite noted. The Island itself is in Chatham, but the settlement, which
is always called " Isle aux Chats," is in St. Andrews. The name, it
is said, was given to the Island on account of the number of wildcats
infesting it when the country was new. It is quite evident, also, that
Indians used to frequent it, as many Indian relics have been found here.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
HUGH ROBERTSON came to Canada from Glasgow, with his wife and family,
in 1857. After spending some time in Quebec and Three Rivers, he came
to Carillon,
and bought the property owned by Mrs. McNaughton, giving it the name
of" Ottawa
Lodge." Later, he came to Isle aux Chats and bought the Island, and the
saw, grist and woollen mills, which did quite an extensive business,
giving employment to a number of hands. Mr. Robertson had six sons and
two daughters, of whom all but one son are now living. Hugh William, the
eldest son, born June, 1848, in Glasgow, was nine years of age wh en his
father came to Canada. He was educated in Bishop s College, Lennoxville,
Que., and afterwards took the mills and farm from his father, who went
to Owen Sound, where he still resides. Mrs. Robertson died there i6th
Match, 1895, and was interred at St. Andrews. Hugh, the subject of our pre
sent sketch was married in 1874, to Miss De Hertel, daughter of Daniel
De Hertel, of Centerville. They have six sons and three daughters, all of
whom, with the excep tion of the eldest son, are still at home. The son,
also, Hugh William, after spending some time in the office of Molsons
Bank, Montreal, went to Owen Sound, where he
has a position in a branch office of the same Bank.
Mr. Robertson continues to keep his mills in operation, and also manages
his farm, which comprises Isle aux Chats and half a lot in Centerville.
Town of Lachute.*
This place, the chef-lieu of the county of Argenteuil, is located on the
North River, 9 miles from the Ottawa and 44 north of Montreal. It is also
on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, formerly the Q. M. O. &
O. Railway. Its location is very pleasant, level, high, the center of
a good agricultural district, and the scenery around, especially along
the river, is picturesque. The name was first derived from the fall or
chute, and was formerly written La Chute (The Falls), but afterwards
the two words were united, hence the name Lachute. No one seems to know
how the name of the Parish St. Jerusalem d Arg enteuil of which Lachute
forms a part?
* Lachute Town shall be that portion of the parish of St. Jerusalem in the
county of Argenteuil, contained within a line drawn as follows, to wit ;
Commencing on the line dividing the said parish from the township of
Chatham, at a point due west of the south-west covntv of lot 1419 of
the official plan and book of reference of the said parish (tope-walk),
thence northerly, along the said line to where it intersects the base of
the mountain on Jot 1692, and on said plan, eight hundred and fifty -eight
feet English, from the centre of Chatham road north ; thence eastward,
along the base of the said mountain (east of Leggo s farm house), to
where it joins the North River, thence ascending the centre of said river,
to a point formed by the inter- ection of the northerly continuation of
the eastern boundary line of lot 329 A on said plan with the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 195
originated ; but it has been stated we know not on what authority that
the name
was suggested by Governor Metcalfe.
As the place has grown up chiefly within the last quarter of a century,
it natur ally has a youthful appearance, nearly all the best buildings
being new. From no one part of the corporation can a view of much of it
be obtained, hence, on traveling over it, one finds it much larger than
he had supposed.
The main street, from the West End, through Upper Lachute is two miles in
length, and there are several shorter streets well populated. Many of the
private dwellings, both from their location, and architectural neatness,
are attractive, while some of the public buildings the Registry office,
Ville Marie Bank, Argenteuil Hotel, the Academy, the establishments of
J. Roby and J. A. Bedard, besides the
immense structures of J. C. Wilson, are most imposing in appearance.
Fortunately for us, nearly half a century ago an effort was made to
collect a few facts with regard to the early settlement of this place,
and preserve them for fuuire use. Commendable as was this act, and
valuable as are the few facts thus trans mitted, it is to be deplored
that the researches were not far more thorough and
extensive.
While we are told that, in 1796, a man named Hezekiah Clark came from
Jericho, Vermont, with his family, and planted the first cabin here,
the antecedents of Mr. Clark, and his motive in coming so far into the
wilderness, are left as matters only for speculation. It would, indeed,
be interesting to know why he sought this particular place for a home,
inasmuch an many leagues of land just as fertile, covered by forests just
as dense, with scenery equalling it in beauty, Jay between this place
and Jericho. Within half the distance from that town to Lachute, lay
a great part of what is now the Eastern Townships, but then an unbroken
wilderness. Why, then, did he come so far ? Was he a fugitive from justice
? Not at all ; for we are inform ed that he was soon followed by a number
of others, and that all were observant of Christian ordinances. We can
no more answer the question, than we can tell why some of the pioneers
located on rough, stony, rock-bound land, when they could just as easily
have procured the finest land in the country.
The most probable reason that we can assign for the course he pursued is,
that he calculated the chances for getting to market, and found that,
compared with other places, they were decidedly in favor of Lachute. In
no other unsettled section, di he find such a natural highway to other
settlements and to Montreal, as was present ed by the North River and
the Ottawa. It is possible also, that with that prophetic
said centre of ,iver (Morrison s Bridge) ; thence southerly, along the
said last mentioned line main road ; thence to a point on the south side
of said road, where it is jomed by the lots 112 and ^25 of said plan
(Lane s) ; thence southerly, along the cont.nuat.on of tioned line, to a
point formed by its intersection with the easterly continuation of the
cc Henry street on plan B of said parish ; thence westerly, along the
said last mentioned e to : formed by its intersection with the centre
line of Isabella street on said plan B thence southerly, along the last
mentioned line, to a point due east of the point of thence to said point
of commencement.
6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
vision which characterized, now and then, one of those early settlers,
he foresaw some, thing of what really has occurred-the rapid opening up
of the country along the
! river, the utilizing of the admirable water-power, and decided that no
other spot presented such a fan- prospect to himself and posterity. But
whatever were the m ducements, the fact that he came is unquestioned, and
we can judge only from that fact, that he was a man of superior energy,
great endurance and courage, and was skilled in woodcraft. Without these
qualities he never would have come, nor
could he have maintained his family, while surmounting the difficulttes
frequei
imily, consisting of his wife, three sons and two daughters, came through
the woods with an Indian sled from St. Andrews, not even a cow path,
at that leading to the place of his future home. No house, not even a
bark shanty was there to receive them, and the first night was passed
beneath the shelter of a few branches of trees hastily gathered. The next
day, with that tact and energy characteristic of a woodsman, Mr. Clark
constructed a hut, or wigwam, which answered the purpose of a domicile,
till opportunity was given to erect a better one. Tradition claims,
as the site of this habitation, a spot near the present Lachute mills.
But who does not envy the lot of this pioneer ? What a chance for
enjoyment On the threshold of summer, when nature has donned her richest
garb, and we are
entranced by the melody of her voices, what seems more akin to paradise
than a home in the boundless forest ? The woods in summer ! What visions
of undisturbed retirement, blissful solitude, do they not suggest?
Hardship and privation are ascribed by general repo t to the lot of a
pioneer. But what life is there among the laboring class free from those
perplexities and sor rows incident to a life of toil? Though the first
settlers had to work hard, and sometimes, especially in the beginning of
their career, were saddened at the small stock of provisions in the larder
and the condition of their wardrobe, yet, who ever saw a pioneer that
did not look back on his life in the woods as a pleasant one : Who did
not regard with pride every acre of land reclaimed from the forest, and
brought to a slate of cultivation? And how many pleasant memories are
associated vrfth those early struggles? What stories the old man will
tell of the feats of labor in chopping or logging in this spot or that
on his farm. With what pride, too, he will recount the number of bushels
of corn or potatoes he raised on yonder acre
the first crop produced by the virgin soil.
We are not favored with an account of Mr. Clark s experiences while he
lived here, yet we cannot forbear thinking that he had many pleasant
ones, even though there might have been many discouragements. Of one
thing, at least, he had an abundance, and that was fuel. Then, too,
past his door flowed a fine stream, whose waters teemed with fish,
and the forest was alive with a variety of game all of which not only
prevented the possibility of famine, but provided means by which the
taste, even of an epicure, might be gratified. The seed planted in the
new soil grew as if by magic ; and the crops were of a quantity well
calculated to satisfy and glad den the hearts of their possessor.
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 1 97
How different, too, must have been his emotions when, in the morning,
lie stepped forth from his cabin to begin his daily task, from those of
the laborer dwelling in a dilapidated tenement on a narrow street of a
city. No vitiated, smoke-laden air for inhalation here; no sound of cars
or carts rattling over the pavements, but the purest of heaven s air,
exhilarating from its burden of ozone, and fragrant with the odor of many
trees and forest flowers. No discordant sounds, but, instead, the songs of
birds, solos and duetts, and then the whole choral harmony, amusing
and cheering
through all the summer day.
And what relief from care ! No watching for callers at that cabin. No
feverish anxieties with regard to the toilet, or fears that mesdames
will find too much dust collected in the parlor ; on the contrary,
the inmates realize their emancipation from the bonds of fashion. What
liberty ! What comfort ! Perfect abandonment to ease !
The wild animals, though giving no real cause for apprehension, suggested
enough of danger to relieve this life from monotony, and tinge it with
romance. And withal, how much to encourage and spur to renewed exertion
! No surly employer to issue
orders, and growl at the manner and amount of work performed, and then, at
night fall, to dole out with grudging hand the wages of their toil. Free
from restraint, no one but themselves to please, in the most beautiful
locality, labor itself was a recrea tion and pleasure, giving as it did
strength to the muscles, vigor to the whole frame, and, consequently,
buoyancy to the spirits and happiness to the mind. Every day, the
expanding clearing encouraged to another day of labor, and gave promise
of de pasture, the meadow, the flocks and herds, and well filled barns.
But what of the Sabbath? Could there be any moral growth in this isolated
spot, far removed from church and the sound of church-going bell ? Ah
! yes, the Sabbath ! But perhaps they attended church. Seven miles only,
intervened between this and St. Andrews, and women, as well as men,
often performed longer journeys on foot, even though the labors of the
previous week inclined them on the Sabbath to take a needful rest. Who
can doubt that people of moral habits, distant from every scene of
vice and wickedness, in communion with the fairest scenes of nature,
should be led through nature up to nature s God?" Who can doubt if,
in their early years, they had been taught to respect things divine,
that in their present abode, their latitude to the Author and Giver of
their blessings increased, and that they remem-
O
bered the Sabbath to keep it holy ?
Hezekiah Clark has no descendants in this part of the country, but repoi
that they are an intelligent and reputable class who occupy responsible
positions in
distant places.
According to a brief History of Lachute referred to above, which was
compil by Mr. John Meikle, sen., " Mr. Clark remained the sole inhabitant
of Lachute for two years, when he was joined by six more families from
the same place." of Lachute, by F. C. Ireland, published in The Watchman
of 3 rd September, 1 8 mentions but one family which came within two
years after the arrival of (
He says : " The next pioneer was also one of the hardy sons of Vermont, wh
I 9 S HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
came about t\vo years later, or in 1798. His name is familiar to most
of the resi dents of Lachute to-day.
" JOHN S. HUTCHIXS had married Miss Cutter, in their native State,
and migrat ed to Canada, to join hands as neighbors with the Clarks at
Lachute. They endured all the hardships, privations and vicissitudes
incident to such a journey and such a life. They worked hard on a coarse
diet, but the labor brought sweet rest, and the diet gave strength to the
constitution, as they and their children have proved, for where is there
to be found a family with more active frames, better developed muscles,
firmer limbs and stronger minds than the descendants, who still live
and move among us, of these early pioneers. The organ of continuity was
so laigely dev eloped in this family, that they remained on the site of
their early choosing, and brought up sons and daughters, many of whom
became the first men and women of the place, in position as well as in
point of time."
There are none, probably, who will deny, that the above tribute to
the Hutchins
family is well deserved. Two brothers, John S. and Phineas Hutchins,
seem to have settled in Lachute about the same time. The former located
on a lot now owned by David McFarlane ; the latter on one owned by
Mr. McGregor. Both have transmitted to us the reputation of being
energetic, intelligent, Christian men, with a strong desire to encourage
whatever promised to enhance the physical, social and moral progress of
their adopted country.
John S. Hutchins had learned the printer s trade in Boston, and on
first coming
to Canada, he engaged as compositor in the office of The Courant, in
Montreal. He soon began to write articles for that journal, and for some
time was a regular contri butor to its columns. After coming to Lachute,
he took an interest in religious
woik, and it was through his efforts that the Rev. Mr. Osgoode, mentioned
on an
other page, came here and organized a Sabbath School. He was a member of
the Methodist Church, and his house was always a home for the ministers
who, from time to time, visited the place. For many years, he was Clerk
of the Circuit Court which held its sessions here. In 1801, his wife
died, and it being the first time death had visited the new settlement,
we can well imagine the gloom his advent created.
Mr. Hutchins had one son at this time, whose name was Osman. He married,
and after living some years at Hawkesbury, Ont., moved West. His father
also married again, and by this marriage had three sons and five daughters
: Hawley,
Phineas and Benjamin ; Eliza, Maria, Catherine, Matilda and Mary Ann. Of
the latter, Eliza was married to Milo Lane, Maria to Geo. Glines,
Catherine to Lemuel Gushing, and Mary Ann to Geo. Holland. Matilda,
who never married, died a few years since in Montreal. Mrs. Gushing and
Mrs. Holland, both widows, reside in that city.
Hawley R. Hutchins, the eldest son by the second marriage, married i5th
Octo. ber, 1835, Harriet, a daughter of Dr. Rice, of St. Andrews. He
engaged in trade
a rt-hile at Lachute, then at Carillon, and finally was in business in
Montreal. He had but one child, which died, and this was followed by the
death of his wife ; he then went to California, and died there i2th June,
1882, at the age of 62.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 199
Phineas R., his brother, married Jessie Walker of Lachute, 4th May,
1838. They had eight children, the most of whom, at the present time,
are said to be in prosperous circumstances in California. Mr. Hutchins
always remained on the homestead and engaged in farming until he moved
with his family to the Golden State, where he died 1 5th January, 1875,
aged 75 years.
Benjamin, the third son of John S. Hutchins, has spent nearly all his life
in busi ness in Montreal, where he is much esteemed. He is at present a
broker in real estate, having an office in the New York Life Insurance
building. He was but 14
years old when he came to Montreal, and he worked for some time without
salary,
but he soon made his way upward. He was a Candidate in 1867 for the office
of Representative for Argenteuil County in the Dominion Parliament,
and was defeated only by a small majority. Mr. Hutchins has been twice
married; first, in 1841 or 1842, to Miss Felton, of Sherbrooke ; the
second time, to Miss Sherwood, daughter of Adiel Sherwood, Sheriff of
Brockville, and an U. E. Loyalist.
John S. Hutchins, the father of the children named above, was born
i5th August,
1776, and died 4th May, 1865. at the age of 88.
Phineas Reed Hutchins, like his brother last named above, took a prominent
part in every important public movement, soon after coming to Lachute. We
first
hear of him as Captain of a Volunteer Rifle Company, which he organized
during the war of 1812. We next find him assiduously laboring to erect
a church edifice at St. Andrews, and contributing liberally towards the
cost of its erection. Evidently, he was a man with the requisite energy
and ability to push to completion whatever work he commenced, one of the
kind who, with better opportunities, broader fields for action, have won
for themselves enduring names. He was thrice married, and had one son
and six daughters. James Reed Hutchins, the son, married Elizabeth Ross
of Montreal; and, for a number of years, was in mercantile business
in that city. He died 28th June, 1856, leaving one son, Joseph Ross
Hutchins, who is also engaged in trade in Montreal.
" * Among other settlers from the American side was a young man, handsome
and strong, whose services were secured by Mr. Hutchins in clearing away
the forest and in building up a comfortable and prosperous home. This
was GEORGE GLINES, whose
engagement with Mr. Hutchins was severed by an engagement with one
of his most beautiful daughters, and resulted in a long, felicitous
life, and a large and beautiful family, whose record is a credit to
any community. In fact, it would be difficult to find a new settlement
peopled with a better class of residents than first made their homes
along the banks of the North River at Lachute."
In the year 1796, JEDEDIAH LANK, also from Jericho, purchased a
tract of land comprising several thousand acres, on which Lachute is
located. Having a sister at
* From a sketch by F. C. Ireland in The Watchman of ijth September, 1886.
200 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Carillon, the wife of Peter McArthur, he doubtless had been here before,
and selected the tract he desired to buy, as, at the time he made the
purchase, he came on horse back, according to the custom of those days,
with saddle-bags, in which was the gold to pay for the land. All that
we know respecting this pioneer, may be summed up
in the few following facts. He was a prosperous farmer, had a good
education, was tall and prepossessing in appearance, a widower and the
father of seven sons and two daughters ; only two of the sons, however,
settled in this country. He was a college graduate, and for a number
of years after coming here taught school in the school-house occupying
the site of the one near the store recently burnt of his grandson,
P. H. Lane. He also taught in St. Andrews, but how long it is impossible
to say; it is certain that he taught there in the years 1837-38.
Although so brief is his biography, he has an enduring memorial in the
tract of
land which he first bought in Lachute; for " Lane s Purchase" * is
familiar to the citizens of Argenteuil, and will continue 10 be " while
trees grow and water runs." His fame was also enhanced, no doubt, by
a famous law-suit to which his purchase gave rise. By the terms of the
contract between him and Major Murray, the Seignior, of whom the land
was purchased, this particular tract was to be exempt from the rent
imposed on other lands in the seigniory ; but not so understanding the
agreement, the succeeding Seignior, in 1807, brought suit against the
settlers for the amount of the unpaid rent. The time in which this suit
was dragged through the Courts has a parallel in the case of " Jarndyce
& Jarndyce," described by Dickens in Bleak House. After seven years
of litigation, it was decided in favor of the Seignior. The settlers,
however, satisfied that their case was one of equity, appealed it to
the higher court, by which, after five years more, the decision of the
lower court was reversed.
Catherine, the eldest daughter of Mr. Lane, was married to John
N. Hutchins : Maria M., the youngest child, married William Gibson,
a contractor ; she is now a widow, and resides in Montreal.
Jedediah, his eldest son, settled in St. Andrews, and died there.
MILO, the second son, born in Jericho, Vt., i8th July, 1800, married
Eliza, the
eldest daughter of John S. Hutchins, in 1825. After living a few years
on a farm, he
- :; Records which we have examined since the above sketch of Mr. Line was
written show that he purchased his tract from Major Murray, seignior, 3rd
December, 1796. The following shows the names of several who purchased,
the quantiiy purchased, and dale of the transaction.
f . Lane sold to ;
Date. Price. Acre;.
P. Me Arthur 6ih Dec., 1797 ^25 500
28th Feb., 1820 Too 1500
Dudley Stone nth Sept., 1799 .. i 4 6a
JSthMar., 1800 -"""
<>
Joel Leonard "
H. Clark i?th Nov., 1800
Roger Lane 7thMir., i8or
Joel Bixby 2ist Apr. "
une
N - Hillings .............. i8th J
Boldry ............... 2Qt h Feb., 1804
W. Thompson ........... i8th Aug., 1814
5 200
200 600 200 80
597
200
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2Or
opened a grocery and hotel in the west end of the village, and gave
his attention to these until his death, which occurred 6th April,
1857, at the age of 56. He had eight children, but only one son and
three daughters arrived at maturity ; Eliza, the eldest daughter, was
married to Archibald R. Cameron, who owned the " Struan Farm " but he
died four years after marriage, leaving one daughter, Margaret Ellen,
who was married to Thomas Gushing.
Mrs. Cameron, by a second marriage to W. H. Quinn, a surveyor of much
cele brity, had five children two sons and three daughters. Of those
now living, the
eldest daughter married John R. McOuat, a merchant of Lachute j one son
of Mrs.
Cameron is a compositor in Ottawa, and another is in mercantile business
in Buffalo, New York.
Catherine, another daughter of Milo Lane, married John Taylor, a Scotchman
who conducted a store many years at what is now Lachute Mills. He removed
to Montreal, and opened a fur store ; his wife died there about 1887,
an d he afterward went to Ottawa, where he is at present conducting a
Gold Cure establishment with much success.
A third daughter of Mr. Lane married, i8th June, 1867, the Rev. Richard
Robinson, a Methodist clergyman ; she died 3ist August, 1880.
Phineas Hutchins, the youngest son of Milo Lane, and the only one who
sur vived the age of childhood, is a gentleman of ability, and possesses
rare business tact and qualities. In his youthful days he was clerk six
years for Mr. Gushing in Chat ham. In 1857, he opened a store in Lachute
which belonged to his father s estate, but which had been rented for
a long time to John Brunton, and then to his sister. Mr. Lane traded
here for twenty-nine years, doing a most successful business, and then,
in 1887, sold the store and stock to Mr. William Banford, and retired
from mercantile life. He has taken an active interest in local affairs,
and held different responsible positions, among which was the presidency
of the Agricultural Society for several terms, but that of Mayor, which
was offered him, he declined. He married Miss Charlotte Owens, a sister
of Senator Owens ; she died i7th March, 1890 ; their chil dren died in
infancy, but they adopted Charlotte Maria, only daughter of" Senator Owens
by his first marriage, her mother having died when she was an infant. She
married Farquhar Stewart McLennan, a prominent and successful barrister
of Montreal.
Mr. F. C. Ireland gives the following sketch :
"Two years after the Hutchins family came, and four years after theClarks
had settled here, another hardy son of Vermont came to join his friends
by the banks of the River du Nord at Lachute. This was WILLIAM POWERS ;
he had married another Miss Cutter, and sister of Mrs. Hutchins. They
started out on their married tour with aspirations as full, and hopes as
bright, as a modern newly married couple could enjoy on a trip to some of
the most fashionable resorts of the present day. Their journey through
the uncleared woods combined all the novelty and incidents ex perienced
by those who had preceded them along the same rugged pathway. The
202 HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
*
reader can fancy the joyous meeting of the two sisters at Lachute. The
incidents of the journey were recounted in detail; numerous enquiries of
the friends in Jericho were made and answered with pleasurable gusto ;
and so the days, weeks and months passed; the two sisters were as happy
as sisters could be. The two men sought out a homestead for the new comer
with as much interest as if it were to belong to both. Place after place
was minutely examined, resulting in a home for the Powers upon the site
now occupied by Mrs. Paul in Bethany; this was in the year 1800.
" It was spring time, and all nature was beautiful around the wilderness,
or so it seemed to these pioneers, for they were contented. Though a
little late, Powers
commenced vigorously to clear a small garden spot for vegetables, and
succeeded in planting quite sufficient, as they turned out, for the
frugal wants of the small family. A house also was built as soon as
possible, and became the residence of as happy a couple as ever lived. The
summer and early autumn passed without either doors or windows to their
habitation. This afforded them plenty of light and air, which only seemed
conducive to their health and vigor. As autumn advanced, there had to be
a change, and so Powers started off in search of windows and doors, which
would be necessary to their winter safety and comfort. Mrs. Powers, during
his absence, spent the nights with her sister ; but on the third evening,
as she expected her husband back, she remained alone in the open house,
where their sleeping apartment was in the
loft, which they reached by means of a rudely constructed ladder. On this
occasion, Mrs. Powers waited and watched until long after dark, and had
ascended to the loft pulling up the ladder after her, feeling safe though
very lonely. She had not been long in her seclusion, until she heard the
noise of wolves howling in the distance. They came nearer and nearer
to the house, howling in their dismal way around the dwelling, until
they actually made bold to enter, and prowled through the lower apart
ment, howling dreadfully with rage at being unable to find their human
victim, which their keen scent told them was so very near. Mrs. Powers,
in breathless fear, covered herself in bed, holding her beating heart
lest it should break, or its sound tell the wolves where she was. Hours
passed in this way, and that long and dreary night seemed to have no
end ; but as the light of morning broke, the wolves disappeared, but
it was late in the day when Powers returned, finding his wife still
in the loft, but happy and joyous to greet his protection, and relate
the experience she had gone through. No wonder she received a gentle
chiding for venturing to stay alone. Such were some of the ordeals of
pioneer life in Lachute. This account of the wolves in the house was
frequently related by Mrs. Powers to her children and grandchildren,
down to her latest day, and always with a pathos of untiring interest
to both grand mother and children."
About 1801, prices of produce were so low that we cannot doubt the new
settle ment was blessed with food in plenty ; and, doubtless, the chief
discomfort was the trouble experienced in reaching mills and market. The
market report of 1801 is as follows : Pork, $7.00 per c\vt. ; beef,
$4.00 ; butter, 25 cents per pound ; cheese, i2> cents ; corn, 75
cents per bushel ; wheat, $1.00.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 203
Roads, there were none ; the North River afforded communication with St.
Andrews, yet the rapids and other obstructions rendered frequent
portages necessary, so that, conveying grain to mill, and returning
with the products thereof, required, even with the aid of the river,
strong backs and firm muscles.
We have shown what a circuitous route the settlers on the River Rouge
pursued to reach St. Andrews, until a much shorter route was pointed
out to them by the
Seignior. The mistake committed by the inhabitants of Lachute was no less
surpris ing or amusing. To reach St. Eustache, which, besides St. Andrews,
was the only
place where they went to mill or store, they travelled to Grand
Brule (St. Benoit), thence to Belle Riviere, and from that place to
St. Eustache. Accident revealed a
shorter route.
A man named Uriah McNeal lost his cow. His sympathizing neighbors at once
instituted a search, and after having travelled miles through the woods
on their gen erous errand, they ran across a few cattle grazing. Uncertain
as to their where
abouts, they determined to wait till nightfall, and follow the cattle to
their owners. Pursuing this plan, they were led to the French settlement
in Cote St. Louis. On inquiring of the settlers there, if they could
show them the way to the North River, they were kindly led back by an
Indian path, four miles north, to the river. Descend ing this, they
soon reached home, and ever after used this route instead of the old
and long one via Grand Brule.
In 1803, the settlers had increased in number to thirty families ; and
for several succeeding years the population was increased by the arrival
of Americans. During the war of 1812 especially, fear of the draft and
consequent military service caused no small influx of settlers from the
New England States ; but as they were generally of a class not likely
to remain long in any place, they soon departed from Lachute.
" At the time of the war of 1812," says Mr. Meikle in his chronicles
of Lachute, " the Militia Roll numbered 150 able-bodied men ; these
were formed into three com panies, two of which were regular militia,
commanded respectively by Captains Bixby and McNeal, the other a Volunteer
Rifle company commanded by Captain
Phineas Hutchins."
As in all the new settlements of this country, the making of potash was
about the only means by which the pioneer could obtain money, and as this
required a great amount of wood, the land was soon denuded of forest,
and, as the timber for potash grew scarce, the inhabitants who relied
on its manufacture for their subsistence
removed to other parts.
In the years 1810 and 1811, a severe famine occurred, and the prices
of provi sions went up to a degree that must have occasioned anxiety in
the heart of many a paterfamilias. Pork at that time was $30 per barrel,
beef $14; providentially, there was a corresponding advance in the price
of potash during the same years,
otherwise the circumstances of the settlers would have been much worse.
About this time also, the land which first had been cleared began to
> u scanty crops, and this impediment to prosperity, united with the
scarcity of
204
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and the period of famine, induced many to emigrate. But their places
were soon filled, as will be seen by the following paragraph, copied
from F. C. Ireland s sketch of Lachute in The Watchman of 24th September,
1886 :
" It was in 1809 that a few Scotch settlers joined the Americans at
Lachute, and they continued coming in for many years, until about 1818, a
lot of Paisley weavers came out, and so the POLLOCKS, MORRISONS, FULTONS,
CHRISTIES, WILSONS and others joined the settlement: These were a hardy,
industrious class of people, who took well to the new country and new
employment, and succeeded in building up comfortable homes along the North
River, reminding them of the little Cart which flowed tli rough their own
Renfrewshire at home ; but the contrast was great Paisley, Glasgow and
Grcenock were not close by; the factories for shawls, thread, gauzes,
velvets, flannels, cottons, with their dye-houses, printing calicoes,
foundries for iron and brass, distilleries, soap works, alum and copperas
works, and timber yards were not here. The pursuits of business were
new ; the country was new ; everything was new. But the stirring life
of Paisley had awakened, as it still awakens, an honorable spirit of
inquiry and a desire for improvement, and these Scotch settlers plodded
on with increasing success as farmers, and soon became masters of the
soil and owners of everything necessary for its cultivation."
About one of the first of the Scotch settlers was THOMAS (afterwards COL.)
BARRON, a title he received from holding the rank of Lieut. -Col. of
Militia. He came from Morayshire, and lived a while after his arrival
with his uncle James at Hawkes- bury. He came to Lachute in 1809, and by
the possession of those qualities which always bring a man to the front,
in whatever community he may be placed, he was
soon a leading spirit among those with whom he had cast his lot.
He was married to Eliza Hastings, sister of Guy Hastings, who was one
of the prominent citizens of Lachute in early days ; but they had no
children. He seems to have soon become quite prominent in military
affairs, as in 1812, as Adjutant, he took command of two companies of
Militia under Captains Bixby and McNall, and a
Volunteer company under Captain Phineas Hutchins, and marched with them
to Point Claire, where they were given over to the charge of Col. Kell,
who commanded the Division enlisted in Lachute, Chatham. Grenville and
Petite Nation.
About the year 1825, he was appointed Justice of the Peace, which office
he held for many years, discharging ift duties with a faithfulness that
won the esteem of good men, and instilled wholesome fear into the breasts
of evil doers. For many years, also,-he was Crown Land Agent for this
place, Chatham, Gore and Wentworth ; later, also, for Morin and Howard. In
1836 he erected, and chiefly at his own expense, a bridge across the
North River near his own dwelling, which has ever since been known as
" Barren s Bridge." In like manner, he performed many other acts which
contributed either to public or private benefit, and which secured to
him the gratitude of his fellows. He died in January, 1864, lamented by a
large community. John Barron, a brother of Col. Thomas Barron, came from
Morayshire, Scotland, to Lachute in 1832. He lived with his brother,
and found employment in the manage ment of his estate till his death,
which occurred in 1866.
HISTORY OF AKGENTEUIL. 205
Thomas Barron, jun., and Robert, two of his sons, still live here;
the former being Registrar of the County of Argenteuil, and the latter,
his assistant in the Regis try Office.
THOMAS BARRON. jun., was born in 1832, the year in which his father
arrived in Lachute, and in the house in which he now resides, the
residence of the late Col. Barron. Like his uncle, he has taken much
interest in all the affairs of his native parish moral, political and
social ; and in the varied positions he has filled, has acquitted himself
to his own honor and to the satisfaction of the public.
In 1858, he was appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court and still holds
the office. In March of the same year he was appointed Deputy Registrar
of Argenteuil, and in 1866, on the death of Col. D Hertel, the former
Registrar, Mr. Barron succeeded him in office. He has also been Municipal
Councillor and Mayor of the parish many years. On the gth August, 1858,
he was married to Harriet Gushing, eldest daughter of the late Lemuel
Gushing, Esq., of Chatham, by which marriage he had three chil dren one
daughter and two sons.
Thomas J., the elder son, after receiving his degree of B.A. from McGill,
took a course at the Presbyterian College, Montreal, and is now engaged
in the ministry.
Lemuel C., the second son, is in California. Mrs. Barron died in February,
1864, and in August, 1866, Mr. Barron was married to Grace Jane, eldest
daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Henry. Ten children resulted from this
marriage, eight of whom
are now living.
Robert H., the eldest of these a graduate of McGill was the Gold Medallist
at the Law Examination of that Institution in the spring of 1895, and at
his final examin ation at Quebec in September last, before the Board of
Notaries, he stood first in honors. He is now one of the Notarial firm
of Gushing, Dunton & Barron, Montreal
JOHN MEIKLE, another Scotchman, for many years shared with Col. Barron
the enjoyment of social and judicial honors. He was a native of Glasgow,
Scotland, and in 1830, with his wife t and three boys, left that city to
make his home in Lachute. He purchased a few acres of land of Col. Barron
(at that time Major), on which he erected a building" designed for a
general store. In this he began a business which, faithfully continued,
secured to him a competence for his declining years. In the early part
of his mercantile career he was assisted by his two brothers, Robert
and Thomas, who came to this country with him.
Long after he began trading, there was very little money in the country,
his tran sactions with his customers consisting chiefly of barter, as
he accepted pay from them for his goods in the products of the farm,
but mostly in potash, of which at that time there were large quantities
manufactured. The making of this article afforded him a chance to take up
a little additional business, by which he doubtless increased the number
of his customers, and won their esteem. A large part of his patronage
was from the new settlers in Thomas Gore, North Gore, Wentworth and
the rear of Chatham, who in clearing their land turned all the timber
possible into potash. To make this, they required leaches, kettles,
coolers, barrels, etc., and Mr. Meikle pro-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
vided these, placing them in suitable locations, and charged the
individuals using them a small fee for each barrel of potash they
made. In this way, though he charged barely sufficient to remunerate
himself for the wear and expense of the materials provided, he put many a
poor fellow in the way of making a little money which he otherwise could
not have made. After the potash was brought to Mr. Meikle, he sent it to
Inspector Stone in Montreal, and, as soon as the quality was ascertained,
he paid the full market price for it in cash.
In 1836, Mr. Meikle was appointed Postmaster, and held this position
for half a
century, and was also Justice of the Peace for many years. He was a
liberal supporter of Henry s Church, of which he was long an Elder,
and felt a deep interest in the College, to both of which in his will
he left a legacy.
He is held in kind remembrance by his old customers and acquaintances
all believing him an honest, upright, Christian man; he died in August,
1877; Mrs. Meikle in August, 1870. They left five sons John, William,
George, Robert and Thomas, and one daughter, Mrs. J. D. Wells. John and
Robert reside in Merrick- ville, Ont.j William in Manitoba ; George,
Robert and Mrs. Wells in Lachute.
After conducting the business some years, Mr. Meikle, sen., sold out to
his two
sons, George L. and Robert G., and retired from active life. The sons
prosecuted the business in company till 1878, when Robert retired and
entered politics, being that year elected Representative of Argenteuil in
the Provincial Legislature, in the interests of the Joly Government. He
was a candidate for the House of Commons in 1887, but was defeated by
J. C. Wilson.
The business which was established by his father in 1830 is still
conducted by George L. Meikle and his son-in-law, H. M. Gale. G. L. Meikle
was appointed assistant postmaster in 1844; he now has had charge of
the office fifty years.
ABNER STEARNS and two brothers, PHILANDER AND EBENEZER STEPHENS, were
among the quite early pioneers of Lachute. They came from Vermont, and
located in what is known as the Hill Settlement. Stearns, having a family
of four sons and three daughters, procured five hundred acres of land,
with the design of providing his sons with farms from the homestead. The
realities of pioneer life, however, he found quite different from the
view enjoyed in anticipation, and in about a year after his arrival he had
become so thoroughly disheartened from his hardships and spare diet, that
one day he abruptly started back to Vermont. After a year s absence from
his family, he returned and resumed his labors, but died a few years subse
quently. His children all settled in this section. One of his daughters,
Mary, mar ried Alvah Stephens, and Mrs. Emslie, one of the well-known
citizens of Lachute, is a daughter resulting from this union. We may
remark incidentally, that the mother of Mrs. Emslie was a cousin of
Senator Stearns.
Mrs. Emslie remembers many of the tales of hardship and destitution
related by her mother, and one incident especially, the sale of her
side-saddle, which was a source of much grief to her mother.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 207
In the early part of their residence here, there was a great scarcity of
provisions in the settlement, and a still greater scarcity of money. The
family of Mr. Stearns were not the only sufferers, and, fortunately for
them, Miss Stearns had a valuable side-saddle, on which she had ridden
all the Jong distance from their former home in Vermont, which could
be exchanged for provisions. The sacrifice was an unpleas ant one;
the saddle had become endeared by many associations, but what woman
would hesitate to part with any inanimate object, in the necessity of
procuring food for her family ? The late Col. Barren wanted the saddle,
and was willing to exchange corn for it, so the bargain was concluded,
and discomfited famine, shame-faced, re tired.
Mrs. Emslie also relates an incident which occurred within her own
recollec tion, that illustrates the manner in which the early settlers
surmounted little dif ficulties that were often occurring. Her father
was obliged, unexpectedly, to go to Montreal, and an examination of
his wardrobe, by his careful helpmate, revealed the fact, that a pair
of drawers was needful to its proper completion, in fact, they were of
the utmost necessity, the journey could not be undertaken without them,
and he must go to-morrow. What could be done? Recollect, kind reader,
that in those days one could not jump into a buggy, ride down to Meikle
s, McOuat s or Eraser s, and buy drawers at socts. a pair. But trust a
thrifty housewife of those days to get out of such a dilemma. Mrs. Stevens
had the cotton warp in the loom, waiting for the woof to be woven
into cloth ; but, unfortunately, the latter part of the web was not at
hand. But Mr. Stephens had that morning killed a lamb ; his active spouse
soon denuded the skin of its fleece, and then made ready her hand-cards
and trusty spinning wheel.
Mrs. Emslie, who, though young, was an adept at spinning, received the
plump rolls as they fell from her mother s cards, and soon transformed
them into the woof desired. It will suffice to say that before the mother
and daughter retired that night, the cloth had been woven, the drawers cut
out and made, and the next morning they were ministering to the physical
comfort of the husband and father, on his way to Montreal. Mrs. Emslie
is the widow of James Emslie, who for 44 years was an earnest, faithful
and successful teacher ; sixteen years of this time he taught in Quebec,
the rest in Lachute. Her mother and two of her sisters were married
to three brothers named Stephens. The two named above, Philander and
Ebenezer, en gaged in the manufacture of brick in the early part of
their pioneer life, and each built a brick house for himself, which is
still standing. Having no mill or any
utensils for grinding, neither horses, they used their oxen as
substitutes, tramping instead of grinding the clay.
Philander Stephens seems to have been well versed in the requirements of
pio neer life, and to have been well fitted for it by nature. He brought
a shoemaker with him from Vermont, who, besides doing the work required
by Mr. Stephens own
family, supplied the wants of neighboring families, and thus brought to
his employer some profit.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Mr. Stephens being skillful in the use of tools, and quite ingenious,
found am ple opportunity to exercise these abilities in his new
home. First, he made a full set of farming tools for himself, then his
wife lamenting the want of a loom he set to work and made one, even
to the shuttle. These utensils would appear crude, no doubt, compared
with the machine-made articles of the present, yet they answered every
requirement, saved the maker many a dollar, and illustrated the adage,
Necessity is the mother of invention."
The following article is contributed at our request :
THE FAMILY OF SAMUEL ORR. BY HIS SON, E. S. ORR, REGISTRAR OF COMPTON
COUNTY, COOKSHIRE, P.Q.
In the summer of 1817, an emigrant ship sailed from Belfast, Ireland,
and after
lirteen weeks voyage, arrived at Quebec. On board the ship was James
Orr, respectable Scotch-Irish farmer and Methodist local preacher from
Downpatrick his wife Sarah Swail, and their sons, James, Samuel, John,
Edwards and A daughter, Sarah by name, had married Matthew Coulter,
and remained James Orr came to Canada with his family, with the hope of
bettering eir fortunes ; but was not destined to remain long at their
head. The family set- led on a leased farm at Laprairie, where the husband
and father died about iSro, short illness (inflammation of the bowels),
aged about 56. Samuel the *>nd son, being lame on both his feet," was
unfitted for farm work, and became 5 apprentice of a Montreal shoemaker,
named Kiest. Early in the twenties, the widow >ur of her sons removed
to Argenteuil, and settled in Thomas Gore, Samuel emaimng behind in
Montreal. The shop where he acted as salesman, at the cor- 3t. James
Street, is, or was lately, still standing. My father was well cquamted
with old Montreal, and pointed out to me many places of interest as he
He told me that he helped to clear out the second place of Methodist up,
when the workmen were done with it. It stood on St. James street and
known as the Medical Hall." I remember being in it when it wa s still
is a place of *" u: ~ " " ~
H ! o
the pulpit (18,9). So , opular was Mr. Lusher, that though the church
e tIV At largC Pe Ple fth C UM ^ ^ Jn oftentime s listen Igo
About I839 , I saw Mr. Lusher at an evening service in the third
s id i^made h" T^ " T ^^ trembling" paralytic; my father Mm rick at
heart when he saw him, and contrasted what he then was
commenced business for himself at L^hu^ where^e "ntfnueTtt^e
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2CQ
till his death, 2pth March, 1875, when he had nearly completed his
seventy- third year. Some time after the Orr family came to Canada,
another emigrant ship brought among its passengers the family of William
and Fanny Hicks, of English origin ;
they came from the County Fermanagh, and settled for a while in the East
Settlement, but were attracted by the good reports of lands in Upper
Canada, where they went about 1831. The Hicks family consisted, I think,
of four sons John, George, William and Robert, and three daughters
Francis, Mary and Jane. Samuel Orr and Jane Hicks were married by the
Rev. William Abbott at St. Andrews, 6th August, 1828*
and their wedded life lasted nearly forty-seven years. Their home was
one where
piety and industry ruled the lives of the inmates. They were both members
of the Methodist Church, and were always ready to entertain Methodist
preachers as their guests. I have seen in that home, Carroll, Poole,
Black, Adams, Playter. Arm strong, Musgrove, Taylor, the two Barbers,
Hatman, Shaler, Willoughby, Mclntyre, Constable, Greener, Brownell,
Huntingdon, and the two McDowells, and others whose names do not now
occur to me.
Samuel Orr was for several years superintendent of the Old Union
Sunday School, for many years the only Sunday School at Lachute. The
attendance often amounted to a hundred at nine o clock on Sunday mornings,
gathered from points six miles apart. Presbyterians and Methodists worked
cordially together, they being then the only denominations who had an
organized existence in the place. Samuel Orr was also, for several years,
a Class and Prayer leader. I remember that he used to take dry wood in
a bag before him on his mare s back, to kindle fires with for prayer
meetings. My father was a trusted friend and favorite of the settlers in
the North Gore. I remember that such was the scarcity of money among them,
that they often asked and got the favor of the loan of a few pence to
" release a letter from the Post Office." Their payments were made to
a considerable extent in maple sugar and oatmeal. In the Rebellion, my
father s house was a kind of armoury. Two Volunteer companies, commanded
by Captain Evans and Captain Johnson, used to come to Lachute to drill ;
most of the men left the heavy " Brown Bess " muskets in our garret from
week to week, to save carrying them so great a dis tance. In the fall
of the year, a report was started, without foundation, that a party of
rebels intended to invade Lachute. Guards were sent to the " dugway,"
where the road lies between the hill and the river, to intercept them. My
father, feeling alarmed for the safety of his small family, harnessed
up the mare and cart, and with some bedding and provisions, drove into
the woods on the Hicks farm, where we re mained the greater part of the
night ; but finding that no invasion had taken place, we returned to
the house again. Afterwards, we spent a fortnight at the house of Mr.
William Clark, in Chatham, whose wife was a cousin of my father s. While
we were there, an alarm was raised, which called Mr. Clark and his
hired man whose name> I believe, was Husten away from home. After
they had been away some time, Husten came back for food. A large pan
full of doughnuts was hastily emptied out
2IQ HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
for him, in mv presence. I thought the horrors of war were considerably
initi ated by the chance of getting such luxurious fare. When the cruel
war was over we returned home, and on the night of our return we saw
from Carillon the flames c the burning church of St. Eustache. It stood
in ruins for some years, and remember seeing the ruins as I went to
Montreal. Dr. Chenier s death occurred at the battle of St. Eustache,
and I remember a gruesome report, that his body was c open and his
heart laid on the counter of Addison s hotel ; but I think the story
was likely without foundation. In the winter of 1848-49 a sad calamity
happened family. The smallpox was communicated to them by a French family
living c Vide Sacque, from whom they bought some onions, a vegetable
which never after- wards was used in the house. The first three children
had been vaccinated ; onl> one of them was at home, and he escaped a
most convincing proof of the . of vaccination. All the other children,
six in number, took the disease, and Sar Phebe the pet of the household,
in her fifth year, died. I was then living at St. Andrews. I came home
to attend the funeral, but did not enter the house. I saw through a I
room window the scarred and bloated face of the little darling.
My father died in his seventy-third year; his funeral service was
conducted by Rev. S. G. Phillips. When I went home to the funeral, I
called on John Meikle, Esq. , who said in all sincerity, that my father
had not left his equal behind him in Lach ute ; this referred of course
to his reputation for honesty, morality and rehgu My mother died in her
sixty-seventh year ; her funeral service was conducted by
Rev. Mr. Robson.
The family consisted of eight sons and two daughters : Elias Samuel,
born in 1829; Wesley Fletcher, born in 1831 ; James Edwards, born in
1833; George Matthew, born in 1835 ; Priscilla Jane, born in 1837 ;
Adam Clarke, born in 1839 > William Edgerton Ryerson, born in 1842 ;
Sarah Phebe, born in 1844; Watson Coke, born in 1846 ; and Marcus Arthur,
born in 1851. I will briefly mention some events in my own life.
My education was limited to the common school ; my first teacher was
Jedediah Lane; another, a Mr. MacPherson ; another, Lachlan Taylor ;
another, John W. H.
Brunton ; another, Adam Walker. I attended also, for a little while,
a French school at St. Andrews, taught by Antoine Moret.
On the 25th day of October, 1839, being the centenary of Methodism,
a prayer meeting was held in the old school-house led by Mr. Taylor ;
he prayed that some who were present might remember the blessings of the
day, fifty years afterwards. The prayer has been more than answered
in the case of my brother, W. F., and myself, as we have been spared
nearly fifty-six years from that day. In that month of October, 1839,
revival services were held at Lachute, as a result of which, several
young persons joined the Methodist Church. Henry Shaler and William
Willoughby conducted the meetings; they both lived for over half a
century after. Mr. Shaler died at
Kemptville, Ont., less than a year ago, aged over ninety.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 211
There are but few living now who joined the Church at the time I ref<
r to.
Robert Kneeshaw, Esq., of Ingersoli, Ont., my brother and myself were
among them.
Of my old school-fellows, Dr. Christie, G. L. Meikle and Thomas Barron
yet survive.
In the year 1843, mv brother, W. F., and myself assisted in drawing
bricks from the
front of Chatham to St. Andrews, for the Methodist Church ; a church in
which I
afterwards worshipped and preached for thirteen years. On the 8th day
of March,
1847, I entered the service of the late Charles Wales, as clerk in
his store. In 1854,
I became the junior member of the firm of Charles Wales & Co., which
was dissolved
in April, 1864. On the gih September, 1856, I was married at No. 10
St. Joseph
Street, Montreal, to Miss Jane Colclough White, daughter of Mr. John
D. White.
The issue of that marriage was William Arthur, who died in 1860, aged
2 years and
10 months; James Edward, who also died in childhood ; John Samuel,
who died at
Anamosa, Iowa, in his 2Qth year ; Alfred Elias, now known as
Dr. A. E. Orr. of
Montreal ; and Florence Lilian, teacher and artist. In 1860, I left
St. Andrews for
Sawyerville, P. Q., where I carried on a country trade till 1868. In 1869,
I received
the appointment of County Registrar, which I still hold.
Wesley Fletcher, next in age to me, left home early for St. Laurent,
where he was in the employ of the MacDonalds ; he went to Ontario
many years ago, where he carried on for a while the manufacture of
saleratus. He was engaged in country trade and lumbering at Lynden,
Barrie. and elsewhere. He subsequently went to Alberta; he
now resides in Calgary, of which city he was, and is still, the first
Mayor. He is married, and has two daughters and one son. James Edward
also left home early ; he entered the employment of Chas. D. Proctor
in Montreal, was also in the employ of Finley McMartin at St. Andrews,
and the late Mr. St. Denis at Point Fortune, was also engaged in country
trade in Ontario, at Lynden and elsewhere; he now resides in Calgary,
is married, and has a son and daughter living. G-orge Matthew spent
some time as clerk for Chas. Wales & Co., at St- Andrews, and also in the
store of Thomas Meikle. He removed to Cookshire, P.Q., where he carried
on trade for some time ; he now resides in St. Catharines, Ont. ; he
is married and has two daughters living. Priscilla Jane studied at the
Normal School in Montreal, and taught at Riviere Rouge and in the Lachute
Academy. She did not marry, but spent her time in loving ministrations
to the declining years of our parents, she occupied the old home for some
years, then went to Montreal and to Ontario ; she now resides in Chicago
with Adam C. Orr. Adam Clarke, named after t celebrated commentator,
was noted for his early love of books and pursuit of knowl edge : he
read the New Testament through at a very early age. When very small,
the Rev. James Musgrove called on the family ; the children were asked
their names ; Adam replied, " Dr. Adam Clarke ;" the reply caused the
minister to smile, found discussion arose between Adam and a younger
brother on the origin l and the opposite forces of God and Satan. The
younger boy propounded the qu<
" Why does the Lord not kill the devil? " Adam s reply was :
212 HISTORY OF AKGENTEUIL.
would have no father." At the age of 18, Adam was a successful teacher at
Hill Head, Lachute. He has lived for many years in Chicago, his portrait
and biographi cal record appear in an American publication, from which
I will make some extracts : " Adam C. Orr is one of the highly esteemed
citizens of Park Ridge. His home is
the centre of sociability, and there men of culture delight to gather and
discuss topics which tend to mental advancement. On the paternal side,
our subject came from the old McLean family of Scotland. At length,
however, the family became divided in the
Scottish feuds, and those who located in the Lowlands took the name of
Ayrs, which was subsequently changed into the present mode of spelling. In
the common school of
his native country, Adam C. Orr acquired a good P^nglish education. In
his father s country store, he received his first lessons in business,
but he left mercantile pursuits to engage in teaching, which profession
he successfully followed for thirteen years in Canada. In 1863, he spent
a term at the Normal School, affiliated to McGill College, Montreal,
and subsequently, while engaged in teaching, read the Art? Curriculum of
that University, and made translations of the Satires of Juvenal and Odes
of Horace into English verse ; the manuscripts of which were destroyed in
the Chicago fire. He was for some time employed as teacher of the French
language and literature in Lachute College, P.Q., and later, as principal
of the Central School, St. Mary s, Ont. It was in 1870 that he came to
Chicago, where soon after he engaged as superin tendent with the Gillet
Chemical Works. On the ist October, 1876, Mr. Orr was united in marriage
with Miss Cleo Petne. To Mr. and Mrs. Orr was born a son, Samuel Henry,
who died at the age of thirteen years. He was a boy who attracted
almost universal attention because of his perfect physique, fine
intellectual attain ments and gentlemanly bearing. He was a member of a
company of Zouaves, in which he held the highest offices, and was laid to
rest in their uniform. Both Mr. and Mrs. Orr hold an enviable position
in social circles, where true worth and intellr gence are received as
the passports into good society. They have made their home in Park Ridge
since 1881. Socially, Mr. Orr is connected with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and with the Royal Arcanum ; he is also a member of the
Astronomical Society of the Pacific."
William Edgerton Ryerson, thus named after two members of the celebrated
Ryerson family. It is seldom that Sweet Williams blossom in midwinter,
but this one did, as he was born in the month of January. He had the
good fortune to be taught wilting by Mr. Gibson, a teacher of Lachute,
who boarded with the family, and has made Bookkeeping the principal work
of his life. He was in business at Cookshire and at Durham for short
periods ; he now resides at Teeswater, Ont. ; has been twice married,
and has several children.
Watson Coke bears the name of two distinguished Methodists. He went to
Ontario early in life, and is now engaged in fruit farming at Winona. He
sells grapes by the ton, and is successful also with many other fruits.
Francis Arthur, the tenth and last child, was born twenty-one years
after the present writer. He learned photography while quite young,
and has pursued it ever
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2 It
since. He is at present a resident of Chicago. The family present an
instance of nine out of ten who grew to maturity, and whose members are
at the date of this
writing still unbroken. For the most part, they have had good health,
and all of them moderate prosperity.
For about sixty years, the name of Orr was a familiar one at Lachute,
but they have all left it, except those who are quietly sleeping in the
old cemetery, that is, Samuel Orr, Jane Orr, his wife and " little Sarah."
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY DAYS. KINDLY CONTRIBUTED BY E. S. ORR.
I was born in 1829, and have recollections of some of the early
inhabitants of the County of Argenteuil who have long since passed away.
ABIATHAR WALDRON was my father s next-door neighbor; he had been a
soldier of the Revolutionary War, I think, on the American side. He
must have been one of the earliest settlers of Lachute. He used to say
that the sun had never found him in bed for fifty years. Mr. Waldron s
wife was a Hatchings, and was said to have been the first white woman at
Lachute. The Waldrons were, like many of the first settlers, Methodists. A
story is recorded by Carroll in his " Past and Present," as follows :
(It must have occurred about 1816.) There is a beautiful tract of land in
the neighbor hood of Lachute, on the North River, which falls into the
Ottawa. This was originally settled by an interesting class of people
from the United States, from among whom a large and prosperous society
was raised up by the labors of a Sa\vyer ? a Luckey and others. But a
succession of blighting frosts had caused such a faiKire in the crops for
several years, that one family after another had left and sought a home
in a more genial climate, till the society was not only much reduced in
numbers, but very few homes were left to shelter the hapless itinerant
in a place which had always been considered " head-quarters " on the
circuit ; and the occupant of the prin cipal one of the few remaining "
lodging places for wayfaring men," " Father Waldron," as he was called,
had also resolved to leave. The two preachers (Ferguson and Peel) were
spending a night under his hospitable roof, but the intention of their
host to leave communicated to them, had made them sad ; they did their
utmost to persuade him
to stay, setting before him the evil that would result to the cause if
he left, ami the consequent good he would be the means of doing if he
remained. When the hour of
devotion arrived, both the preachers engaged in prayer, one after
the other, and ii: the subject which lay near their hearts ground of
earnest supplication. Fergi: prayed first, and earnestly besought the
Lord to prevent Bro. Waldron from g> .ing away. To each petition,
Peel subjoined the expressive response, " Hedge him up,
Mighty God ! " And when the time came to plead in prayer, he told the
Lord they
could not afford to part with Bro. Waldron besought him to induce him to
s: and to reward him for so doing with an abundant crop. He enumerated
every kind
214
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
of produce he could think of by name, and prayed that Bro. Waldron s hay
and potatoes, and wheat and rye, and oats and peas, and barley, etc.,
might be abundant. Mr. Waidron was induced to stay another year, and by
a very remarkable coincidence with Mr. Peel s request, he had an abundant
crop of everything both in field and garden, excepting onions. When this
fact was mentioned to the preacher, " Oh," said Peel, " I forgot the
ONIONS." To my personal knowledge Mr. Waldron remained many years after
this incident at Lachute, perhaps twenty. His wife above mentioned was a
second wife, and not the mother of Linus, Silas and Abiathar, his sons.
Her first husband s name was Clark. It was said that he took a grist to
the Lachute mills to be ground, and that, while waiting for the grist,
he went to fish for salmon, which were then to be had below the dam,
and was drowned. Mr. and Mrs. Waldron, at a very advanced age, finally
returned to the States, I think, about 1836.
JOHN S. HUTCHINS was a man whose personality made a deep impression on
my mind. He was small of stature, with partially bald head, the remaining
hair on which was bleached by many winters snows ; he was Clerk of Court,
and I suppose
possessed a monopoly of the legal knowledge of the settlement. He used to
come in a camlet cloak from his residence on the north side of the river,
to lead the four o clock prayer-meetings on Sunday afternoon, where I
have often listened to his prayers and exhortations. When I knew him,
he was living with his third wife. He survived till about the middle of
the century now drawing to a close, and has been sleeping surrounded by
his wives in the old burying ground for more than forty years.
The REV. WILLIAM BRUNTON. This hoary, reverend and religious man is no
doubt still remembered by some who knew him when they were children. He
was the Minister of the Secession Congregation in the old stone church. I
was sent to his house on an errand, when I was about six years old. I
remember well his venerable appearance as he stood in the doorway and
handed me a tract entitled, " The Spoiled Child," which made a deep
impression on my mind ; it lies before me as I write.
I have also before me " The Judgment of God a Call to Repentance," a
sermon preached at Lachute, Lower Canada, on Tuesday, the 26th of June,
1832, which day was devoted to the exercise of fasting and prayer in that
settlement, on account of the alarming progress of the cholera morbus in
various parts of the Province, by the Rev. William Brunton, Montreal ;
published by Thomas A. Starke, 1832. The following prefatory notes are
reproduced from the pamphlet :
"LACHUTE, 2nd July, 1832.
" At a quarterly meeting of the Lachute Temperance Society held here this
day, the Rev. George Poole in the Chair, it was resolved unanimously :
That the Rev.
William Brunton be requested to furnish to a committee of the Society
a copy of his Sermon preached here on the 26th ult., in order that it
may be printed for the benefit of the Society. It is now, accordingly,
published by their authority.
"THOMAS BARTON, Vice- President. "JEDEDIAH LANE, Secretary."
(Barton is a misprint for Barron.)
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 215
" To the Lachute Temperance Society :
" The following Sermon, which was hurriedly prepared for the occasion on
which it was delivered, without any idea whatever of its being printed,
being now published in compliance with their unexpected and unanimous
request, is respectfully inscribed by their obedient servant.
il THE AUTHOR."
The text of the sermon was Joel, 2d chap., rath and 131)1 verses. An
Appendix gives an address delivered by Mr. Brunton before the Lachute
Temperance Society, 2nd May, 1832. In this it is stated that the
Temperance Society was formed at Boston, Mass., in July, 1826. I quote
a few words to show the gist of the address : ; Your abstaining from
drinking such intoxicating liquids, though ever so moderately, except
ing as a medicine, can do you no harm. Your drinking thus, unless for
a medical
purpose, can do no good to yourself. But your abstaining from them,
and becoming a member of a Temperance Institution, may do much good,
indeed, both to yourself
and to others."
Mr. Brunton preached in the old school-house before the stone church was
built. I may have heard him there, but have no distinct recollection of
it. I am not sure of the date of Mr. Brunton s death, but think it must
have been in the fall of 1837. His library with other effects was sold
at auction. I have some books which formed part of it. One which lies
before me now is a collection of tracts ; on the fly leaf is a neatly
written table of contents, dated 28th August, 1809. It was written, I was
told, with a crow-quill, the kind of pen which he preferred to use. The
funeral was a solemn event. I remember a funeral sermon preached some
time after his decease, by whom I cannot say, and the singing of the
paraphrase which begins, " The hour of my departure is come."
In 1834, came another Scotchman, JOHN HAY, from Inverness-shire. He was
an excellent mechanic, a stone-layer, and a man of intelligence, yet,
like most of the new comers in those times, he was obliged to accept the
wages that were offered, hence he engaged to Colin Robertson for $5.00
per month. His skill, however, and his industry soon attracted notice,
and it was not long before he was made foreman of the work, with a proper
increase of salary. The lot on which he settled and spent his life is now
owned and occupied by his son, John Hay ; he was a Justice of the Peace
many years. Two of his sons, George and William, now live in Ottawa,
the former a retired merchant, the latter an accountant.
John Hay, the son, who has always remained in Lachute, is one of the
prominent citizens of this place, and has always taken an active and
important part in municipal affairs. He has been a School Commissioner
and Municipal Councillor for thirty years, and was Mayor of the parish
until he resigned, declining longer to serve. 1892, he was a candidate
for the Legislative Assembly on the Liberal ticket, but defeated by the
election of the Conservative candidate, W. J. Simpson, of Mr. Hay are
doing a prosperous business in a flour and feed store on M; in this town.
2l6 HISTORY OK ARGKNTKUIL.
JAMES FISH, Postmaster of Lachute Mills, has been a familiar figure
in Lachutc for half a century, and to-day feels that his life is an
illustration of the vicissitudes of fortune. A sketch in The Watchman,
that delineates him as he appeared in the days of his youth, after having
engaged a while in the grist mill of the Seignior, says :
" His was a hobby to play the clarionet, and, scarcely ever absent
from church,
he led the choir with this musical instrument for about half a century,
and was always in his place, which, to his mind, was as important as
that of the minister." *
To be explicit with regard to dates and events, Mr. Fish came, when at
young boy, with his father, Wm. Fish and family, to Lachute from England
in 1832. His father, however, soon moved to St. Andrews, where he was
employed in the grist mill as miller for four years. He then went to
Cobourg, Ont., where Mrs. Fish died.
James, in 1838, returned to St. Andrews and engaged to R. King, proprietor
of the grist mill there, for some years. In 1844, he was married to Ellen,
daughter of Thomas Wanless of that village, and, after finding employment
in mills at Hawkes- bury and other places four or five years more, he came
to Lachute, and for three years tended the grist mill for Col. Macdonald,
agent for the Seignior of Argenteuil. For the nine years following, he
acted as superintendent of all Macdonald s mills grist, saw and woollen
mills. Afterwards he obtained a lease of them for a term of years,
and then bought them, his income having been so carefully husbanded that
he now had quite a snug sum to invest in property. After keeping these
mills in
successful operation some time longer, he rented them to different
parties ; but the carding and fulling mills were soon destroyed by
fire. Mr. Fish rebuilt them, and added another two-story building,
designed for the manufacture of wooden-ware. Within two years, however,
the latter manufactory was burnt, by which fire he suffered a loss of
$7,000 ; and after this, he sold all the other mills.
In 1877, with that public spirit which has characterized his actions,
he built the bridge, which is known as Fish s Bridge, at his own
expense. Though very indus trious, and much devoted to his business,
he has found time to serve his parish in different positions ; he has
long been Commissioner for the trial of small causes, Councillor both for
the parish and town, Mayor of the latter two years, and post master and
mail contractor since 1880. In 1890-91 his real estate was appraised by
the valuators at $25,525. Misfortune, however, has since deprived him
of this pro pertythe accumulation of a life of industry and economy.
Mrs. Fish died 2nd January, 1891. Their only child, a daughter, was
married to F. C. Ireland. In 1892, i 3 th January, Mr. Fish was again
married, to Miss M. . Barley, daughter of John Barley of Lachute.
HENRY HAMMOND, who owns a large farm near the village, on which the
County Agricultural buildings are located, was one of the pioneers of
this County. He was born in the County of Monaghan, Ireland, in 1818. His
father s family came to
* From a sketch by F. C. Ireland.
HISTORY OF ARGENVEUIL. 2I _
America in 1831, and settled in the North Settlement ; but after
living with his uncle five years, Henry went with his brother John
to Mille Isles, and took up a lot of wild land. They were the first
settlers in that parish, and their nearest neighbors were three miles
distant. Settlers soon began to come in, however, and after remain ing
there five years, receiving a good offer for their land, in 1841. they
sold it and came to Lachute. Mr. Hammond says, even at that date, the
only buildings there were in what is now the West End of Lachute were
the Seigniorial Mills, a part of what is now the Victoria Hotel, and a
school-house, which answered the two-fold
purpose of an educational institution and a place for holding
religious worship. Wolves still prowled in the surrounding forests,
and occasionally made an attack on the sheep-fold. Mr. Hammond was a
Volunteer in the Rebellion of 1837, but has since had nothing to do with
either military, public or civic affairs, giving his attention entirely
to his farm, save at times of election, when he has always voted the
Conservative ticket. He has added to his farm from time to time, until
it now comprises a thousand acres. He says that he drew many a load of
grain to the Brewery of Com
missary Forbes, at Carillon, for the purpose of raising money, in the
first years of his residence here.
His brother John, who never married, always lived with him till his death
in 1891, and gave valuable assistance in clearing up the farm. Henry
Hammond was married to Miss Eiiza Bradford, grand-daughter of the
Rev. Richard Bradford, of
Chatham. Their son, Henry R. Hammond, who now has the management of the
estate, after graduating at McGill, studied law, and was admitted to the
Bar ; but then decided to follow the more quiet and healthful vocation
of agriculture.
DAVID RAITT is another who may be styled a pioneer of Lachute. He is
a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, and in his youthful days learned the
tailor s trade. and afterwards enlisted at Edinburgh, 23rd October,
1 835, at the age of 18, in the R Artillery, in which his services
as tailor were called in requisition. He sailed with his company from
Woolwich for Montreal, and arrived there 2Oth August, 1839. He
then purchased his discharge, which reads as follows :
" Gunner David Raitt of the Royal Artillery has always borne a good
chararte, in the corps, and I believe him to be a sober, honest and
indrstnous young man,
and one whom I conceive in every way to be trustworthy.
" J. TURXKR,
Capt. Royal Artillery.
" Discharged in consequence of having paid the sum of 25 under item ia
the Good Conduct Regulations."
Mr. Raitt previous to his discharge had been master tailor in the garrison
at Montreal.
On the 7th January, 1842, he came to Lachute, where he has ever since
resided. He bought roo acres of land, on which he lived some years,
and then selling it, he
15
2I g HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
removed to the village, devoting his time chiefly to his trade. On
account of failing health, however, he accepted the office of bailiff
thus obtaining ample exercise in the open air and he has held the position
over forty years. Although 79 years of ace on the loth of October, 1895,
Mr. Raitt is still active and intelligent, and enjoys relating his early
experiences here, and describing the old landmarks and characters
of Lachute.
Mrs. Raitt, also, whose maiden name was Isabella Dixon, and whom he
married before-coming to Canada, is still alive and active. They have
four sons and one
daughter living, two sons and two daughters are deceased.
^ames W., one of their sons, learned the trade of tinsmith, and followed
it till 1890, when he was appointed Secretary of Lachute and Clerk of
the Commissioners Court
offices which he has filled to the general satisfaction of the public. He
is also agent for several Fire, Life and Accident insurance companies,
as well as agricultural implements. He was married 5th October, 1871,
to Janet Isabella Walker.
John Raitt, his brother, is also a tinsmith, plumber and roofer, and
has a shop
here on Main Street, in which he keeps a variety of tinware. He married
Margaret a daughter of Nathaniel Copeland.
ANDREW McCoNNELL whodied in 1893, an J who had then been living a few
years in Lachute, was for several decades a prominent and influential
figure in Argenteuil,
His father, Andrew McConnell, came from Glasgow to Canada, with his
family, of John, Mary, Andrew, William and Agnes, in 1819, and settled
on a farm on the
Lachute Road.
The son, Andrew, was married to Mary Jane Bradford, grand-daughter of
the Rev.
Richard Bradford, sist October, 1851. He settled at Gushing in Chatham,
on the
farm now owned by J. B. Clerihue ; he erected fine buildings, and lived
there till 1887,
when he removed to Lachute. He was a very successful farmer, and was
careful to
educate his children. He filled the office of Justice of the Peace for
many years with
great ability, and when he died he was the oldest Justice of the Peace
in the County.
He was also a Commissioner for the trial of small causes, and was
appointed Cap-
tain of militia during Lord Monk s administration. He died in November,
1893, and
the funeral was one of the largest ever seen in Lachute. He had eight
children
John Bradford, Gilbert Smith, Richard George, Andrew William, Jessie
Ann, James
Quinton, Jennie and Hugh.
Gilbert, Andrew and James settled, a few years ago, in the North West
first at Qu Appelle; but they are now residing in Vancouver. Andrew
acted as courier for General Middleton during the Riel Rebellion, and
was one of the nine prisoners rescued at the battle of Batoche. Richard
G. is a B.A. of McGill College, and now holds a prominent position in
the Geological Survey of Canada.
John Bradford McConnell, M.D., C.M., was born at Chatham, 28th August,
1851 ; educated at Wanless Academy, at Carillon ; entered on his
medical studies at McGill in 1869, and graduated in 1873. In 1871,
he went through the Military
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
2I 9
School at Montreal, and the same year was appointed Lieutenant in the
nth of Argenteuil Rangers Subsequently, he was for eight years surgeon n
the I of Wales Rifles. He has taught many years in the Medical Facultyof
Bishop s Colleg -first, as professor o Botany, his collection of plants
being one of the largest in the Dominion ; he has filled several important
positions in the University. Durin, summer of ,886 he made an extensive
European tour, visiting the hospitafs of Dublin, London, Pans and Berlin,
taking a course on Bacteriology" under Prof. Koch at Pans. He has
contributed frequently to the Montreal Medical Journal, and ht papers
have been read at the Medico-Chirurgical Society. He was married in z8
75 Theodora Lovell, daughter of Robert Miller, publisher and stationer.
< t up,c f Ireland Came lo this co tr y ^ a member
o the Royal Staff Corps. After the canal was completed, he settled in
the noTpar
of Gore, and d.ed there, not many years since, within a few months of IO
o years old Mrs Boyd died a few years later, at the age of 93 . They had
six sons and two daughters ; three of the former and the two latter are
still living. Hugh one of th LTMar d ue!te deSC6ndantS fiTein Winnipeg ;
his son Nathaniel is the present M. P.
Stewart, the eldest son of the pioneer, married Margaret Hammond, aunt of
Henry Hammond of Lachute ; she died about 1890, at the age of 03. They
firs settled in Gore, but a few years afterward removed to Chatham,
where Mr Boyd had aught TOO acres of wild land. On this land, and at
that time, of course, he had all 16 varied rough experience of pioneer
life ; he earned many dollars in those days drawing wood to Carillon
and selling it for 90 cents per cord. But he survived all thi hardship,
reared his family, cleared two farms, on one of which, known as the
Mile Farm, a fine tract, he lives with his son James. Though 83 years of
age he is 1 very active and ambitious. So great is his desire for work,
that he insists on ung care of the stock, and threshing grain, daily,
with a flail for over a dozen head He was one of the loyal actors in
the Rebellion of 1837 J he is Master of an Orange Lodge, a position he
has held over forty years. His childrenthree sons and two daughters-are
all living. James, the eldest son, resides on the homestead. U.am S.,
the youngest, is connected with the Customs Department in Montreal Mary,
one of the daughters, is married to John Earl, of Lachute; Sarah, the
other daughter, married to T. B. Johnson, resides in Lennoxville.
John W., third son, at the age of fifteen, was apprenticed to learn
the trade of miller, a trade which sometimes in connection with lumber
business he has fol-
owed to the present. When about 2r , he went to California, and was there
engaged m lumbering five years. After his return, he and his brother
bought the old mills known as the " McKenzie Mills," at St. Canute,
with which they were engaged fifteen
ears, doing an extensive business. They sold out in 1886 for $14,000,
afier which John W. was connected five years with the new lumber firm
of Owens, Lane & Boyd;
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
he also in 1892, in company with W. J. Simpson, M.P.P., bought the
grist mill and saw mill at Lachute, which, during the past fall, 1895,
they sold to J. C. Wilson.
Mr. Boyd was married in October, 1892, to a daughter of Dr. Stackhouse of
Lachute.
TAMES HENDERSON, a venerable old gentleman, with kind and pleasant face,
who lives in a neat cottage near McGibbon s mill, has many recollections
of the infant days of Lachute. He came with his father, Peter Henderson,
from Callander, Perth shire Scotland, in 1820 ; his father settled on
a lot in St. Canute in the county of Two Mountains, which is now owned
by Wra. Boa. At that time, Mr. James Hender son says the only buildings
where now the village is located were the grist mill and saw mill and two
or three houses ; one occupied the site of the present residence of Dr
Christie, a man named Proctor lived near the site of the Rev. Mr. Mackie
s residence ; and there was a school-house where G. J. Walker, Esq.,
now lives. The only road to St Andrews was by way of Beech Ridge.
Mr. Henderson, who is 82 years old, has spent thirty-five years of
his life in Mon treal He gives a graphic description of an election
that occurred in this county some time during the forties. Among other
incidents, he relates that one of the candi dates had a barrel of whiskey
rolled to the place of polling ; the whiskey was served in a wooden pail,
supplied with a tin cup, and then carried around, so that every one so
inclined could drink to his heart s content. The elder Mr. Henderson
died in
1841, and his son was married in 1843 to Elizabeth Vart, of England,
who died in January, 1884 ; they had four sons and three daughters. The
eldest, Peter, and third son, John, are in business in Montreal; the
second son, William, is farming near Montreal, and the youngest, James,
is also farming in Brandon, Man. Mary, the eldest daughter, and Elizabeth,
the youngest, are married, and live in Montreal, and Jean, the second,
lives with her father.
JOHN SCHOLEFIELD, son of the Rev. William Scholefield, a prominent
clergyman
in England, came to this country when quite young, and labored for many
years as
local preacher. He married Amelia, a daughter of Robert Kneeshaw, an
early settler
at Lachute. They lived a while at St. Andrews, and their son William
was bom
there; after this, they removed to Ontario, where Mr. Scholefield died,
not many
years later.
William Scholefield, the son, some years since, became Bookkeeper for
his cousin, Robert Kneeshaw Summerby, who had erected two lumber mills
and a grist mill at St. Canute. Mr. Summerby was accidentally drowned
in his mill pond 3ist May, 1886; his loss was widely and deeply lamented.
Mrs. Summerby, his widow, and Mr. William Scholefield, were married
i8th August, 1887, and Mr. Scholefield continued the business; but he
died gth January, 1891. Mrs. Scholefield still owns one of the lumber
mills at St. Canute, and ha s two lots and a fine brick residence in
Lachute, where she lives. She has two daughters Minnie Summerby and
Amelia Scholefield. Another daughter by the
HISTORY OF ARGENTF.UIL. 221
first marriage, Ruby Summerby, a bright little girl, nine years old. and
a general favorite, was drowned at Lachute, in the North River, 6th
June, 1895.
Mrs. Scholefieid in devoted to Christian work, and has been President,
Vice- President, and Secretary of the C. E. Society, and is now
Corresponding Secretary.
BENJAMIN BURCH came from Vermont to Lachute with the earliest settlers,
the Lanes, Hutchins, and others, and settled on land now owned by his
grandson, Alfred Burch. The maiden name of his wife, whom he married
in Vermont, was Annie Burch. He took up 3 -o acres of land, which he
afterward divided among three sons, and lived here till his death. He
had five sons and two daughters.
His eldest, N. F. Burch. was killed on the railway at Carillon, roth
November, 1868.
Alvah Burch, one of the three sons mentioned above, married Miss Grout,
of Vaudreuil ; she died leaving two sons, and he then married Margaret
Matthews, by which marriage he had seven children five sons and two
daughters. Soon after his second marriage, he sold his farm to the
Rev. William Henry, and bought a village lot in Lachute, now occupied
by Rodrigue s hotel, and conducted a public house here thirty years. He
was also engaged quite largely in other business had a bakery, grocery,
and dealt extensively in cattle. It is said that, at one time, he was
wealthy, and was always benevolent and kind to the poor.
BENJ. BURCH. an account of whose sad death by drowning is given in the
history of Harrington, was a son of Benjamin Burch, the pioneer. He
married Eliza Clark, and settled on the farm in Upper Lachute now owned
by his son, Alfred A. Burch.
Some years later, he went to Harrington, took up land, and was drowned
there in
1858. He had two sons and three daughters ; one of the former died
in childhood. One daughter, married, lives in Manitoba, the other two
in Grenville ; one, married to David Ogilvy ; the other is the widow of
the late Richard Hoare.
Alfred A. Burch, the only surviving son, when quite young, went to
the States, and was married 7 th August, 1873, in Slatersville, R.I.,
to Margaret Smiley, of Chatham, Que. In 1883, he moved to Manitoba;
his wife died in 1892, and the following year he returned to Lachute,
and bought the old homestead of about 150 acres, which "had been the
home of his father and grandfather. In 1893, July 4 th. he was married
to.Elizabeth Eraser, youngest daughter of Amaziah Burch.
THOMAS SHEPHERD, who now resides in Lachute, is a son of William Shepherd,
who came from Yorkshire, England, to St. Andrews about 1825, and for a
year wa in the employ, as farmer, of the Rev. Joseph Abbott. About two
years arrival, he was married to Margaret Graham. In 1834, or thereabout,
he bought 13 acres of land in the East Settlement, on which he lived till
his death. Mr. was one of the loyal actors in the Rebellion of 1837. He
had eight sons and daughters. Thomas, the eldest son. remained on the
homestead, and wa: 8th February, 1864, to Mary Ann Shaw. They have two
sons and
HISTORY OF ARGENTRUIL. 222
Mr. Shepherd sold the homestead to his eldest son, William, and moved
to Lachute in 1891 The son was married, ist of March, 1892, to Grace
Griffith.
Mr Shepherd has been a very successful farmer, and has . fine property
i Lachute. Before moving here, he was for nine years a member of the
Parish Council.
JAMES CAMPBELL came to Canada in 1823, landing in Quebec city on the
of May he was accompanied by his wife, two sons, the family of one of
the latter,
^ Tttar ried son, SAMUEL CAMPBELL, settled in November of the same
year on xooac es of an uncleared lot in Gore, on the shore of Clear
Lake but before he ame to this section, his wife (Nancy McLean) died in
Lachine. He remained m Go a > ear and a half, then moved to the i xth
Range, Chatham, where he lived four His father, who resided with him,
died during their stay in Chatham, and I Hed to him the tot in Gore,
to which he then returned, and lived there for twenty He then removed to
Papineauville, and afterwards to Grenville, dying m the fatter place at
the age of 91. He was twice married ; by the first marriage he had two
sons and a daughter, and by the last, two sons and four daughters.
JOSEPH the eldest son by the first marriage, was born in Co. Antrim,
4 th Novem
ber z8i<; he, also, has been twice married: the first time, 6th
April, 1841, to Jane McArthur six sons and four daughters were born to
them. Mrs. Campbell died 3th February, 1888; and Mr. Campbell was again
married, i2th July, 1892. Catherine A. Smith, widow of the late Captain
William Smith. Mr. Campbell now 81 years of age, and can write steadily,
and walk five or six miles a day. has done much work as a mechanic
during his long life, and still keeps busy, usually in the manufacture
of light articles of furniture, which are executed with neatness and
taste. John Campbell, one of his sons, is proprietor of Dalesville.
PETER CAMPBELL, another son, lived with his father in Chatham till the
age of 17, when he came to Lachute to learn the trade of miller. He
worked five or six years with James Fish ; his employer then leased
the mill to him for five years, and after- wards he bought both grist
mill and saw mill ; in connection with the latter, he also engaged in
the lumber business. He sold the mills, however, at the expiration of
three years, and followed the lumber business till the fall of 1895,
when the Lachute mills having been purchased by J. C. Wilson, this
gentleman engaged Mr. Campfc to resume his former vocation of miller,
in which position he is now employed. H was married i 3 th September,
1876, to Catherine Matilda Palliser ; she died 4 th Feh ruary, 1892 ;
he has been a member of the Town Council three years.
JAMES WALKER from Ayrshire, Scotland, came to Lachute in 1832; he was
a miller, and was first employed a year in the St. Andrews mill, and
then a year in t mill at Lachute. After this, he purchased of Johnson,
a son-in-law of Benj. Burch, the farm of 170 acres, which is now owned
by his son, G. J. Walker. A portion of Mr. Johnson s present dwelling
was erected by Johnson.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 22
Soon after settling here, Mr. Walker met with a serious accident. Patrick
Quinn or, as he was usually called, Paddy Quinn a noted character in
Lachute in those days, with devoted loyalty, determined to celebrate the
birthday of his sov ereign. Securing an old cannon, he charged it so
heavily with slugs and a variety of missiles, that it burst, injuring
Mr. Walker so badly, that one of his legs had to be amputated. He
spent his remaining days here, clearing up his farm, and was for many
years Clerk of the Commissioner s Court; he died 26th April, 1868: Mrs.
Walker died 3rd November, 1876. They had six children four sons and two
daugh ters ; of these, Gavin J. is the only one now living. The eldest,
a daughter, born in Scotland, died soon after their arrival in Canada ;
the second, a son, died at the age of 18. T\vo daughters, Jessie and
Eliza, who married, res pectively. G. L. Meikle and Thomas Patton,
are now deceased.
GAVIN WALKER has always remained on the homestead, and has been closely
connected with all the affairs of the Town and County. The following is
a list of the positions he still holds and those he has filled :
Secretary County Council, appointed March, 1868 ; Secretary Parish
St. Jerusa lem, appointed 1879 ; Secretary School Board, appointed 1867 ;
Secretary Agricultural Society, appointed 1869 ; Clerk of Commissioners
Court, appointed 1868. He was also Secretary of the town of Lachute for
a year after it was formed, and took an active part in its formation ;
he then resigned in favor of W. J. Simpson, the present M.P.P. He was
Official Assignee for a number of years, is also a Justice of the
Peace, and has been Curator for several estates, and is agent for
different Life and Fire Insurance companies. The duties of these
different offices Mr. Walker has dis charged efficiently, and to public
satisfaction. He is a supporter of the Presbyterian Church, and for
some years has been an Elder. He was married, 29th October, 1873,
to Janet McOuat ; she died 251)1 January, 1890, leaving two sons and
three daughters.
Mr. Walker s commodious residence, beneath stately trees, with its view of
interval meadows across the road in front, is peculiarly attractive, and
suggestiv. the comforts and pleasures of an old-time, model homestead.
In 1827, two brothers, JAMES and JOHN CALDEP, weavers, from Paisley,
Scotland, settled in Lachute, on the bank of the North River, on land
now owned
and occupied by the family of the late James Pollock. Finding that
they could im prove their circumstances, they soon removed to Chatham,
in the vicinity of Dales- ville, where, in the history of Mr. Maple,
will be found a sketch of one of ti brothers, John Calder.
James Calder, whose wife was a Miss Macfarlane of Paisley, had three
sons.- John, Robert and James, and two daughters, Margaret and Kh/aheth.
John, one of these sons, at an early age, manifested a desire to preach
the Gospel, and had decided to enter the ministiy ; but, owing to the
circumstances of the family, and their hardships in the new country due,
in some measure, to their utter ignorance of pioneer life he was compelled
to relinquish his cherished de-
224
HISTORV OF ARGENTEUIL.
As he was the eldest son, his services were sorely needed at home, hence
he re mained. But this did not prevent his preaching the Gospel; and
from that time till his death in 1876 he never neglected an opportunity
to make known the glad
tidings of salvation. In those days, churches were few ; and in log
school- houses, on winter nights, after the day s work was over, and in
neighbors houses, on Sunday, he continued to hold meetings and expound
the Scriptures. He had a natural talent for preaching and singing the
latter gift contributing much toward awakening and sustaining interest
in the meetings.
He married Sarah Kerr, daughter of an old Irish pensioner who had
passed his days in the army fighting the battles of his country. The
old veteran often
boasted of his campaign in Egypt, under Abercrombie against Napoleon. He
lived until he was 97 years cfage, and died at the home of his
daughter. John Calder prospered, and became one of the leading farmers
in his settlement. For several
years before his death, he was a colporteur for the Montreal Auxiliary
Bible Society, travelling over a large section of this province,
especially in the Eastern Townships, preaching Christ and distributing
His word. It was on a trip of this kind that he contracted the cold
which resulted in his death. The sudden death of his eldest
son. James, and the failing health of his wife induced him to sell his
property and move to Lachute in ! May, 1875. In the following winter,
while on a trip to Har
rington, he fell ill, and returning home, was seized with an attack
of inflammation of the bowels, which, at the end of a week, proved
fatal. His wife, who had been an invalid for over a year previous,
survived him only a few months. Of him there was much good and t little
ill that could be said. A kind-hearted, generous disposi tion, a sterling
Christian _character, no more fitting epitaph could be written than "
he was a good man."
The family consisted of four sons and three daughters. The eldest son,
James, dropped dead (2nd Sept., 1875) from heart disease, at the residence
of the late John Douglas, Front of Chatham, while waiting for the train
which was to take him on a visit to his brother John, then in Tiverton,
Ont. The latter married Elizabeth,
second daughter of the late Finlay McGibbon of Dalesville, and now
resides in Montreal, where he is City Inspector of the Fire Underwriters
Association. George F. and Charles, the other two sons, are the editors
and proprietors of the Lachute Watc/rma?i. Of the sisters, Mary, the
eldest, married Archibald Murdoch of Dalesville, and died in June,
1895, leaving a large family. Elizabeth married Mr. Wm. Heatlie of
Stonefield,[and Susan married Mr. W. J. Thompson, of Lake View; P.Q.,
all of whom are yet alive.
G. F. CALDER, B.A., was born 22nd December, 1862, on the eighth
concession of Chatham. In his early years he attended school in the
old log school-house known as Warwick School," being situated near
the residence of the late David Warwick, but now commonly called Mount
Maple. When the family left to reside in Lachute,
he commenced to attend Lachute Academy, then under the principalship of
Mr. A- Monroe. It is needless to say, the lad was far behind those with
whom he now had
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. 225
to study, for it must be remembered that our elementary schools in those
days were not what they now are. He then learned the printer s trade
in the Watchman office, which at that time was under the management of
D. Kerr, and in 1880 returned to
the Academy, of which C. S. Holiday, B.A., was then Principal. To this
gentleman, Mr. Calder feels himself deeply indebted for his earnest and
painstaking efforts in preparing him for college. He entered McGill in
1881, matriculating in Arts, received his degree of B. A. in 1885. and the
same year obtained a first-class Academy diploma from the McGill Normal
School. He then accepted the principalship of the Academy at Aylmer,
Que. v and after teaching there successfully two years, entered into
partnership with W. J. Simpson (now M.P.P.), in the publication of tlie
Watch man, and removed to Lachute, where he has since resided. In 1892,
he was married to Miss J. C. Roger, one of the staff of teachers in the
Girls High School, Montreal; and daughter of Mr. Jos. Roger, then of
Wickham, but now of Lachute. In 1891, he was appointed a Commissioner
of the Superior Court for taking affadavits, and in 1892 was admitted
to the Bar for the study of Law.
In politics- Mr. Calder has always been an active Conservative, and is
able to express himself on the platform in clear and forcible language. He
is a member of a Christian church, and an earnest advocate of temperance
and every moral reform. As a writer, he has a clear and vigorous style,
and when he sets out to answer an oppo nent, he does it with an array
of facts and force of logic that are not easily overcome.
Charles Calder, a younger brother of G. F., and assistant-editor of the
Watch man, was born 131!! May, 1865. After attending school in Chatham
and Lachute, he spent four years in the Baptist College at Woodsiock,
Ont., from which place he entered the Watchman office in 1891. He was
married yth June, 1893, to Margaret,^ daughter of Archibald Graham, Cote
du Midi, St. Andrews. In the publication of the Watchman, his labors are
confined chiefly to the mechanical work ; he is also agent for several
Fire and Life Insurance Companies.
The following obituary is taken from The Watchman of 291)1 April, 1870.
Simpson was the father of the present member of Argenteuil, in the
Local House.
DEATH OF LIEUT.-COL. JOHN SIMPSON.
" Death has been very busy in and around Lachute for the last few months,
t many of the old and prominent residenters. The last to fall under his
stroke is t gallant officer whose name heads this article.
" Col. Simpson was born at Auchenterran, parish of Keith, Banffshire,
Scot on 9 th February, 181 r, and died at Lachute on 2 9 th April,
1890. He joined the! Artillery in June, 1836, and on the breaking out
of the Rebellion in Canada from Woolwich for this country, on the 7 th
April, 1838, and arrived in Montr the 1 5 th of June. Afier the close
of the Rebellion, in which he took an act he received his discharge,
and came and located in Lachute. Here he formed of Cavalry, which was
reckoned the best disciplined in the Province, and at
22 g HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
its disbandment, the troop presented him with a sword, belt and sword
knot, in ac knowledgment of his worth, and the esteem in which he was held
by the individual members of the Troop. Subsequently, he was urgently
solicited to take command of the 4th Company of Argenteuil Rangers,
which Company he has been the Captain of
for eighteen years, during which time he has on every occasion of the
calling out of the Regiment accompanied it on active service.
"Colonel Simpson was a gentleman held in great esteem in this community,
and in his official capacity as a magistrate his judgments were always
respected ; his object being to examine carefully into all cases brought
before him before deciding upon them. We speak open to the corrective
when we say that Col. Simpson was the oldest magistrate in the County,
or it may be in the district of Terrebonne. One fact we do know, that in
the early days of this County s history no man occupied a more prominent
position in the administration of local justice, when that administra tion
was more in the hands of the magistrates than at present. The Colonel
was always a warm and enthusiastic supporter of the Hon. Mr. Abbott and
the Conser vative party.
i( THE FUNERAL.
" Lt.-Col. Gushing, Commandant of the nth Battalion, and all the Officers
and men in the immediate proximity of Lachute, together with the Band
of the Regiment, attended the funeral. Lt.-Col. Simpson s horse, with
his boots fastened in front of the saddle, was led by one of the men
belonging to the deceased s Company. The pro cession was the largest ever
witnessed in Lachute, an evidence of the esteem in which the deceased
was held in this community. The pall-bearers were the Officers of the
nth Battalion, and on the coffin were three beautiful wreaths of lilies
and myrtle. The corpse was taken to the First Presbyterian Church,
of which the deceased was a member, the Rev. John Mackie, pastor of
the church, officiating. As the funeral cor tege entered the church,
the organist began playing the dead march in Saul. After the people had
all got seated, Mr. Mackie gave out the 2761!! hymn, a very appropriate
one, at the clo^e of which the pastor offered up a most feeling and
impressive prayer. Then followed an appropriate address, the preacher
s text being taken from 3Qth
Psalm and i$th Corinthians, at the close of which the 23rd Paraphrase
was sung, the Rev. Mr. Higgins closing with prayer, a veiy solemn and
impressive one.
" The officers present were Lt.-Col. Gushing, Major Lamb, Captains
Weightman, Walker, Adj. Martin, Lieuts. Pollock, McPhail, McCallum and
McMartin, Sergt. Major Earle, and Capt. Wanless of St. Andrews Cavalry."
WILLIAM JOHN SIMPSON, M.P.P. for Argenteuil, has always taken an active
in terest in the affairs of the County, and has been a staunch and
influential supporter of the Conservative party ; he was for several years
Secretary of the Conservative Association, and three years Secretary of
the Lachute Municipal Council. He joined the Rangers when quite young,
as bugler during the Fenian Raids, and subsequently was Lieutenant of
the same Company for twelve years.
\VM. .JOHN SIMPSON, M.I 1 . P.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 227
In 1 88 1, he formed a partnership with Dawson Kerr, for the publication
of The
Watchman^ which continued till ist January, 1892, when they sold to
Messrs. Calder.
He was married April 22nd, 1874, to Miss Mary Fitzgerald.
Mr. Simpson s first experience of political life was when he was
Secretary- Treas urer of the Liberal Conservative Association, during
which time there were many
exciting political contests in the County. When Mr. Owens resigned his
seat in the Legislature, the Convention called to select a candidate
were unanimous in their choice of Mr. Simpson. He won the victory after
an exciting conflict, in which the united forces of the Liberal party
were arrayed against him. The issue seemed for a time uncertain, as his
opponents had selected a most popular candidate Mr. John
Hay, a man of well-known integrity, and a prosperous farmer the latter
fact enhan cing his chances of success, as two-thirds of the constituency
are farmers. Moreover, the Liberals were fresh from a cheering victory,
in which they had elected Dr. Christie to the Dominion Parliament by
a large majority. These considerations apparently affected Mr. Simpson
s chances seriously, but his popularity over- balanced every adverse
influence, and he was returned.
In the Legislature, he has been one of the most useful members in the
Private Bills Committee, and has received, on several occasions, the
grateful thanks of the Good Government Association of Montreal for the
aid given them in obtaining proper amendments to their Charter. He has
always supported the legislation popular with the temperance people,
notably the " Tobacco Bill," the license amendments, etc. Among the
measures he has introduced, are amendments to the Municipal Code, an act
to abolish lotteries, an act to open the meetings of School Commissioners
to the public, and the extension of the franchise to spinsters and widows.
The following notice, which was taken from the Montreal Witness,
was written by a Trooper of St. Joseph dti Lac. It should have been
inserted on a former page, in connection with the St. Andrew s Troop,
but was overlooked :-
" Having observed, in a January number of the Montreal Daily Witnas,
the death of Mr. John Oswald, a native of Stirlingshire, Scotland, aged
86 years and 6 months, at St. Augustin on the i6th hist, and having
served as a trooper under his command, I feel it my duty to narrate,
through your valuable paper, the following, from official documents
-.The deceased, John Oswald, when in Scotland, was a trooper in the
Stirling Yeoman Cavalry, and in 1830 came to Canada and joined the
Argenteuil Troop of Cavalry. On ist December, 1837,116 was commissioned
Lieutenant b John Colborne, and was in active service during 1837-38. In
1848 he was promoted to a Captaincy by the Earl of Elgin. In November,
1856, lie was appointed by Lord Monck, Lieut-Col, of the Militia, until
declining years caused him to retire, veiy much esteemed and respected
by all his troopers."
PROFESSIONAL.
Mr. John Meikle, sen., says :" About this time (1831) also, the first -
arrived in the settlement Dr. McDowell, who, however, did not remain long.
22 5 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
previous to his coming the settlers had enjoyed the services
of a Mr. Ellis, who, though not an M.D., had much skill in
medicine." Mr. Robertson succeeded him, but soon removed to St. Andrews.
THOMAS CHRISTIE, M.D., and the present member for Argenteuilinthe
Dominion Parliament, is doubtless the oldest medical practitioner in the
County. He is the son of the late John Christie and his wife Elizabeth
Nichol, both of Stirlingshire, and was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in
1824. He came to Canada with his parents in 1827, was educated at McGill
University, and obtained his degree in 1848. He was married in October,
1849, to Catherine, daughter of the late Peter McMartin, of St. Andrews,
Que. During the terrible ship fever in 1847-48, the Doctor was assistant
surgeon at Point St. Charles, and the experience amid such constant
scenes of misery and death must have been severe for one so young, and
in the outset ot his pro fessional career. Six thousand immigrants, it is
claimed, are buried there, who died from that dreadful scourge during the
years 1847 and 1848. Besides his professional duties, and those devolving
upon him as a member of Parliament, he has taken a deep interest in
local affairs, and been called upon to fill responsible local positions.
He has been Chairman of the Board of School Commissioners of the parish,
Secre tary of Lachute Academy, Warden of the County, etc. An account of
his different
elections to Parliament will be found in a list of the representatives
of the County on preceding pages.
The following sketch of the Doctor, found in F. C. Ireland s " Sketches of
Lachute," published in The Watchman, in 1886, will doubtless be endorsed
by all
who know him :
"Dr. Thomas Christie commenced his professional career in Lachute under
discouraging circumstances, owing to the sparseness of the population
and the bad roads, extending to the far away settlements of the north and
west. But from con stant attention to duty and very moderate charges, he
soon entered upon a successful career which has continued to the present
day. No physician can be held in higher esteem for faithfulness in the
discharge of his professional duties than Dr. Christie; while, as a
public citizen, his life and influence have shown an untarnished record
on the side of morality, temperance and religion. He has reared sons and
daughters to occupy responsible positions in society, several of the
former following the profession of their father, with success shining
brightly before them, while they all seem to partake of the same sterling
principles of character.
" The first really creditable-looking dwelling in Lachute was that erected
by Dr. Christie, and it still stands a most comfortable residence
suitable for anyone in this last quarter of the ipth century. It is
shoded by stately trees, while the grounds contain beds of flowers of
brilliant hues, and graveled walks ; and it needs only a fountain ot
sparkling water to complete a most beautiful picture."
Dr. Christie has had eleven children seven sons and four daughters ; one
of each sex died in infancy, and the others arrived at maturity. Four of
the sons John, Edmund, George H. and William graduated from the Medical
department of McGill;
HISTORY OF ARGF.NTEUIL.
22 9
John and William also graduated in Arts. The former, who was a clever
physician, and had secured a large and successful practice in Chicago,
died in that city in 1884. His two brothers, Edmund and William, are
practising in Chicago, and G. H. has succeeded to his father s practice
in Lachute. Thomas, the third son, has a fine drug store here, and James
P., the fourth, is in business in San Francisco.
Of the daughters, the eldest remains with her parents ; the second is
married to Mr. Crawford Ross, merchant in Ottawa ; and the youngest is
married to Dr. A. D. Stewart, of Richmond, Que.
The following obituary of DR. WILLIAM SMITH, who died at Lachute, 4th
Sep tember, 1895, is copied from The Watchman (Lachute) :
"Dr. Smith was born in the parish of St. Jerusalem on 4th April, 1851. He
attended school for several years in Brownsburg, being with his aunt, Mrs.
Stalker. Afterwards, he prepared for McGill at Lachute College. During
his course at McGill, he was characterized by his honest and careful
preparation of his work. After graduating in 1876, he commenced the
practice of his profession here, which he con tinued up to the time of
his death. On 5th September, 1883, he was married to Mary Jane Hammond,
daughter of Henry Hammond of Lachute, by whom he had two children. In
February, 1891, the Doctor sustained a grievous loss by the death of
his wife. His only regret at going was to leave his two little girls
without mother or father. Early in his career, he became connected with
the nth Battalion Argenteuil Rangers, and, finally, became their medical
officer. He always took great interest in militaiy affairs, and was
no mean shot with the rifle. His real entry into public life, however,
was in the year 1889, when he first became Mayor of the town. At that
time municipal waters were exceedingly troubled ; the Doctor sought
to calm them, and his efforts were successful; for, while he never
would swerve from a principle to please a friend, he did his duty in
such a firm and kindly spirit, that he soon won the confidence of the
public. It was recognized, that here was a man who had the cour age of
his convictions, and would do what he felt to be right, regardless of the
con sequences to himself. Such a man is a rarity ; and he was continued
in office five successive years. During these years, he was appointed
a Justice of the Peace and a Commissioner of the Commissioners Court,
in both of which offices he proved him self a painstaking and careful
official. Only last July, when a vacancy occurred on the School Board,
the public again turned to him, and he was elected School Com
missioner.
" As a physician, he was frequently called upon by the poor of this town
and County, and he never refused to give his attendance through fear
of not receiving his fee. Born among Liberals, for years he followed
that party ; but there came a time when his convictions compelled him to
sever his connections therewith, because felt that the course then being
pursued by the leaders of that party was not right his allegiance was to
principles first, and party afterwards. He became the Conservative parly,
and was looked upon as one of its coming leaders, year, he was elected
President of the Argenteuil Liberal-Conservative Associ
2 _ HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
but it must not be supposed that Dr. Smith was wedded to the Conservative
party
any more than he had been to the Liberals. He freely criticized the
actions of the Government, and was ready again to sacrifice his party
ties in order to maintain his convictions of what was right. Nevertheless,
the party felt that they would never need to look outside for a candidate
while Dr. Smith remained with them.
" Resolutions were adopted by the Town Council of Lachute, expressing
their pro
found respect for the deceased, and sorrow for his death, and all attended
his funeral." A sketch of the family of Dr. Smith is given elsewhere in
these pages. DR. BENJAMIN S. STACKHOUSE, son of the late John Stackhouse,
a well-known citizen of St. Andrews, has for many years been one of
the leading, and, in fact, the only Dentist of Lachute. He has a fine
residence and office on Main street. Of his three brothers, Dr. Charles
Stackhouse, who also adopted Dentistry as a profession, has his office
on Sparks street, Ottawa, and a beautiful residence on O Connor street,
in the same city ; John Stackhouse, the eldest, who succeeded his father
in the chair, making business in St. Andrews ; and Gilbert, the youngest,
who was a photographer in the same village, are both deceased.
DR. L. P. ALEXANDER RODRIGUE, third son of Pierre Rodrigue, was born
1 7th December, 1869, in St. Scholastique, Que. He attended school in
Lachute, and in 1883 entered the College in St. Therese. After passing
his examination before the Quebec Medical Board in May, 1891, in Montreal,
he entered Laval Uni
versity of that city, and graduated -in 1895, taking his degree of M.D. ;
and also obtaining his license to practise medicine and surgery at the
same time. He then came to Lachute, where he has many influential friends,
and has opened an office in " Rodrigue s Block," on Railway Avenue.
J. B. MENZIES, M.D., one of the medical practitioners of Lachute, has
quietly and modestly won the esteem of the people of this section, and
built up a good practice. He is a son of J. B. Menzies, Registrar of the
County of Lanark, Ont., from which place he came to Lachute in 1887 ;
he is a graduate of McGill, and received his degree in 1879.
W. W. ALEXANDER, M.D., now occupies the office of the lamented Dr. Smith.
Dr. Alexander was born in Prince Edward Island, and received his education
at the Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown. In 1887, he entered the
Medical Depart ment of McGill University, and received his degree of M.D.,
C.M., therefrom in April, 1891. After some months of post-graduate work
in Boston and New York hospitals,
he returned to Canada, and began practice in Hemmingford, Huntington
County, Que., where he remained till recently, when he came to
Lachute. The recommend ations he has received, and the interest he takes
in religious work, give promise of a useful and successful career.
JOSEPH PALLISER, barrister, is a native of Lachute ; his grandfather,
Robert Palliser, came from Yorkshire, England, to Lachine, in 1832,
with three sons and two daughters ; he was killed at that place during
an election riot in March, 1841.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
231
Thomas, his eldest son, was married in Lachine, in 1838, to Margaret
Baird - he was a member of the Lachine Troop of Cavalry during the
Papineau Rebellion. In 1844, he settled in Lachute, and lived here till
l893> when he visited his son fhomas in Morns, Man., and died there,
the i 7 th December of the same year had two sons and three daughters,
who arrived at maturity. Joseph the second son attended Military School
in Montreal, and received his certificate in IsGo The year following,
while holding the rank of Sergeant-Major in the nth Battalio,- he joined
the expeditionary force to the Red River. After his return, he studied
Law with the late Hon. J. J. C. Abbott, being admitted to study in 1876,
taking his degree from McGill m 1878, and was called to the Bar in
1879. He was married in 1879 to Lillian Margaret McGibbon. Mr. Palliser
takes an active interest in all local affairs ; he drew the Charter when
the Town of Lachute was incorporated in ,88;
and has been Chairman of the School Board several years. He was the
first to introduce the electric light into Lachute, and has always been
desirous of promoting public improvements; he has charge of the telegraph
office here.
G. F, BAMPTON, Q.C, for several years has been one of the prominent
members the Bar in this County. He was born in Plymouth, Eng., and is
a son of the late
Augustus Bampton, Civil Engineer, M.T.C.E., Chief Surveyor of the
Corporations of the towns of Plymouth and Davenport, England.
G. E. Bampton was educated at Christ s Hospital, London, and afterward
served five years on the Pacific, and at other stations, as an officer in
the Royal Navy He took a Law course at McGill, graduating with first-class
honors, and was called to the Bar in 1879 ; he studied with D. Macmaster,
Q.C., Bernard Devlin, and others. He began practice in Lachute in 1879,
and was married i 3 th August, 1884, to Ann Louise Pollock, third daughter
of the late Thomas Pollock, Postmaster at Hill Head. Mrs. Bampton died
2 9 th November, 1891, at the age of 27, leaving three children.
Mr. Bampton was appointed Revising Officer for the County in 1885, by
the Dominion Government, and Provincial Revenue Attorney, by the Quebec
Govern ment, in 1892. He has always taken a prominent part in politics,
being one of the effective advocates during election campaigns of the
interests of the Conservative party, and has been retained in most of
the law cases in the county which were of public interest.
JOSEPH EVARISTEVALOIS was born in Vaudreuil, Que. He spent three years
in the College of L Assomption of that place, then went to the College
of Montreal, and passed his examination for the Notarial Profession in
1878. He was admitted as a Notary in May, 1882, and began practice in
St. Scholastique the same year. He
remained in that village until March, 1890, when he came to Lachute. While
in St. Scholastique, he was married in September, 1885, to Corinne,
daughter of Joseph
Langlois, of that place. Mr. Valois organized a Band in May, 1895;
il is composed of sixteen members, and he is instructor.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
A. BERTHELOT is also a Notary who has practised his profession many
years in Lachute.
The following history and statistics of schools in this section, during
the first decade of this century, was recently found among the old
papers of J. S. Hutchins by his daughter, Mrs. Gushing, of Montreal,
through whose courtesy they are now pub lished :
RISE AND PROGRESS OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN THE SEIGNIORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
COUNTY OF TWO MOUNTAINS.
In 1798, this Parish contained but five families, numbering about thirty
souls in 1800, fifteen families, numbering about seventy-five souls. In
this year, one school was put in operation, and taught by a female in
a private house near the Chute Mills numbering about fifteen scholars
for the term of six months. In 1801, a log school-house was built, half
a mile above the Chute Mills, and taught by a young man six months,
thirty scholars attending daily. In 1802, the settlement increased
to more than thirty families, and several small schools were started,
located from two to three miles from each other, and generally taught
by females. This mode of education was continued up to the year 1810,
when, at the request of the inhabitants, a school was established by
order of the Governor General, under the Royal Insti tution, a mile
and a half above the Chute Mills a good, substantial, school building
having been previously erected. John D. Ely was duly commissioned by
the Governor General to teach in the same, with a salary of sixty pounds
per annum. Mr. Ely,
being a first-rate elementary teacher, soon raised his school to a
respectable standing > and the average number of scholars in daily
attendance amounted to sixty. Mr. Ely taught this school for four
years very successfully, many children being sent to his school from the
neighboring parishes to receive instruction in the higher branches of
education. The inhabitants made his salary nearly equal to one hundred
pounds per annum; but, unfortunately for him and the parishioners,
too, he was obliged to relinquish his trust, and Mr. Aaron Wood was
subsequently commissioned to teach
the school. The latter continued it for two years, and then resigned his
position, in consequence of the Board s reducing their teachers salaries
to twenty pounds per annum. They, likewise, multiplied their schools ; and
another was established, abou four miles distant, under the name of the
Upper Lachute School. Shortly after this change by the Board of the Royal
Institution, the Government bounty was distributed to all the schools in
the Province ; and its allowance was equal to that of the schools under
the Royal Institution. Mr. Carpenter succeeded Mr. Wood as teacher, and
taught for three years successfully. I would here note that, after the
salaries of the teachers were cut down to twenty pounds, the trustees
were obliged to raise the fee of tuition from is. 3d. to 33. gd. per
scholar, each month, in order to provide competent eachers. The school
of which I have been particularly speaking has been continued
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
233
up to the present day by various teachers, generally competent ; but it
cannot be said that it is in as flourishing a condition as when itwas
under the Royal Institution, neither is it so numerously attended.
The children under the age of fourteen and over seven, belonging to this
district number sixty-one, but they do not all attend school. There are,
at the present time, eight school districts in this parish, numbering
altogether about three hundred and fifty children. In the year 1810,
the number of children over four and under twenty one was two hundred
and eleven, male and female.
The following is a list of the inhabitants, and the number of children
between the ages of 4 and 21, in Lachute, in iSto, copied from a document
found among the papers ofj. S. Hutchins:
Number of children, 211.
John Kelly, Abiathar Waldron, Francis Bureau, Silas Boldry, Samuel Orton,
Joel Bixby, Osias Hosilton, Benj. Burch, Benj. I. Burch, Asa Kimball, Wm.
Powers, Wm. Evans, Jonathan Burch, Jonathan Hart. Isaac Thompson, John
Dunlap, Wm.
Powers, jun., Ward Stone, Augustus Stone, Benj. Cutter, David Hubbard,
Sampson, Amaziah Church, Knot, John S. Hutchins, Nathaniel Davis, Phineas
Hutchins, Samuel Sanders, Jonathan Burch, jun., Hezekiah Clark,
Wm. Perkins, John Sparrow, D. Hitchcock, James Draper, Richard Dilly,
Daniel Pool, Timothy Pool, John Blanchard, Philander Stephens, Ebenezer
Stephens, Cyrus Calkins, James Thompson, Wm. Thompson, Abiram Boldry,
John Jacobs, Nathan Jacobs, Alex. Reed, Wm. McNall, Samuel Thompson,
Curtis Stone, E. Blackman, Osias Black- man, Charles Ellis, David Bell,
James Hubbard, Aaron Stone, Aaron Hamblin, Uriah McNall, Elijah Woodworth,
Joseph Herrimon, Rufus Herrimon, Benj. Allen. Wm. McGloughlin, David
Taslin, Timothy Richardson, Moses Snider, John Snider, Samuel Blackman,
Isaiah P. Barber, Robert Partlow, Isaiah Hyatt, B. Cramton, Asa Sanders,
Israel Brooks, Charles Perkins, Asa Starnes, Gideon Blackman, David
Brooks, Jonathan Brooks, Daniel Starnes, Nathan Brooks.
LACHUTE ACADEMY.
BY J. W. McOuAT, SCHOOL INSPECTOR.
Lachute Academy had its origin in the free classes conducted in his
own house, by the late Rev. Thomas Henry, who felt the necessity of
providing higher education for the young people of the community. These
classes were popular, and the attend ance increased, so that it was soon
necessary to remove the school to the basement of the Presbyterian Church,
of which the Rev. Mr. Henry was pastor. At a public
meeting, 23rd February, 1855, the people manifested their appreciation
of such instruction, by establishing a superior school governed by five
directors. These directors organized a school, outlined a course of
study, and appointed a staff of teachers, and thus the pastor s piivate
classes became the well-known public institu tion, " Lachute Academy."
16
234
HISTORY OF AROENTEUIL.
The Academy classes were continued in the basement of the church until
proper buildings could be erected. Rev. Mr. Henry was appointed first
Principal
of the Academy, with the following assistants: Dr. Thomas Christie and
Mr. John
M. Gibson. John Meikle, Esq., was President of the Board of Directors,
and Mr. John M. Gibson was Secretary.
After a year and a half of faithful work, the Rev. Mr. Henry, John
Meikle, Esq., and Dr. Thomas Christie were successful in obtaining
from government, through the kind services and loyal support of Sydney
Bellingham, then member of Parliament for the County of Argenteuil,
an Act of incorporation and a government
grant of ^75.
This Act of incorporation was obtained on the first day of July, 1856,
when the
following gentlemen were incorporated a "body politic and corporate in
deed and
in name," to be known as " Lachute College," viz. : " John Meikle, Thomas
Christie, Rev. Thomas Henry, Rev. Walter Scott, Rev. James Bishop,
Thomas Lockie, Thomas Pollock, John McAllister and Thomas Morrison,
all of the village
of Lachute, County of Argenteuil." Thus was Lachute Academy established,
on 23rd February, 1855, and incorporated by Act of Parliament, passed at
Toronto, ist July, 1856, during the second session of the fifth Parliament
of Canada, and assented to by Sir Edmund Walker Head, Governor General.
The Academy was established in the municipality of St. Jerusalem,
which con tained, in 1856, 471 heads of families and 740 children from
5 to 16 years of age. The attendance at the Academy in 1855-6 was 210,
of which number 94 pupils were
under 16 years, and 116 pupils were over 16 years of age. These figures
prove clearly the need of a superior school, and the wisdom of those
who labored so earn estly for its establishment.
The course of study outlined by the directors comprised Latin, Greek,
Natu ral History, Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Mathematics, English
Grammar and Composition, Geography, Elementary Astronomy, Drawing, Design
and French. In 1856, the directors purchased a fine set of chemical
apparatus valued at 40, and later, in 1859, they added a complete set
of maps and an orrery to their appliances for teaching geography. The
public library of the " Mechanics Institute" afforded the students
many opportunities of reading, and served as an excellent reference
library. In the long period of partial leisure from autumn to spring, how
pleasant and profitable it must have been for the young people to attend
such classes, and receive instruction from such disinterested and loyal
teachers, most of whom were men of zeal for the cause of education, and
labored free of charge to the institution ; the total cost of teaching,
in 1856, being only 120. Rev. Mr. Henry continued to be connected with
the Academy, for several years after its establishment, as teacher
and adviser, while Dr. Christie labored faithfully and gratuitously,
for many years, as demonstrator in chemistry, and the late John Meikle,
Esq., continued President of the Board of Directors, and befriended the
school in various ways.
On 2oth April, 1858, the directors resolved to erect an academy
building in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 235
central place, and selected the site on which the old academy now stands,
in the east ward of Lachute town, midway between two of the parish
schools, Nos. I and VIII
These two elementary schools were united by the school commissioners,
who built
the lower storey of the new building, while the directors built the
upper part, thus bringing the pupils of the two elementary schools,
and the classes of the Academy, into the same building.
The new buildings were occupied in 1859, and the Rev. John Mackie was
placed in charge at a salary of $350 (to be paid in silver at par) and
all the fees arising from his classes. The staff of teachers in 1858-9,
which was the first year in the new building, was Rev. John Mackie,
principal; Dr. Christie, lecturer ; Mr. James Emslie and Mr. Adam Orr,
teachers. After two years Rev. Mr. Mackie resigned and
became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. He was succeeded in 1860
by Mr. John Reade, who held the position for three years until 1863. In
1862 the Government grant was reduced by one-half, and a still further
reduction left the institution in debt, and unable to continue its
educational work. Under these circum stances, the directors concluded
to amalgamate the academy classes with the public schools and make over
the Government grant, now ^44, to the school commissioners, on condition
that they should engage a head master who was competent to teach the
classics. This arrangement was made in 1864, and has continued to the
present time. Mr. Alex. Stewart was principal after Mr. Reade from 1863-4,
when he was succeeded by Mr. George Thomson of Queen s College, Kingston,
in 1864. Mr. Thomson held the position until February, 1867, when he
was appointed School Inspector, and Mr. G. H. Drewe became principal
until February, 1868, when Mr. Alex. Stewart was again engaged as
principal until 1870. In 1870 Mr. C.S. Holiday succeeded Mr. Stewart,
and remained principal until 1874, when he resigned and was followed by
Mr. Murdock Munroe for one year, 1874-5. Mr. Holiday returned in 1875, and
held the position for nine years, until 1884, in which year he accepted
the position of principal in Huntingdon Academy, and Mr. H. M. Cockfield
became principal of Lachute Academy, which position he filled until 1886,
when he resigned to accept service under the Montreal School Board,
and was succeeded by Mr. J. W. McOuat, until 1892. In 1892 Mr. McOuat
was appointed School Inspector, and Mr. X. T. Truell, who now (1895)
holds the position, was made Principal. Amongst the numerous assistant
teachers are Mr. James Emslie and Mr. Thomas Haney, two of the oldest
and best known teachers of the County.
In 1875 a proposal was made by the directors to the school commissioners,
to erect a "wing " to the east side of the original building. This
suggestion, however, was only carried into effect in 1879, when the
increased attendance in the elementary departments made an enlargement
necessary. At the same time an elementary school was established in
the " West End " of the village, thus restoring the former school,
No. VIII. The upper portion of the "wing" was used for various purposes
until a much later date, 1888, when it also became a classroom of the
Academy.
This relationship existed between the two boards (the College Directors
and the
236
HISTORY OF ARGENTKU1L.
Parish Commissioners) until the incorporation of Lachute Town in 1885,
when the
parish board withdrew, and re-established their former school, No. i,
now called East End School." The directors, however, established the
same relationship with the school board of the Town, and the whole
institution became one school and adopted the course of study for
academies. In 1891-2 the school commissioners unanimously determined
to build a new school building worthy of the large attend ance, which
was rendering the old buildings far too small. This school board was
composed of the following gentlemen : Joseph Palliser, chairman ; Hugh
Eraser, jun., Thomas McOuat, Peter Cruise and Rev. Wm. Sanders, while
William Henry was secretary-treasurer, and J. W. McOuat was principal
of the school. Four acres of land were purchased for a playground, and
one of the finest school buildings in the province was eiected thereon,
at a cost of $12,000. In this new building, situated in the centre of
the town, large numbers of students continue to attend from all parts
of the county and surrounding districts.
Amongst the benefactors of the school are Sidney Bellinghara, the late
John Meikle, and, in recent years, J. C . Wilson, Esq., not to mention the
numerous friends and students who have contributed to the library, nor
the zealous principals who devoted many extra hours to prepare students
to enter courses of study not in line with the Academy work. As a result
of the Academy s influence, men are to be found in every profession
who must attribute their start in life and much of their later success
to the instruction which they received in its classes, while the whole
county must confess that the school has been a public benefactor and a
blessing to the community in which it stands.
NEWTON T. TRUELL, the subject of this sketch, is the youngest son of
Valorous Truell, Esq., a prosperous farmer in the Eastern Townships. He
was born at Ways
Mills, Stanstead County, May 8th, 1866, and received his preliminary
education at Stanstead Wesleyan College. At the age of fifteen he
went to the College de Sf Hyadnthe to complete a course in French,
after which he pursued a classical course in St. Francis College,
graduating from that institution at the age of nineteen, and obtaining,
the same year, an Academy diploma for both English and French schools.
Mr. Truell has since devoted himself to the profession of teaching, and
has attained a high position among the educators of the Province. He was
for several years Prin cipal of the St. John s High School, but resigned
that position in 1892, to accept the Principalship of Lachute Academy,
which position he now holds. He is President of the Argenteuil Teachers
Association, Vice President of the Provincial Teachers Association, and
a member of the Protestant Committee of the Council of Public Instruction.
Mr. Truell is a strong believer in the theory, that the physical nature
and the
mental nature of the child should be developed simultaneously, and he was
ihe first head master to introduce an organized system of Calisthenic
exercises into any of the academies of our Province. On 2yth Dec.,
1892, he was married to Miss Julia Maude Futvoye of St. Johns, Que.,
second daughter of Mr. I. B. Futvoye, Super intendent of the Central
Vermont Railway.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 237
RISE AND PROGRESS OF RELIGION.
A sketch found amo >g the papers of the late J. S. ffutc iins.
In the year 1799, when there were but few families in the place, Dudley
Stone, an official member from the Congregational Society, invited the
people to attend divine service on the Sabbath. The service consisted of
singing, prayers, and reading a sermon, and he was generally assisted by
others ; the place of worship was in a log barn, directly opposite the
present meeting chapel, on the north side of the river. These services
were regularly observed for about one year, when an itinerant Metho
dist preacher, by the name of Picket, from the Troy Conference, N.Y.,
found bis way through the woods to the settlement, and commenced to
preach the Gospel to the people, forming a circuit emb-acing L Orignal,
E. and W. Hawkesbury, Chatham and Argenteuil. As there were no roads at
this time for riding on horseback, nor boats for crossing horses over
the rivers, he walked from place to place, carrying his portmanteau on
his shoulders. He preached alternately every fortnight at Lachute and L
Orignal, and through the week at the other places above named, as these
were but thinly inhabited. Thus he continued his labor for six or seven
months, when
the Rev. Elder Jewel came to look after him and his flock, which amounted
to a considerable number, there being no other minister to dispense the
Bread of Life. Those who had previously tasted that Bread were not so
particular as to whom they received it from, as are many at the present
day. Elder Jewel was the first who
administered the sacrament of the Lord s Supper in this place, in
October, 1801.
Mr. Picket was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Sawyer, who traveled the Circuit
for two years when he was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Madden, and other
ministers from the same Conference up to the year 1812, when the war
between England and the United States broke out, and the ministers,
being American subjects, were all obhj to leave the Province, leaving
the sheep without a shepherd, to do as best the;
A Sunday School was founded in this district, in the year 1818, by
Thaddeus Osgood, missionary from the Congregational Missionary Society,
of It numbered about thirty scholars, and was superintended and taught
by the wn for seven years, subsequently by others ; and it has been
continued through mer months up to the present time.
From the time of the first preaching of the Gospel here, up to 1812,
the Metho dists had control in religious matters in the above mentioned
places, there other denomination. During the war, which lasted
more than two yea service was kept up by a worthy local preacher,
Mr. Kellog, assisted by the members of the Methodist Society, and the
Rev. Mr. Bradford, Church of minister, who was situated in the front
of Chatham. He visited this place on seve occasions, to administer the
sacrament to the people. Though the place was in a barn, the reverend
gentleman, after the close of one of the services, de to be one of the
happiest seasons of his life. After the close of the war, the P rc
238 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
returned to their several circuits to look after their flocks ; and now
commenced great difficulty and damage to the cause of Christianity;
however, we are now writ ing for the benefit of generations yet
unborn. These difficulties need not be detailed. Suffice it to say,
that they have all been overcome, and that the cause of religion is
slowly advancing."
UNITED ASSOCIATE CONGREGATION, OR FIRST PRESBYTERINA
CHURCH OF LACHUTE.
ITS RISE AND PROGRESS. BY REV. J. MACKIE.
A few families came out from the west of Scotland about the year 1819. One
young man from Stirlingshire, John McOuat, gave an impetus to the cause of
Christ l n this neighborhood. On arriving at Montreal, he remained some
time working about the city, but his ambition was to have land, as he
had been brought up a farmer, and desiring to follow that occupation,
he went to St. Eustache, and worked there for a short time with a
farmer. Hearing that a Presbyterian minister preached in St. Andrews,
he came to Lachute, and bought a farm on the banks of the North
river, and sent home to Scotland for his friends. Many of them came out
to this
country, and settled in and around Lachute ; but a great want was felt, as
the Sabbath came round. They had no church, and their desire for religious
instruction was so great, that many of them went down to St. Andrews a
distance of six miles on the Sabbath to hear Mr. Archibald Henderson,
who was the only Presbyterian minister at that time in the county. So
many of the people waited on his ministry, that he was induced to come
up to Lachute, once a month, and preach in the school- house, as there
was no other place of meeting.
The people of the neighborhood were drawn together to hear the Gospel
preached by Mr. Henderson, and as the congregation increased, they
experienced a desire to have a minister settled over them; but that was
not easily accomplished at that time. In the year 1831, they invited
the Rev. William Brunton of St. Therese to become their minister;
and promised him an annual stipend of $264. He accepted the call, and
became their pastor. The people rallied around him in great numbers,
so that they were encouraged to build a church, and a subscription paper
was circu lated among them.
I here was very little money in circulation among the farmers, and the
people, generally, were very poor, many of them having left the Old
Country with little
means. In Scotland, there was great depression among the farmers, after
the battle of Waterloo ; they were not able to pay the high rents the
landed proprietors were accustomed to receive during the Peninsular war,
and many of them were forced to leave their farms and seek homes in
Canada. They had their trials in this new land ;
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 239
but by perseverance and industry they overcame them. They reared their
homes, cleared and cultivated their fields, and were soon in comparative
comfort. There was one great want they had no church nor minister,
while at home they had churches
and godly ministers, who labored faithfully among them. They aimed to have
the same advantages here, but there were many difficulties in the way ;
they had little money ; some gave work, and a few gave money, one or two
subscribing very liberally. Mr. John McOuat headed the subscription list
with a hundred dollars a great sum in those days. They were encouraged
to proceed in erecting the church, and it was commenced without a plan,
in the year 1833; it was built by William and Andrew McOuat. After
the walls were up, they had great difficulty in getting the sashes for
the windows made and glazed. Mr. McOuat came to the rescue. He bought
the glass and putty, and kept the joiner till he finished the windows
and put them in ; then the church was fit to meet in. Great was the joy
when the songs of praise to God were heard within its walls and the glad
tidings of salvation were proclaimed. The building was a striking copy
of an original Secession Church. It lays no claim to artistic beauty,
yet it is a substantial structure, characteristic of the men who built
it and of the times in which it was built.
For a number of years the congregation prospered. Mr. Brunton labored
faithfully and successfully among the people, but in a few years the
Lord took him up to the higher sanctuary. He died in the year 1839. The
tombstone erected to his memory by his congregation bears the following
inscription, written by Dr. William Taylor, of Montreal :
" Sacred to the memory of the Rev. William Brunton, Minister of the United
Associate Congregation of Lachute, who departed this life i2th August,
1839, in the 73rd year of his age and the 451)1 of his ministry.
" As a minister it was his chief desire to be found faithful, and so to
preach the Gospel to save both himself and those that heard him.
"As a Christian, he exemplified, in his daily conduct, the virtues
which he taught in public, being distinguished for the humility of his
disposition and the patience which he displayed in many trials.
He being dead, yet speaketh,
" The Congregation of Lachute have erected this stone in testimony of
their veneration for his memory, was born in the parish of Newbattle,
County of Edinburgh, Scotland, 4th May, 1767. He was ordained to the
office of the Ministry in 1795. He arrived in this country in 1820,
and, after preaching the Gospel in various other places, undertook the
pastoral care of this Congregation in 1831, where he spent the last
seven years of his valuable life."
240 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
After Mr. Brunlon s death, a dark cloud settled upon the congregation ;
most of
the people belonged originally to the Church of Scotland, and they wanted
a minister of that communion. The few Seceders were strong for remaining
in connection with the Secession or United Associate Synod.
An inducement was held out by the Presbytery of Montreal, in connection
with the Church of Scotland, that, if they would join the latler, they
(the Presbytery) would give fifty pounds a year towards the minister
s salary. A meeting of the people was called to decide the matter ;
the Church of Scotland party, being in the majority, thought that they
should retain the building, and wished the question to be decided by
vote. Mr. McOuat, before putting the question to the meeting, re minded
them that there was an arrearage of salary, which must be paid before
deciding the matter. Though the church was crowded before the motion
was made, before the vote was taken there were very few remaining,
principally Seceders, and it was decided that they should have the
church. The party wishing to join the Church of Scotland thought it was
very hard to lose the church they had helped to build. In a most generous
manner, John and James McOuat gave the Old Kirk party a vote, promising
to pay them the sum of forty pounds the amount they contributed towards
building the church to be given when they built one in connection with
the Church of Scotland. When they commenced to build the Free Church,
they applied for the
forty pounds, Mr. McOuat said : " Na, na ; I promised to give it, when
you built a church in connection with the Scottish Church." Thus they
forfeited not only the forty pounds from the Seceders, but also the fifty
pounds promised by the Presbytery of Montreal. These things caused hard
feelings between the two parties.
The congregation of the First Church was for some time without a
minister ; there was no Presbytery in the Lower Province, hence they
were without a preacher. Dr. Taylor, of Montreal, the only minister in
connection with the United Secession Church of Scotland at this time,
was about to pay a visit to the Old Country. They requested him to
present their case to the Synod at home ; but he was not suc cessful
in securing a minister. After waiting for some time, two were sent out
: Mr. Louden, who was settled at New Glasgow ; and Mr. Andrew Kennedy,
who was placed at Lachute. At this time the congregation was very small,
and could not give him a salary sufficient to keep him and his family,
so the church at home gave con siderable help, which enabled him to remain
som? time with them ; but at length he resigned his charge. Thus, again,
they were without a settled minister, though oc casionally one was sent
to them. At length they gave a call to the Rev. Walter Scott to become
their pastor, which he accepted. He remained a few years, and resigned
his charge. This was very much against the prosperity of the congregation
; a few families left the church, as they thought they would never get
another minister. The small remnant was very much discouraged, but still
were sturdy Seceders. True to their principles, they stuck firm and fast
together, and could not be bribed to leave their denomination. By this
time, a few ministers had come out to Canada ; a Pres bytery was formed,
and preachers were sent to the vacancies. After hearing a few,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
they gave a call to Mr. John Mackie, a licentiate of the United
Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He came to Lachute in the month of
November, 1858, and preached to them that winter. When navigation opened,
the Presbytery of Montreal com prising three ministers came to Lachute on
the 1 8th day of May. They met in the Church, after hearing Mr. Mackie
s trials for ordination, with which they were highly pleased. The call
that was presented to him was signed by fifteen members and twenty-five
adherents. The stipend promised by the congregation was forty pounds
$160. The Presbytery hesitated to place Mr. Mackie on so small a salary.
He would take nothing from the missionary fund, so he commenced
his ministry with little pecuniary recompense., and a very small
congregation. The people were kind to him, and he labored among his
little flock with some degree of success, preach ing every Sabbath
morning in the church at Lachute, and in the afternoon, altern ately
at the East Settlement a distance of six miles and at Brownsburg a
distance of five miles. By faithful preaching, and steady perseverance
in visiting the families, his flock increased from twenty-five members
lo two hundred and ten, and the salary of $160 rose to $750. Thus, the
material success was considerable. The regular attendance of the people,
and their marked attention to the instructions given, showed that they
appreciated the ministrations of their pastor. In this short and imperfect
sketch, reference has been made chiefly to the material" progress of the
congregation. But who can estimate the spiritual results, or the value and
import ance to the people, of the faithful preaching of the Gospel, and
witnessing for Christ for over sixty years, by the servants of the Lord?
The REV. JOHN MACKIE, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Lachute,
was born in Hamilton, Scotland, in 1822, educated at Glasgow University,
and received his theological training in the United Presbyterian Hall,
Edinburgh. He was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of
Hamilton in 1854; a few years sub sequently he came to Canada, and was
ordained at Lachute in 1859. In 1864, he was married to Agnes, daughter
of the late Capt. Robert Dunlop, of Greenock, Scot land, who is a faithful
helpmeet and a lady highly esteemed in the community. Mr. Mackie, during
his long pastorate, has become much endeared to the people of Lachute ;
he is a good reasoner, and this advantage is enhanced by his pleasing
delivery from the pulpit. He is a typical Scotchman, and, while possessing
a fund of humor, he is quick to feel for the afflicted, and is always
a welcome and sympathetic visitor at the bedside of the sick. Mr. and
Mrs. Mackie have had nine children three sons and six daughters the
eldest daughter died in infancy; the third son, in 1888. The eldest son,
John McOuat Mackie, is manager of the Gould Manufacturing
Company, Boston, Mass.; the second son, Robert, is an engineer in New
Jet- The second daughter, Mary, was married in 1887 to William Scott,
Lsq., of the Mackay Milling Co., Ottawa The four youngest daughters are
still pursuing their
studies.
242 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
HENRY S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The beginning of this church has already been given in the preceding
sketch of Mr. Mackie, and we have no data from which to compile an
elaborate history.
The Rev. Thomas Henry was inducted in 1843, an d continued to minister
to the spiritual wants of his people till the year 1862, when he was
succeeded by the Rev. John Eadie, who was pastor for seven years. After
his removal to another field of labor, the Rev. William Furlong was called
to the pastorate, and labored for nearly twenty years. He resigned in the
year 1892, and was succeeded by the present pastor, REV. N. WADDELT., B.D.
Mr. Waddell, whose ability and geniality have rendered him popular with
his parishioners, was born in the township of Osgoode, Carleton County,
Ontario, in 1857, and educated at the Ottawa Collegiate Institute,
McGill University, and the Presby terian College, Montreal, graduating
in 1887. He was ordained by the Presbytery
of Montreal, 23rd May, 1887, and inducted to the charge of Russeltown
and Covey
Hill, Que. After a pastorate of nearly six years, he was transferred to
Lachute, and inducted to his present charge, Qth February, 1893. He was
married to Miss Mary Jane Frasej: of Morewood, Ont., in 1885.
The REV. THOMAS HENRY descended from the Kenmore Gordons of Lochinvar,
was born in the parish of Anwoth, Scotland, in 1798, and was educated at
the Edin burgh University ; he was married t2th August, 1840, to Helen
Dawson of Alloa r
Clackmannanshire, Scotland. He taught in the family of Hannay, of Rusco,
in the
Parish of Anwoth, and was tutor for several years in the family of John
Stein, Esq., of Kilbage, Clackmannanshire, one of his pupils being James
Duff, nephew of Mr.
Stein and son of the Hon. Sir Alexander Duff, G.C.H., Colonel of the
3yth Regiment of Foot. The same James Duff was the father of the present
Duke of Fife, son- in-law of the Prince of Wales. In 1840, the Colonial
Committee of the Church of Scotland sent Mr. Henry to Montreal, where he
resided for a few months in charge of a city mission, when he was called
to the Church of Scotland congregation at Lachute. At the Disruption
in 1844, ne severed his connection with that Church, casting in his lot
with the Free Church. His congregation, with the exception of one or two
families, went with him, and, later, every one of these families joined
the Free Church. Henry s Church was then formed as the Free Church, of
which Mr. Henry was pastor for twenty-four years. He always took a deep
interest in education, and was the first Principal of Lachute Academy,
commencing that institution in his own study, the room at present
occupied by his son, William Henry, as an office. It was sabsequently
removed to the basement of Henry s Church, until suitable buildings were
erected for it. Mr. Henry died in Lachute, 151)1 July, 1868; Mrs. Henry,
also, died in Lachute, i8th June, 1884. They had six children : Robert
Hugh died in infancy; Grace Jane married 1 homas Barron, Registrar, of
Lachute ; Thomas Hugh died 1889; Helen, a teacher, died 1887 ; William,
Secretary-Treasurer of La- chute School Commissioners ; Katherine Stein,
teacher, of Lachute.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
~ ~T^>
ANGLICAN CHURCH. BY REV. A. B. GIVEN.
A brief sketch of the Mission of Lichute, in the County of Argenteuil,
may not prove uninteresting to many of our readers. The town itself
is beautifully situated, lying in a valley of the Laurentian Hills,
forty-five miles distant from Montreal, and seventy-six from Ottawa,
via the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The population is esti mated to be
about 1,700. The first church services were held about the year 1815
by a travelling missionary, who occasionally officiated in a barn or
school- house, as opportunity presented itself. In the year 1868,
the Rev. Mr. Codd was appointed a missionary, with headquarters at
Lachute, and a number of townships, among others that of Arundel,
then in the initial stage of its settlement, tinder his charge. Let
us bear in mind this fact, that ihis mission is still in its infancy,
so to speak, as com. pared with many other parishes in the Diocese of
Montreal. Real church life only began here, we may say, in the year 1878,
when the Rev. H.J. Evans was appointed the first regularly constituted
Incumbent of the Mission. Regular services were held by him at Lachute,
Lake Louisa, New Ireland, Glen of Harrington, Arunc el, Rock- away and
Ponsonby. He was a man who was highly esteemed and loved by all classes
of people . To his untiring zeal and energy, Lach ute may well feel
proud and happy in possessing such a nice, neat, comfortable church in
which to worship " the Lord our Maker." Deep regret was felt at Mr. Evans
departure from this Mission.
His successor was the Rev. R. W. Brown, M.A., who held the parish for a
short period, viz., January, 1884, to April, 1885. On the twenty-third day
of August of the same year, the Rev. W. Sanders, B.A. (at the present
time, Rural Dean), was ap pointed by the Lord Bishop of Montreal,
Incumbent. Rev. W. Sanders worked hard and zealously for the cause of
his Master here, and largely through his efforts and generous assistance
can Lachute offer to-day a very comfortable home to its
clergyman. During his tenure of office, i.e., in the year 1886, a wise
arrangement was effected to wit the formation of Arundel and parts
adjacent into a separate
mission, the Rev. W. Harris being made the first Incumbent thereof. This
made the work somewhat lighter, though arduous enough, and permitted
Mr. Sanders to concentrate his efforts more upon his work at Lachute,
Lake Louisa and Edinr, these forming, at that date, the paiish of
Lachute. Owing to poor health the Incumbent felt obliged to place
his resignation in the Bishop s hand?, in order to obtain the rest
which was needful. This was in the spring of 1892. At the same time,
the Rev. Alex. Boyd Given (the present Incumbent) was appointed to
succeed him. The church work goes on slowly, but steadily, we believe,
in the name of Him who hath said, "My word shall not return unto Me void,
but shall accomplish that which I please." Lachute itself is not a Church
of England town, it is essentially Presbyterian settlement. The church
is not strong it is to be feared, for some t;iiK at least, we shall
have to depend much upon outside help for assistance to maintain her
ministrations. Would that it were otherwise, indeed. Two services are held
244
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
regularly every Sunday, with an average attendance of 44. An occasional
week- day service is also held. Our people do well, on the whole, to
maintain the church,
taking into consideration their numbers and their own property. By the
bye, the
church, which was always considered to be a "Union Church" at Edina,
was burnt down in the year 1890, and so the services were consequently
discontinued there. Lake Louisa, in the township of Wentworth, 12^
miles distant from Lachule, is the only really out-mission station
belonging to Lachute. Here, service is held every Sunday afternoon at
3 p.m. We are glad indeed to have a church there of our own. Largely,
owing to the many kind friends in Montreal and elsewhere, this has become
an accomplished fact built and paid for at a cost of $r.ooo. Apiece of
land has also been procured as "God s Acre," wherein the dead may rest
until the resur rection morn, when the trumpet of God shall sound "
Aiise ye dead and come to Judgment." Many things are still needed for
this mission such as a " church bell," font," surplices, etc. We have,
indeed, great cause to be thankful for the past. . Many have helped us
most willingly and cheerfully, and for this " we do, indeed, thank God
for the past, and we do, indeed, take courage for the future."
BAPTIST CHURCH.
Copied from Church records.
LACHUTE, 8th June, iS86.
For over a year, the Board of the Convention East have been anxious to
have a -Baptist Church organized in the thriving town of Lachute. At
the earnest request of the Board, Rev. J. Higgins consented to spend
two weeks here, in gathering the few Baptists together, and preparing
the way for the student who has been appointed to labor here during
vacation. Pastor Higgins came here about the ist of May, and was nearly
a month in the field. The Lord was with him, and gave him an open
door." Special services were held in Olivet Hall, twenty-two sermons
were preached, prayer meetings were held from house to house, and the
congregation increased from 50 to 100, as the few Baptists were quickened
and refreshed by the Holy Spirit. Five believers applied for baptism, and
were baptised by Pastor Higgins in the North River, on the last Sabbath of
May. Several persons are enquiring and searching the Scriptures to find
their path of duty. Bro. Alex. Dewar has now entered upon his labors,
and may the Lord bless him abundantly.
D. BENTLEY.
LACHUTE, June 4, 1886.
At a special meeting held in ths home of Bro. D. McPhail, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the advisability of uniting ourselves in
a regular Baptist Church, it was agreed by the brethren present to hold
Recognition services in Olivet Hall, on Tuesday, 8th June.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. 245
ORGANIZATION AND RECOGNITION SERVICES IN OLIVET HALL.
The following persons responded to the call to a Recognition
meeting -.Dales ville Church, Pastor J. King, Deacon P. McArthur and
Bro. John Campbell Osnabruck, Rev. J. Higgins ; First Church, Montreal,
Rev. ur. Welton, Deacon Kennedy; Brethren J. S. Buchan and D. K. McLarin
; Olivet Church, Montreal, Pastor A. G. Upham, Deacon D. Bentley,
W. D. Stroud, W. D. Larmonth. new church was represented in the Council
by Brethren D. McPhail, P. Cruise arn
Alex. McGibbon, also the student, Bro. Alex. Dewar. On motion,
Rev. A. G. ] was appointed Moderator, and D. Bentley, Clerk. Prayer was
offered by Higgins. The twenty-three persons present adopted the New
Hampshire articles, a
a statement of their faith and practice, believing that to be in harmony
wit teaching of God s Word. There are in all twenty-eight baptised
believers who have united in forming this Church. The request to Council
is here given, as follows : We, the undersigned, having been led by
God s spirit to receive the Lord Jes Christ as our personal Saviour,
and having been buried with him in baptism on pr fession of faith,
hereby present ourselves before God, and one another, desiring organized
and recognized as a regular Baptist Church, and we do hereby adopt, as
statement of our faith and practice, the summary of Scriptural doctrine,
I Hampshire Confession.
D. McPhail, Alex. McGibbon, P. Cruise, Mrs. T. Jackson, Miss Marj
McGibbon, Mr?. P. Cruise, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Buchan, Miss M. Cruise,
Mr Barker, Miss K. McGibbon, Mrs. Jas. McGibbon, Miss E, Campbell
Mr. B. S. Stackhouse. Miss L. Slackhouse, Mr. A. McArthur, Mrs. Peter
McGibbon,
Miss S. McGibbon, Miss E. McGibbon, Miss Maria McGibbon, Mrs. A. .
R. Dunne and John Cruise.
After hearing this request and the statement of the doctrine by the
people, 1 was moved by Dr. Welton, and seconded by Pastor King, that
the Council glad recognize the body of believers who have presented
themselves to-day bef< Council, as a regular Baptist Church. This
was carried unanimously. committee-Pastors King and Higgins, and Deacon
Berkley-were reqiu make arrangements for public Recognition services in
the evening, a Rev. J. King addressed the Church members on their new
responsibility and to each other The Moderator, Pastor Upham, gave the
right hand of t owship Bro. Dewar (student) in the name of the new Chuich,
welcoming the Lachute into the body of Baptist Churches of Canada. After
prayer the Council
During the winter of 1887, a gracious work was accomplished from spe
vices held by the Pastor, and John Currie, Evangelist, of Montreal.
persons professed conversion. The present membership is 51
Mr. Higgins remained as Pastor of this Church till the fall of 1895,
commanc the respect g o f the people by his able exposition of the
Scripture and h.s consistent Christian life, and winning their affections
by his kindly, genial ma
The late Rev Mr Kins, of Dalesville, in his reminiscences, says :
,
Hiiae In his early years by the death of to .parents he
waf left a helpless orphan, but the Lord, true to His promises, raised
up for hn friends. He lived in Chatham with Andrew Duncan and childless
\frer he had been some time with Duncan, he came to J-
nd ^oved WmseS a bright and diligent pupil. People felt interested
predicted that, if spared, he would make his mark m the world.
246
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
y this school that he became impressed with divine things, and, along
with others, was baptised and added to the Church. He had a strong
desire to do good and preach the Gospel yet doubt of his own ability
and his want of means to obtain an education were obstacles in the way;
but these difficulties were overcome, when he decided to give himself
to the Lord s work God provided him means and raised up
friends where he did not expect them. After attending school some time
at Lachute, he went to Woodstock, where he studied the usual time under
Dr. Fife, with honor to the doctor and credit to himself. During the
vacation at Woodstock, he went to preach at Cote St. George, where there
is a small church, and his preaching was
blessed to the conversion of souls. After completing his studies at
Woodstock, he accepted a call from the church at Petite Nation. Between
that place and North Nation Mills, his labors have been greatly blessed
of God. He has since removed to
Thurso." ....
\ good many years have passed since Mr. King wrote the above sketch
of Mr. Higgins, during which the latter has labored in different places,
with credit to himself and the good of others. He married a daughter of
Mr. McGregor, of Dalesville, who has been a worthy partner in his toils
a woman esteemed for her kindness, bene volence and earnest Christian
character.
When Mr. Higgins resigned his pastorate at Lachute, a call was given
to Rev. 1. R. Cresswelf, B.A., who had just completed his university
course in Toronto, and was then in Montreal. Mr. Creswell was born in
Derbyshire, England. He took a Theological couise at Nottingham Baptist
College, completing which, in the spring of 1890, he came at once to
Canada, and entered McMaster University, Toronto, from
which he graduated in ) 890. During the time that he remained a student
of the Uni versity, he preached one summer in Clarence and Rockland,
the next summer in St. Catharines, Ont., and also the following summer,
after graduating, in Montreal.
He then visited England, and on his return accepted, November, 1894, the
pastorate at Lachute, and was ordained the same month. He was married,
3rd July, 1895, to
Miss M. M. Hovvell, of Montreal. Mr. Cresswell is highly popular in
the community; his sermons are clear and logical, diction good, and his
delivery fluent and effective.
A very neat and comfortable Baptist Church building was completed on_Main
street in 1887. It is brick, and possesses all the improvements and
conveniences found in our most modern city churches.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
Notwithstanding considerable effort to obtain data with regard to the
above organization, we have gathered but the few following facts.
Jt will be seen bv what has already been stated by Mr. J. S. Hutchins,
that the
Methodists were the first Christian laborers in this field ; a long
blank in their his tory follows, and it was not till 1852 that they
erected a church edifice. As the body was neither large nor wealthy,
it is not surprising that in building it, they should have contracted
quite a large debt ; but all contributed, as far as they were able,
toward defraying the expense none, probably, more generously than the
late Thos. Jackson. This church building was erected so far from what
now constitutes the main part of the village, that another was erected in
a more central and convenient location, in 1882. This is the fine brick
church on Main street which this denomination still occupies. The old
church was destroyed by fire with the store of P. H. Lane, Esq., near
which it stood, in September, 1894. A substantial and commodious parsonage
lias also been erected contiguous to the new church.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
2 47
As stated in the history of St. Andrews, Lachute became the head of the
Circuit in 1865. The following are the names of the first few ministers
who came after the change was made, with a table which shows the state
of the Church at that period.
o
rt
o s c
u v -5.=
u ^ Kfa
~ E = "*
- .
c
.1 "rt C
*s a
S 3
3
3 *S O "
c [t.
a.^
^
u
S
CO
1 865
Wm. Shaw. B.A
22O "^ l^
- J
Grenville united with it.
3Jw
5
5
i86fi
Joseph Kilgour, Wm. S. McCullough, B.A
2 Jd. ^^6
r | -
T(-\
1867
Joseph Kilgour * t . .
2CO 460
7 T -
5
*J /
1301
North Gore set off. f Grenville again set off.
The ministers who have had charge of this Circuit during the last few
years are
the Rev. John Walton, John Armstrong, J. V. McDowell, B.A., VV. Craig
and the present pastor, Rev. Mr. Clipsharn.
It should be stated that the late Thomas Jackson, besides contributing
liberally towards the erection of the new church, also gave the ground
for its site. He was one of the early settlers of Lachute, was highly
esteemed, and died in the spring of 1895. at an advanced age. He left
one son and four daughters; the former, whose
name also is Thomas Jackson, is one of the prosperous and respected
farmers of Lachute. _ Mr. F. C. Ireland, in his "Sketches of Lachute,"
gives the following ad ditional history of Methodism in this section of
the country, which we regard as well worth preserving :
"In 1810, the Rev. Thomas Madden was appointed to the Ottawa Circuit
of the United States. This Circuit embraced all the territory between
Montreal and
Kingston. Mr. Madden had just married a daughter of David Breckenridge,
Esq., of Brockviile, a man of considerable standing in the community,
and his daughter had been brought up tenderly, and was accustomed to all
the comforts and many of the refinements of good society. Mr. Madden took
his bride with him on the rounds of the Ottawa Circuit one appointment of
which was in the East Settlement near Lachute. A few Methodists who had
come from the American side lived here, and among them was a Mr. Hyalt,
whose rudely constructed barn was the first chapel in which the settlers
from many miles around assembled to hear the Gospel preached. In the
loft of Mr. Hyatt s new log-house, the minister and his wife found a
comfort able lodging place for the night. The Hyatts were an intelligent
and interesting couple, and their house was the home of the itinerates
for many years, and was en joyed and looked forward to with pleasing
anticipations when traveling for miles, through the uncleared country,
over the roughly constructed roads and bridge! rivers, from Bytown
to Montreal."
Mr. Ireland also records another incident: "The Rev. Mr. Luckey, who
had closed his labors for the year, by preaching his last sermon to the
people of the East Settlement in Mr. Hyatt s barn, left the next day, to
attend the Conference in New York. In crossing the Ottawa river at Point
Fortune, his horse got into the water, and was nearly drowned. Mr. Luckey
also narrowly escaped, but was lucky enough to get safe on the other
side. Being fatigued, he went to a French house, to seek
248 HISTORY OF AKGENTEUIL.
rest and something to eat. His appearance was not very clerical just at
that time. His beard had grown out considerably since his last shave,
some weeks previously, and when he asked for something to eat, the
simple-minded Lut kind French people mistook his meaning, and brought
him a razor, and it was some time before he could get them to understand
that he was hungry. Rev. Mr. Hibbard was another of the itinerates who
followed. On one occasion, while attempting to preach at Hyatt s
barn, and the people had just settled down to hear a good sermon, as they
had been accustomed to. poor Hibbard suddenly became embarrassed, and "
broke down/ as many a clever young man has done in his first efforts at
public speaking. Mr. Hyatt, being a local preacher, took up the text,
and held forth to the great delight of all present, some of whom had
traveled many miles to attend the service."
The Methodists have always had a flourishing Sunday School. Olivet
Hall, built by Mr. James Fish, was used for some time by this School,
but finding it too small for their accommodation, in 1877, Mr. Fish
enlarged it by an addition at the end, 24 feet square.
REV. WILLIAM WARNE CLARK, D.D., is a member of an Argenteuil family.
He is a son of Orange Clark and Ann Warner, his wife, and was born i6th
March, 1838. He entered the Methodist ministry when 18, was ordained by
Dr. Stenson at
Kingston, in 1860, went to the United States in 1870, and joined the New
York East Conference, of which he is still a member. Dr. Clark received
his honorary degree from the Wesleyan University, Bloomington, 111.,
in 1880. He is a member of the
Committee of the Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and pastor of Brooklyn
Sixth Avenue Church. His sermons are illustrated by large paintings,
and among the titles are such as these : "The House that Rum built,"
" Mr. Tongue of Tattle Town."*
R. C. CHURCH.
The first regular Roman Catholic services in Lachute were held by the Rev.
Calixte Ouimet, cure of St. Andrews, who also erected a church building
and pres bytery. This church was destroyed by fire in 1876, shortly after
its erection. The present church was immediately erected, though it has
since been enlarged ; it is brick, 80 feet in length, 35 feet in width,
with seats for 400 people.
Rev. Arthur Derome succeeded Mr. Ouimet at Lachute, and was the first
resi dent clergyman ; he remained here fifteen years, extended the church
twenty feet in length, and added the sacristy. He removed to Montreal, and
was succeeded by the Rev. Anthime Carriere, on the ist of January, 1894.
The Rev. Mr. Carriere, who still remains incumbent, was born at
St. Benoit, educated at the Seminaiy of St. Therese, and ordained in
August, 1878. Previous
to coming to Lachute, he was engaged as assistant in different churches,
being thus employed ten years in Montreal. He has recently made extensive
repairs on the interior and exterior of the fine brick presbytery at
Lachute. His congregation is a large one the communicants numbering 700.
THE W. C. T. U. AND C. E. SOCIETIES.
The W. C. T. U. of Lachute was organized by Mrs. Youmans in January, 1883,
with Mrs. W. A. Leggo as president ; Mrs. H. Fraser, jun., secretary;
and the late Mrs. H. M. Gall, treasurer. It was, with the other unions,
formed into a Provin
cial Union in September of the same year, 1883. The present officers
are: Mrs. Mackie, President ; Mrs. A. J. Simpson, secretary ; and
Mrs. Barley, treasurer.
* Contributed by E. S. Orr.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
249
In October, 1895, Lachute entertained the Provincial Union.
The Young People s Society of Christian Endeavor, a Union one, was organ
ized in 1889 ; MALCOLM MCCALLUM was the first president of the Local
Union, and
James Armstrong, of the Lachute Road, is the present president. The
first president of the County Union was John Loynachan.
A short time after the organization of the Y. P. S. C. E., the Methodist
Church
formed an Epworth League, which, after about a year, fell through; but,
in 1894, was re-organized, and is still carried on.
In 1893, a junior Y. P. S. C. E. was formed in connection with Henry
s Church.
The original Christian Endeavor Society has never lapsed, but continues
to hold
meetings each Monday evening in Raitt s Hall.
A Mechanics Institute was formed in Lachute, ist of March, 1855, tn
-e trustees
being Dr. Thomas Christie, John Meikle, and Samuel Hills , John Meikle
was the first president. It began with a membership of 21, and the
amount subscribed was ,30 IDS. It soon received quite an addition from
the District Library Association which united with it. From a Report to
the Provincial Secretary, 5th January, 1856, we learn that the Institute
had 140 members, and possessed a library of 1,000 vols., valued at ^200,
and that the total revenue was ^160 155.
For a time the records were kept regularly, which shows that the interest
in the Institute was alive; but later, the blanks that occur grow longer,
until it is evident that the organization existed only in name. An
effort on the part of a few individuals has been made at different
times to resuscitate it, and recently, some interest has once more been
awakened. The present officers are ; Dr. Christie, M.P., president ;
Thomas Barron, vice-president and C. D. Dyke, secretary. During the
height of its popular ity, it possessed a library of 1,700 volumes ;
many of these have been lost, but the library is still in existence,
and contains very many valuable books.
Lachute has always possessed quite a goodly number of people devoted
to tem perance. We have no data to show when the first movement in
this direction began, but it is well known that it was long before the
organization of the Sons of Temper ance in 1852.
The erection of Victoria Hall by this Society shows that it must have been
a large and flourishing organization, but, as in ail other places, it had
its day of progress and popularity, and then its period of decline. The
Good Templars and other tem
perance societies have since followed, and been attended with more
or less success. But the good work of temperance still goes on, not
alone by the influence of organ izations, pledged only to abstain from
the use of spirituous liquors, but by those like the W. C. T. U. and
Christian Endeavor Societies, which, hand in hand with the Church of
Christ, lead the erring one to the light which reveals his weakness,
and shows to him a habitation whose foundation is rock.
For many years Lachute has not wanted for music to cheer her citizens on
gala days. A Band was formed by the Sons of Temperance, about the year
1855, since which a similar organization has usually been in existence
here, though sometimes holding to life with a precarious tenure.
There are now two Bands one composed of English-speaking members, the
other of French ; the latter was but recently organized.
A Masonic Lodge was opened here in September, 1880, called " Argenteuil
Lodge." William Hay was the first Master; W.J.Simpson, M.P.P., filled
this office three years, and Harry Slater is the present Master.
250 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
MANUFACTURES.
One has but to gain a view of the West End, or Lachute Mills, as the post
office is named, to comprehend the fact, that Lachute is a manufacturing
town of no little importance. Its water power is unsurpassed; up and
down the river on either side are mills and factories, the din of whose
machinery, combined with the roar of the falls, is an index of the many
industries by which hundreds of families are main tained.
By whatever road one enters the west part of the town, the first object
that meets his eye will be the tall chimney and massive stone buildings
the paper mills of J. C. Wilson. They rise conspicuously a grand witness,
not only to the possi
bilities within reach of a young man s industry and energy, but to the
progress of Canadian manufacturers.
J. C. WILSON.
The first view of Mr. Wilson will assure the most casual observer that
he pos sesses more than ordinary ability ; his clear penetrating eye,
and quick, dignified movements, at once declare him a business man,
and one whose executive ability gives him the right to command. He
rather enjoys relating the story of his early struggles, and is pleased
to remember that, through the blessing of God, his own foresight and
industry have brought him to his present state of financial indepen
dence. He was born in 1841, near Reshaikin, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, and soon afterward his family came to Montreal, where his father
obtained a position as pattern maker in St. Mary s Foundry.
The taste of the younger Wilson inclining to n.echanics, he was
apprenticed, at
the age of twelve, to learn the trade of machinist. A severe accident,
however, pre vented his completing the full term of apprenticeship,
and then, through the kindness of friends, he became a pupil for a year
and a half in the McGill Normal School. Soon after this, the family in
which he then made his home moved to Beauharnois, Que.
On arriving there, not wishing to depend on his friends for his
maintenance, he
at once found employment at painting in a furniture manufactory.
One evening, soon afterward, when he had finished his work for the
day, two gentlemen called to see him. Having heard, they said, that
he possessed a diploma from the Normal School in Montreal, and having
also heard of his industrious and steady habits, they had come to engage
him to teach the village school, the former teacher having left. Though
reluctant, on account of his youth and inexperience
in teaching, to accept the position, after some deliberation, he closed
with their offer of twenty dollars per month, for one month, on trial. To
one knowing him, it is nor surprising that he was highly popular with
his pupils, and that he remained in the school for three years .
One of his greatest anxieties during the first winter was to save money
enough to discharge certain debts he had contracted for clothing before
leaving Montreal.
With his wages and several dollars earned by his mechanical skill during
his even ings, he had enough left, after paying his board, to meet these
accounts, and, as soon as his school closed, he visited the Metropolis
and paid them.
Never," said Mr. Wilson, "have I felt prouder or more happy than I did
when fulfilled this promise, and my mind was relieved of these debts."
The reflection, that the profession of teaching gave little scope for
the exercise of his ambition, now induced him to abandon it, and going
to Belleville, Ont., he obtain ed a position in a book store. He remained
there some time, gaining that experience
.1. ( . WILSON.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2 - r
and knowledge of the business which equipped him for better positions. He
was next employed in a large publishing and newspaper house in Toronto,
and from this in 1863, he went to New York. His pecuniary capital at
that time consisted of just thirty-four dollars a larger sum than that
of many other young men who have land ed strangers in the great city,
yet not a sum encouraging to one, with neither friends nor employment.
By chance, he fell in with another young Canadian of good parentage,
but with out money, who for some time had been in vain seeking a
position. They roomed in the same hotel, and spent several days between
sight-seeing and looking for employment.
At last, one morning Mr. Wilson received an offer of four dollars per
week to work in a subordinate position in a warehouse; but resolving
that he would not accept this paltry sum until all hopes had failed of
doing better, he arranged with the manager to keep the place open for
him for a week. Fortunately, the next morning, as he started out in quest
cf work, he noticed the sign of T. W. Strong, publisher, and he at once
entered and enquired for the proprietor. He was shown into his office,
when he made known the object of his visit.
" You have seen the advertisement, I suppose, that I put into The
Herald yes terday for an assistant," said Mr. Strong, who, according to
Mr. Wilson s opinion, combined the qualities of sternness and dignity. "
No," was the reply, " I came here on observing your sign." " Well,"
he said, " 1 have advertised fora young man, and if you will come
in again this afternoon, I will tell you whether I want you or not."
"Very encouraging," thought the young applicant, and, pursuant to the
request, he was at the office that afternoon. The proprietor had just
received a large number of letters which he had began to peruse. After
reading two or three, he addressed his visitor with :
" What wages do you expect, sir ? "
" Twelve dollars a week," was the reply.
" Here, look over some of these," said Mr. Strong, handing him some
letters. With many misgivings, perceiving that they were applications for
the position he was seeking, Mr. Wilson took the letters and read. The
first one did not allay his anxiety, as the wri:er offered to work for
six dollars per week ; still, his crude style and bad spelling might
counterbalance the effect produced by his moderate demand of salary. The
next letter was more assuring, as the writer wanted twenty-five dollars
per week. After reading two or three more, with the same alternation
of hopes and fears, he relumed the bundle to Mr. Strong, who had been
carefully observing him, and, no doubt, forming an estimate of his
capability. "So you want twelve dollars ? " he queried, as he took
the letters.
" 1 trust I can make myself of that value to you," was the modest reply.
" Well, you see what offers are made in these letters, but I can afford
to give you ten dollars per week." Though highly elated with the offer,
he did not t it
till after a few minutes delay. On expressing his willingness to begin
work at that salary, his employer said :
"Well, now, this is Friday; you will want a day to look about the city ;
.sup pose you come next Monday ? "
" Very well," said Mr. Wilson, " I will do so; " he then departed much
hap: than when he entered.
His friend who had accompanied him was outside, anxious to hear hU rq
and was scarcely less pleased at the result than Wilson himself. He now
decided to accept the position first offered to Wilson, which commanded
the salary of four
dollars per week. Not long after Mr. Wilson entered the service <>!
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
o-
keeper of the establishment was taken sick, and Strong insisted that
Wilson should
nanaee the books till the bookkeeper recovered. To his surprise, m going
over the
Doks he discovered the startling fact, that one account contained an
error of several
housand dollars in favor of Strong. The fact was reported to his employer,
but he
was so reluctant to believe it, he asked Wilson to go over the account
again very
carefully Though perfectly satisfied that his figures were correct,
he did as requested,
and with the same result as before. Still doubtful, the proprietor now
called in the
aid of an expert accountant, and his labors fully confirmed the truth
of Wilson s
statement and Mr. Strong had the satisfaction of knowing that he was
richer by
several thousand dollars than he had supposed. He now insisted that
Mr. Wilson,
^^ith a proper increase of salary, should take sole charge of his books,
and he shortly
after kit for a visit to Europe. Not long after his departure, a fire
broke out in Bar-
mim s Museum, destroying a building on Fulton street and another on
Ann street,
both belonging to Mr. Strong.
With the energy and promptness peculiar to him, Mr. Wilson at once
set about rebuilding, and, before his employer returned, he had the
new buildings, with many improvements, nearly completed. " During
the remaining years he was with Strong, he had entire charge of his
establishment, enjoying his esteem and confidence, as well as that of
the other employees. But he married, duiing his slay here, Miss Jeanie
Kilgour, of the town of Beauharnois. Canada ; and Mrs. Wilson having a
strong love for the home of her youth, and being desirous to exchange
New York for Montreal, her husband decided to return to the latter city
a step which he was the more fully inclined to take by the solicitations
of friends.
On his return, he entered the employment of Angus, Logan & Co., wholesale
stationers and paper manufacturers, as bookkeeper. Three and a half
years sub sequently, a desire to enlarge his sphere of action led him
to begin business on his own account, and with the assistance of his
employers he began to make paper bags the first ever made in Canada
by machinery. The business proved a success, so that Mr. Wilson soon
repaid his old employers for their assistance, and became one of their
largest customers. His business, begun on a modest scale and sure basis,
at first required only two flats of a building, but, in process of time,
a whole block of stores, with six flats each, was secured. In 1880,
his business demanded that he should make his own paper. He purchased
the water power at Lachute, and erected
the mills whose history is given below.
Mr. Wilson has not selfishly confined his time and talents to his own
personal business ; but, whenever they have been called into requisition
by the public for a salutary purpose, they have never been withheld. The
people of the County of Argenteuil, in consideration of his ability,
elected him to represent their interests in the Dominion Parliament. In
this new position, fortune, which thus far had been
so prodigal of her gifts, did not desert him, and his reputation as a
good reasoner, debater and politician largely increased. He contributed
much toward the reorgan ization of the " Fish and Game Protection Club
of the Province of Quebec," and for two years was its president. For
the same length of time, also, he was president of the Irish Protestant
Benevolent Society, and has been an alderman of Montreal, and chairman
of many important civic committees. He is also a Life-Governor of the
General Hospital, the Protestant Insane Asylum, the Montreal Dispensary,
and the Maternity Hospital. He has taken an interest in the educational
institutions of
Montreal, and was for some time a member of the Board of Protestant School
Com missioners. Religious and benevolent institutions have profited by
his generous
donations.
He has always manifested a fondness for tools, a taste enhanced, no
doubt, by
=
_
r o
5
O
o
o
^
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL
-53
much mechanical taste, he dislikes * s
appearance of having been done in haste, or with indifference to method
The following story, which he sometimes enjoys tellin- JH us tra pecuhanty
of wanting his work well done is knoin to bSemSSS^
On a certain occasion he had at his mills, in Lachute, one of his favorite
.
plumb he thought to have a laugh at Mr. Wilson s expense
M, r ^ s ^ inrr Sas sa o
arm^a square over the other, a plumb-bob in one hand, and hammer and
nails in the
^"^ y U g ,?K g t0 d hh a11 theSG t0 ls R^hard? " asked Mr. Wilson.
Repair the wash-basin, sir," replied Richard
Nonsense, you want nothing but the hammer and a few nails " Indeed,
sir I know when you want a job done, vou want it level and square and
plumb, and, by golly, we past use these tools on every job - Mr. Wilson
saw and appreciated Richard s humor
Mr Wilson is an ardent disciple of Isaac Walton, ond annually seeks the
seclu- sion of shady river banks and mountain streams and lakes with rod
and line ; but ed hv "rh" S Trf y PP ? Sed l the ; vant0a destruction
of the finny tribe, is witness-
Socie y tv of ! P V PUt ^ hi w a !, d * mg t0 rganize the Fish ^d Game
Protection society ot the Province of Quebec. "
.
He has five children living-three sons and two daughters. The sons are
all connected with him in business.
h > h f u ChargC f the P U P mills at St " Jerome, and also
after the manufacturing and the factory, Montreal.
, .
To2 Wa !; d the f C nd S0n occu P ies the position of assistant cashier
in the iiead Ornce, Montreal.
.Edwin H. is at the paper mills, Lachute, learning the art of
paper-making, with the intention of having charge of the mills at some
future date
His daughters are Ethel F. and Annie L. ; the three boys being the eldest,
and the two girls the youngest of the family living.
"LACHUTE PAPER MILLS."
The illustrations represent "Lachute Paper Mills" as they now are,
in 1896 erected at a cost of over $300,000.
As stated in the sketch of Mr. Wilson s life, he was seized with the
idea in . that, to place his business in a front position in the trade,
it would be necessan Him to own his own paper mills, and he made several
visits to different parts of the )untry near Montreal, where water-powers
exist, knowing that a -ood water-power
and proper facilities for getting the raw material into the mill, and
the product on: it, were the first and most essential points to consider.
*For the last paragraph, as well as for some others in the nl^vv sketch
of Mr. Wilson, uv mdebted to " Borthwick s Gazetteer of Montreal."
254 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
The Townships were visited, and the country east and west of Montreal,
but none of them seemed to suit.
As the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Rai way had just been
completed from Montreal to Ottawa, and parties in the parish were
desirous of establishing manufacturing industries there, Mr. Wilson was
led to Lachute. After surveying the water-powers, he decided that if a
purchase could be made on reasonable terms, he would locate his paper
mills here. He did not come to this conclusion until he had found that
there was ample water-power for a mill such as he intended at that time
to build. Lachute was then a village of about 650 inhabitants, and the
site on which the paper mill stands to-day was a forest of pines, oaks
and maples. After considerable bantering between the owners of the land,
they agreed with Mr. Wilson in the matter of terms. He then made plans
for his first mill, and appeared before the Mayor and Council of the
Parish of St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil, Tnomas Barron, Esq., being the
Mayor. At a meeting convened in the old Court House, where the Council
sat, Mr. Wilson exhibited his plans, and petitioned the Parish for exemp
tion from taxation for twenty years, providing he built the mills as he
designed. The Council, with very little delay, complied with his request,
and, certainly, they have no reason to regret their action of the fall
of 1879.
In June, 1880, the first mill of the four, which the block of buildings
now repre sents, was started. It was a great task to undertake
excavations, flumes, wheel-pits, quarrying stone, and getting the
siding in ; but the mill i. e., the building was com pleted some time
in November. The machinery was placed in it during the Fall of
1880 and the Winter of 1881, and the first paper run on the machine (which
was a double cylinder machine, made by Rice, Barton & Fales, of Worcester,
Mass., after Mr. Wilson s special plans), on or about ist April, 1881.
During the years 1881 and 18.^2, Mr. Wilson had great difficulty in
procuring a
proper foreman for the mill; he was intent on manufacturing a class of
manilla papers such as were manufactured in the United States. Not until
the winter of 1883 di 1 he solve the problem, why he did not succeed in
making the class of paper he wished, and not till he had obtained the
second expert from the States. It may be a secret in the trade, still it
is none the worse for being told, and may help some other paper maker
placed in the same position that Mr. Wilson was. The kind of lime for
boiling the jute stock was the secret of the trouble and the secret of
the success. Lime from Montreal, from Hull, and from Lachute was tried,
but it did not prove satisfactory. Not until Mr. Wilson ordered his first
carload of lime from Dudswell (away beyond Sherbrooke), and boiled his
first boiler of stock with it, did he succeed, and then the mystery was
unravelled. The component parts of the lime are a very important matter
to consider in boiling jute or manilla stock.
The Lachute paper mill took a first rank in the Canadian market
for manilla papers from that time forth, and has maintained it ever
since. Not only did he manu facture manilla paper, in rolls, for his
paper-bag machines in Montreal, but also made sheet or ream paper for his
growing trade with the grocers and general dealers all over the country.
In 1885, the business had grown so much, that it was necessary to
build another
mill, or add another paper machine, with all its attendant machinery. That
mill
was commenced in May, 1885, an< ^ was completed in the fall of
that year.
The first paper made on the new machine (which was a Harper Fourdrinier)
was made on the yth January, 1886, and after that had been running two
or three
years, Mr. Wilson saw that it would be necessary, in the very near future,
to add still another mill, and of much larger dimensions. The stone was
thereon the ground waiting to be quarried. The cut stone, of course,
for trimmings for windows and
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 255
corners lime stone is from Montreal. So, in 1891, Mr. Wilson commenced
the largest addition, and the completion of the block of buildings,
as represented in the photograph picture of these mills. Tail-races were
cirried out in 1891. Tn 1892, still further work was accomplished, and the
lower flats of the addition were com pleted. 1111893, the whole mill was
finished, and in 1894, 2ist May, paper was run over the new machine. This
new machine, a straight Fourdrinier, one of the largest in the country,
specially adapted for fast running, Mr. Wilson prizes very much.
The business now has grown so much, that he contemplates, in the very
near future, placing the fourth machine in the mill ; the building is
already there (that is, the room for it), and all that will be required
will be to place the machine and the pulp engines ; the water-wheels
and wheel-pits are all complete and ready.
The Lachute Paper Mills now have a daily output of about 15 tons, and
when the amount reaches 20 tons, Mr. Wilson s idea of a perfect mill
will be accomplished.
Not without proper storage could such a mill be carried on, consequently,
there
have been built, on the line of the siding which comes from the main
line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, five large storehouses and a
stone warehouse for storing the finished paper. There is also a siding
running down in front of the mill, so that raw material may be placed
in tHe mill, or in the storehouses, by just handing the stock out of
the cars, or the finished product from the s tone warehouses or mill
into them. The facilities for loading and unloading, and for shipping,
could not be excelled in any mill in the country.
When doubling the mill, in 1885, Mr. Wilson conceived the idea, that he
was going to draw heavily upon the water-power, and as his business up
to that time
was a very exact one, and he could not afford to shut down for any
length of time, he placed a large steam engine of 250 horse power, with
boilers to supply steam for the same, and this he has found to be a
very wise precaution, for in dry summers (such as the summer of 1895),
the steam-engine had to be drawn upon to supply the power, or, rather,
to help the power, and so the business g~>es on without interruption.
About three years ago, he conceived the idea of placing not only the
paper bag machines that were in Montreal, but a set of the most improved,
to manufacture the celebrated self-opening square bag, in the building
which he had erected for the purpose, that is, for the paper bag factory,
at one end of the mill. In this paper bag factory there are fifteen paper
bag m chines, and three flour sack tubing machines, as well as cutters,
etc. The paper is brought in from the mill in rolls, and the paper bag
machines take these continuous rolls and turn out bags, some of the ma
chines at the rate of 100,000 per day, others at the rate of 70,000,
60,000, 50,000, and 40.000. There is a capacity in his paper bag factory
of about three quarters million bags per day, and it is now turning out
an average ot about 350,000 bags da While all this increase was going on
in the way of buildings, of course, the number of hands also increased,
and to-day there are employed in this manufactory about no people.
The town of Lachute has grown since -1880 from 650 people to a
Mr. Wilson has his private residence on the height of land behind th
beautiful high knoll, and from his verandah a beautiful view can be had
of tains and of the town generally. Here he enjoys, with his family, :
months every summer.
Vraone the efficient and reliable employes of Mr. Wilson -and he wil
retain any other kind are his Bookkeeper, Harry Slater, and the !
his paper mill and bag factory, Robert Daw.
MR. SLATER was born in London, Eng., and came to Canada in 1890.
first employed by the Moffatt Blacking Company, Montreal, as Book
2 c6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
eighteen months afterwards, he engaged to Mr. Wilson, with whom he has
since re
mained. He was married 2nd Feb., 1880, to Sarah Mary Wenborn, Upper Hollo-
way, London. Mr. Slater is a great reader, is familiar with the English
authors, and withal, an active Mason; he is the present Master of the
Argenteuil Lodge.
ROBERT DAW was born in Bradninch, Devonshire, England, and at the age
of eleven commenced work in his native place, for Mr. Wm. Drew, in
Kentham Mills. In 1878, he came to America as Superintendent for the
Hon. Geo. West, also a native of Bradninch, who had worked himself up
from a machine tender till he became proprietor of several large paper
mills ; he is now one of the most extensive bag manufacturers in this
country. Mr. Daw came to Canada in 1893, as the Super
intendent of Mr. Wilson. He is a devoted member of the Baptist Church,
and is Superintendent of the Sabbath School connected with that church,
whose pupils number sixty; he was married in 1880, to Elizabeth Crowley,
of Milton, Northamp
tonshire, England.
As one passes up Main street, more quiet scenes prevail, yet here on
the left is one of the oldest manufactories of the place one which,
for many years, has annually supplied vehicles of almost every kind to
the citizens" of the county the carriage shop of A. Mitchell & Sons.
MR. ARCHIBALD MITCHELL, the senior partner of the firm, was born in
Belgium, whither his family removed from Scotland. His grandfather
was Rev. Hugh Mitchell, of Glasgow, a graduate of the University of
that city, in which institution he received the medal for elocution,
and afterwards was professor of elocution. He also pub
lished several books and translated others. Mr. Mitchell still has
copies of books written by his grandfather, the title of one of which
reads as follows : " Scotticisms, vulgar Anglicisms and grammatical
Improprieties corrected."
" Hugh Mitchell, A.M., Master of the English and French Academies,
Glasgow."
His wife s.maiden name was Emily Nesbitt, and her brother was a surgeon
in the British Navy. After the death- of Surgeon Nesbitt, his widow
married Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar. This lady was also a relative of
the Hamilton Brothers of Hawks- bury, Ont.
The Rev. Hugh Mitchell removed to Belgium, and was there, when the battle
of Waterloo was fought. One of his sons was engaged in that conflict,
by which he lost an eye. The father taught elocution there some time
receiving a guinea for each
lesson his pupils coming from France, Germany, England, etc. He had
three sons and one daughter ; the latter was married to Robert Cochran,
of whom a sketch is given in the history of St. Philippe.
Two of the sons, Archibald and Benedict, each erected a factory in Belgium
for the manufacture of cloths ; they failed in the enterprise, and then
came to Canada, the father of the subject of our sketch arriving in
1848. He settled first at Hill Head, then at Beech Ridge, at which place
both he and his wife died. They had four sons and five daughters. Francis,
the third son, still lives at Beech Ridge.
Archibald, the youngest son, who was eighteen when he came to Canada,
worked on the farm at Hill Head for a time, but farmers assuring him that
he would accom plish little there, on account of the sterile nature of
the farm, he turned his attention to the manufacture of machinery, for
which he had peculiar aptitude, and he soon made fifteen fanning mills
for neighboring farmers. He then learned the carriage- maker s trade
at Lachute with the Duddridge Brothers, for whom he worked till 1856,
when he entered into partnership with them, the firm becoming Duddridge
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
257
Mitchell. This continued till 1888, when the co-partnership was
dissolved by the death of Mr. Duddridge. Mr. Mitchell was in business
alone till 1892, when he took his second son, John, into partnership,
and as another of his sons now works here, the firm is styled Mitchell
& Sons. Mr. Mitchell married Grace, a daughter of Mr! Dewar, of
Dalesville. His third son, William Mitchell, who graduated at McGill in
1894, is now an M.D., of Mansonville, P.Q.
Mitchell & Sons have a good-sized factory here, employ several hands,
and make all kinds of carriages and sleighs of the latest style, and
their work has won a wide reputation for neatness and durability.
Another manufactory, adjacent to the above, on Main street, is that of
JOHN- HOPE, baker and confectioner ; he is also proprietor of a Spool,
Shuttle and Bobbin Factory at the West End.
Mr. Hope was born in Edinburgh, his father being an officer in the
Scotch Fusilier Guards. He came to Canada in 1870, and after remaining
in Montreal seven years, he came to Lachute, arriving on St. Patrick s
Day, 1877. He at once opened a bakery, and as the railway was then in
process of construction, and business active, he was very successful
in his venture, and his business has been a progressive one to the
present. He supplies a large portion of the village with bread, and much
of the surrounding country. In 1889, he bought the Factory referred to
above, and has since enlarged and improved it, so, that he is prepared
to fill orders for shuttles bobbins, spools, button moulds, brush backs
and everything required for cotton and woollen mills.
He was fortunate in securing the service of trustworthy and efficient
assistants in these mills, who have long and faithfully served him ; these
are E. G. Spaulding, manager, \\ ho has recently gone to the States ;
F. E. Carter, Bookkeeper, and S. Duff. Engineer; the ingenuity and skill
of the latter in repairing machinery and inventing tools for special
purposes rendering him a handy man of inestimable value to an em ployer.
Mr. Hope is a man of great enterprise and energy, one who is determined
to push
to successful issue whatever he undertakes ; a typical Scotchman,
generous, public- spirited, and much attached to the games and sports of
his native land. He erected a fine curling rink on his premises in the
fall of 1893, which is a source of great attraction during the winter
evenings the Curling Club now formed, of which Mr,
Hope is president, being a large one. He was Captain of the Team of
Argenteuil Boys, in the fall of 1894, in their Tug-of-War contest at
Montreal with the Boys of Glengarry.* ^He is a prominent Mason, and has
been President of the Argenteuil Lodge three terms. He has been a member
of the Municipal Council six years, and
is a Deacon of Henry s Presbyterian Church. He was married i5th September.
1871, to JaneEnnis, daughter of James Ennis, of Tienland, Morayshire,
Scotland.
Since the above was written, a copy of the Canadian Journal of Fabrics
has come to hand, from which we take the following paragraphs :
" The machine shop is a perfect one. The Factory gives employment to
a large number of hands, and the output is steadily increasing month
by month. The woods which are made use of are beech, bircli (yellow and
white), maple, ironwood, poplar, white ash, apple, persimmon and dogwood ;
the two last named having to be sor. for in North Carolina. In addition
to the wood obtained from outside markets, be-
* Names of those comprising the Argenteuil Team which was victorious :
Robt. Silverson. . Boa, Omer I aquette. David Black, Eugene Theiien,
Edouard The lien, Wm. John M<>re, Hiram Niell, Duncan McOuat,
Edward Berniquier, Capt. Charles Gardner, Samuel Clifford, John I David
Lindley, Wm.John Rodgers.
258 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
tvveen 400 and 500 cords are annually purchased in the vicinity, and are
brought in in the shape of logs and cord wood, being cut up into stock
as required. Before
being used, it undergoes a thorough process of curing in the steam drying
rooms, which are most effective and convenient.
Among the special products of this establisment, we would call attention
to the
shuttles, this being the only factory in the Dominion where these are
made. Pre
viously, the mills had to look across the border for their supplies of
these needful articles; but finding that the Lachute works are quite
able to compete successfully with the Americans, both as to quality
and price, the mills are finding it to their advantage to patronize the
home manufactory."
HAMELIN AND AYERS is a name familiar in every household, not only in
Argen- teuil, but in the County of Prescott their woolen mills being
one of the most important manufactories in this section.
THOMAS HENRY AYERS is a son of the late Thomas Ayers, who, in 1858,
came with his family from Cornwall, England, to Columbus, Ontario,
and was employed there, in the Empire Woolen Mills, till his death in
1891. Thomas, the son, served his apprenticeship in the same mills, then
worked in different places till 1868, when he entered into partnership,
in Perth, with Mr. Felix Hamelin. They first conducted a carding mill at
Perth. In 1870, they hired the McGill Woolen Mills in Hawks- bury, Ont.,
for eight years. In 1876, they purchased of different parties in Lachute
about twenty acres of land and water power for their present mills. At
that time there was no road to the site of their present buildings nothing
but a thick growth of forest all along the river side, where now there
is a village, fine dwellings, gardens and cultivated fields. In 1878,
they constructed the dam and roads, and erec ed a dwelling; and the
following year built the mill, and put it in operation in 1880.
Mr. Ayers was married to Olive Paquette, a niece of Mr. Hamelin, in
August, 1871. He has had four sons, three of whom are living John Thomas,
William Henry and Ernest Francis L. AH are active, intelligent young men,
and take lively interest in the business.
MR. FELIX HAMELIN was born in St. Hennas. When he was very young, his
father moved to the Seigniory of Longueuil, Ont., where he resided on a
farm t April, 1865, when he died at the age of 98. Felix, the eldest son,
was early engagec in the woolen manufacturing business, and spent some
years in mercantile pursuits. When in the County of Prescott, he took
considerable interest in public affairs, and his influence was often
courted during election campaigns. He recently spent year in England in
connection with his business. That both he and Mr. Ayers are
remarkably intelligent and shrewd business men, is obvious, from the
manner i which they have enlarged their business and increased their
capital. When they formed a co partnership in Perth, twenty-five years
ago, each partner invested h entire capital $200. Since that period,
they have made no division, their earnings having been devoted either
to the enlargement of the business, or invested in re; estate. Their
property now including real estate in different localities is appraise
at $125,000, which is unencumbered. They have in their principal mill
two re cards for farmers work, four sets of manufacturing cards, one
thousand spindl eighteen looms, and all other machinery necessary for
finishing and dyeing cl< They manufacture a fine class of tweeds,
flannels, blankets, paper and pulp man
facturers felts, and lubricating and printers felts. When the mill is
run to its tu capacity, it will manufacture 600 pounds of wool in ten
hours. The goods of this ft are sold throughout the Dominion, from
Nova S:otia to British Columbia, also hive a mill for the purpose of
manufacturing pulp from spruce and other hgh
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 259
woods. They employ from forty-five to fifty hands, half of whom are
married men
with families. The pay roll amounts to about $r,ooo monthly. They lease
water power to other manufacturers, and still have as good water-power
not utilized as there is in the county.
On the opposite side of the river from the mills of Hamelin and Ayers
is a Rope
Factory, which was built in 1882 by the late Robert Bannerman,
of Montreal. After being in operation a few years, it was leased for
twenty-one years to the Consumers Cordage Company, by whom it was closed,
and it now stands idle.
The iron foundry, of McOuAT & McRAE has gained celebrity in the entire
County of Argenteuil. Thomas McOuat is the youngest son of Andrew
McOuat, mentioned on another page. He was rmrried i6th June, 1875,
to Annie Higginson Fraser, of Ottawa. John McRae was born in Ottawa,
learned the moulder s trade, and has followed it the greater part of his
life. He was married in the spring of 1864 to Margaret McLean Johnson,
of Scotland. She died the i2th November, 187 4, and he was next married
in June, 1876, to Elizabeth Scott.
The following history and description of their business is copied from The
Watchman s report of the County Fair held at Lachute in October, 1894. It
should be stated, however, that since the publication of that report,
this firm has doubled the size of their machine and pattern shops :
" The exhibit of Messr?. McOuat & McRae was a most creditable one,
and surprised many of our people, who really were not aware to what
extent this firm s business has spread and developed, since it was
first organized in 1879. Messrs. Thomas McOuat and John McRae came
from Ottawa, in that year, to Lachute. Both had been for years employed
in the Victoria Foundry, Ottawa, Mr. McOuat as fore
man pattern maker and machinist, and Mr. McRae as foreman moulder. They
brought with them not only their experience, but resolved to retain
the name Vic toria ; so the Victoria Foundry, Lachute, was launched
forth. It was born in a building 28x45, on Foundry street, on the site
of the present furniture factory. This enclosed the whole foundry and
machine shop, and was only one storey high. The motive power was neither
electricity, then unknown as a motive power, nor \vas it steam, but
one of the old-fashioned sweep horse-powers. It was soon evident that
they had supplied a want in coming to Lachute, and business became so
brisk that, before a year had expired, the horse power was cast aside,
and a boiler and engine installed.
"Starting out with the intention of keeping pace with the times and
abreast with the demands of their patrons, the firm has never hesitated
to invest their earnings in the business and extend their works ; so
when an opportunity occurred, they seized it, and two years later found
them building a new and larger foundry on its present site, and they
commenced to run by water power. " Success attended this new enter prise,
and a new era dawned. As the town grew, and more machinery became instal
ed, the machinery department developed quickly, and the foundry had to
be again and again extended. New machines were obtained, large planers
and lathes and drills, until now there is here, in Lachute, one of the
best equipped jobbing shops in the country. Starting in a building 28
x 45, one storey and a horse sweep, they now occupy a large, two-storey
building of two wings, one extending towards the river 84 feet, besides
outbuildings 105 feet in length, and a power house with fire engine. Few
people have any idea of the quantity of machinery in the paper
mill, and will be surpri ed to learn that McOuat & McRae have supplied
forty tons of new work therefor. Besides this, they have done the work for
a large number of outside mills. They are now specially well adapted for
all kinds of castings. They have also gone somewhat into school desks,
and during the past year have supplied
2 6o HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
seats for nine schools. Their specialty, however, is machinery and machine
sup plies, a very important thing for the people of this locality, as
it is the only place between here and Montreal where such can be procured.
" In thus giving the history of one of our industries here, we desire
to show pur readers that, notwithstanding the croakings of those who are
constantly protesting that the country is going to the dogs, we have here
in our midst positive proof that Lachute has made good progress as far
as her manufacturing interests are concerned, and in the case of this
particular firm, it has not done so at the expense of any other class
of the community, but by energy, hard work and faith in our country."
Traveling along the Lachute Road, about a mile west of the village of
Lachute, one reaches a branch road, which leads, as the sign announces,
to Earle s Mills. Following this road for the distance of half a mile,
the traveler comes to the North River, near which, in a deep gully,
stand the grist and saw mills of Earle Brothers- John, Edward and Harland.
The grist mill was built about 1836 by Geo. Hoyle, who had been agent
for the Seignior, and had erected mills for him at St. Andrews and
Lachute. Through some disagreement with the Seignior, however, Hoyle
decided to put up a mill on his own account, and accordingly built one
on this site, which is just outside the Seigniory, in Chatham. After
running the mill some years he sold it to John Earle, uncle of the
present proprietors, and it was afterwards conducted for 25 years
by James Earle, their father. This was one of the mills to which the
settlers brought grists on their backs ; the manufacture of oatmeal was
one of its principal features.
JAMES EARLE came from Yorkshire, England, and first settled in the County
of Two Mountains. He was living near St. Eustache at the time of the
Rebellion, and decided to remain when the other settlers were leaving;
but the place soon became too hot for him, and he also was obliged to
make his escape. After hiding a day in the woods, he started on his
journey at night-fall, and finally readied Lachute in safety ; here,
in a short time, joining Capt. Quinn s Company of Volunteers, afterwards
came to the mills, and died here in May, 1886, leaving his wife, who sti!
survives him. Of their five sons, Charles died in Nevada, and James,
already men tioned, lives in Bethany ; John, one of the proprietors
of the mills, was married in 1871 to Mary, daughter of Stewart Boyd,
of Chatham. Mr. Earle is Captain of Co. No. 8 Argenteuil Rangers, and
has been a member of the Battalion since 1862 ; he has been Municipal
Councillor of Chatham for six years. Edward, married to Mary, daughter
of William Boyd, Montreal, resides at the mills, and Harland, un
married, lives here also ; the daughter, Evelyn E., is married to John A.
Patterson, of Calgary, N. VV. Territory.
In 1885 the dam was washed away, and in 1886 they built their present one.
The lumber business is one of the important industries of the place,
connected with which is the steam mill of P. & A. McGiBBON, sons of
the late Finley Mc- Gibbon, noticed in the history of Dalesville. These
two enterprising young men engaged in the lumber business here in 1881,
having obtained a lease of a mill for five years. Ambitious, however, to
do a larger business, and in a mill of their own, they purchased a mill
site, and built their present steam mill in 1889. They have a planing
mill also, and prepare a large quantity of lumber for finishing. The
number of logs sawn annually by this mill is about 20,000 three-fourths
of which belong to the firm, the remainder to customers. Last year,
they shipped 100 car loads of lumber. The energy displayed by this firm,
and their honorable way of transacting business, has secured the esteem
and good will of the community.
A blacksmith is a necessity in every community, and when he combines
skill his trade with good judgment and respectability, he acquires no
little popularity in t place. Such an one is ALEXANDER RIDDLE.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 261
His father, William Riddle, was born in Scotland, but he removed to
Ireland, and several years afterwards in 1849 came to Canada, and settled
in Mille Isle,
on a farm of 100 acres, which is now owned by his son Robert. He was
married twice before coming to Canada, and by the first marriage he
had six sons and one daughter ; and by the second, two sons and two
daughters. Alexander, the youngest of all, began learning the blacksmith
trade, at the age of sixteen. After serving his apprenticeship, he spent
six years in the States, then returned to Lachute, bought a house and
lot, and has ever since followed his trade with success, and has been
a member of the Town Council for two years. He was married 6th June,
1877, to Margaret Carpenter.
SIMON McKiMME, who has an undertaker s establishment here, came from
Morayshire, Scotland, with his father, John McKimme, in 1851. The father
settled not far from the present Lachute Mills, and one of his sons,
Joseph McKimme, now lives on the fine old homestead. Mr. McKimnie died
nth October, 1882 ; he had five sons and six daughters. Simon, the fourth
son, followed the carpenter s trade till five or six years since, when he
engaged in his present occupation of undertaker. He keeps a hearse and a
full supply of everything connected with his business. The author of the
saying, " Solemn as an undertaker," could never have seen Mr. McKimme,
for his humor is pleasant, and his greeting a smile. He was married
22iid August, 1859, to Janet Pollock.
ANDREW Joss, from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was one whose history is
identified with the early history of Lachute. He came here with his wife
and three sons Wiliiam, James and George. He was employed in the grist
mill a few years, and he then bought a farm in the vicinity of Brownsburg,
on which he lived till his death.
George, the youngest son, learned the cooper s trade, and after following
it several years, he also opened a brewery in Lachute, which occupied the
site of the present store of the Giles brothers. He married Mary Jane,
a daughter of Patrick Rice ; they had four sons and two daughters.
Mr. Joss died i7th July, 1865. Three of his sons now live in Lachute ;
another one, James, resides in Nebraska. Duncan, the eldest of the sons,
was married 24th August, 1875, to Mary E. Hutchins. He is a carpenter by
trade, and is now in company with his brother George, the firm being known
as " Joss Brothers, Contrac tors and Builders." They have a shop here, and
supply all kinds of lumber for building and house finishing, and they have
erected many of the dwellings in this section. They also build bridges
the Westover bridge, constructed in 1884, and the Barren bridge in 1892,
are monuments of their handicraft. George Joss was married, 2ist April,
1886, to Elizabeth Stalker. Daniel Joss, the youngest of the brothers,
is a painter by trade, and the fact that he has been in the employ of
the firm now known as Mitchell & Sons, for 28 years, is evidence of
his faithfulness and efficiency. He has been a member of the Municipal
Council of Lachute, and was married i3th June. 1888, to Carrie Hutchins.
E. H. McCov is proprietor of the Marble and Granite business in Lachute,
which is well known. His grandfather, John McCoy, came from Ireland to
Hin- chinbrooke, Huntingdon County, about 1820, and conducted a store
there till his
death in 1852. He had five sons and two daughters that grew up. Matthew
S., his
second son, continued the mercantile business in the same store, located
on the Pro vince Line, till 1872, when he removed to Huntingdon village,
and was engaged dur ing the rest of his life as Auctioneer and Agent for
the Law firm of McCormick & Major ; lie died in 1893. He was married about
1849 to Harriet Howard ; they had three sons and two daughters. Edmund
H., the youngest son, went to Califor-
262 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
nia in 1876, and was engaged in gold mining ten years. He then returned,
came to Lachute, and entered into partnership in the marble and granite
business with George L. Moir. Mr. Moir died in 1891, and Mr. McCoy has
since conducted the business.
Some idea of its extent may be inferred from the fact, that within nine
years the value of the woik he has done in St. Andrews cemetery alone is
$22,000. Mr. McCoy was married in 1886 to Mary, daughter of the late
John Arnott, of Lakefield ; he represents the East Ward of Lachute in
the Municipal Council.
Besides the manufactories above noticed, O. B. LAFLEUR has quite a large
Furniture Factory on Foundry street.
DAVID CHRISTIE is one of the citizens of Lachute whose faithful industry
has supplied him with enough of this world s goods, and whose integrity
has secured him esteem. His father, David Christie, came from Ireland,
and settled on a farm in the north part of Gore, about 1830; he there
married Mary Good, also from Ireland. He was one of the militia who
served in the Rebellion of 1837. He had ten children- five of each
sex. David, the fourth son, began at the age of 14 to learn the shoe
maker s trade, and has followed it successfully to the present. He was
married 28th September, 1866, to Margaret J. Johnson, daughter of the
late C apt. Johnson of
Lakefield ; they have had three children : the eldest, a girl, died when
three years old ; Gilbert D., the elder son, is a clerk in Victoria,
B.C. ; Wm. H. is clerk in Lachute for J. R. McOuat.
NEWSPAPERS.
For the history of the newspaper enterprise we are again indebted to
the pen of
Mr. Ireland.
He says that a citizen of Argenteuil, living in Montreal, sent a man here
from that city, with the sum of $50, and letters of introduction to the
principal citizens, which resulted in sufficient money being raised to
start what was called fat Argenteuil, Advertiser.
" The understanding between our Montreal resident and the Advertiser
man was, that the paper should be non-political and purely independent,
and run on these
principles, so as to be a means of good to the greatest number.
" The establishment of this paper caused a pleasant furore of excitement
in the
county. It was the first newspaper started on the north side of the
Ottawa River, between Montreal and Ottawa, and was designed to advocate
the interests of the Ottawa Valley, and be a welcome visitor, once a week,
to every home in this and the adjoining counties.
" It was in June, 1872, that the first issue of the Argenteuil Advertiser
appeared.
But, according to the further account of Mr. Ireland, the editor of
the Adver tiser, after a time, abandoned his non-political attitude and
became a most active champion of the Liberal party. In consequence of
this, The Watchman and Ottawa Valley Advocate was established in 1877,
with Dawson Kerr as editor and proprietor.
W. J. Simpson (the present M.P.I- .) was for some time connected with this
paper, and, in 1892, it passed into the hands of the Calder Brothers,
by whom it is still published. As is well known, it was started under
the auspices of the Con
servative party, of whose principles it has ever been a devoted and
able advocate.
In 1887, or thereabout, another paper, called The Independent, was
started in Lachute. Several copies which are before us show that it was
a vivacious little
sheet, but decidedly bellicose in character. Its publication was not
long continued, and the Watchman has remained the only newspaper in the
county until recently.
HISTORY OF ARGF.NTEUIL. 263
In 1895. the proprietor of The News (St. Johns, Que.) began to issue
the Lachute News a sheet which devotes considerable space to the affairs
of Argenteuil. The publication of another paper, called the Argenteuil
News, has just been com
menced in l.achute, but we have not as yet had the pleasure of seeing it.
BRIDGES AND RAILWAY.
There appears no record of how local affairs were administered in Lachute
; but
in 1825, the North River was spanned by the first bridge, and this was
away to the east where White s bridge now stands. This was a great boon
to the Scotch settlers, many of whom had located on the north side of the
river, and also to the Irish settlers, who had located in the Gore. This
most necessary improvement was not accom plished without opposition
and difficulty from persons interested in other parts of the river,
but had not enterprise enough to begin their work. In ten years lime
another bridge was built, which was known as Power s bridge. This name
was taken from the fact that Orlando Powers, whose birth was referred
to in an early sketch, lived on the north bank of the river directly
facing the bridge. The building of this bridge was amid opposition and
difficulty also. In 1840, a Mr, Hoyle, an eccentric but
very enterprising Englishman, built a bridge at the mills, on the site
where Fish s bridge now stands. For twenty-five years there was not a
single bridge across the river, while, fifteen years later, thiee bridges
were built, each one being opposed, and a strong and, in some cases,
bitter rivalry existing between interested parties." *
For several years, Lachute has had good railway accommodations ;
there are now four passenger trains each way daily, three of which stop
nere regularly, the other only occasionally, and there are two regular
freight train?.
Phileas Monette, the first station agent appointed here, still holds
the position.
The railway first took shape under the name of the Quebec, Montreal,
Ottawa & Occidental Railway. It was graded as far as Lachute, and
the stone abutments for the bridges here were constructed in 1873 and
1874. After that, work was sus pended for some time, but. in the fall
of 1876 the rails were hi j as far as Lachute.
The Q. M. O. & O. Railway being unable to complete the road, the Quebec
Government became the owners, and the contract for construction as far
as Hull was given to Duncan Macdonald, who ran the trains to Lachute
for a number of years.
A dispute arose between the Government and Macdonald, and the Joly govern
ment seized the road and placed all the stations in charge of the Militia,
who were called out. The Government then sold the road to the C. P. R.
The County granted no bonus, but the Parish of St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil,
which then included the town of Lachute, voted to the Q. M. O. &:
O. Company a bonus of $25,000. This was as an inducement to have the
road come by Lachute instead of through St. Andrews. This bonus never
was paid The ground for objecting to payment was, that the Company had
failed to carry out their obligations in constructing the road, that the
bonus was not promised to the Government, and inasmuch as public money
was being used for its construction, part of which was
the contributions of this Parish, it would n;>t be fair to ask them
to pay this bonus.
Through the influence of the late Sir John Abbott, legislation was passed
at Ottawa exempting the parish from payment.
MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENTS.
Like most other country towns and villages at the present day, Lachute has
its quota of merchants, too many, is the general impression of strangers
visit ng th*e
* From Ireland s sketches.
264 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
place ; yet, the fact that they are all accorded sufficient patronage to
encourage their continuance in the business, is conclusive evidence of
the large amount of trade carried on here. It is much less, however, than
it was a few years ago. Previous to the construction of a new railway in
1894, the farmers of Harrington, Arundel, and other parts in the rear of
the County, all came to Lachute to trade ; but when the new railway was
completed as far as St. Jovite a place in Ottawa County, contiguous to
Arundel several stores were erected there, affording the farmers of the
localities referred to a much more convenient market than Lachute ; the
dis tance to the latter place being more than twice that to St. Jovite.
The first store in Lachute," says Mr. Meikle in his history, "was opened
by Mr. Robertson in 1813."
The following paragraph is from a sketch of Mr. Ireland, published in
1886 :
" For many years the centre of trade was at St. Andrews. The people from
all parts of the country went there to do their trading. The principal
store at Lachute was, as we have already seen, what the people familiarly
called Meikle s, until
Mr. P. Lane started at the old stand, where he still resides ; but long
since retired on a competency from many years of incessant attention
as a country merchant. Shortly after Mr. Lane s store was opened, his
brother-in-law, Mr. John Taylor, a clever and energetic young Scotchman,
began a store in the west end, near the mill, and did a large business. Up
to this period, the citizens seemed contented to trudge on in the old
way of doing business by buying goods on credit, and selling on credit,
at very high prices, and allowing accounts to remain for one, two, or more
years by adding interest, and so, when Mr. Taylor commenced on the cash or
ready pay system, and gave goods at a moderate profit, there was quite a
revolution among the country people in favor of Mr. Taylor s store, which
became the centre of attraction, and was talked of all over the country."
The stores are chiefly on Main street, and some of them are attractive
in appear ance and contain large stocks.
That of Mr. Meikle, which has already been noticed, is the oldest one
in the place, and occupies a commanding position, and doubtless holds
as large a stock and receives as much patronage, as any in Lachute.
Not far from this is the imposing brick store of J. R. McOuAT.
Mr. McOuat, in 1875, entered into partnership in the mercantile line with
Hugh Fraser, jun., which partnership was continued till 188 = , when he
purchased the interest of Mr. Fraser, and in 1885 erected his present
store. This structure has an attractive front of plate glass, the first
in the place which presented this luxurious embellishment. Mr. McOuat
is one of the influential men of Lachute, and is a mem ber of the School
Board and Municipal Council.
A well stocked and neatly kept store is that of HUGH FRASER, JUN. This
gentle man was born in Montreal and came to Lachute when a child. In
his youthful days, he was clerk for G. & R. Meikle five years, then
spent three years in Morrisburg, Ont. and after his return to this
place was in partnership with J. R. McOuat six years. In 1 88 1, he
opened his present store, in which he has since been engaged. He has an
influence in all local and municipal affairs, and has served as School
Commis sioner and Town Councillor six years.
McFAUL BROS. James C. and John M. Their great-grandfather, Archibald
McFaul, came from County Antrim, Ireland, and settled on the farm now
occupied by his grand-daughter, Mrs. Hugh Morrow. He lived here many
years, and died at the home of his son William, in Wallace, Ont.; he
had four sons and three daugh
ters. Archibald, the eldest son, married Mary, daughter of James
Carpenter, and
HISTORY OF ARGENIEUIL. 26 ^
v}
lived on a farm in Chatham till his death, which occurred i2th February,
1887. He had six sons and four daughters, who grew up. James, the eldest,
father of the subjects of our present sketch, married Janet McPhail
about 1868, and settled on a farm of one hundred acres at Brownsburg,
and has since bought three hundred acres adjoin ing. He had five sons
and five daughters.
James C. left the farm in September, 1891, and entered into partnership
in Lachute, with Robert Banford in the latter s store, remaining here
till September, 1893. He then bought out Banford, and took as partner
his brother, John M.; they are still here in John street, doing a good
business in general merchandise, dry goods, groceries, boots, shoes,
etc. John M. was married to Annie Stuart, 25th September, 1894.
ROBERT KETTYLE, SEN., a soldier who fought at Waterloo under Wellington,
and received his discharge soon after, having seen 21 years service,
was born in the north of Ireland. He come to Canada about 1830, and,
receiving a location ticket. took up a lot in Weniworth, but finding
that this was poor land, he then bought a farm in the north part of Gore,
Lakefield. He lived in this place a few years, and then moved into the
Seigniory where he died. He had one son and two daughters ;
Robert, the son, was a young man when his father came to this country. He
joined the Cavalry in Montreal, also married in that city, and had three
sons and three daughters. He finally settled in Lachute near Hill Head,
where he died about 1885. Robert, his son, followed farming till 1885,
when he opened a grocery in Lachute, which he still conducts. He has
been married twice, the last time in 1887 to Harriet A. Knox.
A. J. PERIARD was born at St. Benoit. He learned the tailor s trade,
and spent ten years in Montreal and Ottawa; he came to Lachute in 1880,
and opened a mer chant tailor s establishment, which he has ever since
conducted. He was married
June 22nd, 1880, to Miss Brown, daughter of James Brown, contractor,
of Montreal. Mr. Periard was reared a Roman Catholic, but was converted
to Protestantism about twenty years ago, since which he has been actively
engaged in Christian w.>rk. He has preached, and still preaches,
in different parts of the County on the Sabbath. He also did much in
the way of Christian labor in Sunday Schools and like gatherings while
in Montreal.
WILLIAM BANFORD is a courteous and public-spirited merchant on Main
street; he is the eldest son of William Banford, of whom a sketch is
o-ivcn in the history of L Orignal. He was born in 1851, and began his
mercantile life as clerk for D. J. Jamieson, of Vankleek Hill, with
whom he remained two vears He then came to Lachute, and was clerk for
James Fish & Co. two years, after which he remained four years as clerk
in the employ of P. H. Lane, Esq. About 1880 he purchased the store of
Mr. Lane. This was burnt in the fall of 1894 and he then
removed to his present store. Mr. Banford was married in 1879 to Eliza
Eraser Bethany.
X. McGiLLis & SON, from Lancaster, Ont., have a hardware store on Main
Norman McGillis, who came with his family from Scotland, was one of the
early settlers of Lancaster. He had five sons and five daughters. Neil
McGillis his second sen, has been engaged many years in mercantile
business in Lancaster anc
tor some years has been one of the Board of Aldermen of that place. In
the fall of 1894 he purchased the store and stock of A. J. Eraser in
Lachute, which is now in charge of Mr. McGillis son ; they keep a full
line of hardware, tinware paints oils, etc.
ROBERT CRESWELL has a fine brick block on Main street, in which he has
a flour
18
2 66 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and feed store. His father, Wm. Creswell, came from Donegal, Ireland,
with his family to Lachute in 1852, being 13 weeks in crossing the
Atlantic an unusual time at that late date. He settled on a farm of
100 acres in the Seigniory, and afterward, bought a lot in Lachute and
erected a house on it, but never resided here ; he died
about 1864.
1 he following obituary is copied from an Illinois paper, published
m March,
"Mrs. Sarah Creswell died here at 2.30 last Saturday morning after a
few days illness. She was bcrn in Ireland in 1816, and came to Canada
in 1852, where Mr.
Creswell died about 1864. She moved to Illinois with her children in 1872,
and lived at Randolph ; eighteen years ago she moved to Hey worth. She
is the mother of eleven children, of whom nine are living, viz., William
and John in Montana;
James at Paxton ; Robert in Canada; Mrs. Matthew Smith at Lytleville ;
Mrs. J. M. Minton at Downs ; Mrs. Isabella Happins in Ohio ; and Maggie
and Jennie at home. Mrs. Creswell belonged to the Episcopal Church."
Robert, the second son, was married ist November, 1866, tD Eliza
Miller. He followed harness-making ten years, and was also engaged
in farming till 1875, when he engaged in his present business. He has
another block near the one in which he trades.
JOHN STEWART is proprietor of one of the meat markets with which Lachute
is well provided. His father, Donald Stewart, came from Stirlingshire,
near Glasgow, to Lachute in 1^32. He was in the employ of James Walker
about a year, then went to Ontario, where he was employed as miller
for several years. He returned to Lachute, and married Janet Mclntyre,
whose family came from the same place in Scotland and at the same time,
that Mr. Stewat t did. After his marriage, he settled on the farm now
owned and occupied by Edmund Smith, and lived on it till his death
in 1872. He left five sons and one daughter. John, the eldest, married,
in April, 1877. Margaret Barren, and engaged in farming till 1887, when
he bought a good house in this village, built a commodious brick shop,
and has since been engaged in his present business.
DAVID WILSON is proprietor of a meat market at the west end of Fish s
bridge. He came from Yorkshire, England, in 1872. He was married 131)1
April, 1881, to Agnes McFarlane, from Paisley, Scotland, and settled in
Lachute in 1888. He was
employed three years in the market of Patenaude & MacArthur, and then,
in the winter of 1891, opened a market himself.
Besides the establishments above mentioned there are several others,
the stores
of the GILES BROTHERS, BOYCE, HAY BROTHERS, A. CLEVELAND, the book stores
of D. KERR, BOA, etc.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS BEDARD, one of the Municipal Councillors, has an
attractive boot and shoe store on Main street, where he also sells a
variety of musical instru ments.
G. ROBY, merchant tailor, who came here in 1893, during the past summer
(1895), erected one of the finest looking buildings in the place, on
Main street. An other attractive place on the same street is the store
of T. JOUSSE, jeweller.
A very fine building also is the hardware store of C. CHARLEBOIS, near the
R. R. Station.
HOTELS.
Lachute has four hotels, and though the number seems large for the place,
they are all commodious, respectable looking buildings, and apparently
prosperous.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 267
JAMES CURRIE is proprietor of the Victoria Hotel, the only one at
Lachute Mills, and the oldest one in the town a portion of the building
being one in which Milo Lane conducted an hotel when Lachute was in her
infancy. It has a large share of the patronage of the travelling public,
owing both to the correctness of its appoint ments and the popularity
and extensive acquaintance of its proprietor, who has had an experience
of fifteen years in his present hotel.
Mr. Currie s grandfather on the maternal side, John Williamson, was a
soldier under Wellington, fought at Waterloo, and v. as in several other
engagements. After serving twenty-one years he obtained his discharge,
came to Canada, settled in Gore, and served in the Rebellion of j
837-38. Mr. Currie s father, Charles Currie, came from Castle Blarney,
County of Monaghan, Ireland, in the spring of 1831. He first found
employment on the " Feeder " at Carillon, on which his brother Isaiah,
who had pre viously come to this country, had a contract. In the fall of
1832, he took up a lot in the second range of Gore, on which he lived
twelve years. In 1837, ne was married to Elizabeth Williamson. He sold
out in 1844, and bought a farm in Wentworth, on which helivedtill his
death in 1879. He had three sonsand two daughters. James,
the eldest, at the age of 17 went to the States, where he spent twenty
years. Return ing, he purchased a farm on Beech Ridge, and engaged
in farming, meanwhile serving three years in the St. Andrews Parish
Council. In 1880, he sold his farm and engaged in his present business
in Lachute. He was married in January, 1860, to
Catherine, daughter of Valentine Swail, of Wentworth. They have one son,
Valentine, married, and living in British Columbia, and three (laughters.
An imposing building is the " Argenteuil House," towards the upper end
of Main street, of which PIERRE RODRIGUE, the present Mayor of Lachute,
is proprietor. The house is brick, 70 x 40 feet in size, three stories
besides the basement, with a two-storey extension, 60 x 25 feet in size,
flat roof, and encircled by three galleries. It has three parlors, two
sitting rooms, thirty-five bed rooms, a large office, and dining room
with seating capacity for too guests. The grounds and stables connected
therewith are equally spacious.
Mr. Rodrigue was born in St. Scholastique, and his early days were spent
on his
father s farm. He took a classical course at the school of Rev. Father
Bonin, after which he taught five years in the same school and two years
in the public school. He was married lyth October, 1853, to Margaret,
daughter of the late Alexandre Fortier, and spent the following eleven
years on his father s farm. After devoting a few years to mercantile life
and hotel keeping, he sold out in 187 1 and bought the " Bee Hive" the
hotel of Alvah Burch in Lachute. This was burnt 7th January, 1892, and,
the same year, Mr. Rodrigue built his present hotel. He has been very
success ful financially since coming here, his real estate, within and
outside of the Corporation, being valued at $25,000. He has been in the
Council five or six years, and in 1894 was elected Mayor, and has been
Chairman of the Roman Catholic School Board since it was established in
1875, and is a trustee of the Roman Catholic Church. He has three sons
and one daughter, two of the former, E. D., married to Mary Poitras,
and L. P. Rodrigue, being employed in the hotel. Alexandre is an M. D.
The daughter of Mr. Rodrigue is married to Charles Charlebois, proprietor
of the Lachute Foundry.
There are two other hotels near the railroad station, of one of which
ALFRED LAFLEUR is proprietor. This building also is of brick, three
stories, 60 x 40 feet in size. Commodious stables are attached, in which
Mr. Lafleur has a good number of horses. He is a native of Ste. Adele,
County of Terrebonne, where he was engaged in hotel keeping and lumber
business. He spent ten years in connec tion with the lumber traffic in
California and the Western States three years in
268 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Marquette, Michigan, where he and his father erected several houses. He
came to
Lachute in 1878 and built his present hotel, which he has ever since
conducted.
The other hotel near the R. R. station, and also on Foundry street,
is that of MOISE PAQUETTE. Mr. I aquette was born in St. Scholastique,
lived on the homestead farm till 1878, when he came with his father to
Lachute, built his present hotel, and moved into it in 1879. His father,
Moise Paquette, died i4th December, 1891, at
the age of 68. Like the oilier public houses of Lachute, this is of a good
size and appearance, and has ample yard and stables attached. H. Paquette,
a brother of the hotel proprietor, has a barber shop in the establishment.
About two miles above the Lachute Post Office, toward Hill Head, in a
good farming section, is a settlement where, in former years, there was
a thriving business conducted, of which the tannery of SAMUEL HILLS was
the nucleus.
Mr. Hills was from New Hampshire, and after living two years
at St. Andrews, he came, about 1830, to Lachute. He was a man
of much enterprise, and his descendants are people of spirit and
intelligence. Soon after his arrival, he erected a tannery, with which
he did an active business, besides conducting a farm, till his death. The
business thus started grew in importance, until " Hills Tannery," by
which name the locality was soon designated, became quite a noted place.
Leather of different kinds was manufactured here, and shoemakers, harness
makers, and other men were employed, till it was said the Hills would
have a village of their own.
The founder of this business had four sons Frederick, Samuel Scott,
William Matthews, and Reuben Watson. The latter died at the age of 14, and
Frederick, the eldest died at Hancock, N.H. Samuel S. and William, each
of whom had a good farm belonging to the homestead, continued together
the management of the tannery. Samuel married Elizabeth Hastings, and
Wi.liam mariied her sister, Frances J. Hastings, who died loth August,
1891. William was also, for a time, conducting quite a business at Portage
du Fort ; but he relinquished it and confined himself to that at Lachule
; he is now connected with an extensive lumber firm in Montreal, though
he still has a residence in Lachute.
Samuel S. Hills always lived in Lachute, and died here i6th April, 1878;
he had
three sons and two daughters that grew up.
Frederick W., the eldest, lives in the dwelling occupied by his
grandfather ; he married Miss E. A. Grant, and has two daughters. Watson
S. resides at Brainard,
Minn. ; Julia is deceased ; and Mary P., married to Albert I Green,
resides in Minne apolis, Minn. George H. was married i8th June, 1879,
to Jessie Muir; they have three children. He engaged in farming on the
homestead till August, 1882, when the farm was sold. After following
agricultural life till 1888, he bought the brick house and lot where
he now lives, and, in 1892, opened a store. His dwelling and store are
those elected and occupied by Samuel Orr, noticed on a former page.
SAMUEL EDMUND SMITH, one of the enterprising and leading farmers of
Lachute, resides in this locality. William Smith, his great-grandtather,
came from Yorkshire, England, and was the first settler at what is now
Dunany, in Wentworth. He received a grant of Lot i, Range i, for marking
out a road by blazed trees from Sir John s Lake to Clear Lake. He had
two sons and three daughters that grew up.
Samuel, the eldest, married Margaret McDonald, of Gore, about 1828;
settled near the homestead, and lived there till his death. He was the
first Postmaster at Dunany, the post office being established there in
1853; was Mayor of Wentworth
and Major of Militia ; he was a loyal actor in the events of 1837, an( *
was at Grande Brule with the Volunteers. He died nth June, 1893, aged 96,
and so remarkably healthy had he been, that he never employed a physician
till his last illness, widow is still living ; they had twelve children,
six of each sex, that arrived at matur-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 269
ity. James, their eldest son, was married in April, 1858, to Mary Jane
McLean, of Lachute, and settled in Gore, adjacent to Dunany. Sixteen years
"later, he bought 210 acres in Lachute, to which he removed in 1874; this
is the farm now owned and occupied by his son, Samuel E. Smith. He was a
School Commissioner for some time and took much interest in the military
affairs of the County ; he joined the Rangers at their organization as
Lieutenant, and was promoted to the rank of Major. He died 24th January,
1887, and was buried with military honors. He had two sons and four
daughters that grew up.
Samuel E., the only son now living, was married 3oth April, 1890, to
Janet Pattison, of Lachute. He has always remained on the homestead a fine
farm which he has improved so that it sustains a large stock. Mr. Smith
is ist Lieutenant in Company No. 2 of the Rangers.
JOHN MCGREGOR came from Dumbartonshire, Scotland, to Lachute, with his
family, about 1826, and bought 100 acres of land, which is now owned and
occupied by Robert Beatty. Subsequently, he purchased 90 acres adjacent
to his first purchase, which is now owned and occupied by the widow of
his son, John McGregor. He moved to the latter farm, and lived there
till his death, about 1864, at the age of 87 ; Mrs. McGregor died
about ten years later, aged 97. Six sons and three daughters arrived
at maturity. James, the fourth son, now living with his son Thomas,
has followed the mill wright trade forty-five years in this section,
building and repairing many mills He was married in 1846 to Ellen Hay;
she died i6th April, 1885. Mr. McGregor s first permanent residence,
after marriage, was at Brownsburg, where he bought a saw mill and
carding mill, which he conducted for twelve years. He then, about 1860,
sold them, and purchased So acres of land in Lachute, which he sold to
David Pollock in :89o. He has had three sons and two daughters, who grew
up. His eldest son, Robert J., lives in Kansas; George is employed in
the store of the Hay Brothers; and Thomas, with whom he lives, is on a
farm which belonged to the paternal estate; he was married 2nd January,
1884, to Margaret Parker, of Montreal.
Near this locality is what may be termed a lusus naturae, a singular
change having occurred in the physical features of quite a tract of
territory since the country ivas first settled. A tract two miles or more
in length and many rods in breadth is nothing but a field of drifting
white sand, where, not many decades ago, were culti vated fields. This
strip of worthless land extends across the middle of several farms, on the
south side of the North River. The soil which covered this sand must, of
course, have been very shallow, but still it is said that it once produced
fine crops of The sand, like snow, drifts with the wind, and a fence
crossing it does not long remain visible or effective against cattle. This
stratum, it is claimed, is about twelve feet in thickness, succeeded by
a substratum of blue clay, beneath which is abundance of water.
PARISH OF ST. JERUSALEM D ARGENTEUIL, EAST SETTLEMENT,
BETHANY.*
This parish, as will be seen below, was not erected till long after
Lachute had
come a thriving village. As stated in the history of St. Andrews, it
embraces the
irger part of the Seigniory of Argenteuil, and besides the town of
Lachute, it contains
other districts designated as the East Settlement and Bethany, which
will be noticed
in the proper place.
* That tract or parcel of land, situate in the seigniory of Argenteuil,
in the County of Two Moun-
ns, in that part of the Province of Canada called Lower Canada, bounded
and abutted as follows,
it : on the south by the southern line of lot number fifteen in the west
settlement, the rear of the
270 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
PATRICK STRACHAN DUNBAR, Mayor of the Parish of St. Jerusalem
d Argenteuil, was born in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland, yth March,
1824. His father was George Dunbar, who was a Captain in the Inverness
Militia ; his mother was Katherine, daughter of Major Patrick Strachan,
of Drumduen, Morayshire, who, on one or two
occasions, was in active service. Mr. Dunbar came to Canada with his
parents in
1832, and settled in Brownsburg ; the family remained there for two years,
and then came to Jerusalem, where the son has ever since resided. He
was employed on the
first railroad ever built in this County, and helped to run the
first engine that went from Carillon to Grenville in 1854 ; in 1856,
he was first mate on the steamer " Atlas," plying between Lachine and
Carillon. Mr. Dunbar took a most active part in helping to secure the
line of the present C. P. Railway then the Montreal, Ottawa & Occi dental
through this parish, and, in 1872, look-part with the late Thomas C.
Quinn, Provincial Land Surveyor, in running a trial line from Grenville
Bay to St. Therese. This line proved to be the shortest and most direct,
and was afterwards adopted by the R. R. Company. Mr. Dunbar has been a
Municipal Councillor in the Parish for
thirty-two years, and has filled the office of Mayor since 1880;
he married, in 1852, Jessie, youngest daughter of the late Walter
McOuat. Mrs. Dunbar is still living, and has three daughters. Mr. Dunbar
has also filled the office of President of the Board of School
Commissioners, here, since 1885. He is now in his seventy-third year,
and has been a resident of this parish for upwards of sixty years.
ROBERT GORDON., from County Down, Ireland, came to the Parish of St. Jeru
salem, in 1824, and bought one hundred acres of land, which is now
owned n.rd occupied by his son Robert. The latter, who is now upward
of eighty years of age, has cleared up much of the paternal estate,
and also another one hundred acres, by which he has augmented it. He
has been one of those industrious, sober men, who
exert a good influence, and whose presence as a neighbor is always
desired. He has
middle settlement or Beech Ridge, the southern part of Duel s purchase,
and the line separaf ng the East Settlement from part of Brown s Gore,
and that rear of lot number thirty- five, on the River Rouge ; on the
east by the seigniory of Two Mountains ; on the north by the township
of Gore ; on the west by the township of Chatham. Beginning on the
line between Chatham and Argenteuil at the distance of three miles and
three-quarters from the shore of the Ottawa River ; thence, along the side
line between lots numbers fourteen and fifteen, in the west settlement,
magnetically south sixty-nine degrees thirty minutes east, one mile,
eight arpents and six perches more or less to an angle ; thence, along
the noitherly rear line of lots numbers five, six, seven, eight, nine
and ten of the middle settle ment or Beech Ridge, north, 86 degrees
east, nineteen arpents more or less, to an angle ; thence, along the
rear line from the noiihwest corner of number eleven, to the north-east
corner of number twenty- two, or the last lot of the middle settlement,
to a point about seven miles and one-quarter from the Ottawa River ;
north 68 degrees, one mile, six arpents and two perches more or less ;
thence, along the line between the ea i t side of the middle settlement
and the tract of land known as Duel s purchase to the southern extremity
of the said tract ; south eleven degrees and ten minutes east, two miles
more or less; thence, along the line between part of Brown s Gore and
Duel s purchase south, eighty-three degrees east, seven arpents and
six perches more or less to an angle ; thence, along the eastern line
of Duel s purchase, to the south-western angle of the East Settlement,
six arpents more or less; thence, along the southern side line of lot
number one in both ranges of the East Settlement, till it meets the
eastern line of the seigniory of Argenteuil, at a point distant about
five miles from the Grand or Ottawa River south, sixty-nine degrees
thirty minutes east, two miles five arpents and five perches, more or
less ; thence, along the line between the seigniories of Argenteuil
and Two- Mountains, to the noiih- eastern angle of the said seigniory
of Argenteuil north, twenty degrees thirty minutes east, seven miles,
eight arperts and seven perches more or less; thence along the rear
line of the seigniory ot Argenteuil, which is also the front line of
the townsh : p of Gore, to the north-western ang e of the seigniory to
a point on the Clear Lake north, sixty-two degrees thirty minutes west,
six miles and fourteen arpents more or less ; thence, along the line
between Chatham and Argenteuil south, twenty degrees thirty minutes west,
eight miles and seven arpents more or less, to the place of beginning.
Approved by Order in Council of the I5th July, 1852, minus; The limits
of the town of Lachute by 48 V., c. 72.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 271
been a Magistrate for a quarter of a century, and has also been a member
of the
Municipal Council of his Parish. Although an octogenarian, he is still
active, and takes much interest in public affairs. One of the latest of
his works was to secure a grant of $50 from Government, to pay for placing
gravel on a low, marshy piece of road in this section a work of much
utility. Mr. Gordon has had ten children, nine of whom are still living.
ROBERT CROZIER was born in County Cavan, Ireland, 6th May, i8r4, and came
to Canada when four years of age. His parents first went to Montreal,
and a year later to Chatham, where the son lived for several years,
three of which he spent in lum bering on the Black River and Oitawa. He
was married 3oth October, 1838, to Margaret, youngest daughter of the late
Andrew Walker, of Lane s Purchase. He pur chased a farm adjoining that of
his father-in-law, remaining there until 1848, when he bought a farm in
this section from Chauncey Davis. He had eight daughters and four sons,
of whom seven daughters and two sons are now living. The daughters are
all married, and Catherine, wife of Simon McGilvray, and John Alexander,
are the only children of the family in this County. Mr. Crozier was at
Grand Brule in 1837, and was a member of the Volunteers and Cavalry for
over twenty years. He was a large land owner in this parish, but in 1894
sold his farm, and soon afterward went to Lachute to live a retired life,
but died there ist June, 1895, after only a week s ill ness. The Montreal
Witness *&\& of him in a lengthy obituary notice : " Mr. Crozier was a
true husband and kind father, and the loss of his presence to sorrowing re
latives will not be easily or quickly repaired." His wife still survives,
at the age of seventy-nine.
John A., eldest son of Robert Crozier, was born 1845, an ^ always
remained in this section. On 2ist Feb., 1878, he was married to Miss
Ryan, a teacher, daughter of Thomas Ryan, who was a ship carpenter,
living at the time in Mille Isles. Mr. Crozier first settled on the
farm now owned by Thomas Black, jun., which he had
bought a few years previous to his marriage, but he afterwards sold
it and returned home to assist his father, who was alone. In July,
1890, he bought his present farm, on which he has since made many
improvements. He was a member of Capt. Bur- wash s troop of Cavalry ten
years, joining it in 1860, after receiving a diploma from the Military
School in Montreal. He was Corporal of his company when he retired.
DAVID THOMAS MORIN was born 8th February, 1820, in Dumfrieshire, Scotland.
His father, who was a guard in Dumfrieshire Jail, was killed while on
duty by the notorious thief and pick-pocket, Davie Hagart. He struck
Mr. Morin on the head with a stone concealed in a siocking, intending
only to stun him, but the blowproved fatal.
The son, David Thomas, who was a carpenter by trade, came to Canada with
his mother, about 1833. In February, 1843, ne was married in Montreal
to Miss Janet
Craik, sister of Dr. Craik, Dean of the Medical Faculty, McGill
University. In 1849, he came to this parish, ar.d bought the farm now
owned by his son David ; he died here 20th May, 1873, and Mrs Morin i7th
April, 1890. They had five sons and five daughters ; three of the latter
are deceased. Thomas, David, John, Jane and Janet, the latter married
to William Davidson, lives in this parisli Robert C. on Beech Ridge,
and William in Prescott County, Out. Thomas, born 3ist Dec., 184;,
remained at home until twenty-four years of age, when he went to Nevada,
where he remained about five years. On his return, he was married i2th
February, 1873, to Mary, daughter of the late James Gordon, of River
Rouge. He then came to his present farm, adjoining the old homestead ;
he has two daughters and one son, who all live at home. David, born 7th
July, 1850, remained on the homestead;
272 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
he married Miss Dunbar, daughter of Patrick Dunbar, Esq. ; they have
one son. Mr. Morin has a fine farm, and in 1890 received a bronze medal
and a diploma from the Quebec Government in the competition of that year.
ANDREW WALKER came to Canada from Barrackshire, Scotland, with his family
in 1833, and first settled on Lane s Purchase in Lachute, where he and
Mrs. Walker both died, on the farm now owned by Henry Drysdale. Tney
had five sons and four
daughters; among those now living are Margaret, widow of the late Robert
Crozier; Alice, widow of William Blow, living in Manitoba ; and George,
living in Ontario.
ANDREW, the fourth son, born 4th May, 1821, was married in 1851 to
Catherine A., daughter of Copt. Dunbav : they had eight children five sons
and three daugh ters, of whom all but one son are now living. Mr. Walker
remained on the home stead until 1895, when his son Andrew bought the
farm of his late uncle, Robert
Crozier, in Jerusalem, and Mr. and Mrs. Walker, retired, are now living
with him. Mr. Walker has been very active in the affairs of the County,
having been Municipal Councillor of Lachute for twenty-one years ; he
was .also a member of Major Simp son s company of Cavalry, having been
sergeant at ine time they received the Prince of Wales at Carillon. George
Dunbar, the eldest son, lives in Hill Head; Janet I., married to James
Raitt, lives in Lachute; Catherine .A., married to William Cope- land,
lives in Lane s Purchase ; Andrew is on the farm in Jerusalem ; William
B. and John R. L. live in Manitoba ; and Maggie, married to D. McPhail,
lives in Chatham.
HUGH CLELAND, son of James Cleland, was born in the parish of
St. Jerusalem, and lived on the farm now owned by Thomas Black ; he was
married to Mary Ann Cotter. They had five children, of whom two boys
and two girls are now living. Mr. Cleland bought the farm now owned by
his son, William J., and for the last eighteen years has shipped milk to
Montreal, buying from a good many in this vicinity. Mr. Cleland is now
retired, and, with his wife, remains on the old homestead with their
second son, William. The latter still continues the milk busi ness ;
he was born January, 1867, and 23rd June, 1893, was married to Mary,
daughter of William Brown, of Martintown, Ont. Jane, the eldest, is
married to Malcolm Smith, of Beech Ridge ; Mary E. to Thomas Smith,
lives in Montreal. Robert James, the eldest son, was born 1857, and
always remained at home. In 1887, he was married to Isabella, daughter
of Andrew Bell, Postmaster of Beech Ridge ; the same year he took his
present farm of his father. He has since erected new buildings, and
made many improvements on it ; with his brother, he continues the milk
business commenced by their father.
JAMES LEISHMAN, JUN., eldest son of James Leishman, was born in Upper
Lachute, 26th May, 1864; he remained at home until 1886, and then went
to Cali fornia, where he remained eight years in the lumber business ;
on his return he
bought the farm of John McGilvray, Jerusalem, and is now living here
with his sister Mary.
EAST SETTLEMENT.
A Post Office was established here in 187 1, and given the name of
Genoa ; James Gordon was appointed Postmaster, which office he still
holds. Mr. Gordon con ducted a general store here some time, but having
to devote his time to his trade that of carpenter he discontinued the
store, in 1890.
The first school-house was built on the farm now owned by Mrs. Black. In
1841, a log school-house was built on the site of the present brick one,
near the four corners.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 273
A neat wooden church was erected in 1861, on land given to the Wesleyan
Metho dist Conference by Mr. John Bunvash, and it was built by the
Methodists of this
vicinity. Mr. Griffith took an active part in its erection, and has been
a staunch sup porter of it ever since. It is used as a Union church now,
and services are held on alternate Sabbaths by Revs. Clipsham and Mackie,
of Lachute. The Church is always open to any Protestant minister who
wishes to hold service in it.
The first settlers known in this place were Barber, Draper, and Hyatt,
U. E. Loyalists, who came here about the beginning of the present
century. Barber was
quite a large land owner, having about 700 acres ; he built a three-story,
stone build ing in 1850, on the farm now owned by Mrs. Wm. Black,
intending that his sons should occupy it with him, after being
married. They, however, being dissatisfied, left this p^rt of the
country, and none of the descendants of the above-named men now live in
this section.
A few years ago, considerable business was done in the East Settlement
by govern ment contractors, who bought several acres of land from
Messrs. John Rodger, Arm strong and Todd. A very fine quality of
gravel was discovered here, and a side track was laid from the main
line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad to take away the gravel uug by
ihe large gang of men employed during one summer. About twenty miles of
the C. P. R. were ballasted with the gravel, and a great many carloads
were taken to Montreal. The gravel pit is quite a freak of nature,
being a high ridge with level land on either side. The ridge is about
half a mile long and three acres wide ; the centre, where excavated,
has the appearance of having been under water at one time, there being
towards the bottom several feet of fine gravel, and then a layer of
stone similar to the dry bed of a river. At the bottom is a very fine
quality of build ing sand in which are found springs of pure cold water.
THOMAS MILLER, a cabinetmaker by trade, was born in Scotland, and came
to Canada about 1800 ; he remained about seven years, then returned to
Scotland, and married Miss Anna Murdoch. He then came back to Canada,
and settled at River du
Loup, Que., keeping store there for several years, after which he
removed to River Rouge, remaining several years on the farm of Gregor
McGregor. He then came to this place, and bought the farm now owned
by his son, Thomas G. Mr. and Mrs. Miller both died here. THOMAS G.,
the eldest son, born in 1816 at River du Loup, was married in 1851 to
Mary E. Green, from County Sligo, Ireland ; they have five daughters and
four sons, all living. Catherine, the eldest daughter, lives in Chicago ;
Mary and Amanda in Montreal ; Martha and Eliza are at home. Of the sons,
Thomas, the eldest, John H. and William, are in California, and James,
the youngest, remains at home.
JOHN GRIFFITH was born in Ireland in 1819, his parents, who were Welsh,
having previously settled there; the family came to Canada about the year
1826, and first settled in St. Canute. When about eighteen years of age,
John went to Ontario, and was employed for two years on the Cornwall
Canal ; he then returned to St. Canute, and soon afterward joined
the St. Andrew s Volunteers, Capt. Quinn s Company, going with them to
St. Scholastique. He was in this Company when orders were received to
march to St. Eti>tache. Mr. Griffith afterward went to Thomas Gore,
where he was married to Mary, daughter of the late William Hume. Hill
Head. They had eight sons and four daughters, of whom five sons and
all the daughters are still living. William, the eldest, is a farmer in
Watertown, N.Y.; Henry is mining in
Nevada ; John W. is Professor in a San Francisco College ; Isaac lives
at home ; and Albert L. is in Montreal ; Eleanor, married to Roderick
McDonald, lives in Vide Sac ; Mary J., married to Henry Hadley, lives
in Montreal ; Sarah A. is at home ; and
Grace, married to William Shepherd, lives in East Settlement.
2 74 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JAMES ARMSTRONG came to Canada in 1824 from County Monaghan, Ireland,
and settled in North Settlement, on the farm now owned by William Walker;
he afterward bought the farm now owned by his son Robert, where he died
;th May, * 8 73, aged seventy-five years. JAMES, the third son, born in
1837, was married 5th September, 1856, to Jane Canton, of Lakefield;
he then settled on the farm now owned by John Graham, Thomas Gore,
and remained there five years, when he sold it, and in 1872 bought his
present one from the late William Todd. He has three
daughters and two sons ; Julia A. is married to John McOuat, and lives
in Lachute ; Mary E., the second daughter, after being a very successful
teacher for four years, is now in the Post Office at Lachute ; Alice J.,
John E., and Albert J. are at home.
WILLIAM BLACK, born 1830, was a son of Handyside Black, who came from
Scot land ; William, who was the third son, bought the farm now occupied
by his widow and children the old Barber place, on which was built the
large stone house men
tioned above. Mr. Black was married in 1872 to Elizabeth, daughter
of William )ickson, of this place ; he died 22nd March, 1891,
aged sixty-one. Mrs. Black sur vives him, and has four children one
daughter and three sons, named respectively Aggi.e, John, William and
David. Mrs. Black, with her children s assistance, has continued to
manage the farm since her husband s death. The eldest son, John, bids
fair to be one of the successful farmers of Argenteuil, having already
begun to purchase thoroughbred stock.
WILLIAM TODD was born in Roxburyshire, Scotland, in 1808, and came to
Canada in 1830, with his wife, Elizabeth Wilson, and two children;
he settled in Beauharnois, where he remained five years, then came
to Lachute, .and bought the farm now occupied by the family of James
Pollock. He remained in Lachute six years, _and afterwards about 1841
came to this place, and bought the farm now occupied by James Armstrong,
and lived here a number of years. Mrs. Todd died in 1860. They had four
sons and one daughter ; the latter is deceased. William,
the eldest son, is in Wisconsin ; Thomas lives in Lachute ; Andrew,
on the Lachute Road ; and Henry in this place. Mr. Todd was married a
second time, in 1865, to
Mary, daughter of Andrew McLean, of Montreal. After selling his farm
to Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Todd bought the cottage of James Gordon, at
the four-corners, and died there i8th April, 1894, aged eighty-six
years. Mrs. Todd still lives here.
JOSEPH ROGER, whose father also bore the name of Joseph, was born in Scot
land in 1795. He came to Canada in 1833, and the same year bought the farm
in this place now occupied by his children; he purchased this of Isaac
Hyatt, one of the first settlers in this section. In 1836, Mr. Roger was
married to Miss Jean McOuat; they had seven children, of whom three sons
and three daughters Joseph, Janette, Margaret, William, Elizabeth and
John are now living. Mr. Roger died 1870, ageu seventy-five ; Mrs. Roger
in 1888, aged seventy-seven. Margaret, the second daughter, went to
India in 1873 as a missionary for the Presbyterian Church of Canada,
spending eighteen years there, with the exception of one furlough. Miss
Roger has the honor of being the first missionary sent by the
Presbyterians to India from Canada. Mr. Roger s children are all living
on the homestead.
DAVID ROGER came from Glasgow, Scotland, about 1833 ; he bought the farm
now occupied by his son John from L. Barber. Mr. Roger was married to
Miss Jane McOuat in Scotland, and had two children when they came to
Canada. Six- more were born to them after coming here; four sons and
two daughters are now living. Mr. Roger died 241!) May, 1892, aged
ninety-six years, and Mrs. Roger died 1872, aged seventy-six. Joseph,
the eldest son, lives in Lachute. Janet, the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 275
widow of James McClure, and mother of the celebrated missionary,
Dr. McClure, of Honan, China^ lives in Upper Lachute. Margaret, married
to Andrew Todd, and David, live on the Lachute Road. William, and John,
the youngest son, reside in this place. The latter, who was born in 1841,
has always remained on the homestead ; he was married in 1891 to Jemima,
daughter of the late Thomas Bilsland; they have one son.
JAMES WOOD, a blacksmith by trade, came, with his wife, from Scotland
to Canada about 1830 ; he first worked at his trade on the old Carillon
and Grenville Canal, and from this work went to St. Placide, from which
place he was obliged to remove to St! Andrews on the breaking out of
the Rebellion of 1837. This journey, made on the ice, proved a dangerous
one, as the river had but just frozen ; Mr. Wood was obliged to go on
foot before his horse, testing the ice. He left his wife and children
in St. Andrews and returned with the troops to St. Placide. Some time
later, he came, with his family, to this section, and bought the farm
now owned by his son Robert. Mr. Wood died in 1881, aged seventy-seven,
and Mrs. Wood in December, 1890, aged eighty-three. They had eleven
children, of whom seven sons and two daughters reached maturity.
ROBERT, the fifth son, born 1845, remained at home until twenty-one years
of age, when he went to Nevada, remaining five years altogether in that
State, but making a long visit at home during the time. After his final
return to Canada, he went into partnership with Robert Summerby, and
erected a steam saw mill on the North River at St. Canute. He managed
this for two years, then sold out and bought his present farm from his
father. In 1872, Mr. Wood was married to Miss McGregor, daughter of John
McGregor, of Lachute Road. They have four sons and one daughter living.
Mr. Wood has made many improvements on his farm, and it is now one of
the best equipped in East Settlement.
WILLIAM ROGER, second son of David Roger, was born in this Settlement
in 1833, and has always remained here ; he was married in 1866 to Miss
Ann Robertson, of Montreal, whose father came from Aberdeen, Scotland,
with his wife and children. Her mother died during the voyage, and
Mr. Robertson died a year after reaching
Montreal.
Mr. Roger bought his present farm, which had previously been owned by
James Draper, from his sister, Mrs. McClure, in 1860, and has since made
many improve
ments on it, besides building his present brick residence. All the
surroundings of the place betoken intelligence and industry. Mr. Roger
has taken an active part in the Agricultural Society, having been Director
for several years ; he has also been Coun cillor of the Parish. Mrs. Roger
died in 1890, leaving a family of nine children ; one son has since died
five daughters and three sons are now living.
JAMES WILSON came from Roxburyshire, Scotland, to Canada, in 1830,
and settled here, being one of the first to arrive in this section.
WILLIAM, his second son, was born in 1842, on the farm where he now
lives; he has always remained at home, with the exception of one year,
which was spent in lumbering in Wisconsin. He was married 6th January,
1891, to Jessie B., daughter of Simon McKimmie, of Lachute. They have
two daughters. In 1892, Mr. Wilson obtained the farm, his father dying
in that year.
WILLIAM TODD, eldest son of Thomas Todd, was born in February, 1858,
in East Settlement ; he has been twice married, first to Margery M.,
daughter of Thomas
Young, of River Rouge, by whom he had three sons and one
daughter. Mrs. Todd died in March, 1889. In l88l > the father of
Mr. Todd, wishing to retire from active business, gave up to his son the
management of his farm, which he purchased about half a century ago from
Milo Barber ; he then went to live in Lachute.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
^ Mr. Todd was married the second time, in June, 1891, to Ida Catherine,
daughter of Charles McGregor, of River Rouge ; he has two sons by this
marriage.
FELIX BIGRAS came to this place in the early years of its history, and
settled on the farm, then entirely covered with bush, which is now owned
by his son Peter.
The latter was born in 1855, and has always remained on the homestead ;
he was married in 1876 to Miss P. Touchette, of Cote St. Louis. They
have two sons living. Mr. Bigras has made many improvements on his
farm, and, in 1895, was appointed Director of the Agricultural Society
of Argenteuil. He, as was his father, is a mem ber of the Belle Riviere
Presbyterian Church.
The following sketch has been kindly given us by a young friend of
Mrs. Gordon,
it having been written at Mrs. Gordon s dictation :
MR. and MRS. GORDON came out from Scotland about 1835, and settled in
the bush in Genoa. They had to erect a cabin at once, which was square
in shape and
covered with "scoops." Their only stove was tin. They had to clear their
land by first cutting down the trees, and then rooting up the stumps by
means of a pry about ten feet long. This, of course, was very hard work,
and, on one occasion, when Mrs. Gordon was helping, she pulled so hard
on the pry, that shecould see " stars," and her sight was so injured
that, from that time, she has had to use spectacles. The first year,
they cleared only two acres, burning the stumps when they were pulled,
then plowing the land and sowing their seed. As their fields became
larger, they pome- times worked in harvesting till eleven o clock at
night, binding their grain and putting it into "stocks" before the rain
came. During the first years of their settlement they had but one child
a little girl whom they carried to the field and home again, when they
were drawing hay or grain, and put her on the mow till the wagon was
unloaded. When they had drawn in all their grain, they threshed it with
a flail, and, after being ground, it was carried on Mr. Gordon s back
to the mill at Lachute.
When returning home, it was sometimes so dark that he was obliged to hang
the bag of flour or meal on a tree and return for it in the morning. The
only place they had to keep their potatoes was a hole in the ground,
well covered over. Their only means of travelling was with a horse and
a little, low, flat-bottomed traineau, with a bundle of pea-straw for
a seat, and -no robes. They had to drive to Montreal with a h jrse and
cart to sell their produce, and often the roads were so bad that the mud
and water came up to the axle. Their load consisted chiefly of pork and
butter; the genera! price of pork was $4.50 per hundred, and of butter
i2^c. per pound. Whatever money they received had all to go in payments
on their farm.
They lived here at the time of the Rebellion, and were often afraid that
the rebels would come and kill them. Once, while trying to take home some
of his sheep, the rebels took Mr. Gordon prisoner, and his sheep were
killed. The next day, however, he obtained a stick, broke the windows of
his prison, and escaped. Another time! a wolf came along in the night,
and began fighting with the dog, and they thought it was some of the
rebels trying to set fire to the buildings, and were nearly frightened
to death.
Wolves were very numerous, and used to come in crowds every night, so that
they had to shut up their sheep. One little pet lamb did not want to be
shut up, so it ran away in the bush and across a ditch. It was never seen
alive again; but they found a piece of its leg, where a wolf had killed
and eaten it. For three or four years after they came here, the wolves
used to disturb them very much at night by their howling. Mrs. Gordon
tells of an encounter she once had with a wolf.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
She was away from home, and had about twenty miles to walk, so she started
early in the morning, on a bush road, not very well marked out. After
losing her way three times, she at length reached a house where her sister
promised to meet her, and they wa .ked along together until they reached
the North River flowing through Lachute. There was no bridge, but they
got across in a scow with some school girls, and in a short time reached
the home of her friends. They wanted her to remain all night, but she
was anxious to get home, so she went out again, till she came to a bush
where she lost her way, and presently saw a wolf among a lot of sheep. She
was about to strike him with the sickle carried in her hand, but gave a
loud scream instead, which so frightened him that he ran off. She then
went on, reaching home about 12 o clock at night.
In the winter evenings, Mrs. Gordon often sat up while the others were
sleepino-. sewing and knitting for the children ; she often spun one
hundred pounds of wool m a year. By hard work and industry they cleared
up a good farm, put up comfortable buildings, and took care of a large
family, who are all doing well. When their child ren were all settled in
homes of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon sold their homestead, and built a
pretty little cottage at the four corners, which is surrounded by trees.
They have a small piece of ground which they cultivate themselves, and
live very happily together in their old age, and delight in talking of
the hardships through which they have passed.
BETHANY.
This place, so called, it is claimed, because it is "nigh unto Jerusalem,"
bounds Beech Ridge on the east. The ubiquitous John Smith found his way
here, and pitched his tent,, in or about the year 1819, on the lot now
owned by J. W. Webster, of St. Andrews. A few years later, he purchased
the lot now owned and occupied by his grandson, William Hume. Finding
clay on this, of the right kind for manufacturing brick, he purchased
the necessary machinery and began the work. Many of the dwellings in
this section weie made from the brick purchased at this yard, and Mr.
Hume, who is still engaged in the enterprise, turns out annually from one
hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand of superior quality. Mr. Smith,
evidently, was an industrious man, and learned, in the most difficult way,
the varied hardships incident to the life of a pioneer. He cleared up
the greater part of two lots, and in the early years of his life here,
carried his grain on his back to Lachute three miles distant.
Among the first settlers here were the PAULS, who came from Morayshire,
Scot land. The family consisted of the father, mother, one daughter
and four sons, named respectively, Jane, James, Alexander, John and
David. They first settled in Chatham and, a few years later, came to this
place. James, who married fanet Ker, afterwards returned to Chatham, and
died there, leaving children. Alexand-r, another of the four brothers,
married Margaret Lowe ; and John, Maria Chapman. The latter sur vived
her husband, and now lives on Bethany Road with her family. David,
the only remaining member of the Paul family, married Elizabeth Doig,
and also resides on Bethany Road.
DUNCAN, second son of Alexander Paul, was born Qth April, 1856, on the
farm now owned by Mrs. Jame; Kettyle. He was married 28th June, 1882,
to Isabella, daughter of the late Henry Griffith, of Vide Sac. In 1887,
Mr. Paul went to Water- town, N.Y., where he remained three years. After
returning, he worked on the old homestead until 1893, when he sold it,
and bought his present farm of eighty- live acres, on which he has
erected new buildings and made many improvements.
278 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JAMES R. EARLE, third son of James Earle, was born i4th September,
1819, on the farm where he now lives. In 1883, he was married to Mary,
daughter of the late Alexander Paul. They have had two litte girls,
who are both deceased; the elder
dying at the age of one year and nine months, and the younger at the age
of five years. Mr. Earle is living on the old homestead. He has been a
Councillor of the parish during the last eight years.
THOMAS MORRISON was born in Scotland in 1798, and came to Canada in 1822.
He was married here to Jemima Brown. They had seven children, of whom
four sons are now living. After first remaining some time in Lachute,
Mr. Morrison went to the Hill Settlement, where his youngest son, Robert,
was born in 1841. In 1870, the latter bought his present farm the old
Sleyberg place in Bethany. He was married the same year to Mary Ann,
daughter of the late Wm. Barron, of Upper Lachute. They have had- five
children. Two sons and two daughters are now living. The eldest son,
Thomas B., is married to Janet, daughter of John Doig, of Hill Farm,
Upper Lachute. The other children are at home. Mr. Morrison has made many
improvements on his farm. He has been Director of the Agricultural Society
of this County for several years, and also valuator of this parish. The
people o f Bethany and vicinity built a cheese factory, in 1895, on
Mr. Morrison s farm. It is managed by J. R. Ro^s & Sons, of Hawkesbury.
JAMES K. ERASER, youngest son of William Eraser, was born August 3,
1861, and has always remained here. In 1891, he was married to Kathleen,
daughter of Wm. Henderson, of Arundel, and the same year took his father
s farm, known as " Highland Farm," Bethany Road, on which he hats made
many improvements. Mr. Eraser has served as School Trustee for several
terms. He has kindly provided for the comfort and instruction of several
orphans, and four have, at different times, found a good home in his
own family. Mr. and Mrs. Eraser have one son and one daughter.
VIDE SAC.
ALEXANDER SMITH, from Ayrshire, came to Canada a short time previous to
the War of 1812, and during that war lived at Lachine, and was employed
in the winter, conveying artillery between Montreal and Kingston. Soon
afterwards, he came to Lachute, and & proces-verbal of the road between
that town and Beech Ridge shows that he was here in 1816, and owned the
lot on which the railroad station and the most populous part of Lachute
is now located. Subsequently, he changed this lot
with Colonel Barron for one near Hill Head, on which he lived till his
death. He had three sons John, William and Alexander and four daughters,
that grew up. Alexander left the country, and no tidings of him have
ever been received. John, the second son, remained on the homestead,
married, and had a large family.
William, the second son, in 1848, settled on a wild lot in Vide Sac a
name signifying Empty Sack, which was given to the place by the Frenchmen
of St. Hermas, who came here to clear their land, each bringing his
provisions in a small bag or sack, which was pretty sure to be empty
at night. Mr. Smith spent his days here and cleared up a fine farm. He
married Janet Henderson about 1845, ar "d died in 1882, aged 68. They
had five children ; two died in infancy, three sons grew up, but only one
is now living. Alexander, the eldest of the three sons, died, unmarried,
in California, in January, 1874.
William Smith, M.D., another son, of whom a sketch is given in the
histcry of Lachute, died in that place in September, 1895.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2; 9
Mrs. Smith \vasparticularlydesirous of having their children well
educated, con
sequently, both she and her husband woiked hard to provide the funds
requisite for this purpose, Walter, the youngest son, after leaving
the Montreal Business College, remained on the homestead, with the
exception of two or three years, when he was engaged in teaching in
Alpena, Michigan. He was married, in i88r, to Janet, daughter of John
Nicol, of Lachute. He is one of the influential and respected farmers
in Argenteuil, and takes an interest in whatever affects ner moral,
social or political welfare. He is devoted to farming, and, in 1889. was
awarded a prize on his farm by the County Agricultural Society. He has
been a member of the Parish
Council for several years, twice has made out the Valuation Roll for the
parish, and is President of the County Association and Vice-President of
the Provincial Associa tion of the Patrons of Industry. In Church and
Sabbath School work, he is equally interested and active, being Elder
in the Second Presbyterian Church at Lachute, and Superintendent of the
Sabbath School.
ARCHIBALD BOA, youngest son of Andrew Boa, was born April, 1838, on
the farm now owned by Paul Smith, Upper Lachute; he learned the trade
of carpenter,
and worked. at this in Lachute and other places in the vicinity for
several years. In 1838, he was married to Jessie M. W., daughter of Thomas
Buchanan. In 1867, he bought the farm now occupied by his son Andrew.
Mr. Boa died in 1893, aged 55. Mrs. Boa and the five sons and five
daughters are all living.
Amelia D., the eldest daughter, married to Frank Bickerstaff, and Flora
H., the
second, live in Illinois. Lydia H., the third daughter, married to
William A. Gordon, lives in East Settlement; and Alice W. and Jessie,
the two younger, remain at home.
ANDREW BOA, the eldest son, after spending r.ome time in Manitoba and
in different parts of the United States, returned home and took the farm
in 1893. He is an enterprising farmer, and for several years has taken
the first prize at the County plowing matches. Thomas B., the second son,
is married and lives in Montreal ; Robert, the third son, resides in
Atlantic Highland, New Jersey ; and John S., the fourth son. and Paul,
the youngest, are in Illinois.
HILL HEAD.
This locality, which is located about four miles from Lachute, on the
opposite side of the North River, has fine farms and has always sustained
a thrifty and intelli gent population. As shown on a preceding page,
Philander Stephens and his brothers were very early settlers here, and
he is the only one of the early American pioneers now remaining. A Post
office was established here in 1880. Thomas Pollock, who was the first
Postmaster appointed, died in 1892, and Mr. Drew suc
ceeded him as Postmaster. We regret that disappointment in not receiving
the data necessary prevents our giving a biographical sketch of
Mr. Pollock.
A cheese factory was erected here, in 1888, by Frederick Cook, and though
the section is almost wholly an agricultural one, there is a grist and
saw mill here in a romantic little glen. These mills, which were formerly
known as the McOuat Mills, are now owned by Thomas Hammond.
About 1820, WILLIAM DREW, from Sterlingshire, Scotland, came to Montreal,
and two years later he came to this section, where he married Janet,
daughter of James McOuat. He bought 100 acres of Lot 19, 2nd Range, and
afterward pro cured 135 acres more, adjacent to his first purchase. He
was on military duty during the Rebellion of 1837, an( ^ faithfully
performed all his duties as a worthy
280
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
citizen till his death, 131)1 October, 1869. He had seven children two
sons and
five daughters that arrived at maturity, but two of the daughters are now
deceased. James, the elder son, has always remained on th : homestead a
beautiful and productive farm of 235 acres, with commodious, substantial
buildings. Mr. Drew was married lyth April, 1862, to Elizabeth, daughter
of William Muir, of Lachute. They have but one child, a daughter,
Elizabeth, living. She has a Model School Diploma, and has taught
successfully several years. Another .laughter of Mr. and Mrs. Drew,
Maggie, died in 1895 a g rea t bereavement to the family and a large
circle of friends. Mr. Drew joined the Troop of the late Col. Simpson,
and remained in it till it was disbanded/
James Drew, the other son of William Drew, the pioneer, married in
April, rS63,
Eliza Pollock. He has a fine farm on Beech Ridge.
Among other valuable farms at Hill Head are those of George Morrison
and Mr. McOuat.
Adjacent to Hill Head is " THOMAS GORE," a section comprising two ranges
of lots, which is also inhabited by an industrious class of farmers. Among
these are James Berry, Thomas Hume, Henry Padgett, John Smith and others.
Tne most, if not all, of these live on the homesteads selected by fheir
fathers, and have brothers and sisters residing here, and in other parts
of the Dominion.
Chatham.
(Erected into a township by Proclamation, 131!! July, 1799.)
This township is bounded on the north by Wentworth, east by the parishes
of St.
Andrews and St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil, south by the Ottawa and west
by Grenville.
At just what time the first settler located in Chatham, or who he was,
are ques
tions we are unable to answer, but from information obtained from
different sources we are led to the conclusion that the advent of the
first pioneer* must have been about the beginning of the present century.
We cannot find a more appropriate introduction to the history of this
township than the following letter of our esteemed friend, Mr. Dewar
of Ottawa.
*TABLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD IN THE TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
PART .
LOT.
RANGE
ACRES.
j
c
2OO
do
2
_>
c
2OO
do
-1
c
2OO
A.
c
2OO
5
J
2OO
do
6
e
2OO
7
c
2OO
8
j c
2OO
do
q
c
2OO
do
IO
J
c
2OO
do
II
e
2OO
do
12
E
2OO
do
IT.
j c.
2OO
do
14
c
2OO
do
IS
J
s
2OO
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
28l
TABLE OF Lois PATENTED AND SOLD IN THE TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
PART.
LOT.
RANG
ACRES.
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland .
if,
do
5
2OO
do
1 7 iX
5
2OO
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson
In
5
2OO
do
y
20
5
2OO
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland.
21
2OO
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. .
22
5
2OO
do
27
5
do . .
J 2A
2OO
John 1 hompson
Wi
^4
5
2OO
John Thompson, jun
2 El
2 5
5
IOO
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson.
j
2 5
2ft
5
IOO
do
5
2OO
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland
* * *
*7
28
5
2OO
Wm. Fortune
5
2OO
1 homas Barron
I
6
2OO
William J ortune
2OO
do
J
2OO
do
"
4
6
2OO
T. A. Stayner...
ft
6
2OO
\V illiam Fortune
2OO
do
*
2OO
Maria and Louisa Sutherland
f.
2OO
Thomas A. Stayner
* *
o
2OO
do
* *
10
2OO
do
2OO
do
2OO
Maria and Louisa Sutherland. .
j
2OO
do
* i
f r
f.
2OO
X 5
T
2OO
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. ,
2OO
do
....
1 7 T o
f.
2OO
do
*
TO
f.
2OO
Thomas A. Stayner
x y
f.
2OO
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson.
? T
f.
2OO
do
22
f.
T. A. Stayner
f.
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson.
^j
2/t
fj
2OO
do
i,q.
? c
f.
John Robertson
Z 5 *>f>
fa
James Heatly
f.
2OO
John Robertson
27
oO
f.
2OO
John Meikle
2OO
James Walker .
i
7
2OO
do
7
2OO
do ... .
o
7
2OO
Thomas Barron
4
7
2OQ
James Walker . .
6
7
2OO
do
7
2OO
Henry McDowel
7
7
2OO
James Walker
2OO
Maria and Louisa Sutherland
9
let
7
200
do
T T
2OO
Matthew Johnston
W i
2OO
James Baxter
w ., E A
I?
7
7
IOO T rtf\
282
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
TABLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD IN THE
TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
PART.
LOT. I
IANGE j
VCRES.
3
14
5 16 16
17 18
9 19
20 21
22
23 24
25 26
26
27 28 I
2
j
3
4
5
i
6
J
8 9
10
ii
12
13 13 14 14 15
15
16
17 18
19
20 21
22
23 24
25 26
27 28 I
7 7 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 7
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9
2OO 2OO 2OO IOO IOO 200 2OO IOO IOO 2OO 2CO
?oo
2OO 2OO 2OO IOO IOO 2OO 200 2OO 2OO IOO IOO 2OO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO
2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 200 200
2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 200 2OO
E V W |
* 1
w i
E J"
do -
do
do
do ,
F
Cl .,
W J
do
do .....
W \ E \
E }
w ^
E if Wi K*
w i
E i W . , E I W J
E J W ^
do
do
do
do
do
do
do
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
283
TABLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD IN THE TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
PART.
LOT. RANGE
John Robertson .... 2 9
do 3 9
William and John Roger and Andrew Todcl 4 9
Alexander McGibbon W 4 9
John Robertson .... 5 9
do .... 6 9
Malcolm Mclntyre .... 7 9
Donald McPhail 8 9
Peter Dewar, jr .... 9 9
Daniel Dale .... 10 9
Wm. Young .... . .... 1 1 9
do 12 9
Duncan Me Arthur .... 13 9
John Loggie 14 9
Peter McFarlane .... 15 9
John McArthur .... 1 6 9
Peter Grant .... 17 9
Thomas Duncan .... 18 9
Donald McMartin .... 19 9
Peter Gilmour .... 20 9
Francis Duffy EJ 21 9
Thomas Spencer \V . , 21 9
Geo. Blair . . . f 22 9
\Vm. Blair, jr .... 23 9
John Morrow W A 24 9
Henry Dixon E .] 24 9
do ". 25 9
Frank Connor E . , 26 9
Mathew Connor W . , 26 9
Henry Connor ...." 27 9
James Kennedy .... 28 9
Allen Cameron .... i 10
Duncan McCalluin .... 2 10
Robert Me Naughton .... 3 10
Richard Farren N 4 i o
Hugh Smith S . , 4 10
Peter Jesmin .... 5 10
D. Sinclair .... j o
James Pinkei ton .... 7 10
Walter Kirconnell .... 10
Hugh McCallum .... 9 IQ
Arch. McArthur .... 10 IQ
Alex. McGibbon .... 1 1 10
John McFarlane .... 12 i O
Joseph Sale E i} 10
Duncan McPhail W". 1 , 13 10
do ." J4 I0
Malcolm McGregor .... 15 10
John McGibbon .... 16 i o
Donald McKercher .... 17
Duncan McMartin .... 18
do 19
George Moncrieff W \ 20
Peter McArthur K . , 20
Thomas Duncan .... 21 io
ACRES.
20O 20O
too
IOO
200
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
200
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
200
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
IOO
IOO
2OO
20O
IOO
IOO
2OO
IOO
IOO
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
200
IOO
IOO
2OO
2OO
2OO
2OO
200
2OO
2OO
200
IOO
IOO
2OO
200
200
2OO
200
200
IOO
IOO
200
284
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
TABLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD ix THE TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
PART.
LOT. RANGE
CRES.
22
23 24
25 26
27
28
i
2
3 4
6
7 7 8
9
10
ii ii 1 1
12 12 12
13
r 3
H H 15 15
16
17 17 18
19 19
20 20 21 21
22 22
23 2 3 24 24
25
26
26 27 27 28 28 I 2
3
10 IO 10 10 IO IO 10
II II 1 1 II II II II II II 1 1 II II II II II II II II 1 1 1 1 II II
II II II II 1 1 II II II II II II II 1 1 1 1
II
II II II II II II II II II
12 12
12
2OO 200 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 2OO 200 2OO 2OO 200 100 IOO 2OO 200 200
65 IOO
35
IOO
5 5
IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO 200 IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO
IOO IOO IOO IOO 2OO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO IOO 2OO 2OO IOO
Legal Rep. 01 J onn curKe
w j
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....
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W J E* NJ
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W J
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W J W E* EJ
W I W |
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W J
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E W t W J EJ
John McDougall
E
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
285
" The front of Chatham was largely settled by Americans, in the latter
part of the last century; some of them being refugees, who had left
their country for their country s good, and who were remarkable for
nothing but their hatred of British
institutions and love of Brother Jonathan. This was well exemplified
a few years later on the breaking out of the war of 1812, when all the
loyal inhabitants of the County volunteered as one man, leaving their
families and homes, and, amid much suffering and privation, marched
to headquarters, which was then at Pointe Claire, where they prepared
themselves, as best they could, to repel Ite piratical invaders of the
Prov ince. _ Many of the above mentioned men refused to join the ranks
with the others openly declaring that they were not going to fight
against their own friends Of
course, no action was taken against them, but they were marked for all
time and as their principal employment and means of subsistence was the
clearing of land and
\vgpotash, as the timber began to get scarce, they found it convenient
to leave
for other parts ; and, for years, their names have been almost forgotten
and I
mention only a few, viz., the Bennetts, Bates, Parchers, and Smiths. Their
cant places were soon filled up by a better class of men, many of whose
descend- ; Still occupy the old homesteads, and are a credit and an
honor to any country
among these may be reckoned the Schagels, Fullers, Noyeses, Bradfords,
Ostroms Lasses and many others.
The early settlers were often put to great straits for breadstuff s ;
whenever the
crops failed from any cause, there were no means of supply, except by
the natural
highway ^ Grand River, and nothing but canoes for transport to and from
I he trip was often very much protracted, especially by the boats eettin*
windbound.
Any scarcity in the matter of cereals was made up by the plenteousness
offish and game. In each year about the first of June, the shad (or,
as they came to be :d, Carillon Beef ) made their appearance, when each
family, in a short time lay m their yearly supply. For many years, the
North River furnished fine >ecimens of salmon, when they regularly
ascended that river to spawn that of
ourse, was before the river was obstructed by dams.
The system of agriculture was, for many years, of a verv primitive
character.
While the country was being cleared, all their dependence was on the
new /,/ crop.
5i -a time, when the land required breaking up, the hog plough was intro-
:ed I ; but that implement did little more than cut and cover, and it
was not until
jcotch plough was introduced, about the year 1825, that anything
approachin-
ood farming was done. And from that time, the improvement was very
rapid, so
m a few years there were as good ploughmen in the County of Argenteuil
as in
any part of Canada.
Among the early settlers the state of religion was, for many years,
at a very low
>b. A Methodist minister, travelling from place to place, would hold
services occa-
i lly in private houses ^no other place of worship being then available),
and at
times camp meetings were held in the open air, at which all ministers
within
ionable distance were expected to attend. After a time, a large
building was
ted, which was intended to be used as a place of worship and also as
a school-
l he Methodist denomination had the honor of erecting in the township of
natham the first building dedicated solely to the worship of God ;
this was in 1830,
Wit obviated the necessity of holding camp meetings, the last of which,
I think, was
held m the year 1829.
An Episcopal minister, the Rev. Rich. Bradford (grandfather of the late
Sir B J. U Abbott), resided m Chatham on a farm now occupied by Donald M.
ewar, and supplied occasional services in St. Andrews; this was prior to
the arrival 818, of the Rev. Archibald Henderson. As you will, no doubt,
have the assist-
2 86 HISTORY OF AKGENTEUIL.
ance of abler pens than mine, I will not enlarge on this, or the two
following subjects, leaving to them the task of completing what I
have begun,
" There is very little that can be chronicled in reference to Sunday
Schools. A
few pious, earnest men had endeavored to establish one in the front
of Chatham,
but owing to the poveity of the settlers and otKer difficulties in the
way, it was kept open only a few months in summer, each year. It was
different in villages, where they had greater facilities, but, still,
there were many drawbacks.
"The temperance question, as we understand it, was scarcely known by name
until after the year 1820, when a society was formed allowing the use of
wine, beer and cider. After a time, more stringent rules were adopted,
but for many years there was a determined opposition ; those known to-
be favorable to the cause were subjected to all sorts of ridicule,
reproach and contempt ; but the cause gradually increased, many good,
earnest, zealous workers kept up the agitation, holding meet ings,
and disseminating temperance literature, until a very different feeling
was brought about, and many strong opponents silenced. We have not yet
got prohi bition, but we expect it; may the Lord hasten it, in His own
good time.
" I do not know whether it was owing to hostility of race, which always
had been prevalent among the French, and which was the principal element
of discord in the whole of Lower Canada, or from some other cause, but
in the early settlement of the County, there was something remarkable in
the fact that, up to the year 1829, there was not one French Canadian
farmer in the whole of the township of Chatham. In that year, PIERRE
ROBERT took up land in the second Concession, and about the same time,
or perhaps a few years prior, one by the name of MALLETTE settled on a
farm in the River Rouge settlement, and in my early days was noted as the
only farmer that held the original deed of concession. It was somewhat
different in what is now known as the County of Two Mountains, as many
old country farmers settled down among the French ; but it was not until
after the Rebellion of 1837 that the French settled among the English.
" The causes which led up to the troubles of 1837 are > of c o urse
, matters of his tory ; but whatever feeling the Liberal party had in
common with them, was essentially different, because of their loyalty
to the British Constitution.
" The Carillon canal was opened for traffic in 1834, when small vessels
could go through to Kingston ; prior to that date all goods and supplies
were brought from Lachine at first by bateaux and Durham boats, and
afterward by steamer landed at Carillon, and carted by teams of horses
and oxen to Grenville, and thence shipped to By town.
" I will close this rambling sketch by relating an incident which will
show the
past and present modes of transit, and also record an item of history.
" It was on his visit to the Maritime Provinces in the summer of 1840,
that the
Governor General of Canada, Charles Poulett Thompson, Esq., afterward
Lord Syden- ham, left Kingston via the Rideau Canal to Bytown, thence
by steamer to Grenville ; and as the roads over the intervening link
between Grenville and Carillon were too rough for a delicate man like
Lord Syddnham, he was taken in a carriage along the banks of the c..nal
to Greece s Point, where he embarked on the steamer St. Andrews (\v,.. .1
was used as a tug for barges between that place and the upper
locks), commanded by Captain Lighthall, of Chute au Blondeau fame, and
was taken through Carillon Canal, at the rate of about three miles an
hour. Think of this, ye votaries of rapid transit, who cannot travel
without a parlor, Pullman and dining car attached, and bounding along
at the rate of fifty miles an hour,
while the Governor General of Canada was carried along on the deck of
a tug steamboat, at the rate of about three miles an hour. Truly the
lines have fallen to us in pleasant places. " Yours truly,
"COLIN DEWAR."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 287
As the DEWARS were as early settlers in this part of Chatham as any of
whom we have heard, we insert with pleasure the following letter :
" OTTAWA, December 27th, 1893.
il As you request me to give a sketch of my ancestors, who were early
settlers in the front of Chatham, I will endeavor to do so, but will
first give the origin of the name Dewar, which simply means, in plain
English, custodian or keeper.
" The name is sometimes spelt Deor (which is presumably the Gaelic form)
as well as Deweer, and is invested with quite a romantic and historic
interest on account of its origin, which was, that one family of the Clan
Macnab was selected or appointed to be the custodians of the Quigrich
or pastoral staff of St. Fillan, the Abbott, who lived about the year
of Our Lord 720, and held his yearly festival on tiie 7th January.
" His principal Church or Priory in Scotland, and which was most closely
con nected with his memory, was in the upper part of Glendochart, in
Perthshire, and which takes from him the name otStrathfillan. There are
well authenticated records which establish the fact, that the Quigrich
has been in possession of the Dewar
family since the time of King Robert Bruce, and in 1487 the charter was
again con firmed by King James III to Malise Dewar and his successors. The
precious relic of a bye-gone age has thus come down through successive
generations, until about the year 1860, the Society of Antiquaries
of Scotland, having traced it to Canada, found it in posjession of
Alexander Dewar, of Plympton, Ont, who, being then in his 87th year,
was induced by them to execute a deed, transferring the custody of the
relic he had brought from his native land to that Society, thus disposing
of the trust so long and faithfully discharged by this Highland family,
and of which I am proud to bear the name.
" Hrving said this much in reference to the name, I will now give a short
sketch of the family. In the month of July, 1804, my grandfather, Peter
Dewar, his wife and family, consisting of six sons and three daughters,
also his brother Duncan, his wife and O ie child, together with some two
or three hundred other emigrants, embarked at Greenock on a vessel bound
for the port of Quebec. A few days after leaving port, the vessel was
captured by a French Privateer, who, after examining the ship s papers,
and finding there was no valuable cargo on board, and being satisfied that
it was only an emigrant vessel, allowed them to proceed on their voyage
; the captain first treating the Privateer s men to a liberal supply of
Highland whiskey. The passengers experienced the truth of the proverb that
blood is thicker than water, as the lieu tenant in charge of the boarding
party was a Highlander of the name of McDonald, who generously took pity
on his countrymen and let them go. A short time after the departure of
the French vessel, another was sighted bearing down upon them, and
when the captain saw the Union Jack flying at the peak, he cursed his
unlucky stars, as a British man-of-war was more to be dreaded than a
French, on account of that abominable system, the Press Gang, which
was then in full swing. However, as soon as they came within speaking
distance, they demanded of the captain whether he had seen a strange
vessel, and in what latitude. Having received the desired in formation,
they crowded all sail and were soon out of sight. On the arrival of the
emigrants at Quebec, in the early part of the month of September, they
learned that the Privateer had been captured, and great sorrow was felt
for the fate of Lieutenant McDonald. On leaving the vessel at Quebec,
the passengers separated, going to different parts of the country. The
two families of Dewar, with six or seven other families of the name of
Cameron, were in due time landed at St. Andrews, whence the Camerons
went to the township of Chatham and settled on farms there.
288 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
" My grandfather lived for a time on the farm that is now called Bellevue,
afterwards removing to the front of Chatham, on a property purchased
from Colonel Daniel Robertson, and which is still in possession of his
grandchildren, while he and all his family have long since passed over
to the silent majority.
" The history of the Dewar family might very properly close here, were it
not that you particularly desire a further sketch of my father s family.
" On the first day of March, 1807, he was married to Margaret McCallum,
of Caldwell s Manor, and settled on what is known as Lot_Nq. 4, front
of Chatham, - which is now in possession of Mr. Fitzgerald. His family
of five daughters and four sons, and of which I am the youngest, were
born there. My mother died on the nth October, 1826, aged 45 years. My
father died on the 4th September, 1869, in the
94th year of his age. I am the only surviving member of his family
the last leaf on the family tree, all the others having long since
passed away.
" Of my grandfather s six sons, John, the eldest, was the educated man of
the family. He graduated from Edinburgh University, and was for some time
tutor in a gentleman s family in Scotland. A short time after he came
to Canada, he received from the Government the appointment of teacher
in the public school at Chatham,
and held that position for over twenty years, being the only teacher
receiving full salary ever appointed by the Government. He was a man
of superior abilities, well read in all the literature of the day, of
a reflective and cultured mind ; but, owing to a retiring disposition,
would take no part in the struggles of public affairs. In person he was
of slight build and delicate constitution, in singular contrast to the
rest of his brothers, who were all strong and rugged. He married Myra
Noyes, and settled on
lots Nos. i, 2 and 3, his house standing a little in rear of
Mr. Fitzgerald s house. He had a family of two sons and one daughter, and
after the death of his wife in August, 1827, he and his family resided
with his brothers until his death, July i6th, 1839. As he did not have
to depend upon the proceeds of his farm for a living, nearly
the whole of his large farm was let out in pasture. His eldest son, John,
left home when quite a young man, taking up his residence in New York,
where he married, and died in 1855. His son Peter married Ann Gordon in
1849, an ^ died in 1851; His daughter Eliza Jane married Wm. Douglas in
1846, and after a few years residence in Chatham removed to the State
of New York.
" Of the rest of my grandfather s sons, Donald and Peter never married,
living together on the old homestead with their sister Margaret as
housekeeper, until her death in 1857. Donald died in June, tS54, and
Peter in 1872.
" Alexander, married Agnes Dodd, and settled on a farm, and did a
flourishing busi ness with an oatmeal and grist mill for many years,
until it was rendered useless by the improvements made to the Grenville
Canal. He had a large family of sons and
daughters, who are, for the most part, living in the immediate vicinity
of their old home. He died in May, 1876, being over 90 years of age at
the time of his death.
"Colin, the youngest son, married Jane Mclntyre in April, 1840, and
settled on the farm, where his son Donald still resides. He died in
September, 1866, in the 66th year of his age.
"As already narrated, Duncan, my father, married Margaret McCallum, a
descendant of one of those families who left their homes in the valley
of the Mohawk, at the breaking out of the troubles which led to the
separation from Great Britain. After their marriage, they settled on Lot
No. 4 (next to my Uncle John), which was then, like most of the other
farms at that time, an almost unbroken wilderness. True, the potash
makers had been over a good part of the front of Chatham at that time,
but they had only cut down what suited their purpose for making ashes,
leaving the rest as it was.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 89
" Whether it was law, or custom only, that gave to the Indians the
right to all the Islands in the river, it was from an Indian Chief at
the Lake of Two Mountains that my father obtained, for a yearly rental,
the privilege of occupying and cultivating the large island in front of
his property, and which was afterward called after his name. The produce
from that island was sufficient for the support of his family, year after
year, as he raised good crops of fall wheat, potatoes, corn, hay, etc.,
besides apples, plums and other small fruit in abundance, which seemed
to be indigenous to the place. Having this island to depend on for the
support of his family, gave him quite an ad vantage over some of his
neighbors, and, also, an opportunity to get his farm cleared up. He was
what would be called in those days a stock fancier ; he was not satisfied
without having the best breed of cattle and horses that could be obtained,
and no expense or trouble was spared in order to get them. He brought
home, at one time, a small herd of cattle and horses which he bought in
the State of Vermont and Eastern Townships, and their descendants graced
both his own and his brother s barn yards for many years.
" When my parents began life together, there was only a small log
house and barn on the farm, and not sufficient accommodation for the
stock. Shortly after, a stable of sided cedar was built, and which, a
few years ago, seemed to be as sound as ever ; this is merely mentioned
to show the durability of cedar. In that old log house, nearly all their
family were born, as it was not until the year 1819 that he had finished
a snug, comfortable, two-storey stone house, where my youngest sister
Kate and myself first saw the light of day, and where my dear mother
breathed her last nth October, 1826.
The face of the country is very much changed since then. At that time, the
main road ran along the bank of the river from Carillon to our place. The
view from our house was splendid ; away to the west, the river and farm
houses were in full view ; down the river could be seen the rapids and
part of the village of Point Fortune ; nearly in front of the house was
a most magnificent elm tree, whose wide- spreading branches made a very
inviting shade on a hot day.
" My mother was a woman of a strong and indomitable will, with much
native energy and ambition, blended with great mildness and gentleness
of character ; cool and collected in the time of danger, as the following
little incident will show :
While engaged in her domestic duties, it was customary for the eldest
child to take charge of the younger ones ; and one day, as usual, she
had taken them out, and was amusing them for a time under the shade of
the elm tree, whence she got them into the canoe, that was always moored
at the landing place. In their fun and play, the boat was soon loosed
from shore, and floating out into dangerous water. My sister, seeing her
danger, made a great outcry,, which not only brought my mother to the
scene, but was also creating a panic among the younger ones. My mother
seeing the peril, at once, spoke to them in a soothing, gentle way, and,
by her cool and collected manner, quieted the little ones ; while she,
with the aid of a pole, and by wading into the deep water, managed to
bring them safely to shore. It was in the same place where my youngest
brother, Daniel, was drowned a few years afterward. My three brothers
were in bathing, and he, not knowing the danger, climbed on a
sunken rock, and slipped off into deep water, and was never after seen
alive. The body was recovered in a few days in an eddy, near Carillon.
When the Government expropriated the land required for the canal and
high way, and which included his dwelling house, my father sold the
remainder of his
farm to \Vm. Cook, a contractor on the canal, and removed in the spring
of 1830
to a rented farm, a short distance away, where he resided until 25th
June, 1835. He then removed to the property he had purchased on the
Lachute Road, which
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was then almost in a state of nature, so that, for the second time, he
began clearing up a new farm ; and although he was pretty well advanced
in life, he lived to see it brought to a high state of cultivation, with
large and commodious farm buildings, comfortable dwelling, etc. When
the farm was sold in 1862, he retired from active life, and spent the
remainder of his days on the old homestead in Chatham, where he died
4th September, 1869, in the 94th year of his age. Of his family of five
daughters, the eldest, Christian, born 6th October, 1809, married James
Frasei, 26th October, 18-54; died roth July, 1858. Mary, born i4th April,
1811, married James Thomson, 3oth December, 1834, and died 28th
September, 1872. Helena, born i4th November, 1813, married Robert
Thomson (no relation of Mary s husband), 2nd January, 1838, and died
26th November, 1887, leaving a family of two sons and two daughters,
who reside in Ottawa and vicinity. Margaret, born 2nd January, 1815,
died February, 1883; Catharine, born 3rd January, 1821,
died igth May, 1883.
" Of his four sons, John, born 26th April, 18 1 7, was accidentally
killed in my father s barn, by falling from the top of the hay mow,
and was impaled on a sharp stake ; he lived about twenty-four hours,
and died i4th August, 1841. He was a young man of great promise, of
agreeable and gentle disposition, quiet and unassuming manner; he had a
splendid voice and was fond of music; heavy, muscular build and splendid
physique, standing over six feet in height, and weighing 220 Ibs. His
sudden, untimely and dreadful death was a terrible shock to his father
and all his family ; and I cannot recall the sad circumstances, even now,
without a shudder. Peace to his ashes. Honour to his memory. Peter,
his twin brother, lived on the farm with his father until his death,
22nd November, 1847. Daniel, born 28th March, 1819, was drowned in July,
1827, as previously narrated.
" 1 was the youngest of the family, and was born i2th September, 1823,
at the old homestead in Chatham, where my uncle John laid the foundation
of what little education I possess, as I never had the advantage of a
classical or college education, but had to put up with what was taught
in the common schools (and some of them were com
mon enough), our text-books being the Bible and Mavor s
spelling-book. Those who were fond of poetry had the Scottish version
of the Psalms to revel in, and when the English Reader was added 10 the
list of school books, it was thought we were very extravagant. At that
time, the greatest part of the ink used in country schools was made by
boiling the bark of the soft maple ; we used goose or turkey quills to
write with. As my father had not the means to pay help in clearing up and
doing the work on the farm, each one of his sons had to turn in and help,
and, in consequence, I was taken from school before I was thirteen years
of age, and never returned.
" As I did not relish a farmer s life, I left home, and served in
a store three years ; but on the death of my brother John, in 1841,
thinking it was my duty to help my father, I went back to the farm, and
after a few years took entire charge of it, and relieved him from all
responsibility. He deeded one-half of the property for my own personal
benefit; on the land thus obtained I built a house, and on the i3th
Sept ember, 1854, was married to Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of
Charles Benedict of St. Andrews, who was born nth August, 1823. We went
home, and lived thereuntil the spring of 1863, when, having sold the
farm in the fall of 1862 to Charles Albright, we remained two years in
St. Andrews, and then removed, in 1865, to St. Eugene, in the township
of Hawkesbury. My wife died there nth October, 1866, leaving to my
care four sons, our third son, James, having died previous to his mother,
of scarlet fever, 24th January, 1865. During my residence at St. Eugene,
I received the appoint ment of Commissioner for taking affidavits in the
Queen s Bench, and was also appointed local superintendent of schools,
which office I held for two years until I left the place in 1868.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 29 1
" In the spring of 1869,, I came to Ottawa, and having obtained a
situation in the office of Captain Young, lumber manufacturer, sent for
my family in November of the same year, was married to Esther, the second
daughter of Charles Benedict of St. Andrews, who was born ist January,
1819, and died 22nd April, 1892.
" I remained in the employ of Captain Young for seventeen years,
the greater part of the time as cashier and confidential clerk, nnd
remained with his successors for over two years after he sold out ;
and am row and have been for five years in the Water Works department
in the City Hall. I never aspired to municipal honors, but represented
Victoria ward, as public school trustee, for a period of nine years.
In politics. I am a Liberal, but not slavishly bound to either party ;
would support an honest government, r.o matter by what name it was called,
if the men at the head of it were men of honor, who could not be bought
with the spoils, nor contaminated
with the lust of office, who have in them that righteousness which
alone exalteth a nation. In religion, I can worship with any who love
the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, but nm identified more closely with
the Presbyterian denomination, and have endea vored, although with much
feebleness and faltering, to do my duty in that state of life in which
it has pleased God to call me. My family of four sons are all married,
and living in Ottawa. John, the eldest, born ist November, 1855, served
his time as a machinist, afterward taking a course of mechanical drawing
in Richmond College, and received an appointment from the Government as
machinist and draughtsman in the Intercolonial shops at River-du-Loup. He
left that place for a situation as locomotive foreman at Ottawa, which he
resigned to open an office as Insurance Agent and Real Estate Broker. He
married, June, 1880, Catharine Isabella, daughter ot Aid. Masson of
Ottawa.
" George, born 28th July, 1857, is now Agent for the Export Lumber
Co. of New York and Boston. He was married loth December, 1891, to Mary,
youngest daughter of Mr. Wm. Robertson, of Ottawa.
Charles, born i3th February, 1862, for the past eight years has been local
man ager of the Bell Telephone Co. at Ottawa, and is one of the Directors
of the Ottawa Electric Railway. He married Annie, youngest daughter of
Mr. Arch. Acheson of Westmeath, g\h June, 1886; they have three children.
"Colin, the youngest, born 2yth October, 1863. is a graduate of McGill
Medical College, and has been a practising physician and surgeon in
the city for the last six years. He married, ist January, 1890, Laura,
daughter of Rufus Filer of Montreal, and they have two children.
"Yours truly,
"C. DEWAR."
We think the mill referred to in the above letter of Mr. Dewar de
erves further
notice, inasmuch as it performed a most important function in its day,
and proved a great blessing to the inhabitants. Only a vestige of it
remains, and the date of its erection could not be learned, till it
was discovered in the diary of the late Captain Pridham of Grenville,
who refers to it in speaking of the masons who were employed in the
construction of his own house; it is thus learned that the mill was built
i> 1835. Its location was near the Ottawa, not far above Stonefield,
on a small strean vhich was then much larger thin at present. It was famed
for the excellence of the oatmeal it manufactured, and was patronized
by farmers even from Glengarry. A a
aged citizen in the vicinity remembers that many teams were often waiting
at the mill, in the days of its usefulness.
Colin Dewar, the youngest of the sons of Peter Dewar, and who is briefly
men tioned in the above sketch of the Dewar family, was three years old
when his parents came to Canada. His father had lived on the Duke of
Argyle s estate in Scotland,
2y2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and the aged Duchess sometimes called at the house. She took great
interest in the wee bairn Colin from his birth, and expressed a hope
that his hair would be red. She presented him with a suit of kilts when
the family was about leaving, and he was in the full enjoyment of this
Highland costume when the vessel was stopped by the Privateer.
The kilts were long preserved by the family, and we believe that portions
are still in existence. Mr. Dewar (the happy recipient of this suit) was
lieutenant in the company of Captain Ostrom, in the Rebellion of 1837,
an ^ was an active, esteemed member of this community, serving it for
some time as School Commissioner. Mrs. Dewar died in 1895; they had four
sons Peter, James, Duncan and Donald, and four daughters Annie, Christina,
Mary and Margaret : Peter lives in this sec tion, James in Minnesota, and
Duncan is deceased. Annie, the widow of Wm. Scott, lives in California;
Christina, widow of Geo. Noyes, in this locality ; Mary died in infancy ;
Margaret, married to James Hawring, Hves in British Columbia.
Donald Dewar resides on the homestead a fine farm with an attractive brick
residence which commands a beautiful view of the Ottawa. Mr. Dewar was
appointed commissioner for the trial of small causes in 1892, and soon
afterward was appointed Justice of the Peace; he married Eliza J. Mullen,
of St. Andrews parish.
Mr. Dewar in a later letter says :
" I believe I did not mention the fact of a saw mill having been built on
lot No. 3, a short distance up the river from Mr. Chisholm s distillery,
and a little below my father s house ; it was the first mill erected in
that part of Lower Canada. There is no documentary evidence to show when
or by whom it was built, or the length of time it was in existence, how
or by what means it was destroyed, which was, most likely, by the ice in
the spring. It must have been destroyed in the closing years of the last
century, as there was not a vestige of the mill to be seen (except a part
of the mill dam) when my father settled on his farm in 1807. Mr. Duncan
Dewar remembers seeing the remains of the dam when he was a boy, and is of
the opinion that it was built by Ebenezer Clarke, a well-known millwright
in those days, whose family resided in the township of Chatham. I also
frequently saw the remains of the dam in my younger days."
Great changes have occurred in the appearance of this locality since
the days when Mr. Dewar lived here; the large elm to which he refers
has disappeared, as
well as many other of the old landmarks.
On the farm of Mr. James Edward Fitzgerald, at a little distance from
the high way, on the left, are the ruins of a house, which, judging
from its interior finish and the grounds around it, was the home of some
person of taste and means. At the time of its erection the road passed
between it and the river, so that the neat fence and shrubbery, of which
vestiges may still be seen, that were then in front of the dwelling,
are now in the rear of its ruins. This house was erected about 1830.
by William Cook, a Scotchman, who had been a contractor in his native
land. On coming to Chatham he took a large contract in the construction
of the Canal, made money, with which he purchased 500 acres of land,
that was formerly owned by John Dewar, in this section, and erected the
dwelling referred to above. He afterward lost heavily on a contract he
had taken for the construction of the locks at Chute au Blondeau.
THOMAS FITZGERALD, one of the pioneers of Beech Ridge, in the Parish
of St. Andrews, received a classical education, preparatory to entrance
to the priesthood; but, for some reason, he gave up the design of
following this vocation. He was a nephew of Lord Edward Fitzgerald,
who was executed for complicity in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and was
himself an exile for nine years in France, for his connection with the
same Rebellion. But, being pardoned by the British Government, he
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
293
returned to his native land, and, in 1836, came to Canada and settled
at Beech Ridge. His son, JOHN FITZGERALD, came to Chatham, and, in 1868,
bought three lots of land, on which his sons now live. He was married in
1848 to Elizabeth Delaney, and had three sons and two daughters. James,
married to Joanna O Con nor, June loth, 1879 , : John, who was married
to Martha Dixon, of Little Rideau, in September, 1881 ; and Edward,
married in 1880, to Mary Ellen Barren, of East Hawkesbury, all live
in Chatham. Margaret, the widow of John Lennon, also resides in this
place; Elizabeth, the other daughter, is the wife of Richard Funcheon,
of St. Columba. Their father, Mr. John Fitzgerald, after buying his farm,
about 1872 went, with one of his sons, to California, where he earned
money to pay for his land, returning in 1874. He was an intelligent man,
a great reader, and possessed a very retentive memory ; he was also a
man of much energy and industry. The land he purchased at this place
he divided among his sons, giving to each a good farm. He died very
suddenly, 6th May, 1894 ; Mrs. Fitzgera d died 2gth January, 1896.
JAMES MILLER came, in 1831, with his family, from the County of Monaghan,
Ireland, to Carleton County, Ont. Four years later, his son, James Miller,
jun., moved to Pembroke, where he remained till 1870, successfully engaged
in lumbering and farming. He then came to Gushing, Que., and bought the
Mair property, which
he sold in 1888, and, in the spring of the next year, moved to another
part of Chatham, where he bought 90 acres, known as the " Feeder Farm,"
on which he still lives.
Mr. Miller has always taken an interest in schools, and was a member of a
School Board fifteen years. He was married in 1858 to Susannah O Brien,
who has since died. They had ten children, of whom only one James Henry
grew up. The latter was married, 28th February, 1894, to Miss Christina
McMartin, of River Rouge, and is now employed in Montreal, in the office
of the Traveler s Insurance Company.
PHILABERT F. FILION, a very successful business man of this section,
is a son of Martin Filion, and was born near Rigaud, Que., and came to
Chatham in 1865. Previous to this, he attended college in St. Andrews,
and worked some time for McLaughlin & Son, lumbermen, on the Ottawa,
being wiih them, altogether, as clerk and foreman, twenty-one years ;
he was also foreman on the Carillon Dam, the Lachine Piers, and in the
stone quarry three years at Port Arthur. He has been twice married:
the first time in 1866 to Mary Robert, who died about a year after her
marriage. His second marriage was in 1871 to Miss Dinah Sauvie,
of Montebello.
Mr. Filion, for a number of years, has been engaged in the lumber
business with his brother Joseph, his fine farm, meanwhile, being to a
great extent managed by Mrs. Filion.
ANTOINE ROBERT, who has lived here for nearly thirty years, has the
honor of being the son of a centenarian. His grandfather, Joseph
Robert, came from France, and was one of the very early settlers at
St. Andrews. Joseph, the eldest of his children, who had lived for
nearly fifty years on the River Rouge, St. Andrews, died there in 1885,
upward of 100 years old. He was twice married, and had one son and seven
daughters. Antoine is the only son by the last marriage.
EDWARD BARRON is one of the respected farmers of this section ; he is
a grand son of the Mrs. Barren mentioned in the history of Chute au
Blondeau, who performed the feat of riding on horseback, through the
wilderness, to Toronto, to obtain the patent for their farm. It is but
just to say, that the industry and perseverance of Mr. Barren emulate
those of his maternal relative. His father, Joseph Barren, lived on the
old homestead at Chute au Blondeau, and died there a few years since. He
had six sons and three daughters ; three, only, of the sons James, John
and Edward live in this section. James conducts an hotel in Grenville ;
John is a farmer in the
294 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
same township. Edward Bnrron, in 1882, married the widow of John Thompson,
daughter of the late John Mason, lockmaster, and settled in Chatham. Mrs.
Barren, by her first marriage, had five children, of whom two sons and
one daughter are now living. By the second marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Barren
have one son and one daughter. Mr. Barren s present farm was foimerly
owned by Dr. Jameson, one of the successful and prominent physicians of
Waterloo, Shefford County, Que.
CAPT. JOHN STEPHENS, whose early career was singularly eventful, and who,
as his various promotions proved, did honorable service in fighting for
his country, was bom in Wexford County, Ireland, in 1789. He joined the
army at the age of 17, entering the 87111 Regt. Foot, in 1806; he was
transferred, in 1808, to 4th
G. B., and, in 1810, to the 66th Foot, commanded by his second cousin,
General Sir Oliver Nicolls. He was promoted to the rank of Senior
Quarter Master, while under service at Calcutta, 14111 September,
1815. His length of service in the regular army was twenty-six years,
four of which were spent in India. From India, he went to the Island
of St. Helena, where he acted as one of the Guards of Napoleon I. His
family had in their possession for years a ring presented to him by the
ill-starred Emperor. He left St. Helena in 1821, retired from the 66th
Regiment, came to Canada in 1827, and in 1830 settled in Chatham. At
his own request, he was retired on half-pay o.th December, 1831., In
1833, he received a grant of land in Litchfield, County of Pontiac, for
military service, but did not remove his residence from Chatham. In 1837,
at tne request of Sir John Colborne, he raised a company
of volunteers, and served as Regiment Adjutant in 1838. It was at
this time he won his title of Captain. He became connected with the
Presbyterian Church, under the Rev. William Mair, in 1839, and was
appointed Deacon of the same in the following year ; he was approved by
the session of the Church as Eider, but seems to have
declined appointment to that office. His death took place gth October,
1868.
The REV. RICHARD BRADFORD was one of the most prominent of the early
settlers in Chatham, chiefly because he was the first to plant the Church
of England in the valley of the Ottawa, and was the first clergyman
resident in the County. These two facts alone entitle him to a long
biographical sketch ; but, notwithstanding the efforts that were made
to obtain more facts with regard to him, we simply learned that he came
from England to New York about 1782, and was there engaged in a business
partnership with a Mr- Smith. A few years later he came to Canada,
and was Chaplain in the 49th Regiment. We do not know just when he came
to Chatham, but that he was here in 1811-12 is evident from the Church
Records at St. Andrews. He pur chased from Col. Robertson his estates
on the Ottawa and North River, the first
comprising 5,000, the latter 1,000 acres. He left two sons in the States
; the remain der of his children, four sons, Richard, George, Charles,
and William, and two daughters, afterwards Mrs. Abbott and Mrs. Fisk,
came with him to Canada.
George, his eldest son, married Martha Smith, daughter of a neighbor,
Captain Johnson Smith, and he first settled on the homestead near
his father ; but, not long afterward, he removed to Upper Canada,
and there bought a farm. Three years later, in 1820, his father died,
and he returned to Chatham to obtain his share of the
patrimony. His brothers, at that time, had all left this section, and his
brother-in- law, Rev. Joseph Abbott, who was executor of the estate of
the deceased, prevailed on George to take the 1,000 acres of land on the
North River, instead of money, for his share of the paternal estate. In
consequence of so doing, he had to give up his farm in Upper Canada,
on which he had paid ^75, and he then returned and settled on his new
one, his house being located not far from the site of Earle s Mills, in
Lachute. Here he lived, till near the close of his life. His children,
who arrived at
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2 n,-
mature age, were George M., Henry, now living in Brandon, Man.; Charles
who was accidentally killed on the railway a few years since ; and John,
now livin- in Lachute, where he has a lime kiln. The daughters were Eliza
and Martha Jane ; the former was married to Henry Hammond, the latter to
the late Andrew McCorinell. In 1838, George married Matilda Stephens,
a daughter of Capt. John Stephens, and Henry Bradford married Mary Ann,
her sister. These two brothers were members of Captain Stephens Volunteer
Company, and went with it to Grande Brule. George, the elder brother,
purchased a lot on the Ottawa, formerly belonging to
his grandfather s estate, and built a house contiguous to that of his
father- in-law. About 1846, he opened a store here in a part of the
house where his grandsire lived and, in company with his brother Henry,
did a large business. George, who is still alive, though upward of eighty,
engaged in lumbering and piloting at an early age, and followed this many
years. He employed many men, and, at times, had as many as seventy-five in
his employ. After opening the store, he still followed his old vocation
while his brother Henry managed the store. A few years afterward, George
built a saw mill, a few miles away from his home, on a stream called
Muddy Branch. The brothers then dissolved partnership Henry and his nephew
John (a son of Geore Bradford) taking the saw mill, and George prepared
to build a large steam mill near h;s own dwelling. This he erected on
a small bay on the Ottawa in 1871-72, and for a few years did a large
business manufacturing laih, shingle, and all kinds of lumber, which he
sold to dealers and others. These mills were destroyed by fire in 1877,
when they were owned by the Owens Brothers, of Stonefield. At one time,
Mr. Bradford owned eighty-six square miles of timber in Ottawa County,
which after reserving a strip nine rods wide, he sold for $13,000.
Mr. Bradford has been an ardent disciple of Nimrod,and during his
lifetime has killed over five hundred deer, about a dozen bears and
three or four lynxes. Sports men from the cities have often employed
him as a guide and companion in their hunting tours, and many times he
has spent weeks alone in the forest.
He lias five sons now living John, George, William R., Edmund* and
Frederick Norman. Thiee of these live in Hawksbury, one in Lcichute and
one on the home stead. Of the three daughters, Edith married to James
McAllister, Postmaster at
ThuteauBlondeau ; Gertrude to Jas. Cook, farmer,"of A rundel ; and Martha
to Joseph Thompson, a farmer of Portland, Que. The Noyeses have always
been active citizens of Chatham.
THOMAS NOYES was a U. E. Loyalist, and before coming to Chatham lived
in New Hampshire. On removing to this place, accompanied by his wife,
three sons and three daughters, he bought two lots of land. John,
his eldest son, took part of the homestead, on which he lived till his
death. Clark and William, his brothers built the large brick house now
owned by Edward Barron. This they sold to Mont-
marquet, and he sold to Dr. Jameson. Both these brothers also died
in Chatham.
John, the eldest son, mentioned above, was married to Lydia Dexter,
of Vermont and had six sons and two daughters.
Of the sons, Thomas, the eldest, married Mary Ann Ostrom, and lives in
a pleasant brick residence on a fine farm, about half a mile from the
homestead. They have
five sons and three daughters. John, their eldest son, who has spent
much of his life on the Ottawa, and is regarded as a skillful engineer,
is engineer on the steamer " Hall " which plies between Montreal and
Ottawa, and is much esteemed by the Company by
which he is employed. His wife was Miss Fanny Roe, of Montreal. Benjamin,
his youngest brother, and Ida, his youngest sister, remain with their
parents on the home stead.
* Killed in a mill in 1895.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
296
John, the second son, and Charles, fourth son of John Noyes, sen.,
live in Butte City Montana, the former being one of the pioneers of
that place. William, their brother, lives in Muskegon, Mich. Benjamin,
their youngest brother, when last heard
from was in Africa.
George, sixth son of the same family, was married in 1868 to C linstina,
daughter of the late Colin Dewar, of Chatham, and moved to Minnesota,
where he died in 1870 His widow, with her two children, returned,
and bought a part of her family (Dewar) homestead, on which she still
resides with her son John and daughter
Of the two daughters of John Noyes, sen., Frances, the eldest, unmarried,
lives
with her brother Thomas. Lydia, the second daughter, married Mr. Williams,
of Burlington, Vt., and died at that place. When but a young child,
Frances was one day playing on the bank of the river, not far from the
house, and a band of Indians ascending the Ottawa enticed her into a
canoe and carried her away. By good fortune the Indians at Grenville met
Mr. Noyes and Mr. McPhie, his partner in the lumber business, coming
down the river. The child, recognizing her father, gave a joyful cry,
and was thus rescued from captivity.
About a mile on the road leading from Mr. George Bradford s, on the
)ttawa, to St. Philippe, the traveller comes to a good farmhouse and
commodious barns. Descending a small hill, he crosses a bridge over
a creek and, at his right, lies a small picturesque pond, in a tract
of level ground, encircled by gentle hills, and at a point where these
hills so nearly meet as to leave only a narrow outlet for the stream
is a mill for sawing wood. Farther off, at some little distance beyond
the hills the upper part of a wind mill frame looms in sight. The whole
surroundings, the creek, the pond, the well-tilled fields, good fences
and sleek herds, afford a picture and suggest a phase of happy farm life
on which the traveller delights to linger.
This was the home of EPHRAIM FULLER, a pensioner of the United States
Govern ment for service in the Revolution, and here he subsequently
settled, the earliest pioneer it is believed, in this immediate
section. On the spot where now his grand son has his mill for sawing
wood, he also had a saw mill for transforming the pines, spruce hemlock,
etc., into lumber a single instance of the enterprise of which he was
possessed. He had thirteen children eight sons and five daughters;
three of
the former, Rinaldo, Ivory and Calvin, were the only ones who remained
in th section. Rinaldo lived on the homestead, and had two sons and one
daughter, latter, Marion, married to Daniel, a son of their neighbor,
John Cass.
Albert, the son, who married Minnie Douglass, lives on the homestead,
and is engaged in farming on improved plans. He has a silo, cuts his
ensilage anc all his feed by water power, and the same motor is employed
to thresh his grai:
He keeps a large stock of cattle, and under his able management his farm
will soon be in condition to sustain more. Mr. Fuller is a young man
of great energy,, and his enterprise is a worthy example to the other
farmers of Chatham.
At a little distance farther west where we saw the wind mill, which
is used hydraulic purposes on a fine farm, resides the widow of Ivory
Fuller and her son Frank. Her maiden name was Marietta Schagel. She is a
daughter of Captain Schagel, and her married life has been spent on this
farm. Mr. Fuller died in bep- tember, 1887. They had eleven children,
two sons and nine daughters.
Albert, the eldest son, is in Carievale, Assiniboia. Frank, the younger,
and the only one of the children unmarried, remains on the homestead.
Calvin the third son of Ephraim Fuller, who remained in the vicinity of
his early home, married, and raised a large family, but was accidentally
killed engaged in lumbering. His family afterward sold their homestead
and went t the West.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
297
Passing onward toward St. Philippe, through a low lying belt of thick,
second growth forest, we arrive at another fine level farm, attractive
from its intensely rural aspect and quiet seclusion. This is the home
of Mr. John Cass.
JOSIAH CASS, his grandfather, was one of the U. E, Loyalists who left
the Genesee Valley at the breaking out of the Revolution, and he first
made his home at the Baie des Chaleurs. There his wife died, leaving
four sons and two daughters. He again mar ried, and some years later,
yet previous to 1800, came to Hawksbury, Ont., and took up 400 acres of
land at the head of the Rapids. By his second marriage, he had one son
and three daughters, to whom he bequeathed the bulk of his property,
at which his children by the first marriage, being displeased, left
home. Two settled in Treadwell s Seigniory, and Daniel, the youngest,
came to the second concession in Chatham, and took up 160 acres of
land, now owned and occupied by his son, John. Another man had made a
small beginning here, but the great amount of pioneer work remained for
Mr. Cass. For twenty years he prosecuted his labors without the help
and companionship of a wife, but about 1821 he married a widow named
Eleanor Brundage, who had five children. In 1837-38 he and his stepson,
Levi Brundage, served as volunteers in the Company of Capt. Schagel.
This locality seems to have been a favorite resort for wolves in early
days, as, besides the loss of sheep by Leavitt, mentioned elsewhere,
they continued to make raids on the flocks of Messrs. Cass, Fuller
and others, the former having lost ten, and the latter twenty, sheep,
at different times, in one night.
Mr. Cass had, of his own children, three sons and one daughter. Jacob,
the youngest of the former, now lives in Illinois. John, another of
the sons, who re mained on the homestead, married in August, 1845,
to Elizabeth Ramsey, and has had nine children, of whom three sons and
four daughters are still living. The two youngest, Johiel and Amelia,
still live with their parents on the homestead.
Several years ago Mr. Cass sustained a heavy loss by fire, his buildings,
hay, grain, farming implements, wagons, five hors.es and five cattle
all being burned, without insurance. He has the respect of his
fellow-citizens, and has been a School Com
missioner a number of years, and Assessor fifteen.
It should be stated that the road on which the above mentioned families
have settled, and which is known as the " Fuller Road," was settled at
a very early period ; the proces-vcrbal, which is dated 1821, being the
oldest known in this part of the township.
GUSHING.
No one, who travels the road from Carillon to Grenville will fail to
admire the
section of country through which he passes. The stately trees by the
way-side, good buildings, well -tilled farms, the neat stone church with
its pretty manse, are objects that will attract one s attention. But
he will soon arrive at a spot which, not only from the beauty of the
scenery, but from the elegance of the buildings, though few in number,
will enhance his interest and arouse his curiosity. An air of profound
quiet pervades the place, but it is evident, that it was once a locality
of business and activity. This is Gushing, a name which belonged to its
founder, who, for half a century, was a leading spirit in the County
of Argenteuil. We cannot give a more complete biographical sketch of
Mr. Gushing, than will be found in the following obituary, copied from
the Montreal Herald of May 2ot u, 1875 :
" MR. LEMUEL GUSHING, whose death we announced yesterday, was one of the
early settlers of the Ottawa Valley. He was born at Three Rivers in 1806,
educated at Peacham, Vermont, and commenced business for himself in the
then lumbering district of Chatham, County of Argenteuil, at the early
age of seventeen. Like all
20
298
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
the pioneers and settlers of a new country, he had to struggle hard,
and to overcome difficulties which appeared almost insurmountable ; but,
by active and persevering industry and energy, he soon earned for himself
a place and position among the people of that section of the county, and,
for many years, he filled successively the offices of Councillor and Mayor
of the Township, and Warden of the County. For more than fifty years,
he acted as Justice of the Peace; his jurisdiction at one time extending
to, and including the city of Montreal. He took an active part, on the
breaking out of the troubles of 1837, in collecting and furnishing arms
for the use of the Militia. Enrolling himself as a volunteer, he marched
with his fellow settlers to St. Eustache, where he was instrumental in
checking pillage and devastation, and, with shrewd foresight, preserved
the records and documents which would otherwise have been destroyed in
the sacking of the Registrar s Office at St. Benoit. As a business man,
he was eminently successful. Three times he became owner of the celebrated
Caledonia Springs, and, about fifteen years ago, purchased the property
now known as Gushing Island, in Portland Harbor, Me., which soon became
a fashionable summer resort, and which remained in his possession up to
the time of his death. He was married in the Spring of 1836 to Catherine,
daughter of the late John S. Hutchins, of Lachute, by whom he had thirteen
children, and he lived to see "all his sons- eight in number established
in business. For several years past, he has himself taken no active part
in business. Respected and esteemed by all who
knew him, his death has snapped another link of the chain which unites
us with the early history of the country.
The following extract from his funeral sermon is copied from the ArgenteuU
Advertiser, of Qth June, 1875 :
The solemn funeral service was conducted in St. Mungo s Church, Chatham,
by the Rev. Donald Ross, B.D., who, after discoursing on the Resurrection,
paid the following well-merited tribute to his deceased parishioner and
friend :-
" In the providence of God, we have come together to-day to pay the
last token
of respect to one whose name has been more closely identified with this
district, for
upwards of half a century, than that of any other one man, who formed
a link between
the present generation and the early settlement of the Ottawa Valley. 1
hough he had
not quite attained to the allotted threescore and ten years, he really
lived longer
than many who fill up the term of fourscore years, for his was a life
of mtenses
activity. He lived in deeds, not years in thoughts, not breaths in
feelings, not
in figures on a dial. If we count time by heart throbs, he longest lives
who thinks
most, feels the noblest, acts the best. A man of strong individuality
of chaiacter, he
made his influence felt throughout the community, whose development
and progres:
he strove to advance His unwearied industry, his indomitable perseverance,
his
shrewd speculative turn, crowned him with great success in the sphere
of effort which
he had chosen for himself. He was fearless in the expression of his
opinion, when
occasion demanded its expression ; inflexibly just, scorning anything
mean, always
setting before himself a high ideal of manhood ; recognizing and
appreciating honor,
and justness, and uprightness in anyone who exhibited these virtues. As
a citizen,
he occupied positions of public trust; and how conscientiously he
discharged the
duties which these entailed on him you all know. To him this church
and pansr
are deeply indebted. From facts which have come to my own knowledge,
and on the
authority of those who are competent to speak upon the matter, it is
due to him U
say, that this church would, in all probability, not have an existence
but for his active
efforts, his wise counsel, and his generous aid.
" Throughout its history of forty years, in critical and trying days,
he has always been its staunch supporter, always willing to assist in
promoting its advancemen
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 2 QQ
and prosperity, and, so long as these walls stand, they will bear witness
to the interest which he took in the welfare of the congregation. In him,
both my predecessors and myself had a warm friend, who, ia reason of his
large and varied experience \v is capable of advising us in matters of
difficulty. Into his private and domestic relations I would not presume
to intrude, though, on these points, I could also speak. But it is no
breach of propriety to say what you all know that he was a faithful and
lovina husband, and a kind and affectionate father.
;( He is now gone ; quietly he fell asleep, having finished his work,
and the place that so long knew him shall know him no more ; but his
memory will live, his influence will still be felt. Though dead, he
will yet speak to us. May his example of diligence and devotion to duty
stimulate us all to do with our might whatsoever our hand findeth to do,
for there is no device, nor work, nor wisdom, in the grave/ to which we
are so rapidly hastening."
It is but just to say that, in his marriage, Mr. Gushing obtained
a companion in every respect worthy of the position a woman, kind,
intelligent, pious, active and letermmed; there was no situation in
which they were placed during their conjugal relations in which she
did not act her part with true womanly spirit and devotion She is a
daughter of John S. Hutchins, prominent in the history of Lachute. and
the qualities she inherited from intelligent ancestors, combined with
her early Christian training, eminently fitted her for the station she
has been called to fill. Mrs. Gushing for some time, has resided in
Montreal, where she has a fine residence on Metcalfe street. She has
been a devoted worker in the cause of temperance, and her benevo lence
has given many a poor orphan and widow cause to bless her.
- Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Gushing, seven sons and two daughters
are now
living.
James Brock (Col.) Gushing, the eldest, has been more closely identified
with the history of this County than any of the other children as
they went to Montreal i engaged in business quite early in life. James
B. entered his father s store as cm 1856; about five years subsequently,
Mr. Gushing, with his two sons, James Thomas, formed a copartnership in
mercantile business ; but, a few years later Ihomas withdrew, and, not
long afterward, the father, entering political life, removed Montreal,
and James continued the business alone till 1891, when he also removed
Montreal. He was very active and influential while he lived here,
and the fine stone store at Gushing is but a single instance of his
enterprise. In 1866, he organized Company of Volunteers, of which he
became Captain, and, on the retirement of the Hon. J. J. C. Abbott from
military life, the officers of the Battalion unanimously ose Mr. Gushing
for their Lieut.-Colonel. When his father removed to Montreal resigned
his local offices that of Postmaster, Municipal Councillor, J. P., etc.
Col. Gushing became his successor, and, during the last few years of his
residence he was Mayor of the Township. He was married 3 ist March, 1869,
to Elizabeth 1. Hill, daughter of the late Francis M. Hill, Barrister,
of Kingston ; he is now in il estate business in Montreal.
Lemuel, second son of the late Lemuel Gushing, was long a Barrister in Mon
treal, and represented Argenteuil County in the Dominion Parliament. He
died about 1880.
Thomas, the third son, is proprietor of the Montreal Brewing Company ;
Francis fourth son, is manager of the Gushing estate, including Gushing
Island, Me. ; Charles ie fifth son, has long been a leading and popular
notary in Montreal, and is the senior member of the firm Gushing, Dunton
& Barron, which does a large business ; I red., sixth son, is a brush
manufacturer, and lives at 143 Metcalfe street, Montreal William M.,
seventh son, is a merchant, notary and J. P., in Elkhorn, Man. ; George
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
the youngest, is proprietor of a gold and silver mine in Mexico, where
he has just erected a crushing mill. Of the two daughters of Mr. and
Mrs. Gushing, one is mar ried to the Rev. Donald Ross, Professor in
Queen s College, Kingston ; the other to Mr. Cochran, and lives in
Denver, Colorado.
A factory for the manufacture of edge tools was erected at Gushing about
the vear i8<;o by a man named Forsythe. Oil of smoke was also made
here, and sent to England to be used in the printing of calico. The
business was conducted for some time with considerable success by
different parties, but after a period of about fifteen years the factory
was burnt, supposed to be the work of an incendiary.
" Col Tames Gushing also erected a saw mill and grist mill here ; the
former is still in successful operation, but the latter, being out of
repair, has fallen into disuse.
DERRICK OSTROM frpm Utica, N.Y., settled here in the early part of this
century, on -i lot adjacent to that on which his grandson, John Ostrom,
now dwells. As there was no road, he came up the Ottawa on the ice,
bringing his family and household effects on a sled drawn by oxen. His
first dwelling a rude shanty was built very near the river; in this he
lived until the present road was established farther back on the shore
An incident occurred while the family remained in the cabin, which the
children and grandchildren of Mrs. Ostrom never wearied of asking her
to relate.
One evening, Mr. Ostrom returned to his humble cabin with a fine string
of fish, and threw them down outside, with the intention of soon dressing
them. Soon after wards one of the family discovered the glaring eyes of
a wolf not many yards distant, which tempted by the scent of the fish,
was evidently in anticipation of a dainty meal Mr Ostrom got his gun,
and by the light of the lantern held by his better-
lalf soon had his wolfship lying beside the fish he had so foolishly
coveted.
After the road was established and opened, Mr. Ostrom built a large,
three- story house a few rods from his less pretentious abode, and in this
opened a public house and general store, in which he accumulated property
to an amount which won for him the appelation of" rich." Before his death,
which occurred in 1823, he had added three lots to his estate. He left
three sons and three daughters, but John, the eldest, was the only son
who remained here ; and he received, as his part of the real estate,
the lot on which his own son, John, now resides. The two remaining sons,
William and Derrick, each received a lot, but they soon sold them and
removed to Alumette Island, where William is still living.
The following sketch from the pen of Mr. Colin Dewar gives a more comple
history of this family :
" The old Militia Act of Lower Canada, which was in force in 1837, gave
to the Captains the power of ordering out and compelling all able-bodied
men, be tween the ages of 18 and 45, to attend muster, and perform active
duty. In many
instances, these officers had not been appointed on account of their
knowledge of military tactics, but fiom being in favor with the officer
commanding the talion As a result of such a course, a great deal of
dissatisfaction was manifested, on the breaking out of the troubles of
1837, when they were called out for active service; the men not hankering
after a military experience under
mand of such officers.
" The Government, knowing well the axiom that one Volunteer is worth moi
than ten pressed men, got over the difficulty, by allowing all enrolled
companies o volunteers the privilege of choosing their own officers,
and all such companies t be under the control of the chief officer of
the District. Two companies in the town ship of Chatham were quickly
formed on these lines : the first, under the command of Captain John
Ostrom and Lieut. John Noyes ; the second, under Captain John
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
301
Schagel, and Lieut. Levi Brundage ; besides, one company of sixty men,
under the command of Captain John Stephens and Lieut. George M. Bradford,
designed for active service, being stationed in Barracks, and thoroughly
drilled. The barracks was the house now owned by Mr. Fitzgerald.
The Government supplied all Volunteers with arms, ammunition and clothing
; the latter consisting of white blanket overcoats, heavy dark cloth
trousers, with reJ stripe down the seam, beefskin moccasins, bearskin
caps, and buckskin mittens. Thesecompanies, when on parade or march,
made a very creditable appearance, their dress and uniform showing off
their fine stalwart figures to perfection.
It may here be stated, that Mr. Geo. M. Bradford is the only officer of
these three companies living at the present time, the others having long
since passed away.
When the company in the front of Chatham was organized, JOHN OSTROM,
a young man of great promise, active and intelligent, and in every
way well qualified for the position, was unanimously chosen captain, a
brief sketch of whose life will here be given. The Ostrom family are of
Dutch descent; they settled in the United States, but left their homes,
and came to Canada with other U. E. Loyalists, at the breaking out of
the Revolutionary War. On their arrival in Canada, one son settled in
Hastings County, near Belleville ; the others were separated, going to
different parts of the country, and they have long since lost trace of
each other. The father of the subject of this sketch was Derrick Ostrom,
who arrived in the township of Chatham, early in the first decade of this
century, and purchased a block of six hundred acres of land in what was
then the "Col. Robertson grant," and on which he built a residence for
himself, which, for many years, was the finest in the township, and far
ahead of Col. Robertson s, which, up to that time, had taken the lead. It
stood on rising ground in a commanding position, on the top of the hill,
in a beautiful situation, and 3 was a well-known landmark, until it was
burnt down a few years after the family removed from Chatham. It may
here be mentioned, in reference to Col. Robertson s house,
that when it was built, many years previously, sawn lumber was a scarce
article, and one peculiar feature in its construction was, that it
was shingled all over, from top to bottom, and fastened with small
flat-headed, hand-made nails.
Mr. Ostrorn not only carried on the business of farming, but also kept
a general country store for many years, in a house afterward sold to
Mr. John Mullan. He died in 1823, leaving a widow, three sons and three
daughters, viz., foiin, William and Derrick, Jennie, Christie and Elsie.
On the settlement of the estate, John, the eldest son, received one of
the farms, on which he had built a house and suitable farm buildings,
and on 51)1 September, 1829, was married to Miss Dorcas, daughter of
Dennis Parsons, Esq., who had recently come from the United States
and settled in Chatham. At this time, Captain Dstrom was engaged in
the square timber business, and was, for many years, one of the most
successful pilots on the Grand River, that industry being then neatly at
the zenith of its prosperity. Mention has been made in a previous article
of the quantities of shad ascending the river in the spring of the year,
and, at that season, it was the custom for all well-to-do farmers to
take advantage of this circumstance, and provide their families with a
supply of this excellent fish, which was always a treat, either fresh
or salted. It was while attending to this important duty that Captain
O.strom lost his life on the 2nd June, 1840, at what was known as the "
Fishing Ground " \ plat forms, or, as they were called, stagings, which
were erected at different spaces along the bank, which, at that place,
was a perpendicular rock, along the face of which These stagings had
to be built and secured, and were thus hanging over the river, and near
the surface of it.
Owing to the formation of the new canal and dam at that place, the
whole face
302
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of the river is changed, and it is only those who remember it as it was
before these improvements were commenced, that can form any idea of the
dangerous place it then was. On the morning of lhat eventful day, Captain
Ostrom had left home very early, as usual, and had taken his turn with
the others of his gang (as, owing to the heavy work of scooping, they
required frequently to change). It was pretty well on in the forenoon,
when, no doubt, being fatigued with the arduous labor of the morning,
as well as weak from exhaustion, he was either struck by his scoop in
swinging it round, or the breaking of part of the staging caused him to
be thrown off, and into the surging, seething swells, as they rushed
furiously down those angry rapids. The cry was at once raised that
Captain Ostrom had fallen in, when those on the
bank ran down to try to assist him ; but he must have been stunned in
the fall, or perhaps was paralyzed by the action of the cold water on
his heated body, as he never tried to help himself, and sank in a few
moments. His comrades ran down to the foot of the locks, and had a boat
round the point in a few minutes, hoping he would be found floating on
the surface. But, alas ! he had sunk long before reaching them.
After long and anxious searching and watching, the body was recovered,
and the news was conveyed to the family, that they would arrive with it
in a short time. As arrangements had been made for a military funeral,
no time was lost in sending out notices, and on the day appointed, a
firing party was selected from his own company. A large concourse of
people assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to one who was held
in the highest estimation. The religious services were conducted by the
Rev. Wm Mair, Presbyterian minister of Chatham, after which the body was
con veyed to the family burial plot, where the usual three volleys were
discharged over the grave, and all that was mortal of a beloved husband
and father was consigned to the tomb. Mr. Ostrom left one son and three
daughters; the eldest daughter, Mary Ann, was married to Thomas Noyes ;
the other two, Jane and Dorcas, live on the homestead with their mother
and brother. The latter, John Ostrom, has a fine pro perty here, and is
an active man ; he has been Clerk of the Commissioners Court a third of
a century, Secretary-Treasurer of the Municipal Council sixteen years,
and of the Board of School Commissioners twenty.
ROBERT TAIT, son of a " Nor- Wester " of some celebrity, was a neighbor
and -warm friend of the late Captain John Ostrom, and both were active in
1837 in encour aging and drilling the militia to resist the rebels. At
the burning of Grande Brule, learning that a child was lying in its
coffin in a church which was on fire, with much risk to their own lives
they rushed into the building and snatched the coffin, with its burden,
from the flames.
ST. MUNGO S CHURCH.
St. Mungo s Church (Presbyterian), a solid stone structure, built after
the fashion of the old style Scotch country-parish churches, stands in a
fine position on the bank of the Ottawa River, about midway between the
villages of Grenville and Carillon. Internally, it is neat, harmonious
in all its parts, comfortable and commodious, seating easily about three
hundred persons. Its large side windows, Gothic in style, are of rolled
cathedral-stained glass in leaded quarries, with pretty patterns of sash,
and harmonizing schemes of color. The end windows, each panel having
a beautiful floral design and text of Scripture burned in, on a ground
graduated from deep yellow to white, are exceedingly pretty. Though much
has been done of late years, in the way of improvement, as to beauty and
comfort, the old-fashioned characteristics of the edifice have been but
little interfered with. The old-style gallery around three sides of the
church, the old-style pew-ends, and the old-style pulpit, lowered a little
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
from its former towering height, are as a link binding the present to the
past a past the hallowed remembrance of the self-denying labors, energy,
perseverance piety, and realized hopes of worthy forefathers, in providing
for themselves and suc ceeding generations a fitting house for the worship
of Almighty God The church was erected during the year 1836, but though,
as soon as possible, used for service it was some time before it was
all finished, and some few years later, before the cost was all paid.
The first pastor of this church was the Rev. William Main, an alumnus
of Glasgow University, and for some six years after his Licensure,
Sabbath Lecturer in his college ommg to Canada, he was ordained and
inducted to this charge on the 2 6th July 833. At the time of his advent
to Chatham, a scho >l-house, fitted up to serve both for school and
preaching, stood beside the highway, somewhere near where No i School
now stands. Here the first congregations gathered to hear the Gospel
proclaimed by their own settled pastor, and who had come to cast in his
lot with them _ The charge was a large one. Grenville and Havvkesbury
villages were regular preaching stations. Eighteen miles in front, and
as far back as I can win " was the vay in which he usually described his
parish. That he did win, far back, is manifest :rom the church records,
for, besides the Klders in Chatham, Grenville and Hawkes- mry, two,
Messrs. John Crawford and Archibald McCallum, were ordained to this ce,
in the Augmentation of Grenville, on the loth August, 1834 : and other two
Messrs. Archibald Kelso in 1837, and John Doig in 18^8, both living in the
vicinity Lachute, were appointed as coadjutors in the same office. The
first Elders of the charge were Messrs. Neil Stuart, Peter Stirling,
Farquhar Robertson, and Archibald Campbell. To follow out minutely the
whole history is not within our present scope, the difficulties overcome,
the hardships endured, the discouragements suffered,
we in the present, have but little conception of. Suffice it to say, that
the long and faithful work of the Rev. Mr. Mair, carried on at so great
cost to himself, have con- taued to exert an influence on the religious
life of the townships in which he labored that cannot be estimated.
A mural tablet, with the following inscription, occupies a place in the
church to the right of the pulpit :
SACRED TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
REV. WILLIAM MAIR.
Born on the 291)1 of March, 1793.
Died on the 17111 of October, 1860.
A man of childlike simplicity, unaffected modesty, sincere piety, and
high intellectual attainments.
He was the first minister of this charge, and for 27 years faithfully
preached the Our Lord Jesus Christ to an attached congregation ; and
with untiring zeal endeavored to imbue their minds with the heavenly
spirit of his Divine Master
In gratitude for his faithful services, they have erected this memorial
of his worth, within the walls of this church, for the building of which,
they are indebted to his generous efforts.
Behold an Israelite indeed, The memory of the
in whom there is no guile." just is blessed."
J NO - 47- Pitov. x. 7.
The Rev. James Black, an M. A., of Glasgow University, was the next
minister of
charge. He was inducted on the 4 th September, i86 t . During his
incumbency
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
the present Manse, a large house of true ecclesiastical design, was
built. It is near the church, in a fine situation, commanding an extensive
view both up and down the river. Mr. Black, after a short pastorate of
three years, resigned the charge and
returned to Scotland. . .
The Rev Donald Ross, D.U., at present one of the professors in the
theological department o f Queen s College, Kingston, was the next
minister. His education both in Arts and Theology was taken in Queen
s College, Kingston, of which college he was the first " Fellow" ever
appointed. A sad remembrance of the loss of his
wife, a lady beloved by all the congregation, lies in a mural tablet to
the left of the
PUl P it: IN MEMORY
of MARY R. HILL,
wife of
REV. DONALD ROSS, B.D., Minister of this Congregation. Died 26th March,
1871,
set- 35. " Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." REV. xiv. 13.
Ordained and inducted to the pastorate of the congregation on the 3rd
October, 1865 he labored with great success for a period of eleven
years. A beautiful little stone church at Point Fortune, called
St. Columba, was erected during his incumbency, by the part of the
congregation there. Hawkesbury village had been detached from this
congregation, and joined to L Orignal by an Act of the Synod of 1860. In
1876, Mr. Ross demitted the charge. For several years thereafter, he
was pastor of St. Andrew s Church, Lachine, whence he was called to
exercise the duties of professor
in Queen s College.
The present pastor of this congregation is the RiV. JAMES FRASER,
B.A. In Arts,
he studied at Queen s College, Kingston ; in Theology, at Morrin College,
Quebec.
Called from Litchfield in the Presbytery of Ottawa, he was inducted to
the charge of
Chatham and Grenville in October, 1877.
His ministrations have now continued almost twenty years, during which
period
he has steadily gained the affection of his people and the esteem of
the public. Mr.
Eraser s sermons are always prepared with scholarly care. He married
Miss Tredwell
a daughter of the hte C. P. Tredwell, Esq., of L Orignal a lady who
vies with
her husband in self-denying, devoted labor in the Master s vineyard.
The Methodists erected a stone church at Gushing in 1830, size 35 by
50 feet,
and two stories in height. It was used for service something over thirty
years, when
it was sold to Mr. Gushing, who built another church at a short distance
from the
former.
ROBERT NICHOLS, who has a pleasant brick residence and good property here,
came from the County Antrim, Ireland, to Canada in 1844, and three years
subse quently, bought the lot where he now lives. In his younger days he
followed the trade of blacksmith, and a shop stands by the roadside in
which he has done many a hard day s work. His industry and probity have
gained for him much influence in t locality. About 1846, he was married
to F.sther Gascon ; they had seven children. of whom six two sons and
four daughters are now living. The eldest son, James who lives in the
neighborhood, is Sergeant in the St. Andrews Troop. One of the
daughters is married to Mr. Davison of St. Philippe, another to Robert
Dobbie Lachute. Mr. Nichol has been School Commissioner, and for many
years Sergeant o
militia.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 305
SAMUEL WEBSTER, one of the aged citizens of Gushing, is a son of Samuel
Webster, one of the heroes who survived the battle of Waterloo. Not long
after that famous victory of Wellington, Mr. Webster came to Canada, and
that he remained for a while in Quebec is inferred from the fact that
he joined a Masonic lodge there. From that city he went to Montreal,
where he was married to Euphemia, a daughter of Dr. Spink. In 18^4,
he came to Greece s Point, and as the canal was then in pro cess of
construction, he opened a grocery and boarding house, but died about six
years subsequently. He had four children two of each sex; but all, save
Samuel, died young. In his youth, he was clerk in the store of his uncle,
Peter Spink, at St. Denis. In 1850, he was married to Amelia Gardner,
and the same year he bought the lot at Gushing where he now lives ;
several years of his life have been spent as pilot on the Ottawa. He
has seven children, one son and six daughters,
In 1883, Nellie Webster, one of his daughters, wrote the following family
sketch as dictated by her aunt, Mrs. R. Le Roy, not long prior to Mrs. Le
Roy s death :
" My father, Dr. William Spink, who had a wooden leg, kept a grocery
and drug store at our home, on Perth Road, near Dundee, Scotland ; he
was an Elder in the Methodist Church at Dundee for thirty years. He had
a brother unmarried, who died in the East Indies, where he was surgeon
in a British regiment He also had a sister, Grace, who was married to
Mr. Patrick, and another sister, whose name I have forgotten, that became
insane. Mother s maiden name was Euphemia Watt ; their children born at
our home on Perth Road, Scotland, were : Andrew, John, Ellen, Euphemia,
Peter, Jane, William, Thomas and Catherine. Ail these, save Andrew, who
remained with his uncle, Mr. Patrick, sailed from Dundee in the brig
Todds in 1817. In nine weeks and four days, we came to Quebec. Uncle
Thomas Wise Spink wanted to keep my brother Thomas and myself, when the
family were about to sail for America, but mother would not listen to
it, as she thought leaving one of her children was enough. Father had a
letter of introduction and recommendation to a Mr. Miller, book-binder,
in Upper Town, Quebec. We spent a day with Mr. Miller, and then sailed
to Montreal in the Lady Sherbrooke, Andrew, who was left with his uncle,
Capt. Patrick, while bringing a cargo of whe~t from France to Dundee,
on the captain s own boat, was lost ; their boat being struck by another
vessel in the night, sank, and all on board perished. Father and his
wife are interred at St.
Andrews, Quebec; the only ones of my brother s children now living are
Peter, Thomas, Margaret and myself."
Near the store of Mr. Gushing, on the left, is " Burnside Cottage,"
with its beau tiful grounds and shrubbery the home of EDMUND NEVE. This
property formerly belonged to the late Wm. Forbes, Canal Superintendent,
and the cottage was a work of his own design and erection.
Mr. Neve is a son of the Rev. Frederick S. Neve, who for some time
had charge of the Anglican Church in Grenville. He came to Canada
from Kent, Kng., about the year 1840, and first was assistant of
the Rev. Mr. Whitwell at Philiosburg, Que. ; he then was stationed at
Clarendon, Huniington County, and thence, in 1859, came to Grenville. He
was superannuated in 1871, and subsequently resided six years in St.
Andrews ; he died in 1878, in Montreal. He had three sons and five
daughters ; his second son is a merchant in L Orignal. Mr. Edmund Neve
purchased this property,
consisting, besides the buildings, of about seventy acres of land,
and has since been engaged in farming.
Adjacent to this place is the post office in charge of THOMAS WEIR.
Mr. Weir, who is by trade a machinist, came to this country from Glasgow
in 1872, in charge of the material for two iron bridges at Ottawa. After
the comple tion of those bridges, he came to Grenville in the employ of
Vlr. Goodwin, who had the roniract for the construction of the bridges,
and worked on the canal.
306 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
He was married to Miss Davison, daughter of Joseph Davison, of Grenville.
In 1881, he came to Cashing, where he has had charge of the post office
for the
past seven years, though he was not appointed Postmaster till 1893;
he is also telegraph operator here, and has a small grocery.
HORATIO E. HARTLEY, who has been quite an extensive dealer in cattle and
horses, came to this section with his father, Christopher Hartley, who
had served his time, and obtained his discharge from the Royal Artillery,
in which he was color ser geant. After his discharge he was Lockmaster
for a while on the Rideau Canal at
Ottawa, and was then appointed Lockmaster at Stonefield, but, after a
few years
service, was superannuated, and was succeeded in his position of
Lockmaster by his son, Horatio E., who served twenty-two years, when he,
also, was superannuated.
The fatiier died 4th August, 1877. Horatio was married in 1876 to Mary M.
Dinsmore.
At the time the factory was erected at Gushing, a Scotchman named JAMES
WATSON, a brass finisher by trade, who had been a soldier in the 93rd
Regiment, was employed to set up the machinery. After the factory was
completed, he returned to Montreal, leaving his two young children at
Cashing with a neighbor, Mr. John O Brien. Not long afterward his wife
died, and he never returned or sent for his children, nor has anyone
in this section since heard of him. William, the younger of the two
children, died when four years old; James, the elder boy, lived with
Mr. O Brien till old enough to earn his own living. He was married in
1876 to a daughter of
Samuel Webster of Gushing, and jives in a pleasant cottage near the
Presbyterian Manse.
Among the faithful employees of the Canal is ROBERT PINKERTON, who
was appointed lockman on the Upper Locks at Carillon, in 1889 ; his
home is in Gushing. He is son of John Pinkerton, of Chatham ; he was
married ist January, 1887, to Mary J. Sittlington, also of this place,
and has three children, all daughters. Mr. Pinkerton s residence here
is situated opposite the pretty vilhge of Chute au Blon- deau.
JAMES ROY GASTON came to Canada from County Antrim, Ireland, in 1843 ; he
soon settled in Chatham, buying the farm on which his widow and children
now live. He was married 22nd June, 1858, to Margaret McFarlane, of
Perth, Out.
That he was a valued and trustworthy Government employee is proved by
the fact that, for thirty-eight years, he was employed on the Canal; and,
in connection with this work, he managed his farm. He also had charge of
the Chute au Blondeau lighthouse, and it was while attending to this that
the sad accident occurred by which he lost his life. On the evening of
24th September, 1884, accompanied by some of his children, he proceeded
to the lighthouse, near the river, intending to make ready the customary
signal ; and, preceded by his son, Alexander, started to mount the ladder,
which is 36 feet in height. The son was lighting the lamp, when he felt
the ladder shake,, and, looking down, saw his father lying on ihe ground
at its foot. He imme diately descended, finding that several rungs had
been broken ; but, when he reached his father s side, life was extinct.
Mr. and Mrs. Gaston had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters;
two of the latter died after reaching womanhood.
John, the eldest son, is lockman at Greece s Point ; James R. is employed
by the Hawkesbury Lumber Company ; George has charge of the lighthouses
here ; William
is in Chicago ; Alexander, after spending five years in the same city,
returned home in 1895. Leonard M. and Andrew E. live at home, also the
daughter, Eliza L.
On a toad leading north from the Ottawa, and about a mile distant from
it, live a few thriving fanners, one of whom, Jacob Schagel, has been
noticed in the history of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 307
Carillon ; of the others, two brothers, ANDREW and WILLIAM GRAHAM,
are grand sons of an early pioneer.
Andrew Graham came from Scotland to Chatham, about the year 1816, and
bought 1 20 acres of land, which is now owned by his grandson, Andrew
Graham : two sons and two daughters accompanied him. With the help of
the former, he cleared up the greater part of his land. Tne youngest
daughter, Jennie, married
Andrew Grey, of Hawkesbury. The sons, Richard and Archibald, were both
enrolled
in Capt. Schagel s company during the Rebellion. Archibald, in 1841,
was married to Jennie Black, and remained on the homestead. They had ten
children, five of each sex that grew up. The father died in 1863. There
are but two sons and one daughter now living in this section. Andrew,
one of the former, lives on the home stead, which, though stoney, has
been made, through Scotch perseverance and in dustry, to yield abundant
crops a fact attested by a fine herd of eighteen cows, a good number of
other animals, and commodious buildings. Mr. Graham was married in 1865
to Mary Smith. He and one of his sons, William Archibald, have lately
purchased another farm, which they work together.
William, a brother of Andrew Graham, also a thriving farmer, lives
adjacent ; his mother and siVter, Christina Elizabeth, live with him.
In this neighborhood also dwell descendants of DANIEL BRYNE, who came from
Kilkenny, Ireland, to Richmond, Ont., and in 1816, three years later,
he came to Chatham, and bought the land now owned and occupied by his
son William and grandson, Daniel J. Byrne. He was married loth October,
1822, to Bridget Roach.
They had but one son, who has always remained on the homestead. Mr. Byrne
belonged to Capt. Schagel s company during the Rebellion. He died 3rd
May, 1879. Mrs. Byrne died 3rd April, 1852.
William Byrne, the son, was married 28th April, 1851,10 Catherine,
daughter of the late John Byrne, of Grenville ; they had four sons
and three daughters ; of these only three sons and one daughter are
now living. Two of the former, Edward and John, reside in Michigan. The
remaining son, Daniel J., and his sister Bridget, live with their father
in a pleasant stone cottage amid trees and shrubbery, on the homestead.
GREECE S POINT AND STONEFIELD.
Greece s Point, which though but a scattered hamlet, eight miles west
of Carillon, is at the western terminus of the Grenville Canal, hence,
a place of considerable business importance. A line of railway, specially
for the use of lumbermen, also connects the place with Grenville. It is
vested with much historic interest, as it is supposed by many to be the
spot, or very near the spot, where Daulac made his heroic siand. The
scenery about is very pretty, an attractive feature being the
elevated farms across the Ottawa at Little Rideau and Chute aa Blondeau.
Greece s Point, from the earliest settlement of the country, has become
an important part in its history.
On the 3ist December, 1788, a location ticket, signed by the Surveyor
General of this Province, was granted to Brig.-General Allan McLean,
841!) Regiment, author izing him " to improve and settle certain lots
of land, comprising 5,000 (five thousand) acres, located in Chatham,
County of York." On the 2Qth May, 1790, this land was conveyed by deed of
sale to Major Lachlan McLean, First Major of His Majesty s 6oth Regiment
of Foot, who, i6th September, 1803, conveyed the same to JOHX WILLIAM
GREECE for the sum of ^"1,250, or $1.00 per acre.
Portions of this land, from time to time, have been sold, until there
now remains
308 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
but about i, coo acres, which are leased to occupants by the agent
employed by Mr. Greece, grandson of the early purchaser. It would be
gratifying to know more of the history of one who was so large a land
holder in the township for many years; but the following story, which
is true, will show that he had a penchant for land purchasing, whatever
may have been his other characteristics . He lived in England, and, one
day, when strolling about, he, from curiosity, entered an auction shop ;
the auctioneer was expatiating on the beauty, fertility and great value
of a piece of land he had just put up. There were very few present,
and the bidding, at first, was confined chiefly to the auctioneer
himself. Becoming interested, however, Mr. Greece began to bid, and the
competition was lively for a lime between the auctioneer and himself,
until, most unexpectedly to Mr. Greece, it was struck off to him at $600.
A few days after this he set out to view his newly acquired property,
which was
located some distance from the place where he resided. Just at nightfall,
he reached an inn in a rural hamlet, and made some enquiries of the
landlord respecting his property. Without giving him the required
information, the landlord quietly advised him to wait till morning,
when he could see it and judge of its value himself. He accepted the
advice, and early the next morning, in high spirits, walked out to
view his purchase. Some little time after his return the landlord asked
him how he liked the property, and his only reply was, that he wished
he could blow it and all recollec tion of it into oblivion. This same
property, however, developing its hidden treasures cf Fuller s earth,
in the short period of four years paid the owner ,2,300; and, in 1862,
it sold at public auction for ; 10,050.
CHAS. CLAUDE GREECE, a son of the first proprietor of this estate, lived
here many years, on the lot now owned by his grandson Thomas Welden, and
died here. He was appointed Justice of the Peace, and on this account
soon received the title of "Squire," by which title he was always spoken
of and addressed throughout the County. He was much respected both for
his integrity and sound judgment. At
his suggestion, the Post-office here was established with the name of
Stonefield, and he also named one in Grenville, Eden Dale ; the position
of which, and the name also, were subsequently changed to Calumet. That
Mr. Greece was a well educated, clever man, is evident from letters
he wrote, which are still preserved among the records of the Anglican
Church at Grenville.
REUBEN WELDKN is the present agent of this estate for Mr. Greece.
Thomas Welden, his father, came from England to Chatham in October, 1842.
The winter after his arrival he spent on the North River, above the
Isle aux Chats, where the antics of wolves must have given him rather
an unfavorable impression
of the new country.
His son says, that a neighbor of theirs named Wilson, on returning home
one evening with a span of horses from St. Andrews, wa? followed by a
pack of these
marauders. His horses were good ones, and he urged them to their utmost
speed, but they and Wilson himself were saved only by his two dogs, which
fell vie i ns to the rapacity of these brutes. In the quarrel which ensued
among the wolves over their feast, Wilson fortunately escaped. The same
winter, wolves broke open the door of a stable in which Wilson s sheep
were enclosed, and killed several of them.
Mr. Welden, from the North River, moved a few miles farther west in
Chatham, to what is now known as the Noyes neighborhood. Here, on land
owned by the late John Noyes, and now occupied by Philabert Filion,
he found good clay for making brick, and as that had been his business
in England, he, in company with Mr. Noyes, opened a brick yard. Their
brick were of superior quality, and most of the many
brick buildings found in this section of country were made from bricks
of their
manufacture.
HISTORY OF ARGF.NTEUIL.
309
About 1846 Mr. Welden moved to Grenville, and for a number of years
follow ing, took charge of the farm of the late Joseph Abbott. He died
in 1872. His last years, as well as those of Mrs. Welden, were spent in
the family of their son Reuben in Chatham. They left four sons, James,
Reuben, William and Fred. C. Three of these, intelligent and respected
farmers, live in this County. William is Harbour Master at New York.
Reuben married Rowena, a daughter of the late C. W. Greece, Esq. She died,
and he then married Maria Louise, a sister of the deceased.
By his first marriage he had two sons, Thomas and Henry ; the former,
as stated
above, is now proprietor of the maternal homestead, and the latter is
in business with his father.
ALEXANDER CAMERON, from Lochaber, Argyleshire, Scotland, was the first
settler at what is now Greece s Point. He came here in 1808, and built a
house on the site of the present hotel of J. Duchesne. A year afterward,
however, he moved to the place now occupied by his grandson, Allan
Cameron, His nearest neighbour was Major Macmillan, nearly five miles
distant, in Grenville ; but Indians frequently came here on their trips
up and down the river.
He did considerable lumbering, taking his rafts of timber to the Quebec
market.
He sometimes went to mill at St. Ann s, and sometimes to Lachute. It was
no uncom mon thing for him to take a bushel of grain on his back to the
latter place, and, after it was ground, return home with it in the same
manner. Mr. Cameron died in May,
1838. His son Allan remained on the homestead, but was also employed
on the river, acting as pilot several years for the Hamilton Bros., as
well as for others. On account of his stature, he was generally called "
Big Allan." He died in May, 1882, at the age of 82. His widow, who was
born on St. Patrick s day, 1805, and is, there fore, 91 years of age,
still survives. She usually converses with her son Allan in the Gaelic
tongue. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron had five sons and two daughters Allan, John,
Hugh, Daniel, Charles, Mary and Flora. Daniel died recently. Flora married
Thomas Johnson, of Calumet, who died suddenly two or three years ago. Mary
married Donald McVean, and both she and her husband are deceased. Hugh
died by accident in Montreal. Charles, the youngest, has the homestead,
Allan Cameron, jun., like his father, has spent his time between the
homestead farm and the river, having followed the latter as pilot for
fifty years. It is a pleasant reflection to him that he has been so long
a pilot, not only on the Ottawa, but on the Gatineau and other streams,
in the spring, when swollen and boisterous, without ever having lost a
man. Many of his winters have been spent in lumbering, and, years
ago, when the vast wilderness along the tributaries of the Ottawa was
first invaded by lumbermen, a life in their camps must have combined
much of romance, as well as
hardship and toil.
Mr. Cameron says that of the many animals he has seen in the forest,
no sight was more beautiful or interesting to him than the following :
He and an Indian, one day, had strolled a long distance from camp, when
they unexpectedly came to a yard containing nine elk. The snow was very
deep and quite hard, so that the poor animals had no means of escape. They
reared their expansive antlers, and with their large lustrous eyes, gazed
in wonderment at the in truders. The Indian raised his gun, but Cameron
forbade him to fire on the defence less herd, and hurriedly passed on,
leaving them unmolested.
STONEFIELD is a small village, little more than a mile east of Greece
s Point, but the fine Canal Locks contribute much toward the business
activity of the place,
besides forming a most attractive feature in the landscape. The large
and imposing brick store of Thomas Owens, Esq., is also an object which
attracts the attention of visitors.
310 HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
About 1819, OWEN OWENS, of Denbigh, Wales, came to Montreal, and a year or
two later to Chatham, settling at what is now Stonefield, on land still
owned and occupied by his son Thomas Owens. Like all the settlers of
that period, in the absence of roads, he made his way here by the river,
everything he possessed being conveyed by batteaux. The canal was then
in process of construction, and the pros pect for business appearing
favourable, he opened a store and hotel, both of which he carried on in
connection with farming, for many years. His house was burnt about 1847,
an d he then built the brick one, in which his son Thomas now resides.
In 1858, a post-office was established here, and Mr. Owens was appointed
Post master; he died in 1870. He had six sons and two daughters. One of
the former was drowned in the canal at nine years of age. Another son,
many years ago, went to California, since which no tidings have been heard
of him. Three sons George, William and Owen have always remained in this
section. The former resides on his farm, about one mile from Stonefield.
William and Thomas remained on the homestead, and, in company, engaged
largely in mercantile affairs. A few years since, they purchased the
Papineau Seigniory in Ottawa County, consisting of 80,000 acres, and
engaged extensively in the lumber business. They also opened a store
at Montebello, in that Seigniory. In 1884, Thomas Owens built the store
mentioned above at Stonefield, in which he now trades, doing an extensive
business He succeeded his father as Postmaster, and has also, for some
years, been Commissioner for the trial of small causes. He has been
twice married ; the last time to a widow, daughter of Theodore Davis,
of St. Andrews.
The firm, which was long known under the name of " T. & W. Owens,"
is now designated as that of "T.Owens & Sons," John F., the second son
of Thomas Owens, now being in the store with his father at this place,
and Thomas, his elder son, in the store at Montebello. H. A. Villeneuve,
the proficient and genial book keeper of Mr. Owens, has been in the
employ of the firm twenty-five years.
William Owens always took much interest in the affairs of the township,
and for
a time held the position of Mayor. At the time of the Fenian raids,
he was active in organizing a company of Volunteers, of which he became
Lieutenant and J. Gushing Captain. In 1881, he entered more actively
into the political arena, as is shown by the following paragraph, copied
from a Montreal paper of 1893 :
"A large and influential portion of the Conservatives are hoping that Mr.
William Owens, ex-M.P.P. for Aigenteuil, will receive the appointment to
the vacant seat for Inkerman in the Senate. Mr. Owens, in 1881, redeemed
the County for the Quebec Conservative party in the Quebec Legislature. In
1886 he was re-elected by acclamation, and in 1890 carried the county
by 700 majority. Mr. Owens was one of the most trusted leaders in the
Quebec House. He was true to his party and true to his promises, on all
occasions and under every circumstance. In all probability, Mr. Owens
will not press forward for the appointment, as some are doing ; but
the best friends of the Conservative party hope his claims will not,
on this account, be overlooked."
In the fall of 1895, Mr. Owens was appointed to theSenatorship, rendered
vacant
by the death of the Hon. J. J. C. Abbott.
MICHAEL DERRICK, from the County of Sligo, Ireland, came to Chatham
in June, 1820, and was first in the employ of Angus McPhie, who, in
company with Noyes & Schagel, had a contract for transporting all the
supplies for the canal laborers- provisions, implements, money, etc.,
from Carillon to Grenville. McPhie lived in a log house located between
the present house of the late John Fitzgerald and the
river; he afterward built the stone house now occupied by Mrs. Lennon.
In 1824, Mr. Derrick took up 100 acres of Lot u, Range i ; in 1827, he was
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 3 1 j-
married to Alice Shields ; they had six children two sons and one
daughter grow
up. Mr. Derrick belonged to Capt. Ostrom s Company during the Rebellion
of 1837
he died in December, 1877; Mrs. Derrick died November, 1874. Joseph,
the third son, was married in September, 1872, to Mary McAndiew, and has"
remained on the
homestead. He is one of the well-to-do farmers of Chatham ; he has added
i oo acres to the homestead, and bought 168 acres in East Hawkesbury. He
has been Municipal Councillor since 1872, four years of which time he
has served as Ma\or of the town- ship. He was also appointed Justice of
the Peace, but has always declined to serve.
THOMAS FOREMAN, a member of the Royal Staff Corps, was the first
Lockmaster appointed at Greece s Point, and held the position till his
death a period of about 25 years. He married Elizabeth Garret, daughter
of a British soldier; they had three sons and one daughter that grew
up. The sons John, Thomas and George are active, intelligent men, who,
nearly all their lives, have been employed on the canal.
John, the eldest, succeeded his father as Lockmaster, but a few years
after ward was appointed Superintendent of the Canal Works at St. Ann ;
this position
he left some years ago, and went to British Columbia.
Thomas, the second son, succeeded his brother John in 1867 as Lockmaster
at Greece s Point, and still holds the position ; he is also Commissioner
for the trial of small causes. He was married in October, 1875, to
Caroline Douglass; they have four children two of each sex.
GEORGE FOREMAN, the youngest son, was married September 2nd, 1874, to
Annie Dinsmore ; they have three sons and two daughters living. Lillian
Edna, their eldest daughter, is teaching the Carillon Dissentient
School. It should be said to the credit of the two brothers, Thomas and
George Foreman, that, like their father, they take much pains to educate
their children. Mr. George Foreman has spent many years of his life in
the towing business, keeping a number of horses for this purpose, which
in winter are usually employed in the lumber woods. A few years since he
purchased the stone house and 50 acres of land in Grenville, which was
formerly the home and property of the Rev. Joseph Abbott. Mrs. Foreman s
maternal grandfather, Archi bald Canning, came to Canada about 1825. He
was a stone-mason, and followed his
trade many years in Chatham and vicinity. He died in Stonefield
in i8Si. His widow, 92 years of age, is still living, and, what is
remarkable, she has never used spectacles. Two of her sons, William and
John Canning, farmers, reside near Stone- field. Elizabeth Foreman,
sister of the brothers noticed above, married John Cameron, who is
engaged in the lumber business. They reside at Stonefield.
GEO. LINDLEY, a young man from Leeds, Yorkshire, England, came to Chatham
about 1830, and bought too acres of Lot 10, ist Range, and soon afterward
sent for his father s family. His father had been a cloth manufacturer
in England, employed many hands, and when he came to this country, he
brought quite a quantity of fine broad cloths with him to sell. It is
said he was a man of very prepossessing appear ance. Not long after the
arrival of the family, George, who was the eldest of the ten children
seven sons and three daughters started with a quantity of wheat to be
ground, across the river. By some means not well understood, the boat
was upset, and he was drowned. The occurrence gave a great shock to the
little community, and especially to his parents, as on him they mainly
depended, although, as regards property, they were in comparatively good
circumstances. Only four sons and two
daughters settled in this country. Michael, the youngest son, married
Jane Dowd, and settled on the homestead ; he belonged to Capt. Schagel s
company during the Rebellion of 1837. He died about 1874. He had three
sons and four daughters. David, the second son, lives with his mother
on the homestead. He belongs to the Rangers, and is one of the athletic
young men who, in 1894, won the victory in the " tug-of-war " contest
between the Argenteuil boys and those of Glengarry.
312
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
EDWARD WHELEHAN came from King s County, Ireland, to this part of Chatham
in 1844. He first worked for Mr. Gushing several years, and, in 1855,
bought of him 100 acres of Lot n, ist Range. The first settler on this
land and the one who cut the first tree was John Bowring. Finding a
quantity of lime on this lot, he opened a lime-kiln, and burned the lime
with which, about 1815, he built his stone-house
the same that is now occupied by Mrs. Whelehan. When he sold his land
to Mr. Gushing, he reserved a small piece, and on it built another
house, in which he died in February, 1856. His wife died in November,
1859. Mr. Whelehan was married in 1849 to Mary Dunn. He lived here till
his death, 24th March, 1894, in the Soth year of his age. He had nine
children, of whom three sons and four daughters are now living.
Mrs. Whelehan s father, Andrew Dunn, came to Canada in 1826. He lived
in Quebec till 1830, when he came to St. Andrews, where his wife died
with cholera in 1832. He then, in 1836, married Ellen, the only child
of John Kelly, who had been a soldier in the British service, and now
lived in the nth Range of Chatham. Mr. Dunn, after his last marriage,
settled on the farm of his father-in-law, where he lived till 1845, w hen
he removed to Brownsburg and worked at his trade shoemaking till 1863,
when he went to Montreal, where he died in 1867. Mrs. Whelehan s youngest
son, Edward, and daughter, Margaret, live with her on the homestead.
CHARLES H. WADE is one of the respected farmers of this section. His
father, who owned a farm in Hawkesbury, sold it about 1857, an ^ came
to Greece s Poiru, where, for several years, he kept a public house. He
afterwards removed to Gren
ville, where he died. He had eight sons and three daughters. Two of
his daughters marred respectively to William Kirby and William Cook
live in the township of Grenville, Que. One of his sons is a merchant
in Grenville village. Charles H. Wade, in his younger days, served as
pilot on the Ottawa ; but the greater portion of his life, thus far,
has been spent in farming. The maiden name of Mrs. Wade was Elizabeth
McFarlane. They have three sons and one daughter. William, the eldest
of the former, is one of the trusted employees in the Dominion Cartridge
Factory at Brownsburg, Que.
ROBERT SITTLINGTON, Lockmaster at this place, came here from the County of
Antrim, Ireland, in 1857. He was employed on the locks for twenty-three
years, and in 1882 was appointed to the charge of Lock No. 5, which
position he has ever since held. He has one son and three daughters now
living. His eldest son, Capt. John
Sittlington, died in Stonefield in 1888, aged 28. He held the Captaincy
of Company No. 8, of the Argenteuil Rangers, and was keeper of the
lighthouse at Carillon. His early death was deeply deplored, not only
by the Rangers, with whom he was deservedly popular, and his relatives,
but by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was buried at
Stonefield with military honours. His brother, WILLIAM SITTLING TON,
who had been an employee on the locks, succeeded him as lighthouse keeper,
and is still in the position. His wife was Miss Pinkerton. Robert
Sittlington s
eldest daughter, Mary Jane, was married ist January, 1887, to Robert
Pinkerton, an employee on the locks.
EDWARD DAWSON, who has for many years been a faithful employee on the
Soulanges Canal, was born in Mille Isles, soon after that place was
first settled, and remembers when it was principally forest. His father,
William Dawson, one of the early pioneers of Mille Isles, lived near
the lake, which was usually designated as "Lake Dawson." Mrs. Dawson
(mother of Edward) died loth December, 1857, at the age of 36 ; and
Mr. Dawson was again married in 1860 to a widow, Mrs. Ryan,
who survived him. Mr. Dawson s death took place about 1890, in the 68th
yeai of his age, and that of Mrs. Dawson in March, 1895.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Edward Dawson left Mille Isles at the age of 21 and came to Stonefield,
Chatham, where he engaged on the Canal works with the contractor, James
Goodwin, Esq. This was in 1873, and Mr. Dawson remained in Mr. Goodwin
s employ till the work
was completed, being married in the meantime to Miss Lizzie Canning in
July, 1875. In 1876 he bought a farm in Block C., front of Chatham,
where he still resides, being engaged in connection with his farming on
the Public Works. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson
have six sons and two daughters living.
About five miles north of Stonefield, in Chatham, is a settlement known as
Ogdensburg a name derived from an early settler named Ogden, a relative
of Capt. Ogden of Vankleek Hill. Other early settlers there were the
Mullins, Strongs, Fos ter, Hatley, McPhadden and Blair, but they have
all left.
JAMES HEATLIE and his son WILLIAM, Scotchmen, located there several years
ago. Both are much respected men of Chatham, and the son is a municipal
coun cillor. He now has the management of the homestead a fine farm
with all the modern improvements. He married a daughter of the late
John Calder.
A family named TOWNSEND has also lived in Ogdensburg many years, and is
numbered with its intelligent citizens. JAMES TOWNSEND, a good farmer,
was appointed Justice of the Peace, and has held municipal offices.
ST. PHILIPPE.
This Parish, which embraces quite a portion of the Township of Chatham,
was erected in 1856. The small village which bears the same name is
located in the south eastern part, in one of the finest farming sections
in the County. The land around is level, free from stone, and some of it,
which was formerly marshy, has been transformed by thorough drainage,
so that the entire section now possesses dry,
beautiful and productive farms. It will be recollected that Colonel
Robertson pur chased a large tract of land in the front of Chatham ;
Thomas A. Stayner, Deputy Postmaster General, married a daughter of the
Colonel, and thus became possessed of much of the land in the vicinity
of St. Philippe.
The earliest settler who remained here any length of time, of whom we
have any record, was a man named LEVI LEVITT. He came from Dunham,
in the Eastern Townships, about the year 1820, and built a house on
the site of the present Roman Catholic presbytery. He was a single man,
and brought with him only his axe, some biscuits, and half a quintal of
codfish. There was no road at the time, consequently these articles were
brought on his back, and, for a long time after this, his supplies were
all brought to his home in the same manner. He afterward married, reared a
family, cleared up a farm, and died here many years ago. Wolves caused
him great annoyance, and, about the time of the Rebellion of 1837,
tne 7 killed thirty- five of his sheep in one night. After his death,
his family sold the farm and left the country.
ROBERT ALLEN, whose father lived in Thomas Gore, was one of the quite
early settlers here, and he remained and raised a large family of
children, but they have long since departed.
One of the oldest settlers still living in this section is MICHAEL
BREARTON, a native of the County of Kilkenny, Ireland. He landed in
Quebec, rath June, 1845, and came directly to Carillon, where he remained
with his uncle, Patrick Murphy, four years. On the apth April, 1852,
he was married to Mary Robert, and the next day settled on the farm
where he now lives, which contains seventy-two acres, and on which, at
that time, there were but ten acres cleared. This is now all cleared up,
and neatly and conveniently fenced off into three and five acre lots. He
has comfortable
21
314 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
buildings, and, at different times, has taken a prize on his farm,
at the County Agri cultural Fair. Other land which he has purchased,
located not far from the home
stead, makes him now a farm of two hundred and ten acres. Mr. Brearton,
in 1838, before leaving Ireland, took the temperance pledge from Father
Matthew, and has
faithfully kept it to this day ; and, though his frosted hair and whiskers
bespeak advanced age, his fresh complexion, erect form and elastic
step give evidence of youthful vigor, and health well preserved. He is
a man much respected, and has held the position of School Commissioner
eighteen years. He has five sons, but only one of them Peter, who lives
on the homestead remains in this section.
Many years ago, a boy. son of a man named Hately, living in the front of
Chatham, was lost, and, after wandering eight days, he was found in the
woods, not far from the house of Mr. Lcavitt. He claimed to have had no
nourishment in all
that time, save water and a dozen beech nuts all he could find.
The next settler after Leavitt was James Smith, a man from the States,
between whom and Mr. Stayner a law-suit arose, for non-pa) ment of the
money due on his
land. Others encouraged and aided Smith, and it was some time before he
was dis
possessed, and his farm, which was then of considerable value, was sold
by Stayner to ROBERT COCHRAN.
Mr. Cochran came, with his family, from Brussels, Belgium, where he had
been foreman in a factory, and it was one of his duties to pay the weavers
there employed. He married there a Scotch girl named Amelia Mitchell,
sister of Archie Mitchell who was a Commissary in the British service
at the time the battle of Waterloo was fought. The two sons, Columbus
and Sidney, and two daughters, Jane and Emma, of
Mr. Cochran, received a good education in Brussels before coming to this
country, so that they were regarded by their less fortunate neighbors
in Chatham with a certain degree of awe and respect. They arrived at
Chatham about 1824. One of the sons,
Columbus Cochran, was a man of great enterprise, and he erected a brewery
and dis tillery here, bought a large tract of land, and was about carrying
out other plans when he was accidentally drowned in the Ottawa. Jane,
one of the daughters of Robert Cochran, was married to James Fatten.
Some years after the death of Columtus Cochran, the remaining members of
his father s family sold the homestead, and it is now owned by WILLIAM
DAVIDSON, one of the prominent and respected farmers of St. Philippe. His
method of farming is quite in advance of the old style. He has all the
improved farming implements : kteps
only good stock, swine, etc., and the care that he devotes to feeding
them makes a visit to his premises pleasant to those interested in such
matters. Before coining here, Mr. Davidson had considerable experience
in market gardening at Cote St. Paul, and still gives some attention
to this industry. While at Cote St. Paul, he was
married to an intelligent Christian lady, the widow of William Broml.y.
John Davidson, his father, who lives in this vicinity, may be classed
among those settlers who came after the migration of the squatters or
potash makers. He airived in Canada from Yorkshire, England, in 1833,
and remained at Cote St. Paul a few years, where he married Hannah
Bromby. He seived in one of the Volunteer companies of Montreal in
1837-38, and afterward came to Chatham. He first took up but one lot ;
but has since added two or three more the last being purchased in 1848.
He now has a large farm well stocked, which is managed by his son Robert,
who is mar ried to a daughter of Robert Nichols, of Cushing. One of his
daughters is also married to Mr. James Nichols, brother to Mrs. Robert
Davidson. Mr. Davidson has had eleven children eight sons and three
daughters but, besides the children above mentioned, George, one of the
sons living in Lachine, is the only one now residing in this section
of Canada.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JAMKS PATTON, from St. Andrews, in Scotland, came to this country
about 18^ After staying with his brother Robert at Van s Corner a
year, and working in different places till 1837, he bought the land at
St. Philippe now owned and occupied bv his son, Robert C. Patton. He
was married about this time to Jane Cochran but the Rebellion soon
called him from the peaceful pursuits of an early settler to those of a
Volunteer. There was a log-house and barn, but only a smal. clearing on
the land when Mr. Patton purchased it, so that the work of clearing up
a farm of one hundred and fifty acres furnished himself, with the aid
of his boys, a life-long work He was appointed a Justice of the Peace,
but always declined to exercise the duties of his office, that of School
Commissioner being the only one in which he served, and that he held for
many years. He had four children sons ; one of these died in childhood,
another at the age of twenty-eight. His youngest son Charles F who is
a physician, lives in San Francisco, California. Mr. Patton died 2 6th
MiY 1877; Mrs. Patton i6th September, 1853. Robert C, the only son in
this section has always remained on the homestead, and is one of the
respected and substantial farmers of Chatham. He has been Municipal
Councillor seven or eH, t years and a School Commissioner three or
four. He was married to Agnes Dobbie in is6-
Besides a small shop or two, there is one good-sized general store at
St Philio
which is the property of PIERRE CARRIERE & SON. Mr. Carriere came from St
Scholastique to this place in 1855, took his uncle s farm at Staynerville
Diving him a lif lease Five years afterward he went to California to
earn money to pay for additional land he had bought. After an absence
of nearly five years he returned and paid for is land, and once more
devoted himself to farming. Believing, however that he could make money
faster in other business, in 1868 he sold his personal property renl
his farm, and went to the region bordering on Lake Superior. There at
his trade of carpenter and by taking boarders, he cleared $2,200 in
eighteen months. Returning he worked his farm till March, 1890, when
he sold it and bought the store in wh
he is still engaged. The first wife of Mr. Carriere, Bridget 6 Reillv,
died in T S<7 avmg one daughter, who is now married. In 1865 he
married Marie Cyr bv which image he has four sons and one daughter. His
eldest son, Arthur, who is with im in the store received a good academic
education at St. Scholastique and Lachute He : was marned in January,
1893, to Lia Foucault. Mr. Pierre Carriere is a member of the Dissentient
School Board, Board of Health, is Assessor, a Director of t
tian Granite Quarry, and has been Municipal Councillor several years.
TAYLOR LAFRAMBOISE came to St. Philippe from St. Scholastique in 1870
and led a small carriage shop on his arrival, but his business has
so prospered that he enlarged his premises, and now usually employs a
dozen men. He has a paint lop harness and blacksmith shop, so that he
is prepared to make all kinds of vehicle and he annually sells a number
of fine buggies of the most improved and latest style 3 an undertaker,
and agent for all kinds of agricultural implements besides :ing Manager
and Secretary of the Laurentian Granite Quarry Company Jterpnse of Mr. L*
framboise has brought him success, and he has erected a neat
a attractive residence here.
f a mile west from the village of st - Philippe on a good
His father, James Boyd Chambers, came from the County of Tyrone, Ireland
to UK tham m 1841, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his
son Thomas ? was only a rude hut on it and a small clearing at the time,
and he soon erected
e comfortable house, which is still standing, and he also, with the
assistance of >ns, cleared up the farm. Mr. Chambers had received a
pretty fair education in
riy days, which was of good service to him in this country. He was
a School
316 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Commissioner for some time ; but his principal business was buying and
selling cattle and sheep a pursuit he followed for thirty-five years. He
died in January, 1893, in the goih year of his age. He had six sons and
four daughters; one of the latter is now dead. Four of the sons live in
Chatham and two are in Montana.
James B. Chambers, one of the sons, in his younger days was employed
in the lumber business, and thus earned money, with which, in 1868, he
purchased of his father the farm of i oo acres on which he now lives. He
has erected fine commodious barns, keeps a good stock of cattle, horses
and sheep, and everything about his
premises gives evidence of thrift and prosperity Mr. Chambers was married
in September, 1873, to Margaret Scarborough. He has been a member of
the School Board a number of years.
John Chambers, another son of the late James B. Chambers, is proprietor
of a good farm adjacent to that of his brother named above, though on
another road leading from St. Philippe to the front of Chatham. He was
married loth September, 1875, to Nancy Smith, daughter of the late John
Smith, of Chatham.
HISTORICAL* NOTES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ST.
PHILIPPE.
BY REV. P. CHATILLON.
The following few notes have been gathered, for the greater part,
from the mouths of several of the most ancient Catholic parishioners of
St. Philippe still living. Any one of my successors may, if he wills it,
give them a literary form, and complete them.
The beginning and developments of the Roman Catholic parish of
St. Philippe, County of Argenteuil, Province of Quebec, would be very
interesting to be traced up in an historical point of view, the much
more interesting, as they would show us how were formed through time
most of the Roman Catholic parishes situated on the two banks of the
Ottawa River, in the Counties of Argenteuil, Ottawa, Prescott and
Russell.
The parish of St. Philippe is situated in the centre of the County of
Argenteuil, 48 miles from Montreal, and 72 miles from Ottawa, reckoning
from Staynerville station. It contains thus nearly the whole of the
township of Chatham, from the
township of Wentworth to the north, to the Ottawa River to the south. Its
territory, consequently, as it is shown by the local geographical map, is
found half in the valley of the Ottawa River, and half in the Laurentide
Mountains.
It is exclusively in the south part of the township of Chatham, from
the foot of the mountains, that is to say, in the valley of the Ottawa
River, that Catholic people have gathered up to the present time, where
they find themselves mixed with an English and Protestant population ;
but they have managed to live always in harmony with them, owing to
their remarkable spirit of liberality, peace and charity.
The parish of St. Philippe is generally known under the name of
St. Philippe of
Argenteuil, from the name of the county, or of St. Philippe of Chatham,
from the name of the township, or of Muddy Branch (La Branche), from the
name of a small brook on the Stayner road, to the north of the present
village, which brook discharges its whitish and muddy waters into the
North River, at Lachute, thus forming a branch of that much more important
stream. Whence follows, that saying that you go to St. Philippe, or to
Chatham, or to " La Branche," comes to the same thing, and you will be
understood by everyone in the neighborhood, and even far away.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 317
The Roman Catholic population of the parish of St. Philippe, numbering 230
families and 1,400 souls, are nearly all of French-Canadian race. There
are
only about a score of Irish families, living, the most of them, in
the southern part of the parish. The first Roman Catholic families who
came to settle in the township of Chatham do not trace up the origin of
the parish of St. Philippe farther back than about threescore years,
from the most accurate relations of the old people of the afore said
place. The French-Canadian families, for the greater part, came hither
from the various parishes of the county of Two Mountains, where they were
already too crowd ed, to form settlements, and they fixed themselves, in
preference, at the foot of the mountain, and in the west of the township,
where the land seemed to them better and easier to be cultivated. French
colonists, generally speaking, are not so very well off, although steady,
as the English-speaking settlers, because they are not such good farmers,
and spend more money for their table, clothes and carriages. Let that
be said in passant as a piece of good advice, to be fair and impartial,
and to furnish them with a good opportunity of improving their morals
and methods.
Among the French-Canadian families who came successively and settled in
the township of Chatham, we may name, specially, the families Trudeau,
Sarrazin, Leclaire, Saintonge, Poireur, Bellefeuille, Raymond, Labrosse,
Bricot, Lamarche, Lacasse, Desjardins, Lalande, Latreille, Leblanc,
Laurin, Blais, iVIauricette, Laurence, Pilon, Foucault, Rochon,
Giroux, Ouellet, Carriere, Cleroux, Robert, Morin, Lapoime, etc. Some
of those families, in the course of time, left the place, but others are
represented there now by a good many members. The most ancient Irish or
Scotch Catholic families established in the township of Chatham are :
the families Byrne, Brearton, Cameron, Lennon, Derrick, McCoy, Farrell,
Wellingham, Baxter, Hart, Kelly, etc. The last three have left the place,
or are extinguished at the present time. There, as elsewhere, in general,
they have not kept the naive and strong faith of their mother-country. In
that point of view, the free soil of America was some what harmful
to them.
Whence and how were those first colonists attended to in the first years
of their settlement? According to the testimony of the old people of
St. Philippe, quite
unanimous on that point, during the interval from 1835 to I 836, tne y-
were obliged to- go to Saint Andre most of the time, to get religious
assistance. In fact, the first mass was said to them by one of the
former missionaries of the latter parish, possibly and probably, the
Rev. L. D. Charland, parish priest of Rigaud, in the house of Joseph
Larose, in the row of " La Branche," a house rebuilt by Charles Raymond
Labrosse. There, also, Bishop Guigues put up, when he came to fix the
place of the first Roman Catholic chapel of the township of Chatham. The
Roman Catholic colonists of the
township of Chatham, during that same interval, from 1835 to X 836, were
also attended to by the missionaries while passing through Grenville,
and holding service in the old wooden chapel of that mission, situated
about a mile below the present village,
between the Queen s Road and the Ottawa River. You may see still the ruins
of that old chapel which was burned later on. The records of baptisms,
marriages and burials, for the mission of the township of Chatham, up
to 1856, must be found both in the parochial registries of St. Andre
and Grenville, according to the case.
The Canonicil erection of the parish of St. Philippe, which had been
till then a simple mission, took place on the 24th of January, 1856,
through a decree of Bishop J. E. B. Guigues, first bishop of Bytown,
and the civil erection, on the 6th of August, 1861, through the means of
Mr. Justice Lafontaine. Those proceedings gave it a regular and legal
existence, and contributed a great deal to its spiritual, moral and
material progress. One could guess already what it was to become later on.
Accord ing to the contents of the decree, that parish contains that part
of the township of
318 HISTOPY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Chatham which is limited to the south by the Ottawa River, to cue east
by the line that separates the township of Chatham from the Seigniory of
Argenteuil, includ ing that patt of 1 Isle aux Chats" which is situated in
Chatham, to the north by the township of Wentwoith, and to the west by the
hill which is called Broon s Hill, a territory of about 27 square miles.
The first election of wardens, under the curacy of Rev. E, H. Ebrard,
curate to that parish (the reverend gentleman was drowned some years
later in taking a
bath at Masham Mills), was held on the 25th of May, 1856 ; that document,
as well as the certificate of marriage between Jos. Lacombe and Olive
Leclair, dated 2ist of July, 1856, are the two first parochial documents
of St. Philippe. The three first wardens elected were : Martin Sarrazin,
Amable Trudeau and Wm. Byrne. The warden in charge for the balance of
the aforesaid year was Martin Sarrazin. The
fourth warden elected was Leon Bricot-Lamarche, on the 6th of January,
1837, etc -
The Rev. Arthur Mignault, a French-Canadian, was the first parish priest
of St.
Philippe. Appointed in July, 1856, he did not fix his residence in that
place before October, 1837. He occupied at first, till the following
spting, the wooden house at the corner of the street, belonging now to
Joseph Corbeil, merchant, then the present priest-house, which became his
property for about two months, at the end of which he left the parish
in May, 1*58. He left behind him the name of a great preacher of the
Roman Catholic faith dead at the present time.
The second paiish priest of St. Philippe was the Rev. Laurent Jouvent,
a French
man by biith, afterwards a vicar-general of the diocese of Bytown. He
came hither in the first days of June, 1858, and left the parish at, the
end of March or at the beginning of April, 1862. He returned to France,
in the diocese of Paris, where he is still living at the present time.
The third parish priest of the same parish was Rev. P. S. Mancip, a
Frenchman, who came here in the last days of March or the first days
of April, 1862, and left the parish on the 2oth November, 1873. He was
afterwards appoin;ed parish priest at L Orignal, where he died and was
buried. The parishioners of St. Philippe, who were acquainted with him,
have the best remembrance of him, and are unanimous in their praise. His
departure was deplored by everybody, and people speak still of him
with emotion.
The fourth parish priest was the Rev. J. C. Comminges, a Frenchman,
who arrived here on the 17111 of November, 1873, and left at Michaelmas,
1877. He died suddenly in Manitoba some years ago.
The fifth parish priest was Rev. Gabriel Joseph Motte, a Frenchman,
who came here at Michaelmas, 1877, and left the parish at the end of
October, 1880, now September, 1894 a professor at Bourget College,
Rigaud. (See reg. fol. 46, p. 92.)
The sixth parish priest was Rev. Charles Larose, a French-Canadian,
who was appointed at the end of October, 1880, and left the parish at
Michaelmas, 1886, to go to the parish of Wendover, to-day parish priest
of " The Brook." He succeeded among a lot of difficulties to fix the
legal repartition for the construction of the present stone church. He
was esteemed by his people, specially on account of his sympathy for
sick people.
The seventh parish priest was the Rev. Peter Godin Chatillon, a
French-Cana dian, who arrived here at Michaelmas, 1886. He returned to
the diocese of Montreal on the 3rd of October, 1894, to become a chaplain
of the Monastery of the Good Shepherd, Sherbrooke street.
The parish of St. Philippe, which had grown pretty populous, resolved
to build a chapel for their own use. A generous citizen of the place,
Joseph Leclair, made a gift, at first verbally, of an acre of land for
that object ; the deed of the gift was not
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 319
signed till the loth of May, 1859. The contractor of the building was
Rinaldo fuller, a farmer of the neighborhood. The pews were made by
J. B. Beauchamp. The brick chapel, 45 \3i outside, built in 1877, and
converted into a store by P. Carriere & Son, was used as a parochial
church up to the 6th of January, 1889, exclusively. The land where it was
erected was sold, in part, in 1889 to Telesphore Desvoyaux-Laframbroise,
carter, and, in part, in 1890, with the chapel itself, to Joseph Mathias
Dorion, a merchant of the place, for the sum of $1,000, out of which sum
the Trustees Board of St. Philippe was obliged to pay a hundred dollars
to Joseph Leclair. The ground where were erected the present church,
presbytery and cemetery, to the east of the town, containing 35 acres,
was bought from the Rev. Arlhur Reignault by the trustees, on the 3rd of
February, 1859. The little steel bell, bought by Rev. F. 1. Mancip for the
Church Corporation, was sold in 1892 to the mission of Eardly, connected
with Aylmer. The wrought iron cross of the steeple is kept as a relic
in the smalt cemetery established in the vault of the present church.
The mission of Grenviile, from July, 1856, up to the appointment of the
first parish priest, Rev. D. I. Foley, in 1871, was attended to by the
parish priest of St. Philippe, who used to say mass there once or twice
a month. The mission of Wentworth was also in charge, from July, 1856,
to October, 1884, of the parish priests of St. Philippe, at first without
any curate, and afterwaids from Michaelmas, 1892, through the means
of a curate, Mr. Dieudonne Belanger, who went to say mass there once a
month. The records of baptisms, marriages and burials of that mission,
during those two intervals, were then kept in the parochial registers
of St. Philippe. The mission of S r .. Joachim, Chute a Blondeau,
was attended to by the parish priests of St. Philippe up to ist January,
1887. The records of baptisms, marriages and burials of the said mission
were also kept, during that period of time, in the parochial registers
of St. Philippe.
Up to the present time, according to the testimony of the old people and
the registers of St. Philippe, there have been twelve episcopal visits:
the first in June, 1857, by Bishop Guigues, who put up that time at
Joseph Leclair s, whose stone house at the entrance of the village is
still in existence. It is in that same house that the missionaries of
Grenville put up and said mass for several years before the con struction
of the chapel. The second visit took place on the loth of June, 1861,
by Bishop Guigues; the third on the 2nd of June, 1864; the fourth on
the 6th of June, 1866 ; the fifth on the ist of July, 1872, always by
Bishop Guigues ; the sixth on the 3rd of June, 1875, by Bishop Duhamel ;
the seventn on the gth of July, 1879; the eighth on the 231x1 of June,
1881 ; the ninth on the 3rd of July, 1884 ; the tenth on the 24th of
July, 1887 ; the eleventh on the 28th of June, 1890 ; and the twelfth
on the 23rd of July all of them by Bishop Duhamel.
Meanwhile, the chapel, that had become too small, called for a new
temple worthy of the Divine Majesty, and large enough to contain, for
a long period of time, the Roman Catholic people of St. Philippe. The
diocesan Bishop, on the 23rd of June, 1 88 1, gave to the parishioners the
order, to get themselves ready to construct the new church in the near
future. The five wardens elected to put the said decree into execution
were: Gedeon Sarrazin, chairman ; John Robert, Leon Bruot
Lamarche, Joseph Dowick, and Toussaint Lacroix. Later on, Ge"deon
Sarrazin left
the place, and was replaced by Philibert Filion, and John Robert was
elected chair man. The outside plan, in Roman style, was made by Perrault
& Mesnard, architects of Montreal, according to which, the church was
to be 115 x 50 feet outside, and the vestry 36 x 26 feet inside. The
contract was given to Athanase Lauzon, of Bizard Island, for the amount
of $11, 800 cash, and the work began on the 251)1
320 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of April, 1888. The said contractor did not give satisfaction in many
parts of the building. The blessing of the first stone took place on the 1
5th of the next May, under the direction of Bishop Duhamel, Archbishop of
Ottawa. The building Was completed the next fall, apart from the steeple,
which was not built till the following spring. The first mass was said
in the new church on the 6th of January, 1889 > three bells of the
foundry of Mears & Stainbank, London, giving the notes fa sol la, and
weighing 2466 pounds, were bought at the same time, by the Fabrique of
the church, through the means of a bazaar, and cost $1,170.52. Let us
praise the generosity of the parishioners of St. Philippe and of their
friends, on that occasion. The solemn blessing of the church and the
bells took place on the 1 5th of June, 1889, and was presided over by
Bishop Duhamel. The big bell, weighing 992 pounds, was
given the names of Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph, Anne, Joachim,
Victoria ; the next one, weighing 809 pounds, the names of Elizabeth,
Elzear, Alexandre, Theresa, Bruno, Thomas; and the little one, weighing
665 pounds, the names of Rose, Philip, Patrick, Pierre, Agnes. Everyone
of them bears a Latin inscription, adapted to the occasion. The sermon
in French was given by Rev. J. Rouleau, a professor at the
Little Seminary of St. Teresa, and the sermon in English, by the
Rev. Wm. Whelan, parish priest of St. Patrick, Ottawa. The sponsors
were Messrs. Simon Labrosse,
N.P., of St. Eugene, and lady ; W. Owens, M.P.P., of Lachute, and
Mrs. John Lennon, of St. Philippe; H. Berthelot, N.P., of Lachute, and
Miss Sauve ; Phineas Lane and Mrs. Philibert Filion of St. Philippe ;
John Kelly, of Carillon, and Mrs. Kelly; Michael Dwyer, of Carillon,
and lady; Hugh Robert, of St. Philippe, and lady; Joseph Mathias Dorion,
of St. Philippe, and widow Honore Desjardins, of St. Philippe ; Cyrille
Perier and widow Isidore Legault, St. Philippe ; John Fitzgerald, sen.,
and lady, Chatham ; John Fitzgerald and lady ; John Robert and lady ;
Augustin Prevost and lady ; Toussaint Lacroix and lady ; Celestin Leclair
and lady. A fine number of the neighboring priests were also present. The
collection amounted to $229.
The inside of the church and the vestry were completed in 1891, according
to the plan of Messrs. Perreault, Mesnard & Venne, three eminent
architects of Montreal. The joiner s work by Ph. Boileau & Brothers,
of Bizard Island, cost the sum of $4000, and the decorative painting
by F. E. Meloche, a painter of Montreal, cost the same amount. Those
gentlemen gave full and entire satisfaction to their employers. On the
occasion of the inauguration of those final works, a pontifical mass
was celebrated by Bishop Duhamel, Archbishop of Ottawa, on the i2th of
November, 1891, in presence of agreat number of priests belonging to the
archdioceses of Montreal and Ottawa. The fourteen stations of the Way of
the Cross, which were also blessed on the same occasion, were generously
given by the parishioners of St. Philippe. Each station cost $1500. The
stained glass windows, which cost in all
$362, were generous gifts. They were made by Castle & Son, of Montreal,
accord ing to the plans of E. Meloche. and cost $20 each, except the
one of the front gate, that cost $35.00. The Church of St. Philippe has
not yet been consecrated, but everything is ready to that end. The said
consecration, we may hope, will take place in the near future.
The school question did not fail early to attract the attention of
the Catholic
people of the township of Chatham. For that very reason, as soon as
the ist of July, 1861, the school municipality of the dissidents of
Chatham was established, and the three first wardens elected were
Leon Bricot-Lamarche, chairman ; Etienne Maheux and Moise Clement,
with Fernandez Naubert as secretary-treasurer. The first school- house
was built on f the land of Nap. Pilon, near to the village on the " La
Branche " row, and the first emale teacher was Adeline Cote, the wife
of Cyrille Perier, of St.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 32!
Philippe. Six schools were in full working in 1894. French and English
are taught simultaneously in one school. The three present wardens are :
Al. Morin, chairman ; Pierre Carriere and Ambroise Blais, with Hyacinthe
Paquin as secretary- treasurer. All the Catholic people to-day are
dissidents.
The village of St. Philippe, all French and Roman Catholic, numbered,
in 1894, 28 houses, one of which is unoccupied, and 29 families, three
stores, one flour
merchant, a post office, one currier, two shoemakers, three
blacksmiths, two joiners, one hotelkeeper, one baker, one tailor and
two dressmakers. Several private and
public improvements have been made during the last few years.
In fine, let us say it appears that to the parish of St. Philippe is
connected a glorious record in the annals of the French domination
in Canada. It would appear that it was at the foot of " Long Sault "
at Greece s Point, or in the neighborhood on either bank of the Ottawa
River, that took place the heroic struggle of Doilard and his twenty-six
companions, with forty-six Hurons and Algonquins against eight hun dred
Iroquois, in May, 1660. According to my humble opinion, the Provincial
Government of Quebec should not delay ordering thorough explorings in
the said place, in order to try to discover the very spot where was
acted that heroic deed of our national history.
C.
The locality in which the pioneers next mentioned spent their last days
is about two miles west of St. Philippe,
CAPTAIN JOHNSON SMITH, who had been a soldier in the American Revolution,
came from New Hampshire to Stanstead, Que., about 1799, and in 1805,
to the front of Chatham, and bought 100 acres of land, which is now
owned and occupied
by Geo. M. Bradford. In the war of 1812, he became Lieutenant of Militia,
and after the war, he was promoted to the rank of Captain a title by
which, subse quently, he was always known and addressed. He had five
sons and five daughters. His two eldest sons, Walter and Johnson, were
also soldiers during the war of 1812, and the former was wounded at the
Battle of Lacolle Mill. Captain Johnson Smith
died 30th November; 1857 ; his wife died igth February, 1850. Three of
their sons, Johnson, Daniel and David, all remained in Chatham till death,
and reared large families.
Daniel, the third son, at the age of eighteen, bought a lot in the
2nd Concession, on which he spent his life, and which is now owned and
occupied by his own son,
Johnson Smith. About 1828, he married Esther Dale, daughter of Daniel
Dale, of Dalesville, who built the first mills there. Mr. Smith was an
industrious, thrifty farmer, and erected a good stone house with tin
roof, in which his son still resides. He died 23rd April, 1889, aged
88 years and n months ; Mrs. Smith died i6th December, 1884, aged 72
years and 6 months. They had twelve children, nine of whom seven sons
and two daughters grew up. Johnson, the son living on the homestead,
married 2oth April, 1881, Elizabeth McArthur ; John, his brother, lives
with him. He has a fine farm of 140 acres, well stocked, and all the
agricultural implements employed by a thrifty, intelligent farmer.
Daniel, another brother, married in November, 1882, a widow, Mrs. H. A.
Hooper. In 1880, he built a powder mill at Brownsburg, which has since
become the property of the Dominion Cartridge Company, and Mr. Smith
for several years
has been their agent. He lives at Brownsburg, and is widely known as a
public- spirited, energetic gentleman.
Jacob, another son of Captain Smith, married 24th November, 1862,
Elizabeth Chambers; he settled near the homestead, and died there nth
September, 1891.
322 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
His widow still resides there with her children, of whom they had seven
four sons and three daughters. Millie, one of their daughters, in 1890,
at the age of 13,
received a medal from the Montreal Witness, for a story she wrote for
the paper, concerning her grand-father Smith s life as a pioneer.
ROBERT MARTIN, from or near Bury, St. Edmunds, England, came to Chatham
in 1845, an d i fi I 85 settled on the farm now owned and occupied
by his son, George B. Martin. He had been married in England, but his
wife died, and he left his two children a son and daughter there, when
he came to this country. In 1849, ne married Mary Bothwell; they had
three children two sons and one daughter but one of the former died
in infancy. Mr. Martin died in July, 1859; Mrs. Martin in January,
1891. Their only remaining son, George Broke, received his second name
after Captain Broke, who commanded the British vessel " Shannon,"
which captured the United States ship " Chesapeake," near Boston, in
the American War; Captain
Broke being an old and esteemed friend of Mr. Martin.
George B. Martin, the son, has always remained on the homestead with
his sister, Mary Jane. He has a good-sized farm, as well as a good
library. In 1867, lie joined the Argenieuil Rangers, and has passed
through the different grades of pro motion, till he now holds the rank
of Major. In 1891, he was appointed Secretary- Treasurer of the Cha
ham Council, and two years later, Secretary- Treasurer of the School
Commissioners of Municipality No. i, comprising the first six ranges of
lots in Chatham. The rural abode of Mr. Martin and his sister, and the
possession of a library, hive enabled them, without the distractions
incident to a less secluded life, to profit by extensive reading a fact
pleasurably apparent to those who meet them.
STAYNERVILLE.
A little more than a mile from St. Philippe, and at the railway station,
a post office has been established with the above name, a name of a former
Post-master General, who once owned a large tract of land here.
There is no village
here, the station and an hotel comprising all the buildings, except
farmers houses scattered at various distances along the highway. At a
short distance from the Station, running through a narrow valley with
steep, sloping sides, is a small stream known as Muddy Branch, on account
of the turbid water caused by clay soil. On the opposite bank of the
stream from the station stand the buildings of two comparatively early
settlers, on different sides of the highway ; their names are WILLIAM
SCARBOROUGH and WILLIAM DAVIS.
The father of the former, who was a tailor, came to Canada about 1830,
and first lived in the front of Chatham on the farm of Colin Dewar,
but about two years later he was engaged by the Rev. Joseph Abbott,
who then owned the Bradford estate in
that section, to go to St. Andrews, and act as sexton for his church. A
year subse quently, he was induced to obtain a piece of land that he
could call his own, and on which his children could do something toward
the support of the family, while he could still follow his trade. With
this object in view, he took a lot on Muddy Branch, so marshy at the
time, that the proprietor, Mr. Stayner. had great difficulty in finding
anyone who would purchase it. At the time of the Rebellion, Mr. Parish,
merchant of St. Andrews, took a contract for supplying the Volunteers
with clothing, and Mr. Scarborough was employed in cutting and making
it, and from that time forward obtained all the work he desired.
William, his son, who now owns the homestead, when a boy worked some
years for his neighbors, Levi Leavitt and Robert Allen. He was employed
by the latter
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 323
during the Rebellion, and as Mr. Allen belonged to the Cavalry, and
was stationed, sometimes at the " Barracks" in Carillon, and sometimes
at St. Andrews, it was a part of young Scarborough s work to bring to
Allen, every week, one of the farm horses, and take back the charger
used in service the week previous. Mr. Scarborough says he was kept
pretty busy at that time, and during the days when the fight occurred
at St. Eustache, and the Volunteers marched to Grand Brule, he had to
look after the stock and chores of a number of the Volunteers who lived
in proximity to Mr. Allen.
Subsequently, he worked a good deal with lumber men, and on one occasion,
when in a camp with a few men, back from the river on the Upper Ottawa,
he was left entirely alone for ten days. One of the men cut his knee,
and from want of proper treatment the knee swelled, and the man was in
danger of his life, so that some
of his companions had to convey him on a stretcher to the river, thence
by boat to a pkce where he could receive proper medical aid. In the
meantime, Scarborough was left in charge of the camp, and he found the
first night or two rather trying to his nerves, as wolves surrounded and
seemed determined to attack him, but were pre vented by the bright fire,
which he kept burning continuously all night.
At another time, when carrying the mail from Grenville to Hull, he was
in danger of being drowned. Bridges had been carried away, and the land
was overflowed during a spring freshet, so that he had to use a canoe in
making his trip. While thus jour neying near the mouth of the Gatineau,
his boat was suddenly entangled in a great mass of floodwood, swept down
by the breaking of a dam above. After much diffi culty, he succeeded in
gaining an island, from which he was rescued. But Mr. Scar borough seems
to have borne the hardships and surmounted the difficulties of pioneer
life successfully, as he is still active, and performs much hard labor.
His farm the same which his father obtained from Stayner is no longer
a morass, but
all cleared and drained, and produces fine crops. He has four children
one son and three daughters; the latter, all married, live in distant
parts ; John, the son, with his family resides here on the homestead.
RICHARD DAVIS came to Chatham from Gloucester, England, about 1832, and
for some time found employment on the canal, which was then in process
of construc tion. One method then employed to procure rum afforded him
some amusement, and was an incident in his early experience in this
country he used subsequently to re late.
A few of the horses of the canal laborers, tempted by the fresh feed
in the road or fields adjacent, often broke out of their enclosure. A
certain foreman of a gang watched for such opportunities, put the horses
in pound, and with the poundage thus secured bought rum for his men.
Subsequently, Mr. Davis bought the lot adjoining Mr. Scarborough s,
which is now owned and occupied by his nephew, William Davis. These two
men began work on their land, and built houses about the same time. So
marshy was the ground at that time, that they were obliged to quit work
while it was quite light, otherwise they would find it necessary to remain
over night in the woods, not being able to pick their paths through the
morass in the darkness. On one occasion, Mr. Davis, having prolonged
his work till it was quite late, was overtaken by night, in attempting
to reach the house of Mr. Allen, which he made his temporary residence ;
he then kindled a fire, and lay down on a log beside it to sleep. He was
prevented, however, by three wolves which kept him company the entire
night, often venturing so near, snapping and howl ing, that he was in
constant fear of becoming their prey. For several years, these animals
and lynxes were very destructive to the sheep of these two pioneers the
latter, on account of the stealth with which they carried off lambs,
being more dreaded than wolves.
324
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
The children of Mr. Davis all died in infancy, and a few years after
the death of his wife, he went to England, where he also died.
Previous to this, in September, 1853, his nephew, WILLIAM DAVIS, came
to this country, and lived with him eight years. He then worked out a
few years, married to Ann Chambers, and returned, obtaining his uncle
s farm by means of a life lease. He is one of the substantial farmers
of this section, and has two children a son and daughter who both live
with him. Mrs. Davis died in 1894.
In this neighborhood, on the 6th Range, is also the fine farm of David,
the fourth son of DAVID McOuAT.
In 1879, he purchased 120 acres here, the greater part of which he has
cleared and brought to a good state of cultivation ; his level and well
tilled fields and good buildings indicating the presence and management
of a thrifty farmer. He has within a few years purchased 150 acres more
in the adjoining Range. He was married 4th
November, iSyr, to Ellen Kern
BROWNSBURG.
This pleasant little village or hamlet, which has recently sprung into
some pro
minence on account of being the site of the Cartridge Factory, and near
the lately discovered granite quarry, was, in early years, made a place
of no little importance by the erection of Brown s mills.
GEORGE BROWN came from England to Lachute, and was for several years
employed as miller in the old seigniorial mill at that place. The
exact time of his advent is uncertain, but the fact that, in 1818,
he received a grant of land at what is now known as Brownsburg, shows
that he was here at that date. He was a man of enterprise, and very soon
after locating his land, he began the erection of mills, which were of
priceless benefit to the early settlers of this section a benefit which
their descendants still enjoy, after the lapse of threescore years.
There is good evidence that his dwelling house, which is now occupied by
his grandson, D. D. McGibbon, was entered by his family, as a residence,
in 1829. Much of the lumber which was used in its construction was
floated up the stream on which the. mills were built, from Lachute,
Mr. Brown became a man of great influence here ; he was a Magistrate and
Captain of Militia, from which, on the 2istMay, 1857, he was promoted to
the rank of Major. Much credit is due him for his perseverance under the
most discouraging circum stances, it being authentically stated that,
when the family reached St. Andrews, on coming from England, they had
only money enough left to purchase a single loaf bread. Before closing
his career, however, he surrounded his family with all the com forts of
affluence, and was able to relieve the necessities of many others. He
left bit two daughters, one of whom married Alexander McGibbon, the
other married James Duddridge.
ALEXANDER McGiBBON was a distant relative of John McGibbon, the second
settler at Dalesville, and he came to that place very soon after the
arrival of John. The latter was a carpenter by trade, and Alexander
worked with him. and learned
the trade, before they left Scotland.
Alexander had a fine, melodious voice, and was an excellent singer
a talent that was often exercised atreligiois meetings and social
gatherings, after he came
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 325
Dalesville. Possessing considerable skill, also, in treating and nursing
the sick ; his services were highly estimated by the community around,
the members of which he
vomited and bled according to the pathological views of those days to
their heart s content. A much loved man was Alex. McGibbon. His wife died
soon after he came to this country a bereavement he felt very keenly. He
determined never to marry again, and finally moved, with most of his
family, to Ontario, where he died.
Mrs. McGibbon was the first woman buried in the cemetery at Dalesville ;
they had four sons John and Duncan, twins, Alexander, Daniel, and one
daughter, Cathe rine, or " Kitty," as she was always called.
Alexander, their third son, married Jane, daughter of George Brown, Esq.,
nth June, 1845, an d came into possession of his father-in-law s estate,
.consisting of the mills and about 1000 acres of land. He rebuilt the
mills, and his enterprise and influ ence for many years showed him a
worthy successor of the one whose place he had
assumed. In 1855, loth February, he was appointed Postmaster the
Post-office being then established, with the name Brownsburg ; and
besides other local positions, he held that of School Commissioner many
years. He died 25th June, 1883, aged 62 years, n months ; Mrs. McGibbon
died, lothMay, 1889, aged 70 years, 2 months.
They had ten children five of each sex. The homestead was divided between
the two sons, Alexander and Duncan D. McGibbon. The former has 300 acres
of land, much of which is valuable and in a good state of cultivation, and
the saw mill ; the latter has 325 acres, and the grist mill. Alexander was
married, 3oth June, 1886, to Mary Jane Warwick ; she died 2;th July, 1891.
Duncan McGibbon was married to Annie, daughter of William Buchan of
Geneva, 2oth June, 1888. Alexander has been a member of the Board
of School Commissioners for the past five or six years ; and both the
brothers, who are admirable types of physical form and vigor, are esteemed
for their genial qualities and public spirit.
George Brown McGibbon, another son of Alexander McGibbon, died at Butte
City, Montana, i5th April, 1887 ; and James W. McGibbon, another of his
sons, died i6th March, 1892, at Victoria, B.C. Catherine, a daughter
of Alexander McGibbon, who was married to Archie McArthur, died 23rd
October, 1882.
The scenery in the vicinity of the Brownsburg mills is romantic in
the extreme ; the river on which they are located, and which provides
admirable water power, rushing over its rocky bed through deep chasms
and woodland bowers, is not the least attractive feature of the landscape.
JOHN MACDONALD from Sutherland, Scotland, not far from 1812, engaged as
clerk to the Hudson Bay Company, and was thus employed for some years
in the North west. He came to Lachute about 1821, engaged in mercantile
business, and acted as land agent for Colin Robertson, whose wife s
sister he had married. In 1835 ne took up at Brownsburg 200 acres Lot 9,
Range 7, which is still owned and occupied by his children. His selection
of land was a good one, as the farm is now a beautiful one, and has
been awarded the first prize more than once by the County Agricultural
Society. At present, it sustains 32 head of cattle and 8 horses. Mr.
Macdonald took an active part in quelling the Rebellion of 1837, an( ^
at tnat t me \vasCaptainofaCompanyof Militia; he died nth July, 1879;
his wife died 15111 January, 1890. They had thirteen children, of whom
twelve grew up. Two sons, George and James, and two daughters, Mary, and
a widow, Mrs. James Thornton, live on the homestead. James, for some time,
belonged to the Argenteuil Rangers, and George, to the St. Andrews Troop.
Mills or manufactories usually form the nucleus of a village ; but the
little village
326 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of Brownsburg, instead of following this time- honored rule, has shown
a preference for four " Corners," and grown up at some distance from
the mills.
There are two stores here, owned respectively by Mr. McArthur. who
is the Postmaster of the place, and H. E. THOMPSON; the store of the
latter being an imposing brick structure that would do credit to a
city. Mr. Thompson was born in Hochelaga, his grandfather, who did a
large business, being an early trader in that place. His father was
a grocer ; and, after living with him till he was thirteen years of
age, he learned telegraphy, and for a few years was employed by the
Dominion, Montreal and G. N. W. Telegraph Companies, and, afterwards,
was on the Quebec, Montreal & Occidental Railway. Subsequently, he was
for ten years station agent and telegraph operator at St. Philippe. He
left this in 1890, to engage in trade at St. Philippe, receiving on his
resignation a flattering recommendation from the assistant Superintendent,
H. B. Spencer. Two and a half years later, having
bought his present store and 160 acres of land at Brownsburg, he removed
hither in February, 1892. He was married iQth September, 1893, to Eliza
Nichols of Stayner- ville, Que.
Among the few dwellings here is the neat brick one of Daniel Johnson,
who is mentioned in the sketch of St. Philippe.
There is a Methodist church here, in which service is held regularly by
the minister at Lachute. The land for this church was given by George
Brown, Esq., " to the Rev. Francis Coleman and others, on behalf of the
Wesleyan Methodist Church," in 1852.
JOHN McLEOD, the village blacksmith at this place, descends from one
of the pioneers of Harrington. His grandfather, Hugh McLeod, also a
blacksmith, Came from Sutherlandshire, Scotland, to that township among
the early settlers, and worked at his trade there till his death, about
ten years ago. He had four sons and an equal number of daughters who
grew up. Donald McLeod, his youngest son, married Bella Dewar, bought 150
acres of land near his home, and still lives on it, engaged in farming. He
has five daughters and four sons. John, second son, married Mary McLeod,
26th June, 188;, and for the last five years has plied his
trade with ample encouragement at Brownsburg.
DOMINION CARTRIDGE FACTORY.
Traveling westward from Brownsburg, one first climbs quite an ascent,
and then, after passing through a strip of pleasant woodland, descends a
short dis tance, when a scene abruptly meets his eye, which, if he is a
stranger in the locality, will both please and surprise him ; this scene
comprises the grounds and buildings of the DOMINION CARTRIDGE COMPANY. All
the buildings neatly painted, and the main ones imposing in size, located
in a romantic dell, on a stream abounding in scenery the most picturesque
the picture is one to which the memory in after days will often revert.
In 1886, a joint stock company was formed, with Hon. J. J. C. Abbott as
pr sident ; capital $10,000. The erection of the buildings wa.s completed
in 1887,
and work commenced.
Mr. Abbott held the presidency two years, when he resigned, and Thomas C.
Brainard, president of the Hamilton Powder Co., became his successor.
Capt. A. L. Howard, famous for his connection with the Gatling Gun,
was instrumental in forming the Company, and had charge of the works
four years, when he was succeeded by F. G. VERITY, who for ten years
had been connected with the
Hamilton Powder Company ; he is now General Agent for the Cartridge
Company.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 337
Mr. Verity is a gentleman of high intelligence, and his activity,
forethought, and care of the men and works in his charge, contribute
largely to the prosperity of the C( mpany. They were fortunate, too,
in securing the services of a cartridge
expert, E. W. Kelly of Lowell, Mass , in whose charge are ths details
of the whole manufacturing department.
I here are 23 buildings connected with this manufactory, besides the
factory and office ; the former is 50 ft. by 140 ft. in size, and four
stories in height. The boarding house is TOO ft. by 30 ft., three stories,
and contains forty bedrooms ; it is heated by steam, and is supplied
with all the modern conveniences. The factory and office are lighted
by electric light. Employment is given to a good number of both sexes,
and the pay-roll averages about $2,800 a month.
This is the only factory of its kind in the Dominion ; all kinds
of cartridges for small arms and all kinds of military and sporting
cartridges are manufactured here. Extreme care to guard against accident
is exercised throughout the establishment.
The plan of erecting tenements for their employees is now under
consideration by the Company, and, no doubt, will be carried into effect.
The fine boarding house at Brownsburg is under the able management
of MRS. R. HARDIE, who belongs to a family deserving special notice in
these pages.
JAMES CARPENTER, her paternal grandfather, was a soldier in the British
service
21 years. He served in the war of 1812, was taken prisoner, and escaped
; he was on a vessel with his Company, sailing to join the force of
Wellington, but before their arrival the victory of Waterloo had been
won. On receiving his discharge, he was awarded a pension and a grant of
Lot 27, nth Range, in the rear of Chatham. On this land he settled in
1832, and for a number of years often had his early military ardor and
courage rekindled in the war he was obliged to wage against the bears
of Chatham. He died in the house of his son George, with whom he lived,
in December, 1878. He had a large family of children, but only six of
them three sons and three daughters settled in this ^ection. Thomas and
Robert, the eldest sons, were twins ; George, the third and youngest
son, remained on the homestead, and increased it by 200 acres, which he
purchased in the loth Range; he also erected a saw mill. He was for a
time member of the School Board of this Municipality; he died in August,
1882. In 1850, he married Sarah Haney; they had three sons and seven
daughters who grew up.
Letitia Annie, the eldest, was married to Richard Hardie, gth November,
1870. Mr. Hardie, who had previously followed farming, has been
in the employ of the Cartridge Company about seven years. During the
greater portion of this time Mrs. Hardie has had charge of the boarding
department.
James Carpenter, the eldest brother of Mrs. Hardie, learned the millwright
trade, at which he is regarded as an expert; he has followed it in this
section for the past twelve years. Ten of these he has spent in the
employ of J. C. Wilson, with whom he still remains at Lachute. He was
married 22nd June, 1880, to Elizabeth Robinson.
Thomas Carpenter, one of the twin sons of James Carpenter, the pioneer,
married Margery Sweeney, and bought Lot 24, toth Range of Chatham, on
which he lived a few years till the death of his wife. He then rented
his farm, married again, and died in Ottawa a few years ago. By the
last marriage he had no children, but by the first he had two sons and
five daughters who are now living. The two sons are Silas Huntington and
Robert ; the former is chief of the detective secret service of Montreal ;
the latter, a merchant in Ottawa.
SILAS H. CARPENTER is a name familiar to everyone in the Dominion who
reads the newspapers, as that of a man who has been earnest and successful
in thedis.
- 2 3 HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
3
covery of criminals, and in bringing tham to the Bar of Justice. In
the execution of this work, he has traversed land and sea ; in various
disguises he has visited the resorts of fashion and the abode of poverty,
the gilded saloon and the dark and
noisome den of the tenement. In jail and penitentiary, he has listened to
the tale of the gambler, the thief and the murderer. His life has not only
been threatened, but he has been assaulted with slung shot, bowie knife
and revolver; and yet, notwith standing these unpleasant experiences, and
the years in which he has witnessed so much of the dismal side of life,
Mr. Carpenter is a man of remarkably youthful appear ance ; he is tall and
of fine physique, and though nearly forty-five, very few would ven ture
to place him above thirty. He reads character by intuition, and as he is
genial and affable in manner, it is not surprising that he is successful
in winning the con fidence of those whose assistance he requires.
JOHN WADE, a son of Charles H. Wade, of Gushing, is one of the efficient
and trusted men of the Cartridge Company, in whose employ he has been
for six years. He was married 5th July, 1890, to Katie Alma O Byrne,
of South Indian, Ont.
GEORGE and DAVID MCALLISTER, brothers, are two young men employed in
the factory, and they live on the homestead farm, in a pleasant cottage
adjacent to it. Their grandfather, William McAllister, came from Paisley,
Scotland, to Canada about 1828. He was a blacksmith by trade, and, after
coming here, was for some time employed on the Rideau Canal. In May, 1833,
he married Isabella Gray, of East Hawkesbury, and settled at Hill Head,
where he followed his trade ten years. He
then turned his attention to farming in Thomas Gore, where his wife
died, and a year subsequently he married Elizabeth Wright. By the first
marriage he had four boys and two girls ; by the second, two boys and four
girls. His last years were spent in Chatham, where he died in the house of
one of his daughters, Mrs. John Clark. William, his eldest son, married
Christy Green, daughter of Charles Green of Brownsburg, in September,
1860. About 1866, he bought 100 acres, east half of Lot ir, Range 8,
at Brownsburg, on which he still resides. Mrs. McAllister died i3th
June, 1877 ; they had four sons and three daughters that grew up. James,
the second son, a young man highly respected, died i3th December, 1877,
aged 22 years, 6 months. George, the third son, who is employed in the
factory, was married 25th
I une, 1894, to Sarah Delacourt, of Montreal.
Near the Cartridge Factory also resides WILLIAM POLSON, who, in April,
1894, sold the Cartridge Company his farm of TOO acres, half of Lot 10,
Range 8, reserving one acre in front, on which he has just erected a
cottage. His grandfather, John Poison, belonged to the 2ist Highland
Regt. of Infantry, and was in active service during the American
Revolution, the war of 1812, and in Spain. He was Sergeant,
and while at Gibraltar, when in charge of a fatigue party, they met a
squad of Span iards, who attacked them. The Spaniards were defeated, and
a brass pistol, which Sergeant Poison took from the body of the Spanish
commander, is now in possession of his grandson. He was wounded at the
battle of New Orleans, and, in 1816, was
discharged with a pension, after serving sixteen years. He then came
to Canada,
and for several years was Barrack Sergeant at St. Helen s Island,
Montreal, but was finally drowned by the capsizing of a boat, when
crossing the St. Lawrence. He left one son, John Poison, who married Alice
Smith, daughter of a man who had lately come from England and settled
at St. Philippe. Mr. Poison had learned the tailor s trade, and he went
to the New England States, where he worked for some time, and then went
to Charleston, S. C., from which place he shipped on a whaling vessel,
and spent five years in the whale fishery on the Pacific. Returning to
Canada, he bought the farm described above, on which he lived till his
death, 6th July, 1881.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
329
He left seven sons and two daughters, of whom William Poison, who
has always remained on the homestead, is the only one living in this
section. C " !T(]A valuable Granite Quarry was discovered a little west
of Brownsburg in 1892. A mountain of considerable size, apparently
being a solid mass of an excellent quality of granite. A. Trudeau, of
St. Philippe has the honor of being the discoverer. A company called the
Laurentian Granite Quarry Company, composed of A. Trudeau, P. Carriere,
T. Laframboise and Joseph Brunei (Montreal), was formed in 1893. An order
for 200,000 paving blocks for Montreal was soon given, since which the
company has received many important orders, and have many hands constantly
employed in the Quarry.
About half a mile west of the Cartridge Factory, as one descends a hill,
may be
seen on the right a tract of sterile, stony land, covered with a scrubby
growth of tamarac. Qn this inhospitable looking tract, ARCHIBALD MURDOCH,
from Moray- shire, Scotland, settled as a pioneer about 1833. He came
to this country about
1825, and was in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company five years, "
where," says Mr. King, " he became well acquainted with the hardships of
that region, having, as well as other poor fellows, to carry heavy loads,
exposed to cold and hunger in those distant wilds."
" Archy was very poor," continues the same writer, " when he came to
Chatham, and, unfortunately, settled on a lot which consisted of nothing
but rocks and swamps, and which, after spending his strength to little
purpose, he was forced to leave. It was well he did so, for he found
a much belter place, where, after enduring many hard ships, he began
to thrive."
After leaving the North-West, Mr. Murdoch returned to Scotland, and
the vessel on which he sailed being wrecked, he lost his trunk, a gun
he highly prized, and his watch. He was not satisfied, however, with
his past experience of this country, and returned to it again, after
an. interval of two years. On leaving the land where he first located, he
removed about a mile further west, to a lot in the yth Range, which is now
owned by his son George. As stated by Mr. King, here he began to thrive,
and, in time, possessed a fair competence. He was a man of intelligence,
as well as -real energy qualities which, combined, are very likely to
secure success. He was married about the year 1834 to Mary Ann Bain,
daughter of a bookbinder in the town of Forest, Scotland. He died in
September, 1869, leaving three sons and two daughters.
Archibald, the eldest son, after two years spent in lumbering, married
i5th Sep
tember, 1864, Mary, daughter of John Calder. In 1868, he bought the
old farm near Dalesville, knowu as the McPhail farm, 200 acres, part
of Lots 13 and 14 in the loth Range, and has since added to it 200
acres in the nth Range. His farm is well stocked, and he is one of the
intelligent farmers who has become well off by industry and thrift,
without parsimony. The counsel and energy of an intelligent wife has,
o doubt, contributed materially to his prosperity. His farm, noted for
being the home of the Rev. Daniel McPhail in his youth, has many points of
picturesque i<-ry. Mr. Murdoch has been a School Commissioner several
years, and also has been Chairman of the Board, and for a long time has
been a Deacon of the Dalesville Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch
have five sons and six daughters living, yet they have experienced
sad affliction. In November, 1887, their eldest son, Archie, aged 22,
;i young man universally respected, was killed by a falling tree in
Michigan. His body was sent home for interment, and the esteem in which
he was held and the sympathy felt for his parents was, in a measure,
evinced by the funeral cortege, in which eighty carriages followed his
remains from the house. The parents have also lost another boy, aged
eight, and a girl of three years of age.
aa
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
George, the second son of Archibald Murdoch, sen., who has always lived
on one part of the homestead, is also one of the enterprising and popular
farmers of Chatham. He has added 100 acres to the TOO he received from
the homestead, and keeps a large stock. He was married about 1872 to
Betsy Marshall ; in 1892 he was appointed Justice of the Peace.
His brother, William Murdoch, who received one-half of the paternal
estate, on which he still lives, has added to it, until he now owns
325 acres. He was married in December, 1872, to Mary Conley of East
Hawkesbury.
The good buildings and comfortable circumstances of these brothers are
a tacit rebuke to those who sagely repeat the expression, " Farming in
this country does not
pay."
At a short distance from Brownsburg post office, on the road leading to
Lachute, are the woollen mills of the MORRISON BROTHERS, and the saw mill
of Lane & Owens, which, with a number of dwellings, form a diminutive
village. A creek which crosses the road here provides good water power
for the mills, and the business done in
former years, as well as at present, renders it a place of some little
importance in the township.
Peter McOuat built a saw mill, where the woollen mill now stands,
about 1838. which passed through two or three hands, and finally came
into possession of James McGregor, who erected a carding mill here about
1848. He sold out to William Foreman, who added a tannery to his business,
and continued it till 1864, when he sold to Robt. Morrison.
On the opposite side of the road, near these mills, a carding mill was
erected by John Hutchins, but it did not long continue in operation. He
ihen, about the year 1846, built a saw mill, which was under the
management of himself and son till 1884, when it was bought by Lane &
Owens, and is still in their possession doing a good business.
ROBERT MORRISON came from Paisley, Scotland, to Canada in 1845, and
was married 3ist October, 1828, 10 Euphemie Chapman. He first hired
the woollen mill of Mr. Crooks, in Grenville, and, after having charge
of it ten years, obtained a lease of a woollen mill in Hawkesbury for
five years. In 1864. as stated above, he bought the mills in Brownsburg,
also a house and a few acres of land. The saw mill, which was of little
value, soon fell into disuse, b ut he kept the woollen mill in successful
operation till 1889, when he gave it to his two youngest sons, William and
Albert, and moved to Lachute, where he died in December, 1891. He had four
sons and three daughters. William and Albert, who own the woollen mill,
have always followed the occupation in which they are now engaged. In
1887, 22iid December,
William was married to Mary B. McGibbon. On the 7th November, 1890,
their mill was burnt, but, with their characteristic energy, they at once
set about rebuild ing, and the new mill was in operation the following
October. They manufacture flannels, tweeds, blankets and etoffes, and
perform the ordinary custom work usually done in factories of this
kind. They have added new and improved machinery, which, with their
long experience, enable them to manufacture cloths of excellent quality
and appearance.
Several of the family of McOuats live at this place, and although it
cannot with strict propriety be said that the name in this country is
" legion," there are so many that, with pleasure, we transfer to these
pages a sketch of the McOuats, which oppor tunely came to hand.
The author of the sketch evidently is one of the family, but his identity
has not, as yet, been revealed.
The most remote period at which dates can be given in the ancestral
history
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
331
*>f the McOuATS is fixed by the Montrose wars in Scotland, but,
from tradition and other evidence, it is clearly established that they
possessed a valuable property kno.vn as the Barns of Clyde for eight
generations previous to that date, there being only one surviving son in
each generation during all that time. The son of the eighth generation
served for several years in a dragoon regiment under Lord Montrose.
At the close of the Mor.trose wars, he returned to his estate to
rind that, in the meantime, his father had died, and his mother again
married, which led to a disagree ment as to their respective rights in
the property, with the result that the son was established on a leased
farm named Almarrack, six miles farther north.
His sons were John, James, William and Walter ; of these, all may be
dropped except William, who was the father of the original settlers of
our family in Canada. The other brothers may be mentioned, only to show
where the records of the parish registers may be found, if required.
James leased a farm named " Craigvern," twenty miles from Glasgow ;
married Jean Edmond, by whom he had two sons and three daughters John,
William, Catherine, Elizabeth, and Marion. He leased another farm,
named " Balfunning," where he lived fourteen years, during which time
his first wife died. He afterward married another lady of the same name,
Jean Edmond, by whom he had three sons and four daughters, viz., James,
Peter, Walter. Jean, Janet, Christian and Margaret. He leaded a third
farm, and took his brother Walter into partnership, leaving William at "
Balfunning" farm. Coming back now to William, he married Janet Buchanan,
daughter of a neighboring tenant farmer, by whom he had eight sons and
five daughter? three of the daughters died in youth. Of the eight sons,
all except two came to Canada, and settled in the County of Argenteuil.
Of the two who remained, Thomas, who was a cooper by trade, lived to an
old age in Glasgow, where he has a son in the provision business. The
other one, James, taught music for several years, afterwards going also
to Glasgow, where he acted as bookkeeper and mining engineer in the
working shaft of a coal mine. His wife, Jean McAllister, died at the
birth of a daughter, the present Mrs. Nicol McKerricher of River Rouge,
Argenteuil. Their only other child, a son, died when a year old, and James
himself survived his wife only about eight months. All the property he ap
pears to have left was his instruments and library, which sold for about
one hundred pounds sterling.
The father of this large family died a few years previous to the mother,
who died in 1829, when the youngest child, David, was a little over nine
years old. On the death of the mother, the home was broken up. John and
Walter having learned the
mason trade, wrought for some years in Glasgow. William, after working
with these two for a year or more, went to the Highlands to take charge
of a lime works. Pinter- ing the works in 1818, he remained in charge
for thirteen years. Andrew, at the age of 17, was indentured to Mr. David
Brim, builder of Glasgow, with whom he learned all the various branches
of the trade, from common mason work to plastering, cornice cutting and
moulding, lettering, mill stone building and architectural drafting.
John came to Canada in 1830. Leaving William at Lachute and taking
John with them, they proceeded to Bytown to work on a contract for
Mr. Thomas McKay,
on the Rideau Canal. In June, 1831, while laying the last stone of a
lock at Mud Lake, Walter got his knee joint crushed, which resulted in
his death. He was interred near Mud Lake, and a stone erected over his
grave by the Government Staff.
John and Andrew, being seized with ague, returned as speedily as possible
to Lachute, and were unable to work during the remainder of that year. In
1832, William and Andrew built a house for Mr. John McRuer, and another,
for Mr. Thos. Pollock, both of Hill Head. In 1833, they built a house
for Mr. Colin Robertson at his
332 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
"Struan Farm." In 1834, Andrew bought his farm from Mr. Robertson (west
half of
Lot 7, yth Range, of Chatham, about three miles from Lachute), agreeing
to finish the "round flat of his farm house. This, together with about 30
worth of work done previously, paid for his farm and left him a balance
of $. This farmnow one of the finest in the county and which still bears
many evidences of the skill and fore sight of its original settler,
was reclaimed by him from the primeval forest, without his using either
axe or plow, but by judiciously exchanging skilled for unskilled
in 1835, William and Andrew contracted to build the Cedar Mills, and
the fol lowing year William built Mr. James McOuat s house on the
north side of North River, above Lachute; and Andrew built a house
for Mr. Wainwright at Cote du Midi, and built the first house on his
farm. During the winter, Andrew built a sett of " burr" for St. Andrews
Mills; in the spring of 1837, he built two P airs { OT McLaughlin of
Ottawa. He went to Burlington in 1838, where he built three pairs
" burr," and at various times afterwards put in setts in the St. Andrews
Mills, St. Scholastique Mills, the mills of Geo. Brown of Chatham,
and several others.
PETER McOuAT, of whom little is said in the above sketch, came to Lachute
in 1820. He worked in different places and on leased farms a few years,
and then went into the lumber woods up the Ottawa, but he cut his knee
and had to return. His employer, to whom he had loaned all he had
earned since coming to the country, also failed, and was unable to pay
him anything till after the lapse of 20 years.
Mr. McOuat now bought 90 acres of land in Lane s Purchase, and about
1827 was married to Margaret McOuat. He opened a lime-kiln here, which
may still be seen on the land of the late John McGregor. An incident
which occurred in con nection with the kiln illustrates the hardships
which people in those days frequently endured, as well as their physical
ability to endure them.
One day, in the absence of Mr. McOuat, a woman from a farm in the rear
of Dalesville came to his house for a bushel of lime. As there was no
man present,
Mrs. McOuat went out with her, and helped to measure the lime, and
put it into a sack. " Where is your horse ? " she asked of the woman.
" I have no horse," was the reply.
" Well, but how are you going to take your lime home ? " On my back,
indeed. What is the price, please ? " After regarding her for a moment
in amazement, Mrs. McOuat replied : " My good woman, if you really mean
to carry that lime home on your back, I think you will pay dearly enough
for it ; I will take nothing for it."
Grateful for the kindness she had received, the woman, without thinking
she was
doing an extraordinary thing, took her load and departed lor her home,
eight or nine miles distant.
In 1837, Mr. McOuat took up 200 acres, Lot 8, Range 7, at Brownsburg, on
which is the present house of his son William, and later he bought 200
acres more, adjacent to it. He was an energetic and efficient business
man, well known in ditt rent townships. He was extensively engaged in
lumbering, and, besides erecting his own mills, he took contracts for
erecting many others, as well as other buildings. He died sist December,
1874 ; Mrs. McOuat died 4th September, 1871. They had four sons and
five daughters.
William, the eldest son, remained on the homestead, and, like his
father, has taken many contracts for building as well as lumbering. He
was employed on the first mill erected in Harrington and in Morin,
and constructed the steeple of Church at Lachute. He was married, 91)1
January, 1862, to Mary Duddndge, a
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
woman of most amiable and excellent qualities ; she died in August,
1871 They had six children-two sons and four daughters ; the two former
diedin infancy. Two of the daughters, Mary and Margaret, live with
their father in a very pretty cotton fond orane d f " ^ ^^^ Mr Mc ^
" - -tentive mLSoryf anThl a Volume ~ 10r US otherwise ~ relati ng to
pioneer life would alone fill
MrOn,r iS H t0 th f h me f William McOuat is that of James, son of Andrew
he d^Pd Th n "K Q 6t , ^u Ve; the latter Was married to Elizabeth Robson
; he d,ed i 4 th December 1856. They had five sons and three daughters
who arrived at .maturity. James the son who remained on the homestead,
was married, 2 oth February 1872, to Jane McOuat. The homestead consisted
of 100 acres at this i and 100 acres in another Range, to which he has
added 300, making a fine irm of 500 acres. Mr. McOuat s enterprise and
success in the agriculturaf line is cresting, and rarely equalled. He
has a commodious brick house, equipped with modern conveniences, with all
the outbuildings requisite for systematic dairying and ung. A new barn,
with galvanized iron roof, which he has just erected, is 100 f3 fe f J
n Slze w th stone basement, and manure and root cellars. It is supplied
with both hot and cold water, which is brought from the house kitchen
in i^- inch gas pipes. Water is conveyed to the kitchen in 4 -inch metal
pipes. He also has
barn with tin roof, 30 x 40 feet in size. Mr. McOuat believes in
progressive rmmg, and adopts new systems and purchases new implements,
only after he become well convinced that, they are an improvement on
the old ones. While ;nng to this principle, he has become possessed of
many agricultural implements, indicate his determination to practise
first-class farming. His brother, John, is a man of influence here,
resides on an adjacent farm, and with him lives 5 mother, who, though
of very advanced age, has a clear recollection of the scenes ugh which
she has passed, and graphically describes them.
JOHN STEWART was one of the pioneers who settled in this section. He
came om Perthshire, Scotland, in 1830, or the following year, and about
two years later ought 80 acres of Lot 6, in the ;th Range, to which he
added 90 acres adjoining it, some years afterward. He was a shoemaker,
and followed this trade, although he cleared up the land he had purchased;
he died about the year 1881. He had four ions and three daughters who
grew up. John, the eldest son, bought the homestead, and has since lived
on it. In 1856, i 9 th Tuly, he was married to Mary Ann Brown ; she died
4th July, 1868, and he next married Elizabeth McLeod, 6th June, 1872.
Mr. Stewart has fourteen children living, and has recently received a
grant of 100 acres of land from the Provincial Government. By his first
marriage he had seven children, but only five three boys and two girls
are living; by the second, he has five bnys and four girls. He has taken
much interest in local affairs, and has ;erved as School Commissioner
13 years, and Valuator 16 years; he is a staunch Patron of Industry.
MOUNT MAPLE.
About two miles west of Brownsburg is a post office with the name of Mount
Maple, which was established in 1881. The land in the vicinity, though
stony, is comparatively level, and there are many good farms hereabout.
JAMES CALDER, a silk weaver from Paisley, Scotland, was one of the first
who located here. He came to Canada with his brother John, in 1827,
and bought
334
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
150 acres of land in Lachute, which is now owned and occupied by the
family of the late James Pollock. Seven years subsequently he sold it,
and bought 200 acres
of wild land Lot 20, Range 8 at what is now Mount Maple, and which
is still
owned and occupied by his son James.
Mr. Calder s occupation had but poorly fitted him for the labors of a
pioneer, and it is not surprising that he surrendered the chief part of
such work chopping, especially, to his boys, and sought other means of
earning money. He taught school in his own and in an adjacent district
for five years. Soon after coming here, one morning the family found that
their fire had gone out, and having neither flint nor spunk to kindle one,
they had to send before breakfast to their nearest neighbor, two miles
distant, to obtain it. Mr. Calder died i4th April, 1880 ; Mrs. Calder
died ist October, 1873. They had three sons and two daughters who grew up.
James, the youngest son, received one-half the homestead, 100 acres,
to which he has since added another 100 acres. He has himself cleared
over sixty acres of this land, and now has a good, well-stocked farm,
and good buildings. He is pleased to compare his present surroundings
with what they were when, a boy, he first came here. At that time there
was neither a road nor a school anywhere near their farm, and now a
good road passes along its northern boundary, a good school-house is
convenient, and a post office equally near.
Mr. Calder was married, iyth May, 1864, to Johanna Heatley. He has never
sought municipal offices, though he has accepted that of Inspector of
Roads and
Bridges, holding it three different terms of two years each. A recent
copy of The Watchman announces the death of Mr. Calder. He died i6th
March, 18963 man highly respected, and his death was lamented by the
entire community.
In 1828, the year following Mr. Calder s arrival in Canada, his sister
and her husband, Patiick Gilmour, from Paisley, with their four children,
arrived, and took up Lot 20, Range 8, near Dalesville. He lived here
till about 1841, when he sold his farm and removed to Hawkesbury, Ont.,
and was engaged for thirteen years at his
trade, that of weaver, when he returned to Chatham, and bought Lot 23,
in the 8th Range. About 1883, he sold out again, and spent his remaining
days at the home of his youngest daughter, Mrs. Samuel McLennan. He had
one son and three daughters
who grew up.
Margaret, the eldest daughter, was married to William Mott, agth
April, 1845. He had been a soldier in the British service, enlisting at
Chelmsford, England, i4th September, 1818, at the age of 17, in the 73rd
Regiment of Foot. He served : 2 years and 3 months in the East Indies
; 2 years and 7 months in Gibraltar; 4 years and 3 months in Malta ;
3 years and 10 months in the Ionian Isles; 2 years and 10 months in
North America. He was in a company of soldiers sent from Montreal
to Grande Brule in 1837, an ^ received his discharge soon afterward,
after twenty-one years of service, in which he was commended for good
character. A year previous to his maniage he bought, in this part of
Chatham, the west half of Lot 21, 8th Range, to which his family, since
his death, have added the other half. He died 2gth Novem ber, 1866,
at the age of 94. He had seven children two sons and five daughters.
Joseph, the elder son, and Maggie, the youngest daughter, live on the
homestead
with their mother, engaged in successful farming. Maggie Mott has spent
ten years in teaching, having received her diploma in 1879.
MRS. DAVJD WARWICK is Postmistress at Mount Maple. Her father, James
McKenzie, from Morayshire, Scotland, came to Lachute about the year
1834. A year later, he took up 200 acres in the 8th Range of Chatham,
which he sold seven years later, and bought 300 acres in the same Range
a little farther west, on which he lived until his death in November,
1869; his wife died in 1875. They had six
children three of each sex.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. ,35
Jane, the second daughter, was married, 9 th January, 1857, to David,
son of John Warwick, one of the pioneers of Chatham. Before his marriage,
Mr. Warwick had bought 300 acres in the yth Range a part of which is
still owned and occupied by his widow. He was appointed Postmaster at
Mount Maple in 1881, when the office was established ; he was also School
Commissioner several years. He died 2oth December, 1882, and Mrs. Warwick
was appointed Postmistress.
Though but a child at the time, Mrs. Warwick has a keen recollection of
the exciting events of the Rebellion of 1837. Her father had a large
Newfoundland dog a fine watch dog and so strong was the faith of the
neighbors in his sagacity to warn them of the approach of foes and to
protect them, that the women, during the greatest excitement, often
spent a night at Mr. McKenzie s house, that gentleman, as well as their
own husbands, being away with the Volunteers. Mrs. McKenzie would
not allow a light in the house after dark, fearing that it would
be niore certain to attract foes than friends. Her husband returned
home unexpectedly one night, and, after quieting the dog, entered the
house, only to fall over some one sleeping on the kitc ien floor. The
accident awakened others, who, at once, set up cries of terror, under
the impression that the rebels had made their long expected raid. Mrs.
McKenzie tremblingly struck a light and repaired to the kitchen, when,
instead of . meeting blood-thirsty foes, she found her husband trying
to extricate himself from the crowd on the floor.
Mrs. Warwick has had eight children, all daughters ; four of whom are
now living three of them, married, live in Chatham. Clara, her youngest
daughter, received a diploma in 1893 for teaching, and has since been
in charge of a school.
James McKenzie, a brother of Mrs. Warwick, who now lives with her, has
a farm on Manitoulin Island, in Lake Superior, and has lived there for
many years.
JOHN WARWICK came from Dublin to this country at an early date, and,
after living in Quebec a while, came to Chatham and took up land, which
is now owned and occupied by George Martin and Wm. Forester. He engaged
as pilot on one of the boats plying the Ottawa, and died from cholera
in 1832. He had three sons and one daughter. John, the youngest son,
married Mary Murdoch, and about the year 1852
bought a farm of 100 acres in this locality, which is now owned and
occupied by
his son. William J. Warwick; but he died a few .years subsequently. Three
of his sons and one daughter grew up. William J. was married 4th
September, 1884, to Elizabeth Warwick. He has since added to the original
estate, until he now has a fine farm of 210 acres, the most of which
is level and in a good state of cultivation. His land produces good
crops and sustains a large stock, which is well protected by commodious
buildings, the main barn being 80 x 46 feet in size.
Among other fine farms in this section is that of DAVID BLACK. Wm. Black,
his father, came from Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland, and settled at St.
Scholastique, County of Two-Mountains, on a farm of 166 acres, the greater
part of which he and his son David cleared up. He died there 23rd April,
1844. David was married 2jrd December, 1853, to Sarah Vart. He lived
on the homestead, located at what is now known as St. Canute, and
for several years was a member of the School Board and the Municipal
Council. In 1881, he sold his farm there, and bought 200 acres of Lots
18 and 19 in the 6th Range of Chatham. He has cleared many acres of this,
of stumps and bushes, and made many other improvements which portray his
energy and skill as an agriculturist. Besides enlarging and improving his
residence, he has erected a barn 100x30 feet, a cow stable 100 x 18 feet,
a horse stable 45 x ^5 feet, and a granary 40 x 20 feet. He has 32 head
of cattle, 9 horses and 34 sheep, and
336 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
besides the usual farming implements, such as a mower, horse-rake, seeder,
horse-fork, etc., he has a threshing mill, circular wood saw, self-binder,
straw cutter and proven der mill. The fact, that in little more than a
decade he has brought a neglected and half cultivated farm into so good
a condition, and made it pay for such improvements, is strong evidence
of his enterprise and skill in management. In 1894, he took the first
prize for the best managed farm, and a prize on clover.
Mr. Black has nine children four sons and five daughters. Robert, the
third son, who lives on the homestead, was married 251!! April, 1894,
to Ellen Pollock.
DALESVILLE.
i
In his annals of this place, the Rev. Mr. King says : " This section
should have been left to wild animals, and as hunting ground for the
Indians, as it is evident Nature never intended it to be an agricultural
country, and that any population seeking to live here by agriculture
must be a poor one."
The one who, for the first time, visits this section, and looks around
on the rough land thickly strewn with boulders, will imagine that there
is much truth in Mr. King s remark. He will feel, too, that there is
peculiar significance in the name Dales- ville until he learns that there
is no relation between the name and the physical features of the place
for there are as many dales and hills to the square mile here as can
be found in almost any other place in the Province. But a more intimate
acquaintance with the place and its inhabitants will convince him that
both his own first impressions of it and those of the reverend clergyman
were erroneous.
The fact that, in this rough, inhospitable-looking place, men have
reared large
families, and surrounded them with all the comforts that others in
more favored
places enjoy, is only additional evidence of what perseverance under
difficulties may accomplish.
A ride along any of the roads leading to Dalesville affords one but a
very narrow view of its population, or of the farms it includes, for
the best of the latter and the greater number are entirely hidden by
intervening hills and forests.
Let any public meeting be announced which affects the moral, social or
pecuniary interests of the inhabitants, and from every point of compass
will gather a body of men as speedily as ever clan responded to the
summons of its chieftain in the High lands of Scotland . The stranger
who has spent a day or two in this little hamlet, and noticed the quiet
that reigns, will naturally wonder whence all these people come; but he
will eventually learn that the various roads which branch off here and
there from the main read all lead back to well settled districts.
The people, also, who come to public meetings have not the appearance
of those in perpetual conflict with want, but well clad, with good
horses, respectable vehicles, many of which are covered buggies they
give evidence that the days of early struggles with penury, happily,
have long since passed. This indication of prosperity is enhanced by
a visit to their homes plain, indeed, in exterior, but within plenty
abounds the crops, the flocks and herds of his rough but fertile and
wide-spreading acres enabling the farmer, from a well-filled board,
to dispense genuine hospitality the delight of the Dalesville household.
The first settler at Dalesville was DONALD MCKERRICHER, from Glenlyon,
Perth shire, Scotland. He came some time between 1820 and 1825, and,
no doubt, attracted
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. ,,-
to this section by its resemblance to the hills and glens of his
native shire, he took up Lot 17, in the loth Range. Por three weeks he
pursued his labor here in the forest with no neighbors nearer to him
than Lachute, when one day he heard the sound of an axe in the woods
adjacent. Astonished, yet no doubt glad to know that some other human
being was near, he repaired to the spot whence the sounds proceeded,
and found a man named John McGibbon, who had come from his own native
place Glenlyon, Perthshire, and taken up Lot 16, loth Range, adjoining
his own. Soon after the advent of these two pioneers came two brothers,
Peter and John McFarlane, and about the same time also came Archie and
John McArthur. Among others who scon followed were Peter and Alexander
McGibbon, Malcolm McGregor, John Hugh and Duncan McCallum, Donald and
Duncan McPhail all from Glenlyon.
JOHN MCGIBBON came to Lachute in 1820, and lived there a few years
before settling on the lot above named. That he was a man of public
spirit is inferred from the promptness with which he put an end to
dissatisfaction and differences arnon* his neighbors concerning the land
for a graveyard. Having learned that this was a cause of dissension,
he promptly offered to give the land requisite for this purpose, and the
offer being accepted, several men soon after collected, rolled off the
logs, and otherwise prepared the land for the interment of the dead ;
this was the beginning of the present graveyard.
Mr. McGibbon was a Christian man, and was very earnest in his efforts
to do good often preaching in private houses before the erection of the
Baptist Church, and alter that he held service in the church when there
was no minister present. He died comparatively young, and the day of his
funeral was a solemn one in Ualcsville, work was wholly suspended. He
lived here till his death, March, 1831. He had eight sons and two
daughters. The homestead was divided between two of the eldest sons
Finley and Peter. The latter married Elizabeth Brown, of Glengarry, Ont.
and remained on his farm till he died, ipth November, 1884. They had
seven children four sons and three daughters. John, the eldest son of
the family, in 1875, bought 300 acres on the adjacent i rth Range, on
which he now resides. This land was first granted to Stewart Ovens,
who had been a British soldier. Mr. King, in his graphic pen pictures
of early settlers at Dalesville, says :
" Then there was Sergeant Ovens and his little wife, Rachel. A martial
looking man was the Sergeant, as he proudly raised his head, stood
erect and elevated his voice, to relate his experience on battlefields
in Spain ; he had been in sixteen battles, besides several skirmishes,
without receiving a wound." He also received a pension, in addition to
the land granted him ; he lived on this land till his death. After his
decease, his widow removed to Ontario, with their two sons and daughter.
John McGibbon, who now owns the Ovens farm, married, loth May, iS8r,
Isabella Hairshaw, and is one of the industrious and prosperous yeomanry
of this section. Of the cemetery mentioned above, Mr. King thus writes:
That burying-ground has become a very interesting place ; in it, and in
the lives of those who rest there, may be read a history of the Settlement
from its beginii, near half a ctntury ago. There was laid there, not long
ago, the remains of a man close on 90 years of age. He was an Irishman
named Kerr, who had been a soldier, and fought the French in Egypt,
under Abercrombie. He had never been a Chr istiau till a short time
before his death, when he was converted and died happy."
William, another son of Peter McGibbon, was married 3othOctober, 1878, to
Mary Lothian. He had previously been in Nevada, and, nfter his marriage,
again spei;
few years there, in the lumber business. He returned in the fall of 1883,
and settled
33^ HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
near the old homestead on 200 acres, L->t 15, Range 9, which is
generally known as the " McFailane Lot," a good farm, and it sustains
a large stock. In 1890, he erected an attractive-looking and commodious
dwelling, which is shared with his mother.
The above was written more than a year ago, The Watchman (Lachute)
of March 1910. 1896, contains the following: "As anticipated in last
issue in announ cing the death of Mrs. Wm. McGibbon of Dalesville, the
separation between husband an i wife was not long. Mrs. McGibbon died
on Saturday and her husband passed away on the following Friday. This
is one of the saddest bereavements ever known in this district. Seven
small and comparatively helpless children are left without father or
mother. Sympathy can do but little in such a trial. The funeral took
place on Saturday last, Rev, Mr. Creswell conducting the services in
the Baptist church."
Peter J. McGibbon, a brother of those named above, on leaving the
homestead, spent four years in Michigan, and after his return lived three
years on the homestead with his mother, of whom lie bought one-half of
it. He was married 2nd May, 1888, to Catherine, daughter of Alexander
Calder. He has bought, since his first purchase, 200 acres, Lot 15,
Range 10, known as the " Malcolm McGregor Farm." His present
quantity of stock, and the thrift and energy he displays, augur a
prosperous future.
Alexander, another brother of the above, has recently returned to
Dalesville from Michigan, where he has spent some years in lumbering.
Finlay, the eldest son of John McGibbon, removed with his wife from
this sec tion to Lachute a few years ago ; two of their sons, Archie and
Peter, proprietors of McGibbon s Mills, living there. This aged couple,
who were highly respected, passed away in the fall of 1895.
Alexander, the third son of John McGibbon, also a man highly esteemed,
has made his home for the past few years in Lachute.
Of Malcolm McGregor, mentioned above, and his wife, Mr. King thus speaks:
" Malcolm had been for a number of years a deacon in the church. He
died an old man, full of years, and had the pleasure of seeing all
his children, and some of his grandchildren, professing an interest in
Christ. One of his grandsons is a preacher of the Gospel, and two of his
daughters are married to ministers. Malcolm s end was peace, and they
buried him beside his wife in the burying-ground on the hill." He died
29th April, 1869, at the age of 86. His wife died a few years previous.
Mr. King says : "A woman of whom it might truly be said, she was a mother
in Israel. Her delight was to see the cause of Christ prosper. She had
great care over the young, gave them much kindly advice, and they all
loved her. Though sickly in her latter days, and unable to attend the
church, she was, for all that, a pillar of strength in it; the afternoon
meetings were often held in her house, and the young people would
gather round her chair, to get a shake of her hand and a few kind,
cheering words."
ARCHIBALD MAC ARTHUR, one of the pioneers of this section, was a man
of marked individually of character, and his descendants are noted
for enterprise and ability. He came to this country from Glenlyon,
Perthshire, Scotland, in 1819.
His only language was Gaelic, and when he arrived in Montreal he found
it difficult both to understand and to render his id. as intelligible
to others. Learning, however, that there were two Highland families
in Lachine, named Fraser and Grant, he went thither, and engaged to
work for Grant at $5 per month. But Mrs. McMartin, a relative of his,
who lived in St. Andrews on the River Rouge, hearing that he
was in Lachine, went there and took him to her home. Induced by the
offer of $8.00 a month, he engaged to work for Mr. McMartin. Mr. Dewar,
of " Bellevue," Carillon, however, a few weeks later, offered him $12.00
to work for him in haying an offer too tempting to be refused. He had
learned the blacksmith s trade in
HISTORY OP ARGF.NTEUIL. 339
Scotland, and the next fall he engaged to Flynn, a blacksmith of Lachute,
for 75 cents per day. He worked a year, and allowed Flynn to keep his
entire wages at 6 per cent, interest. At or near the end of the second
year, Flynn became insolvent, and the young Scotchman lost all lie had
earned. But his was not a nature to be easily discouraged, and in the
winter he went with the Dewars to the lumber woods on the Lievre to learn
to chop. In the spring he came down with a raft, and soon afterwards
accepted a grant of 200 acres, in Chatham, in the 1 2th Range. On going
to see it, however, he found that his nearest neighbor would be miles
distant, hence he left the land, and for $60 bonght 200 acres of a man
named Douglas, at what is now Dalesville. Here he began the struggles of
a pioneer. He was married 23rd November, 1822, to Margaret Stewart. Some
years after he had settled here, and when he was comparatively well off as
regards property, Mrs. McDougall, an aunt of his wife, from Indian Lands,
visited them, and censured him severely for settling on such rough, stony,
rock-bound land, and, finally, offered to sell him 200 acres of her own
land, in Osgoode, for $120. He paid her the money without seeing the
land, and shortly after, without selling his farm at Dalesville, went
to Osgoode and built a shanty. But, in doing this, he ex hausted the
supply of provisions lie had taken with him, and, as he could not pur
chase any in Osgoode, not even milk, nor find any water on his newly
purchased estate, he decided to sell it, and returned in disgust to
Dalesville. Not many years later he sold his land in Osgoode for $800,
and bought 200 acres more near his home farm. Like most of the early
settlers, he suffered losses from the raids of wild animals. At one
time wolves were killing many sheep at Dalesville, and Mr. MacArthur was
warned by his neighbors that he must shut up his sheep or they would
be killed.
Not acting promptly on I his advice, that night the wolves killed eleven
of them. Mr. MacArthur died ist February, 1878; Mrs. MacArthur, 2gth
May, 1882. They had eleven children four sons and seven daughters ;
the former and five of the latter are still living.
Peter, the eldest of the sons, in April, 1845, went to Montrea 1 , and
engaged as clerk. The following year, he went with the firm by which
he was employed to Perth, Out., and remained there till May, 1849. I"
August following, he opened a store in Dalesville the first one started
here, and has continued to trade here ever since, with the exception
of eight years, when he lived in Perth, having rented his store to his
son. He was married 151)1 May, 1849,10 Nancy Stone ; she died 2oth May,
1888. Mr. MacArthur was appointed Postmaster here, in 1854, when the
the post office was established, and he still holds the position. He has
been Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner a number of years, and
has been Secretary-Treasurer of No. 2 School Municipality of Chatham,
thirty-eight years. During the forty-seven years that he has been
engaged in business, he has experien ced some of the vicissitudes of
fortune, yet he has been universally respected, and to-day commands
the esteem of his fellow-citizens as a reliable business man. He has,
in his business transactions, dealt to some extent in real estate, and,
at pre sent, owns 1668 acres in Chatham, and 400 in Wentworth.
His brother, REV. ROBERT STUART MACARTHUR, D.D., is a man in whom his
countrymen, as well as his family, may well feel pride.
He was converted at the age of nine, and at thirteen years joined the
church of
his mother. When only sixteen he was accustomed to conduct religious m
and spoke to the people with an unction, force and intelligence which
foreshadowed the coming divine. He prepared for college at the Canadian
Literary Institute at Woodstock, Out.; was graduated at the University
of Rochester in 1867, and at
340
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
the Rochester Theological Seminary in 1870. As a scholar he took high
rank, and
was especially distinguished for oratorical power. During his Theological
course in the Rochester Theological Seminary where he won distinction
as a thinker and a wr iter he supplied different pulpits, and became
well known as an effective sermon- izer. After receiving and declining
flattering and enthusiastic invitations to other pastorates, he decided
to accept the unanimous call of the Calvary Baptist Church of New York
city, which was extended to him on 25th February, 1870. Immediately
upon his graduation from the Seminary he went to Calvary church, and
began his official services, and from that time until the present he has
labored without cessa tion. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him
by the University of Rochester in 1880. For nearly twenty-five years
Dr. MacArthur has filled his present position, and the success which
has attended his ministry during this time has been pheno
menal. When he assumed the pastorship of Calvary church the congregation
was small, and all church interests were in a waning condition. In a
short time, ihere were signs of improvement and of advancement along all
lines under his active ministry. Not only did the audiences increase, but
very soon the finances of the church were much improved. Large offerings
were made for benevolent objects ; one offering for Home & Foreign
Missions amounting to the amazing sum of $71,000. From the commencement
of his labors to the present time, there has been extraordinary growth
in numbers and financial strength. The edifice in which his people now
worship- a magnificent structure on 5yth Street, between 6th and 7th
Avenues is the most costly church that was ever erected by Baptists
on this continent. During his ministry of nearly twenty-five years,
the church has given for benevolent and missionary purposes more than
two million dollars.
Dr. MacArthur has proved, during his ministry, that great congregations
can be gathered and held without the use of sensational methods, and
by preaching simply the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the membership of
his church there are hundreds of men and women of wealth, culture and
intelligence; in the same membership there
are the poor, who are recognized and made as welcome as the rich. Pastor
and people believe in a Christianity which reaches and blesses all
classes in the com munity. By pen and by voice the pastor speaks upon
all social, economic and national questions, believing that the Gospel
means the salvation and purification of every form of life. During his
pastorate Dr. MacArthur has received into the church over 3000 persons ;
its present membership i.s over 2000. The influence of this great church
reaches out in every direction ; and its pastor, Dr. R. S. MacArthur,
is widely known as one of the most eminent and popular divines in the
American pulpit.
JOHN MACARTHUR, another brother, bought, in 1850, a farm of 200 acres,
near the homestead, on which he still resides, and the greater part
of which ha has himself cleared and brought to a state of cultivation,
which enables him to keep a good
stock. He was married 27th June, 1855, to Elizabeth Dewar, from Scotland.
Archie, their second son, a graduate of McGill, is now principal of the
Mount Royal School, Montreal.
Mr. MacArthur well recollects the chopping out of the present road,
in 1838, leading from Brownsburg to Dalesville. Previous to this,
in coming from Laclnue, the settlers had followed concession lines,
which were all marked by blazed trees.
ARCHIE MACARTHUR, third son of the pioneer of the same name, spent
a few years in California, and after returning, married 8th April,
1868, Catherine McGeoch. She died about five years later, and he then
married Christina McGibbon, 22nd Septem ber, 1874. Soon after his first
marriage he bought a farm of 200 acres at Brown s Wharf, Plantagenet,
Out., where he resided twenty years, and during quite a portion of
this time he was a member of the Board of Health and chairman of the
Board of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
54*
School Commissioners. He was quite an extensive dealer in wood nearly
all the tune he resided there, and after selling his farm, about 1882,
his time was confined to the wood traffic. Having purchased .he claims
of the other heirs to the internal homestead in Dalesville, he removed
to it in 1889, a, d still resides here
Of his sisters Catherine, the eldest, the widow of John Loggie, lives in
Glen garry Ont. Elizabeth the widow of E. Hendrie, lives in Londonfont.,
and Anrie Elizabeth, married to Darnel AlcKerricher, resides in the same
city . Jessfc, mar fed to Duncan McKerricher, live m California. Jane,
married to John McGreTor lives on the River Rouge, in St. Andrews.
DANIEL DALE, good old Dan Dale," as Mr. King speaks of him. came to
Pt Fortune from Belfast^ Ireland, m the year 1818. Some years later,
about 1820 or
1830, he moved to Dalesville where he soon afterward erected a saw
mill. About 1838, he also built a grist mill ; they were the first mills
here, and though simple an crude, compared with the mills of the present
day, they were a great blessing to the settlers the grist mill especially,
saving, as it did, many a weary trudge and back load to the pioneers. The
saw mill was subsequently destroyed by fire, and a new one built; but
the grist mill, remodeled and improved, is still doing good work
These mills are now the property of JOHN CAMPBELL, a sketch of whose
ancestors is given in the history of Lachute.
Mr. Campbell, who has spent much of his life in lumbering and in mills
was married in 1863 to Christine, daughter of James Dewar. After living in
Harrington two years where he had a saw mill and grist mill, he purchased
the mills and roc acres of land in Dalesville, with which he has been
engaged many years He has put in a circular saw and a planer, and does
an active business, sawing between two and six thousand logs annually,
and always having a large quantity of lumber of
various kinds on hand. His grist mill also receives the patronage of
a large section c "* ir - D f> s f aso i4,ooo bushels of oats being
brought to this mill from Gore
Mr. Campbell is a man of influence in this place, and has been a Municipal
Councillor and School Commissioner several years, and is now Chairman of
the Board. He is a staunch supporter of the Baptist Church, and is now
a tie has eight sons and three daughters; three of the former are married.
WILLIAM MORROW and three of his brothers came from Ireland to Canada
about 1830 ; two of them settled in Hawkesbury, Ont., and William and the
other located on adjoining lots at Dalesville. Previous to this, however,
William was employed two years by Commissary Gen. Forbes of Carillon,
and he then took up the west half of Lot 16, Range u, in Chatham, and
some years later became proprietor of the other half of the same Lot. He
died here about the year 1847 ; his wife died zist August, 1877 After
the death of her huslwnd, Mrs. Morrow experienced much sorrow and many
hardships. Her eldest son live.l with his grandmother in Hawk sbury,
and her eldest daughter was helpless. Her house was burnt, and she then
m-ivod into the
barn ; soon afterward, she, one day. heard the timbers cracking, and
seizing her invalid daughter, she had barely escaped from the door,
when the barn fell with a crash. In her despondency, she sometimes threw
herself on the grave of her husband, praying for deliverance by death
from her great troubles. But He who never permits affliction without
a wise purpose had still work for her to do, and strength and ability
were given her to rear her family, and in after ye.irs she enjoy. <1
the comforts of which she had been so long deprived. It was no unusual
thing for her to walk to Lachute, about eight miles distant, and carry
a pail of butter, and Mr. Morrow often brought 100 Ibs. of flour on his
back from the mill at Brown slmr^. Tluy had three sons and two daughters,
the younger sons, Hugh and Tnomas, being tw ins. Hugh
342 . HISTORY OK ARGENTEU1L.
bought out the other heirs, and remained on the homestead, though he
worked: nine winters in the lumber woods. He was married 26th January,
1874, to Janet McFaul, and in i88i,he bought the claims of the other
heirs to the Mctaul home stead 200 acres and subsequently purchased
200 acres more, for all of which he has paid with money made from his
faim. Mr. Morrow is a striking example of thrift and industry, and
generously acknowledges the credit due Mrs. Morrow for
the help she has contributed towards their prosperity. In her younger
days, Mrs. Morrow had an opportunity of visiting Italy, Switzerland,
and other countries of Europe, and the facts with which her mind is
stored concerning the renowned places visited attest that her time was
well improved.
DONALD DEWAR, from Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland, came to Dalesville
with his parents and four sisters in 1854. Though a shoemaker by trade, he
owns 100 acres of land at Dalesville, and since 1860 has devoted his time
chiefly to farming; he is esteemed for his sobriety, industry and honest
principles. He was married 26th January, 1889, to Margaret Robertson,
from Glenlyon, Scotland. His father, James Dewar, who lived with him,
died in July, 1870, at the age of 88. His mother, who was a sister of
the elder Archie McArthur, died 22nd November, 1888.
ANTOINE BRUNEI, who can boast of a progeny of nineteen children, is a
citizen of this place. He was born at Belle Riviere, and came to Lachute
in 1853, where
he attended school some time, and then engaged as clerk to R. J. Meikle,
with whom he remained eighteen years. Having learned the cooper s trade
of his father in his boyhood, he now opened a shop in Lachute, but in
about two years he was appointed baggageman at the railway station at
Lachute, which position he held twelve years. After that, he lived five
years in Arundel, where he followed his
trade, and then in 1893 removed to Dalesville. He has been twice married:
first, in July, 1862, to Marceline La Belle, of St. Andrews ; she died
in 1879 J ar >d 8th September, 1889, he was married to Catherine
McAuliffe. Of his niixiiy children, but four are now living.
CHARLES VARY was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, 8th March, 1822 ; in
1844, though strongly opposed by his family and friends, he came to this
country. He was first employed as clerk for a lumber company, and while
thus engaged in New Glasgow, Moses Williams, a foreman, invited him to
accompany him to his home in
Lancaster, Glengarry, and there he formed the acquaintance of his sister,
Amerilla Williams, to whom he was married 3rd February, 1848. Mr. Vary
afterwards engaged in teaching, and followed this occupation some time
in Glengarry. On account of
ill-health, however, he decided to engage in farming, and with this
object he settled on a lot in Wentworth, on Lake Louisa. He lived there
eight years, experiencing
great hardships from the absence of roads, and having to cross the lake
every time he found it necessary to leave home. He therefore came to
Chatham, and after teaching a few months at Dalesville, he settled on
a half lot in the i2th Range, where his widow still lives.
Mr. Vary was a man of intelligence, and was much respected. He was a mem
ber of the Municipal Council and the Board of School Commissioners several
years ; he took the census of the County two or three times, and for some
time was Secretary- Treasurer of the Council and School Board. He died
isth December, 1893. During the last two years of his life he was blind,
and, as he had always been a great reader, some member of his family,
after this affliction, was often engaged in reading to him.
He had four sons and five daughters, but only three of the latter are
now living. The other children are married, save the youngest son,
Alexander, who lives on the homestead with his mother.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Another family of pioneers is thus mentioned in the writings of the
Rev. Mr. King when he was stationed at Notfield.
" Tidings came lately from Dalesville, of the death of Arthur McArthur,
son of the big miller of Glenlyon. He was one of the first settlers in the
rear of Chatham : he and his brother Duncan, with their sister Margaret,
located five miles east of the Chapel. Arthur and Margaret never married ;
Arthur was for a long time in posses sion of the hope of eternal life,
and entertained Baptist sentiments, but for some reason never joined
the church. He was a man who lived a. very quiet and inoffen sive life,
sustaining a good character. Since his death, Archibald, the only
son of Duncan, on whom his father, aunt and sister depended, has been
removed by death ; it is to be hoped he died in the Lord. His death was
a double affliction, since he was the only earthly dependence of those
mentioned. Such are the ways of the Lord, and who can comprehend them ? "
DALESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH.
In giving a history of this church, we have thought proper to copy
largely from
the writings of Mr. King. He left with Mr. G. F. Calder, of Ihe Watchman,
two volumes of MSS., of which that gentleman has kindly given us the
use. This manu
script contains not only a history of the Dalesville church, but of
his own life and travels, from the period when he was about leaving
Scotland up to the later years of his life. It has been our desire to
use only such portions of the MSS. as show the condition of different
churches and communities where he labored, the progress of the country,
and the lives of individuals who were woithy examples to others.
If he was Baptist in his views and sentiments, Mr. King was very popular
wherever known, and we are sure that many will read with interest the
reminiscences of one who was so much respected and beloved.
" Mr. King was born of Presbyterian parents in Edinburgh, Scotland,
in 1819. At the age of ten he was sent to learn the lapidary trade
with an uncle who kept a shop on Princess street. These were the days in
which the powerful and evangelical preaching and teaching of the Haldane
brothers were permeating Scotland, especially its capital.
"Through the influence of John Terbot, a companion, young King was
persuaded to attend the Baptist meeting on Niddery street, where,
according to his own words, his mental eyes were opened ; he saw himself
in a new light, and was enquiring what he must do to be saved. In a few
days, he was led to understand the new birth, and was resting his hope
of salvation on Christ alone. Through the teaching of John
Terbot s father, young King was led to study the subject of believer s
baptism, as was found in the Word of God, and at the age of seventeen
he was baptized by Pastor
Robert Anderson, and united with the church. He was gifted with a
remarkable memory, read much, especially the Bible, and stored away a
large stock of useful knowledge, which became of much practical value
to him in after life.
" He began to exercise his gifts in the church, and made known to many
in the by-ways and lanes of the city the way of salvation through Christ."
The above account of his early history is taken from a Memorial Sermon,
preached by the Rev. John Higgins in IXilesviile. r jth September,
1893. The remain ing part of his biography is drawn chiefly from his
own manuscript.
While Mr. King was traveling about Edinburgh and other places in Scothr
engaged in evangelistic work, he was not indifferent to the history
oft: he
visited, and in later years, published several well-written articles,
descriptive and
244 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
historical of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Falkirk, Kirkaldy, etc. Not long
after beginning his labors as an Evangelist, in speaking of meetings
held in Bnstow Street Church, Edinburgh, he says:
" One week day evening there entered the pulpit, along with one of the
Elders, an aged man, whom I had never seen before. He was venerable in
appearance, bald- headed with a ruddy complexion. When he rose to speak,
it was soon discovered that lie was no ordinary man ; it was evident that
he had not studied in the divinity hall, yet nature had bestowed on him a
great gift. He was one of nature s nobjemen his theme was missionary work
; the duty of Christians to send the Gospel to those who were perishing
in their sins. Then he told us he was from Canada, from the banks of the
Ottawa ; he described the greatness of the country, the hardships endured
by the settlers in the back woods, and their destitution of the Gospel.
How that many had lived there a long time without hearing a sermon,
and that young people had been born there, grown up to be men and women,
without having seen the face of a minister of the Gospel. He said he had
been sent to Britain by the Baptist Missionary Society, for the purpose
of procuring men and
money men to preach, and money to sustain them. His heart seemed full to
overflowing with his subject. This aged man was the Rev. John Edwards,
or, as he was called in Edinburgh, the Canadian Farmer/ He was a
Scotchman from the Shire of Moray. * * * He emigrated to Canada in 1822,
and settled in Clarence on the banks of the Ottawa, where, after a few
years, a chinch was formed, of which he became pastor. The discourse of
this aged servant of God in Bristow street made a great impression on
my mind. Of money I had little, but, then, men were wanted. The thought
passed through my mind, might not I go to Canada? might not I devote
myself to mission work? This thought did not leave me, but under its
impulse, I found myself, some time afterward, on board the good ship
Mohawk, in company with Mr. Edwards and the Rev. John Girdwood, con
tending with the waves of the Atlantic, on our way to the new world."
It was some months after first meeting Mr. Edwards and promising to
return with him to Canada, that they embarked on the " Mohawk," during
which time Mr. Edwards continued his missionary work. At Anstruther,
where he had tor some time labored, a number of the brethren thought he
shouldbreak his engagement with Mr. Edwards and stay where he was, saying
that "charity should begin at home, and the Gospel was as much needed
in Anstruther as in Canada." " But finding my mind made up to go, they
all wished me Godspeed. I found the members of the church at Anstruther
very kind, and received from them in parting many tokens of kindness,
and among them was a large broadcloth cloak which they had made for
me. Their idea of Canada was that it was a very cold country, and that
a mission ary would, at times, be under the necessity of camping out at
night in the woods. This cloak was given me, that I might wrap myself
in its ample folds, should I ever need to do so. The good people s fears
proved groundless, as the cloak had never to be used for this purpose."
It would be a pleasure to give Mr. King s account of his journey to
the port whence he sailed, his description of his fellow-passengers,
their life on ship- board, sail up the St. Lawrence, and his impressions
of the new country and its people, all re 1? ted in a vivacious and
fascinating manner ; but space forbids. He sailed from Greenock ist of
April, 1841, and landed in Quebec, after a six weeks voyage ; and the
next day witnessed a sad disaster caused by the falling of a portion of
the cliff, crushing houses and their inmates in the Lower Town.
He says : " When we landed in Montreal, we were received and heaitily
wel comed by the venerable Ebenezer Muir, and the warm-hearted and
affectionate James
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. .,._
Milne, both deacons in the Baptist Church, St. Helen street. Both of
these brethren have since finished their course, and joined the church
above. As I intended to
spend some time in the Baptist College, Mr. James Milne kindly conducted
me there to spend the night. The College was then kept in a house in
Bonaventure street, at the head of McGill, near the Hay Market. It was
presided over by Dr.
Davies, an excellent scholar, and a humble Christian, but who has since
returned to his native country, England. As students generally entered
the college after the Christmas vacation, it was thought best by the
Doctor and others that I should spend the summer and fall up the Ottawa,
preaching the Gospel, as I had oppor tunity, and return to Montreal after
Christmas. Accordingly it was arranged that I should proceed to Clarence,
on the Ottawa, to Fox s Point, the residence of Mr.
Edwards, and make his house my home."
After describing his trip up the Ottawa by boat he continues : " It
was dark when the boat reached Carillon, and there were twelve miles
further to Grenville Head, where the other boat lay, and this distance
had to be travelled by stage. It was very slow and disagreeable riding,
the road which ran beside the canal in the front of Chatham being very
rough. As the stage bumped along in the darkness, I heard a strange noise,
and on inquiry, learned that it was made by frogs. First, one would lift
his voice, then he would be joined by many
others, and thus they kept up their song all the night long. As the
stars began to grow dim, and daylight to streak the eastern sky, we
came rumbling into Grenville Head ; then the king of day arose in all
his majesty, and revealed the beauties of the scene which burst upon the
view. The Bay of Grenville in the rear, the rapid called the Long Sault,
the noise of the waters as they dashed against the rocks, all were noted
by me, and made a lasting impression. The Head is a collection of houses
on both sides of the canal ; there are two places of worship one for the
Church of England, and the other the Scotch Church. But there seemed to me
to be too many taverns in it to give one a high opinion of the morality
of the place. The river is very wide here, and on the opposite shore is
the lumbering establishment of the Hamilton Brothers, surrounded by the
houses of the village. The Head is a great resort for raftsmen employed
in lumbering and in bringing rafts down the Ottawa."
Passing over a page in which he describes people he met and his passage
over the river in a canoe, we begin at the following paragraph :
" When we landed we were informed that we were in Upper Canada. I went to
the house of Mr. Edwards, which was the only stone house in the place at
that time. The old gentleman was not at home, having remained to spend
the Sabbath with his son John, who was pastor of a Baptist church in
the village of St. Andrews, Canada East; but I was kindly received by
his son William and the old lady, and
for the time being ; was made welcome to make my home at their house. The
next day being the Sabbath, I preached to a large congregation, in the
house of Nicholas Edgar, from John iii. 3 ; this was the first time I
had preached in Canada.
" There was in Clarence, at the time, a Baptist church, but it was in ,i
disor ganized state ; neither the ordinance of the Supper nor discipline
were led to.
They, however, met on the Lord s Day to hear the U ord of God preached.
" They had neither Chapel nor school-house, hence they met in a house
facing the river on Fox s Point. To this house, in the summer time, on
Sabbath morning, came people from different parts of the neighborhood
to hear the Gospel. the
roads at that time were bad, and in some places there were no roads at
all, the greater number of people came in canoes on the river. It was a
beautiful sight to sec a ll of these primitive boats, loaded with people
from different parts, approaching Fox s
23
346 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII,.
Point on Sabbath morning, and after sermon, when they were returning home,
it was delightful to hear from a distance the sound of some well-known
hymn, sung by them in concert, as they paddled along. I also enjoyed the
singing very much in the meetings at this place, instruction in which art
was given to the young people by Andrew Shirreffs, or, as he was called,
" Daddy " Shirreffs. He was a weaver by
trade, and had been a member of the Baptist Church in Aberdeen, Scotland,
of which Mr. Gilmour was pastor. He was a short, stout man, with a
fine voice, and full of music, indeed, music seemed to be the element
in which he delighted to live and move. He took great trouble with the
young people, and succeeded in making them
excellent singers.
" When I came to Clarence there was no school, and a large number of
children in the settlement. The parents requested me to open a school and
teach the children, while I remained in the place. To this I consented,
and as they had no school- house, it was arranged that the school should
meet in an old shanty that belonged to " Daddy" Shirreffs. Behold me,
then, installed as Dominie, in that humble shanty on the banks of the
Ottawa, having around me many of those who are now the heads of families
in the settlements, whom I had the honor of first teaching their letters.
" While I was teaching, some of the friends in Lochaber invited me to
go over there and preach, and, as I had learned to row a canoe, thus
being able to cross the river when I liked, I consented. I used to row
over after my school had closed for the day, sail up the Blanch, land on
Donald McLean s place, preach in the school- house in the evening, and
after passing the night either at Neil Campbell s or McLean s, return to
my canoe in the morning. At other times, I would cross in Neil s canoe,
after the meeting at Fox s Point on the Sabbath, and preach in the
afternoon and evening at Lochaber. The fruit of my labor in Lochaber was
the conversion of a woman named Campbell, whom I baptized in the Ottawa
before a number of spectators the first baptism I performed in Canada.
" After teaching about three months, a proposal was made to me that I
should spend my time till Christmas preaching between Lochaber Bay and
Petite Nation ;
and the work of preaching the Gospel being more congenial to my mind
than teach
ing school, I assented to the proposal. The distance between the two
places being fifteen miles, with the North Nation to cross, it was
arranged that I should spend alternate weeks in each place. In Petite
Nation, or Papineauville, as it is now
called, there was then a small Baptist church. Instead of the handsome
chapel in which they now meet, they then met in the school-house ; the
Methodists also using it one-half the time. In what is now called the
village, at that time there were very few houses and only one store ; now
there are several houses, stores, a town hall, a Roman Catholic church,
Anglican church and a Baptist chapel. Traveling between Lochaber and
Petite Nation I found rather a laborious undertaking, on account of the
state of the roads the only one that was fairly passable being that from
the Nation to Papineauville. From the Nation to Lochaber, in the spring
and fall, it was little better than a quagmire. Sometimes I would get
a ride from Papineauville to the Nation and walk the rest of the way,
and often was half up to the knees in mud. Occasionally, indeed, I did
procure a horse at Lochaber Bay, but getting a saddle was another thing;
horses were plentiful enough, but saddles were few and far between ; and
as for a buffalo robe in sleighing time, that was out of the question ;
the only robes they used were bed-quilts. When I had the honor of riding
on horseback, my usual saddle was a bag filled with hay or straw, fastened
on the horse with a rope, the ends of which served as stirrups. This kind
of saddle answered very well, as long as it remained in the right place,
but I recollect one day, as my horse was descending a clay hill into a
gully, he slipped, and the saddle quickly turned
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
347
under his belly, while I was pitched, head foremost, into a pile of brush
by the way side. The only damage I sustained was a large rent in my coat,
which I had to go back five miles to get mended, and then I resumed my
journey. When I traveled that road there was no Thurso and no mill at the
Blanch ; but it is not so now great changes have occurred at Lochaber Bay
: there are good roads, good houses, saddles and vehicles for summer and
winter s use. The last time I visited the place, after the lapse of years,
the old school-house was still standing, in which I had the pleasure of
preaching to the people, but many with whom I had been acquainted were
gone good old James Lamb and his wife, Donald Lamond and the woman I
had baptized had all crossed the Jordan. Those who had been strong and
active were getting old, and the young children had become men and women,
and many had
removed to other places. Such are the changes constantly taking place
in every part of the world, and such they will continue to be as long
as the world stands."
In the early part of the winter following his labors in Lochaber and
Petite Nat. on, Mr. King returned to Montreal to enter the Baptist
College. As it may be a pleasure to many, as it was to the writer, to
read of ministers whom they knew or of whom they often heard in their
youthful days, the brief description of his college mates, given by
Mr. King, is next copied :
" There were several young men, at that time, in the college, studying
for the Christian ministry. Some of these have since become able
ministers of the Gospel and pastors of churches, while others turned
out failures, either from want of ability or some defect in their moral
character. Among the f< rmer was Mr. Gilles, who settled in Eaton,
in the Eastern Townships, and v ho has been very useful in the vineyard
of the Lord ; Titus Merriman, who became pastor of a church in Potton ;
the two McLeans Allen and Hector the former went to Michigan, the latter
to Canada West; Archibald H. Campbell, who became pastor of a church in
Chatham, C.W. ; and Peter McDonald, a man of good parts and an excellent
preacher, who has been settled over different churches since leaving
college. There was also Aaron Slaght, pastor of a church in Waterford,
C.W., and a young man named Leach, who, after preaching a short time,
fell a victim to consumption, leaving behind him a young widow and a
child. Then there was Davidson, now Dr. Davidson, of Canada West,
and Lorimer, A.M., at one time pastor of a church in Kingston, and editor
of a
little paper called The Freeman, but who has since died. Another man,
Charles Smith, from St. Armand East, C.E., was one of our students. He
was partially paralyzed on one side, yet, as he was a good man, he was
the means of doing much good during the short time he lived. There were
other youn ; men in the college, some before and some afterward such as
John McLaurn, who has since died ; Peter
Wilson, John Dempsey and W. K. Anderson, now in Breadalbane men whose
praise is in all the churches."
Omitting an account of those students who, for various reasons, left the
ministry, and other unimportant matters, we proceed to a subsequent part
of Mr. King s nar rative :
" When the snow disappeared and as the spring advanced, melancholy
tidings reached us from the banks of the Ottawa good, old Mr. Edwards
was no more These
tidings took us all by surprise, as he had been in the city that winter,
apparently in the best of health and high spirits. Mr. Edwards was a
wonderful m:in ; he had not the advantages of education in his youth,
but he possessed an active mind and sound judgment. His information was
extensive. He read much and studied well; one could not be long in his
society without perceiving that he \v.is l>..>rn to be a leader
among men. He was a fluent speaker, yet, his sermons, like those of
all untrained men, were not systematically arranged, though sound in
doctrine and
348
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
abounding in Scriptural quotations. When he and his brethren first settled
in Clarence it was both a natural and a moral wilderness there was no
Baptist Church, Baptist minister or Baptist in all the Ottawa region,
and Mr. Edwards, under these circumstances, opened a Sabbath School and
held meetings for religious worship in his own house. After a few years
the church in Clarence was formed, though he was not ordained to the work
of the ministry till 1831, nine years after his settlement in Clarence. On
that auspicious occasion he had the pleasure of receiving into the church,
by baptism, his son John, who afterwards became pastor of the Baptist
Churches in St. Andrews and Chatham. Mr. Edwards possessed a large amount
of missionary spirit. He did much to promote the cause of Christ along the
Ottawa ; in summer s heat and winter s cold he travelled about, preaching
the glad tidings of salvation. Many a time he paddled his canoe up and
down the Ottawa, and at other times, journeyed on foot over bad roads
and in places where there were no roads at all to communicate the Word
of Life to the settlers in the back woods. For these works of faith and
labors of love he received no remunera tion but labored with his own hands
for the support of himself and those depending upon him. This he did,
not because he thought it wrong for the preacher of the Gospel to live
of the Gospel, but because the country was new and the people were poor ;
and, like Paul, he felt pleasure in the thought of being burdensome to no
"The labors of Mr. Edwards, though appreciated in his lifetime, were
not so much so as they ought to have been. It is only in looking back
upon that moral waste and comparing it then with what it now is, that
we can know the value of such a man His mind was deeply impressed with
the importance of obtaining a supply of ministers to enter upon the many
destitute fields around ; but this could not be obtained without money
; and to obtain this, Mr. Edwards made up his mind to leave his family
and visit England and Scotland, which he did in 1829. He set before the
churches there the spiritual destitution of Canada and the great want
of laborers to enter the fields ready for the harvest. His energetic
appeals had a powerful effect upon Christians there ; he obtained money,
and, what was still better, through his means Mr Gilmour, from Aberdeen,
and Mr. Eraser, from Inverness-shire, were in duced to come and labor
in Canada. These good men, in connection with himself, did more than
any others to advance the cause of Christ in the Ottawa region. Mr.
Gilmour was the means of the formation of the Baptist Church m Montreal,
while Mr. Eraser settled with the Baptist Church in Breadalbane. If
Mr. Edwards had done nothing more than induce these men to come to Canada,
he had done a good work ;
their labors have been greatly blessed by God to the conversion of many
souls ; and the remembrance of their visits and their preaching is dear to
the hearts of their spiritual children. Mr. Edwards again visited Britain
in 1839. He was sent by the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society
to solicit aid to enable them to carry on their missionary operations
in Canada. He was very successful, having obtained seven hundred and
fifty pounds sterling. He was at that time very well
received, and many turned out to hear the Canadian farmer from the banks
of the Ottawa. He returned in the spring of 1841, bringing with him the
Rev. John Girdwood and the writer. Mr. Girdwood took great interest in
missionary opera tions, and, after remaining a few years in Montreal,
where he did much good, he
removed to the States, where he labored several years with good
success. He has
since gone to his reward."
The summer of 1842 passed away, and, when the Christmas vacation arrived,
Mr. King decided to visit Lochaber. He received a cordial welcome
from his friends there, and, after spending two weeks, he set out for
Montreal. Arriving at St. Andrews,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 349
he was induced to remain a few days to take part in a series of religious
meetings in Point Fortune He says :
"After this meeting, I was intending to return to Montreal, but, as
Mr. Edwards
was about to go on a visit to Upper Canada, and would be absent a few
weeks, he
persuaded me to remain and fill his appointments in St. Andrews and the
Rear of
Chatham, until his return. Though Mr. Edwards was, at this time, pastor
of two churches the two churches, strange to relate, had no fellowship
with each other the church at St. Andrews being open, and that at
Chatham close in principles of com munion a state of things that did
not contribute to harmony. As I had no horse,
I was taken to Chatham by Archibald Campbell, a deacon of the church who
resided on Caiillon Hill. He took me to the house of Malcolm McGregor,
where I was received with Christian kindness. I preached on the Sabbath,
and returned to St. Andrews on Monday.
" I had heard of the Rear of Chatham before. Old Mr. Edwards, when in
Edinburgh, in speaking of the Lord s work in certain parts of Canada,
mentioned the Rear of Chatham as a place where his son John was pastor
of a Baptist Churrh. Little did I then imagine, when listening to him
in Bristo Street, that I should visit the place. The appearance of the
place made an impression on my mind which is difficult to describe. I had
read of the Alps ; but then the mountains of Chatham, though numerous,
were not high enough, and so with the Highlands of Scotland, yet they
had a faint resemblance to both ; they had a romantic appearance, and
the uncleared parts were covered with timber to their very tops. The
ground was covered from view by the numerous stones which lay scattered
in all directions. It was evident that Nature never intended it to be
an agricultural country, and that any population seeking to live by
agriculture must be a poor one ; and I found it to be so. though the
country was rocky and uninviting, it was not so with the people ; they,
at that time, were simple, warm-hearted and truly pious ihe pride of life,
the vain show and fashions which rule society had not found their way,
at" that time, to the back woods of Chatham. They seemed to feel towards
each other as brothers and sisters ought to feel; although, even then,
the old people were talking of a good time that had passed away, as the
Ancients talked of the Golden Age. That good time v. when the little
church first planted here in the wilderness went from house to hou when
every man was a teacher, and, in his turn, acted the part of an elder ;
when men held forth the Word of Life, not in black broad-cloth, but in
home-made grey, and for want of shoes in summer went to meeting with
bare feet.
" They were talking of a great work of grace that had taken place in
Chatham, a
few years before I came, through the labors of Messrs. Gilmour and
Kraser, when a number of the young people, and old ones, too, had made a
profession of religion this they railed the Great Revival; and, indeed, it
was a great and glorious work the Lord ; for, in that year, seventy-nine
were baptised and added Shortly after the revival, they were visited by a
Baptist Doctor of Divinity, an unusual occurrence in these parts he was
Dr. Cox, of Hackney, England. report of the marvellous work of grace,
and wished to see some of the young co
"They met in the old school-house, and gave the doctor ml of
conversion and Christian experience. He and Mr. Gilmour lodged in tru;
Deacon McFarlane, who had the horn of an ox, which was blown at mc.i the
men from the field. The doctor, thinking it was used to call t!v took it
as a memento of the place, Mr. Gilmour blowing it, as he and t along in
the bush on their way to Grenville Head. The doctor and the weather very
warm, and the mosquitoes, moreover, seeming preference for the blood of
an Englishman, he found his rule thi attended with much discomfort.
35
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
" At my first visit I had not much time to get acquainted with the people
in the Rear of Chatham, but I found they were a mixture of Highland and
Lowland Scotch, with some Protestant Irish. The Highland Scotch were
chiefly from Glenlyon, in Perthshire, and some of them had been members
of a Scotch Baptist Church there.
Still, the impression left on my mind by my first visit, in regard to
the people, was a good one ; they appeared to me to resemble the people
of Scotland more than any
others I had met in Canada.
" In St. Andrews I met a man named John Calder, who had come from the
Rear of Chatham to that place on business, and was about to return. He
invited me to go back with him and preach : he thought it might be well
to hold meetings a few nights, and hoped that good would be done. Having
little to do in St. Andrews, and a liking for Chatham, I consented to go,
and when we arrived at the Settlement, a meeting was announced for that
evening. A number of people gathered in the chapel to hear the preaching,
and I was much interested in the prayer of an aged man named McFaul,
that prayer filled me with the hope that good would be done; there
was about it such an earnestness, and it breathed such a desire for an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that I was emboldened to give no i ice of
a meeting for the next night. The chapel at that time was a very cold
place in winter; the inside walls had not been plastered; some times
the stove wood was green and would not burn ; the stove-pipes leaked
and smoked all which made it very disagreeable. The next night there
were more people at the meeting, and they seemed very attentive to the
sermon. As the news spread that a stranger from Scotland was preaching
in the Settlement, the people came from all parts of the neighborhood
every night, so that the chapel was full. Some of the old members were
awakened and began to take an interest in the souls of others.
" At the end of a week it was evident that the Spirit of God was at work ;
sinners began to inquire What shall we do to be saved ?
" It was our practice, after sermon, to invite any who felt concern for
their souls to remain to converse with me. Many of those whose minds were
impressed felt shy about doing this ; but at last one came, and then
another, until quite a number professed to find peace through faith in
Christ. Every night, for weeks, some one was brought under conviction
of sin, or professed to find a hope through grace.
There were at that time among the young people some good singers, who
sang hymns while enquirers were counseled. As the number of enquirers
increased, it took considerable time to talk with them, so that it was
often twelve or one o clock at night before the meeting broke up. These
meetings continued five weeks ; between fifty and sixty professed to
entertain a hope, and of these, fifty were baptised. All this time,
Mi. Edwa-ds was absent from the settlement; but one day, as we were coming
down from the chapel to our Jordan, to baptise some young converts, he
came along, and, like some in olden time, when he saw the grace of God,
was glad. ; This was the second great revival since the formation of the
church. The settlement had in it at that time more inhabitants than now ;
several of the families were large such as the McGibbons, the McGregors,
the McKerichers, the McArthurs, McPhails, Youngs, Loggies, Dales, and
many others. Many of these have left the place, and some have crossed the
Jordan. There were some of the old members of the church capable of giving
an exhortation, and did so when the pastor was absent ; among whom were
John Calder and Archibald C , a weaver by trade, but who, if he had had
his choice, would have done very little at it. He had a wonderful gift,
both for prayer and exhortation, and was a warm-hearted, friendly man ;
and though some of his neighbors professed to see faults in him, yet, with
all his faults, one could not help loving him as a warm-hearted Christian.
"The most of the people in the neighborhood of the Chapel were Baptists,
or
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
held Baptist sentiments ; but there were a few connected with the auld
Kirk these
felt displeased when anything was said about baptism I had wit!
Campbell & McKnight s translation of the New Testament for my own private
r -i. j- i j i i inv. a,una J.V11IS.
felt displeased when anything was said about baptism. I had with me at
that tir
Campbell & McKnight s translation of the New Testament for my own pr
use. This book having been seen by some one disaffected to the Baptists
it was re-
r"v/~\ rto/~i oil /-* TT <n * t l-\ *- i-v1<->^j- -!,*. *_T__
T~> _ _ * * . * t T
Jil I- * **!%, J-^W, LVLIO * *t VC*.0 1 t
ported all over the place that the Baptists had got a new Bible ; and,
of course this was an awful thing; but they did not know that this
work was not the work of the Baptists, but of a Presbyterian minister
in this way prejudice sometimes overshoots the mark. After this series
of meetings in the Chapel was ended, I went for a short time to hold
meetings in Wentworth, an adjoining township. Close to that place in
hatham, lived Duncan McDougall. He was a Baptist, and had been a member
of the Chatham before they had any ordained minister, though he was not
a member at the time of my visit. He was one of those who taught and
baptised at the time, when every gifted brother was a preacher. His wife,
her sister, and another person were all out of the Church, because they
did not think it was Scriptural that the Rev. Mr. Edwards should be
pastor of both an open and close communion church at the same time. I
preached a few nights in No. i School-house, and also in a few private
housesthe Lord blessing the effort to the conversion of souls ; and I
had the pleasure of baptising seven persons, the stream flowing through
the farm of Arthur McArthur being used for this purpose. Among those
baptised was an old soldier, a Highlander, who was in the Forty-second
at Waterloo. In that battle, George was
very nigh ending his days a musket-ball went through his bonnet, barely
missing his head, and he was one of four all that were left of the
company to which he belonged ; yet these wonderful escapes did not lead
him to repentance ; he had to repent and find Christ in Duncan McDougall
s barn. As Duncan and his wife were not in com munion with the Church,
they, and the few who had been baptised, formed themselves into a church,
and Duncan became their leader. They attended to the Lord s Supper every
Sabbath, and continued to do so for nearly two years, when the little
church was broken upumd most of the members joined the Chatham Church.
While Duncan had charge of this church, he was very attentive, and did
all he could to keep them together; and, indeed, they were in a better
state than they
afterward were, for bung so far from the meeting-house, they found it
inconvenient to attend ; but while they remained united in a church
at home, with Duncan to watch over them, they were always faithful to
perform all their Christian duties.
" At length, navigation opened, and I pn pared to return to Montreal. 1
received a few presents from the people, and though I was not a robber
of churches, I have to confess that I carried off with me at that time
all the funds of the church at Chatham, consisting of a small bag of
coppers, and many of them bad.
"My vacation, which I intended should last only two weeks, had continued
till May; but I felt that what 1 had lost in one way I had made up in
another having gained more knowledge of human nature and more courage
to preach the Gospel.
"In the fall of that year I was informed that Mr. Edward i had resigned
the charge of the churches at St. Andrews and Chatham, and had gone
to Canada \Y meetings being conducted in the Chatham church by John
(- alder and Archibald Campbell. At length, in the month of November,
the Church at Chatham invr me by letter to come and labor among them,
offering to raise ^_>5 a year tw.irds my salary. The committee of the
Baptist Missionary Society thought this too small a sum, and informed
them that they could not consent to my coming unless they added my board
to the sum of ^25; and said if they would do that, the Society would
also give 10 a year, for a year or two, to help. To this the ihat- ham
Church agreed ; and it was arranged that I should board at the house of
35 2 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Deacon McGibbon. His son Finley being in Montreal, I packed my small
stock of personal property into his sleigh, and proceeded with him, in the
latter part of December, to Chatham, where I received a hearty welcome.
" 1 was then in my 26th year, and in the enjoyment of excellent health. 1
found
the Church in rather a cold state, though the meetings were well
attended. There was a large Sabbath School which met in the Chapel with
a Bible-class, and there were meetings every Tuesday and Friday evenings ;
these were held from house to
house, in private dwellings. The deacons of the church then were
Malcolm McGregor, the father-in-law of two ministers Daniel McPhail and
John Higgins Peter McGibbon, John Stewart and Donald McKerricher. The
settlers at that time were still clearing their lands, and but few had
begun to plough. While they con tinued to clear, the land being new,
they raised excellent crops of grain wheat, oats and other kinds; they
also obtained ready money for the potash they made, and sheep supplied
them with clothing all manufactured by themselves, so that their
wants were few; they avoided getting into debt, and were comparatively
happy. But when they ceased clearing, a great change came over the place
then their difficul ties began it was found impossible to plough to any
extent, the ground was so full of stones and rocks. What fields they
were able to make were so small, that it was little use trying to follow
the rotation of crops. It was then that they discovered the mistake they
had made in settling in such a section of country a section which should
have been left to wild animals, and as hunting ground for the Indians.
By this time their primitive manners had somewhat changed that simplicity
which, in early times, rendered them happy was giving way to love of dress
they wished to be like other people. This led them into debt and danger,
so that instead of toiling for independence, many of them were toiling
for the storekeeper and might be thank ful if, at the end of the year,
there was not a balance on the books against them.
This unpromising state of things led many to think of removing to more
favored sections, and when this idea once got possession of their minds,
it worked its way until one family after another broke up and moved
away. In this way, many lots were left to grow up to forest again,
and many houses to fall into ruin.
In regard to the Church, though they had greatly changed in some of
their views and practices since the first Bapusts from Glenlyon settled
in the place, still the old people retained a fond recollection of the
past, and would fain make Glenlyon the model. They adhered to weekly
communion, and made a law prohibiting believ ers from uniting themselves
in marriage with unbelievers. They were, no doubt, right in regard to
their views respecting marriage ; but it is doubtful if the Word of God
would bear them out in excommunicating church members for taking such
a step. They claimed to find spiritual authority for the exercise of
such stern discipline in the passage which reads : If he will not hear
the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. But a
Church should be sure that it is the will of Christ for which they are
contending, before going to the length of excluding, for a Church may
err. While the Church adhered to this rule it had made, with regard to
marrying with unbelievers, many were excluded, and much harm was done,
for not only was the individual lost to the Church, but often the entire
family to which he belonged all being affronted by what they regarded
the ill-usage of their relative."
Fortunately, it would seem, for the existence and well-being of the
Church in the Rear of Chatham, these descendants of the Covenanters, who
had been fighting over again in a new country the battles in polemics
of their forefathers, discovered an error in their theology, and, like
wise men, at once set about correcting it, for Mr. King s historical
narrative next assures us that" At length some of the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 353
members began to inquire into the propriety of excluding for the marrying
with un believers, and came to the conclusion, that though it was not
expedient for Christians to connect themselves with unbelievers, yet as
marriage was a civil contract between a man and woman, and neither against
the law of God nor man, it was wrong to exclude for doing it. This idea
spread among the members, until at last, in a church meeting, it was
agreed by a large majority, that if there was nothing else against the
person than such marriage, it would be wrong to exclude. They would not
have it
understood, however, they approved of irreligious marriages, but would
leave the consequences resulting therefrom to the persons contracting
them.
" About this time, I commenced a protracted meeting in a schoolhouse
in the front of the Township, within four miles of the Ottawa river. I
was accompanied by John Calder, who was able in leading meetings and
in exhortation, and who had held a few meetings in the same place. He
was also an excellent singer, and he used to sing hymns from Hills
selection before and after the sermon, to the gratification of those
present. The meetings were held every morning in the school- house, and,
in the day time, Calder and I visited from house to house. The people
here were mostly from the north of Ireland, and Protestants ; but, not
withstanding, the Gospel way of salvation was new to them, and the mode
of baptism and Church order. They came out, however, to hear the Word,
the Lord gave His blessing, a glorious revival occurred, and many, both
old and young, were brought to the feet of Jesus. I had the pleasure of
baptising twelve persons, who were added to the Church. Since that time,
several others have been bap tised in the same place, through the labors
of the Rev. John Dempsey pastor of the Church of St. Andrews. After the
revival, we were visited by the Rev. Daniel McPhail, pastor of a Baptist
Church in Osgoode, C. W., who came to visit his rela tives in Chatham. His
father, Daniel McPhail, had been a leading man among the Baptists who
first unfurled the banner of the Cross in the wilderness. Daniel came to
the knowledge of the truth while yet a boy, was baptised, and added to the
little Church, where he soon began to exercise his talents, and though but
a child among the Elders, he soon excelled them all in speaking. He had
a strong desire for the conversion of souls, and was much pained at the
contentions and frequent disputes of the Elder brethren. Daniel McPhail
soon became a powerful pleader with God in public and private. He was
often heard in midnight hours, among the hills and rocks of his mountain
home, calling to God in strong cries and tears pleading for two special
objects : that God would direct him to devote his whole life to the v,
of preaching Christ to a perishing world, that some faithful messenger
might be sent to his aid in leading the unrenewed young people around
him to the Saviour. the purpose of obtaining the aid so much desired,
a few, with him, set apart a \\ night for prayer, and when they separated
it was day-break ; their pleadings were answered quickly and fully. The
news soon spread that Bros. Gilmour, ot Monti and Eraser, of Breadalbane,
were on their way to assist them; the great awaken had begun."
This was the beginning of the Great Revival, mentioned by Mr. King <
former page, and which occurred before he came to Chatham- After Mr. M
had closed his visit to his relations in Chatham, and was about returnin.
invited Mr. King to accompany him, and make a tour through the section
ot cm:, where he labored. Mr. King continues : " Accordingly, we started
in hi Osgoode a township which at that time had not been long settled,
though the in it was good, and formed a striking contrast to that in
the rear of Chatham.
" The people among whom Mr. McPhail labored were chiefly from the of
Scotland a hardy and industrious race, and, like all the Highlanders, \va
35 4 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
hearted and kind to strangers. Their Baptist chapel was a log building and
in this I preached in the morning of the first Sabbath after our arrival,
and in afternoon in a private house, on the bank of the Castor-which
house if I mistake not belonged to a man named McDonald, whose son is
now a Baptist minister As my stay in Osgoode was short, I had but little
time to get acquainted with the people, but what I saw of them left a
favorable impression on my mind. As in Chatham, I understood that the
spirit of God was with His people and with their
pastor had wrought powerfully in the conversion of souls. "I had heard
old Mr Edwards speak of Mr. McPhail in Edinburgh, and now I had the
pleasure of seeing
him and many of his spiritual children, who were a goodly number then
but have since greatly increased. From Osgoode I passed through a part
of Winchester a township adjacent. In this township, at this time, there
were a few Baptist believers connected with the Osgoode church. Now,
there is a Baptist church in both East and West Winchester one formed by
some of the members of the Osgoode Church, the other gathered through
the efforts of Erastus Rainboth a young man brought to Christ by the
labors of Rev. J. Dempsey while in St. Andrews, and whose labors have
since been highly blessed to the conversion of souls Whiie in Winchester,
1 preached in the house of Edward Fox, who had removed from Fox s Point,
in Clarence; the point received its name from his father, who
resided there. The glorious doings of the Lord at that place, in the
conversion of souls, has made it a memorable place on the banks of the
Ottawa. From Winchester, I passed through Mountain, and came to South
Gower, which appeared to be a f township, and the people doing well ;
they had fine farms, good houses, and large orchards Many of them were
from the States, and had been settled there for a long time Four miles
from this place was the village of Kemptville, in which, at that time,
there were a few Baptists. Mr. Leeming, a merchant here, and a man of
ability, preached to the people. There is now, in this place, a stone
chapel, and a house for the pastor. When I came to South Gower I found
a church, but they worshipped in the schoolhouse ; now they have a good
chapel, and the church has much increased in number through the labors of
the Rev. W. K. Anderson, who, for a time, became pastor of the churches
of Kemptville and South Gower. The people here seemed t have a strong
attachment to Mr. McPhail, to many of whom he stood in the retain
of spiritual father. ,
" From South Gower we proceeded to Osnabruck, fronting the noble ,3t. Law
rence. In the third concession, back from the river, there is a Baptist
church, which then met in a schoolhouse ; but they now have a good
chapel. Many of the people ol that settlement were of Dutch and Irish
origin, and before the introduction of the Gospel were living without
God and without hope. We lodged in George Morgan, or, as he was called,
Captain Morgan Captain of Militia. the first convert in the place,
and seemed to be full of the love of Christ. He gave me a long account
of his conversion, and how the Gospel was introduced into the set While
leading a careless life, indifferent to the interest of his soul, he
somewhere heard that there was such a thing as a new birth, and that
a person could not be saved without it. But how to get this he could
not tell, and there were none about him who could. In this trouble he
asked his wife if she could find a Bible, for they had none in the house
except a few detached leaves of the New Testament, tied together with a
string. This was sought for, and at last found among some odds and ends
on a shelf. They looked it through, but could not find what they wanted:
still, in his meditative moments, thoughts of a new birth continued to
haunt Capt. Morgan s mind. He resolved that he would procure a whole
Bible, on the first opportunity, cost what it might. At length, he heard
of a man in a distant settlement, who had
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 355
come from the States, that kept Bibles for sale, and he started
off to get one. But when he arrived they were all sold ; the man,
however, promised to procure one and send it to him a promise which he
fulfilled, net forgetting to charge enough for it to repay himself for
the trouble. Having at last become the owner of a whole Bible, he and his
wife sat down together, and, beginning at the first chapter of the New
Testament, they turned over page after page, till they came to the third
chapter of St. John s Gospel, and there, sure enough, they found the New
Birth. But now, how was this new birth to be obtained? This they could
not tell; his wife advised him to pray, but this he had never done. He
went to the barn, however, to try, but returned without effecting his
object. In this way he re mained a long time, sometimes troubled in mind,
and then seeming to forget it altogether.
" There lived on the other side of the St. Lawrence the pastor of a
Baptist church, who was known as Elder Fay one of a class of ministers
fast passing away, who, though not rich in classical lore, were rich in
scriptural knowledge, and full of zeal for the conversion of souls. This
good man, while laboring for his Master, was deeply impressed, from time
to time, with the thought of crossing the St. Lawrence to preach the
Gospel. Finally, his mind was made up to go. and he landed in Osnabruck.
Being a stranger in the place, as he journeyed along he went in to
a blacksmith s shop, and inquired if there were any Baptists in the
place. He said there were none. The Elder then asked if he could tell him
where he could find lodging for the night, being an entire stranger in the
locality. The blacksmith informed him that Captain Morgan, he thought,
would be the most likely to entertain him. It seems that the blacksmith
mentioned the name of Capt. Morgan, as he had heard that the Captain
had a tract urging the duty of infant baptism, and that he had been
searching in his new Bible for confirmation of the principles advocated
in the tract, without finding any : hence he concluded that the Captain
must be friendly towards the Baptists.
" While the Elder and blacksmith were talking, Captain Morgan chanced to
be sing the shop on his way home, in his sleigh. The blacksmith called
him in, and
informed him that a man wished to stay with him over night. The Captain
offered to accommodate him, but on his way home, having learned that
his guest was a Baptist preacher wishing to preach in the place, he
began to regret his hasty offer to entertain him. What will my neighbors
think and say of me ? he thought introducing a Baptist preacher into the
neighborhood? He feared so 1 he know of Baptists that fhe minister would
do or say something that wo offend the people. Another thing also troubled
him he had a keg under the seat of his sleigh, and he fearei that this
might be seen by th When thev arrived at his home, the Captain managed to
remove the give it to his wife to put away, with.mt letting the Elder see
it ; but when she what man he had with him, and he answered, A Baptist
preacher, she said George . whv did you bring such a person to our house?
* He told her he did not like to do it, but he could not well do
otherwi that, as he seemed a good sort of man, she must do the best she
could circumstances. As the Captain was one of ihe trustees, he had no
difficulty in t ing the use of the schoo house, for which the Elder had
asked for n meeting ; b
announcing the meeting, he could not think of doing it. as he had gr
ducing a Baptist and of being blamed by his neighbors for SO doing. I
when asked who would introduce him, uttered these sub iroe words my Bible
! Accordingly, in the morning, he set out to visit from h to announce
the meeting for the evening. It was his practice, or to inquire if any
in it feared the Lord ; then he would read a portion c
356 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and offer prayer. In some houses he was well received, while in others
the good
woman would continue at her wheel, paying no attention, and in some,
also, one or two of the inmates would continue their work and the rest
would kneel, so little had the people, at that time, even the form of
religion. At length the evening arrived, and the schoolhouse was well
filled. Captain Morgan had a desire to hear the stranger, but was afraid
to be seen, not knowing how he might act, so he got into a corner behind
the door. The preacher discoursed on man s sin, the danger of the soul,
and declared that all must be born again or be eternally lost. He also
showed what the new birth was and how it could be obtained. The Captain
felt condemned; he thought the preacher had been made acquainted with his
whole life, and that some one had informed him of all his circumstances
and mental troubles. So great was his distress, that, at the end of the
sermon, he was forced to come out of his corner and confess that he was
a lost sinner. As he was among the first convicted, he was among the
first that obtained peace with God in believing the
Gospel ; then his wife and several of his relations were brought to
Christ. They were all baptised, and the good work went on until a goodly
number were formed into a church. Thus the Captain found the new birth,
and found it in a way he did not expect.
" As Mr. McPhail had to return to Osgoode, he left me in Osnabruck to
find my way back to Chatham as I could. Having no conveyance of my own,
Captiin Morgan kindly offered to take me part of the way, and said it
was a pleasure to do it, and that his team had carried many a Baptist
load. We first proceeded to Martin
town, arriving there that evening ; there was no Baptist church there,
an 1 only three Baptists, with whom we stayed. From this place we went
to the Rear of Roxborough, and remained over night with a man named John
Eraser, who had seen a good deal of the world. He was a Scotchman from
the Shire of Moray ; in his youth he had been in the employ of the Hudson
Bay Company, in the North- West. When he and his wife came to settle
in Canada, they were connected with the Independents, but afterwards
became Baptists. John was a very intelligent man, and used his talents
in preaching at home, in the schoolhouse, and in the Baptist Church,
in Indian Lands, of which he was a member. He was very fond of music,
and something of a musician himself. We spent a happy evening with him
and his family in religious
conversation and singing hymns of which I had a number that were new
to him. brought out his fiddle, an old companion, and which, like
himself, bore the impress of advancing time. It had ministered to his
folly in the day when God was not in all his thoughts, but then, as its
owner s mind was changed, it was made, under
his hand, to give forth sweet sounds of praise to God. John, being
fond of ol Scotch tunes, proposed lo sing a hymn to the tune of Aitld
Lang Syne, but though I had no objection either to the fiddle or tune
if used in the service of Christ, we found that sucli was not the case
with Capt. Morgan. Both the fiddle and the tune brought to him painful
recollections of the time and scenes when he was spotting with ungodly
companions in the broad road which leads to ruin. In deference to his
feelings, therefore, the fiddle was consigned to its box and the tune
was unsung.
" It is now a long time since I was in the company of good, honest
John Fraser,
but I have a letter of his, containing a call to me from the Church in
the Indian Lands, to become their pastor, which I saw fir, at that time,
to decline. This good man has lately gone to join the Church above. Great
changes hive taken place in Rox borough ; not only has the wilderness
been turned into a fruitful field, but after a great revival, a church
was formed, which has a fair prospect of being enlarged and a blessing to
the place. I preached in a schoolhouse to a large and attentive congre
gation. Since then, however, they have a small but neat chapel, which
is entirely paid
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
357
for. From Roxborough I proceeded to what was called the Indian Lands,
where there was a Baptist Church. It was located in what is now called
Notfield. This
was an old church, but it had little influence in the neighborhood. While
tliey had a large field in which to labor, they slept and while they
slept, the field was entered by others, who were not friendly to Baptist
principles. The Church here was, for a long time, without a pastor, and
made but little progress. They were occasionally visited by Mr. Fraser
from Breadalbane, who preached and dispensed the Lord s Supper, the
meetings being held in a log chapel, which at that time was unfinished
in the inside and was very uncomfortable. They kept up their meetings,
however,
and exhorted one another. The people were Highland Scotch, and it was in
this place Mr. McPhail first labored after leaving college and before he
settled in Osgoode. Here Captain Morgan left me and returned home. I
preached on the Sabbath, and spent a few days in the Settlement, the
guest of James Mclntyre, a deacon in the church a kind, good man, who,
by care and industry, seemed to be getting on in the world. I preached
a few nights in his house. The Church in the Indian Lands, like many
other churches, had its dark and bright times, its sunshine and shadow.
It was a long time without any regular pastor, and, in its early days,
suffered some trouble respecting the communion question. During the
pastorate of Mr. Rainboth, a powerful revival of religion took place
among the young, and a number were baptised and added to the Church. After
the revival, Mr. Rainboth much to the regret of the young people left
and settled with the Osnabruck Church.
" As Deacon James Mclntyre had occasion to go to Breadalbane on business,
I went with him, as I was thus brought twenty-one miles nearer Chatham. On
our way we passed through Alexandria, a large village, inhabited chiefly
by Highlanders, many of them from Glengarry, Scotland. They were Roman
Catholics, and descendants of
the men who, in Scotland s troubles, fought the battles of the Stuarts,
and who were with Charles at Prestonpans, Falkirk and Culloden. They
have long since become loyal to the House of Hanover, as they proved
during the late Rebellion in Canada by turning out with the Loyalists,
and at Prescott and at other places, showing that they had lost none of
the courage which their ancestors displayed on many a bloody field. In
Alexandria there was a Roman Catholic chapel, several stores, flour
mills and public buildings. The country around seems to be a fine one
and well suited to farming purposes, but much of it not well cultivated.
" Early in the afternoon we arrived at Breadalbane and stopped at
the house of Mr. Fraser, the respected pastor of the church there ;
he was not at home, but I was kindly received by his wife. As it was
the evening of the weekly prayer- meeting, I proceeded to the chapel,
where I preached. There were not many present, so that I had little
opportunity of forming acquaintance with the Brethren, finding none
there whom I knew, save my old friend Sandy Campbell. Breadalbane,
which is in the township of Lochiel, was settled by Highland Scotch,
who gave the name to the Settlement, from the fact that most of them
came from Breadalbane, in Perthshire. Scotland.
" Probably there is no other race of people under the sun more attached
to ti country than the Scotch, especially the Highlanders. Nothing but
dire necessity will drive them from their native glens and mountains,
where every spot is sacred fn.-m association with the heroic deeds of
their forefathers. But when they must go and make for themselves a home
in a distant land, they delight in giving it the name of the place of
their birth.
When I first visited Breadalbane, many of the first settlers were alive, a
though advanced in years, were healthy and active. Such \\ : Stewart, Dun.
McArthur, Allen McDiarmid, John McLauren, Allen McKay. Millar MeLauren,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Duncan Ray, Duncan Campbell, the Lothians, and a number of others,
wiih their wrVes.
" Well might it now be asked the fathers, where are they? The little
hillocks in the burying ground before the old chapel have increased
greatly in number within the last twenty years. Under these hillocks
sleep many of the fathers and mothers of the Settlement and founders of
the Church, and many whose voice was heard in
praise and exhortation in that forsaken building, now sleep among that
silent congre gation of the dead. They once bore the burden and heat
of the day a noble race men who loved the truth for its own sake, and
women whose adorning was of more value and more beautiful than silver
and gold. Of the original church which was
formed when the place was a wilderness, only one aged widow now survives,
and she, too, will soon cross the Jordan.
" And that old chapel, now deserted, and, which, like its builders, will
soon crumble into ruins how many friendly greetings have occurred around
its door ? How many sermons have been preached from its pulpit ? There
the Spirit of God has, on many occasions, manifested His power in the
conversion of souls, and angels have often borne to Heaven the tidings
of souls born anew, causing joy among the redeemed in the presence of
the Angelic Host. There good old Mr. Fraser labored
many years and with good success ; he was succeeded by VV. K. Anderson,
under whose ministry many souls were brought to Christ; then McNab labored
a few months, and was succeeded by Cameron, who had been a missionary in
the Highlands of Scotland. After laboring there a few years, he removed
to Bruce, C.W., where
he died. Their next pastor was Mr. McKee, during whose pastorate a great
revival took place ; meetings were held every day for nine or ten weeks,
and a great number was added to the Church. He left after the revival,
and their old pastor, W. K.
Anderson, returned. Often has the writer preached within the old chapel
to large congregations and on revival occasions, with Boyd, Anderson,
McDonald, McKee, Dick, and others.
" Eternity alone will disclose the good done in that old building ; it
has been the spiritua : birthplace of many, for which reason its very
dust is dear to us, and we take pleasure in looking on its decaying
timbers and stones. As Mr. Fraser had occasion to visit Point Fortune,
on the Ottawa, I rode with him to that place, whence I crossed the river
and made for home, which I reached, after an absence of six weeks ;
during which time 1 preached a number of sermons, saw many people, and,
I hope, was the means of doing some good. The country through which I
passed was a fine one, which led me to wonder why the Chatham people were
so unwise as to settle in such a place when better land was to be found
not far off. After returning, I continued to preach the Gospel, and had
the pleasure of receiving into the Church, now and then, a convert.
"In the month of July, 1845, I was ordained to the Gospel Ministry as
an evangelist, though I filled the place of pastor. This was done at
my request, as I had objections at that time of assuming, permanently,
the care of a pastorate.
" The ordination took place on the Lord s Day, in the presence of a large
congre gation ; the ministers present being Mr. William Dick, of Ottawa,
and Mr. McPhail, from Osgoode.
" Mr. Dick had been placed in Ottawa City by the Baptist Missionary
Society, as there were a few Baptists there; he was a learned man and
a good preacher; yet he met with but little success in Ottawa. After
laboring there a while he left the city, and has since died.
" As I had been two years in the Settlement the first of which I boarded
with Deacon McGibbon, the second with Archibald McArthur I concluded
that I could
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
359
obtain a house and lot of my own, and I purchased a lot which had been
deserted hv
a man who had gone to Canada West. On it was a house a
of the land around this place, it was very stoney, and "a" value ijftfc*
I repaired the house, which was a log one, and moved into it late
in the fill I was now what, m Scotland, would be called a laird and
a landed pro He or I could now sit down m my own house and walk over
my own estate. ButS there was a want; it had been decreed that it was
not good for man to dwel a o Feeling the truth of this m my own case,
I had been reflecting on the lubjec for some time- There was a young
woman in the place, a daughter of Deacon McGibt and granddaughter of
Archibald McArthur, pastor of a Baptist Church in Gknlyon Scotland-known
there as Mueller Mai-. She had endeared herself to all bv her kindness,
devotion to the church and assistance in the Sabbath School and in
assentofherpa^
wried Kn: ^ y Ung ****** assentofherpa
"In the catechism of the Westminster assembly of Divines, it is said
that God ha foreordained whatsoever comes to pass However much some may
question he
1USt " that ^ g ing t0 Chatham a " d y --riae s^-e s
tom y --riage s-e s
to confirm it, for before I was known in the place, before she had
ever seen me my wife beheld me in a dream. Thinking nothing about the
matter, she went with others to church that Sabbath morning, when, to her
astonishment, the verv person she seen in her dream rose in the pulpit,
and addressed the people, this was the first time I had preached in the
place, and why the vision had appeared to her, since she had never seen
me and had no knowledge of me whatever, let those who are skilled m the
interpretation of dreams explain. This circumstance came to my knowlede
only some time after we were married.
"Time rolled one, and there were additions to the church ; indeed every
year since I came to the place, more or less additions were made ; but
owing to the pov erty of the country, people were always moving away,
which circumstance kept the church poor with regard to numbers.
" There lived, in the 8th concession of Chatham, a man named Hendrie a
Scotch man by trade a carpenter, from Elgin in Morayshire. When he lived
there he did considerable business, but failed, and came to Canada. James
was an intelligent
man; he had good education, good judgment, and a turn for public business
He professed to be a religious man, and took an active part in bringing
ministers to the settlement, though he was not particular as to the
denomination. He was elected School Commissioner, and subsequently
Secretary-Treasurer. About this time, a great deal of dissatisfaction
arose in the community with regard to the
location of a new school-house ; bitter things were said, friends wore
estranged and animosity among neighbors generally prevailed. The School
Board naturally came in for a share of the abuse, and especially James
Hendrie, because he was supposed (o have the most influence; but he was
not to be swerved from what
he supposed was right. He had just built a new house, in which he was
living on a reserved, part of his land, having parted with the rest to
one of his sons.
It was Saturday night, and the family had retired after completing their
usual work preparatory for the Sabbath, and were in deep sleep, when it
was discovered that the house was on fire. There was but little chance
to save it, and it on
in ashes; poor James Hendrie and his wife were consumed in it. As it
was sup posed that he had considerable money at the time belonging to
the School Corpor
ation, there were strong suspicions, heightened by certain circumstances,
that the tire- was incendiary and was started with a view to
rubbery. H<>\vever this may be, the
^60 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII-.
o
end of Hendrie and his wife was sudden and awful. In the evening preceding
the fire, James was shaving, and his wife asked a person present,
Didna he think her gudeman looked young yet? Little did she think that
neither she nor her gudeman would ever see the Sabbath for which they
were preparing, and that instead of going to church the next morning,
people at the hour of service would be searching among the smoking
ruins for their remains. A boy and girl, who slept upstairs, escaped by
jumping from a window on the snow ; the last words they heard were I om
Hendrie saying, The house is on fire, which they supposed was a warning
addressed to themselves. It is remarkable that some years after this,
the son of fames Hendrie came near meeting the same fate that befell
his parents. In the dead of night his house was enveloped in flames,
and he, his wife and children barely escaped through a window a moment
longer in the house, and they would have perished in the flames.
" It is pleasing to turn from such painful events to a revival of
religion, in which fourteen persons made a profession of religion, were
baptised and added to the Church. Among the converts was an old soldier,
John A., who had fought th French under the Iron Duke, in Spain, and
met them in many a bloody field, for which his country had rewarded
him with a pension. At the time of the revival, he was an old man,
had buried two wives and all his children, and was alone in the
world; his home being with a blacksmith who kept him for his pension. He
was an
irreligious man and had no respect for religion, but when the revival
occurred, he was broken down on account of his sins. Though he had been
in many a battle, he
had never been in one like this, when the arrows of conviction were
sticking fast in his soul, and all his sins seemed to rise up like
armed men before him. He con tinued in this state a few days, when at
last, hearing that wonderful passage, Though your sins be like scarlet,
I will make them like the snow, and though they be red like crimson,
I will make them like the wool, he was enabled to believe it, and so
found the forgiveness of his sins. The prayers of his wife were answered
; she had made a profession of religion when I first came to the place,
and before her death prayed much for her sinful husband. He was baptised,
joined the Church, and has since joined the Church above.
" In 1860 the Lord blessed the Church with a revival of religion,
which resulted in the baptism of sixteen, and their addition to the
Church. This revival began
among the young people in the Sabbath School. From the number, two young
men John Higgins and Robert McArthur felt moved by the Holy Spirit to
devote themselves to the work of the Gospel Ministry."
As sketches of these gentlemen are given elsewhere in this volume,
Mr. King s notice of them at this point is omitted. He pays a high
compliment to the citizens of Dalesville for their loyalty to temperance.
; In regard to our settlement, we had reason to be thankful that
whatever the faults of the people may have been, they had not that of
intemperance. The Temper ance Reformation had taken a firm hold here at
a very early period, and most of the young people had enlisted under the
temperance banner. There were a few indivi duals, living at some distance
from the settlement, who, occasionally, when away from home, indulged
immoderately in drink a fact that was proclaimed by Bac- chinaliar. songs
and shouts, as they passed through our hamlet on their return home.
" In 1863, the Lord again favored the Chatham Church with a revival of
reli gion, and one of the most remarkable that had occurred here. The
converts were mostly young people, of whom there were many in the
place. The Church had seemed for some time to be in a cold state, and I
had begun to fear that my work were was done ; there were a few, however,
who prayed for a revival of religion. There
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 361
was one young woman, who had expressed a desire to become a Christian, yet
seemed reluctant to come out publicly and acknowledge it ; I thought that
if I commenced a series of meetings, it might be the means of bringing her
to a decision, and in case she should come out, others might follow. I
feared, however, that the church members would not heartily second
my efforts as I was not a stranger, and had nothing new to engage the
thoughts of the lovers of new things. It is to be lamented that churches
too often discourage their ministers by failing to co-operate with them
in their labors, forgetting that it is the duty of every member to work
with his pastor instead of seeking only his own ease and convenience.
" But I began the meetings, and after a few nights preaching, a young
woman expressed an interest in Christ, and soon after that the young
woman before men
tioned, and from that time the work went on. It was soon evident that
a greater
than man was at work ; the congregation increased in number, the Church
members
became interested, and rendered much aid in speaking to anxious souls
and in holding prayer meetings. One night, after the sermon, I requested
those who had found peace in believing in Christ to sit by themselves
in a corner of the chapel, so that we might have some idea of their
number. To my surprise and great joy, the most of
the 3 seats in that corner were filled with rejoicing converts. This was
a night long to be remembered, and one of the most glorious sights I had
ever seen. This band of converts soon united in singing a beautiful
hymn, which had a powerful effect on the unregenerate who remained in
the other parts of the house. Week after week, the good work went on,
till six weeks passed away, and neither
preacher nor hearer seemed weary ; it was a blessed time a time of
harvest. As some of the converts were pupils in the school, the happy
influence of the revival was felt there, and the teacher herself became
a subject of divine grace, and took great interest in the conversion of
others. After a number had professed conversion they were examined -by a
committee appointed for the purpose, and such as gave evidence of a change
were baptised according to the command of Our Lord and the practice of
the Apostles. The baptisms were performed on the Lord s day, after a
sermon preached on the subject. On these occasions, the chapel, which
is a large building, was full of people, some of whom had come from a
distance, so that many had to stand during the service, from want of room.
"On the first Lord s day I baptised 28 persons ; the next Sabbath others
followed their Lord into the watery tomb, and the next again, until,
as the fruit of the revival, fifty-two were baptised and added to the
number of believers. Through the influence of parents and friends, others
were induced to join other bodies. All through this work 1 received no
help from any other minister, nor did I feel that I required
for the members of the Church were alive to the good of souls, and did
their pa
carryiiw on the work. This I found to be more beneficial to the members
than it
would *had ministers been brought from a distance ; for had this been
done, the
people would have depended on the ministers and remained idle themsclvo.
" The blessed effect of the revival was felt all through the summer
and winter I was induced to commence a new series of meetings in a
school-house about five miles west of the chapel. Quite a number in
this neighborhood had forme made a profession of religion, and had
united with different denominations, but were now generally careless
and indifferent. " After preaching a few nights, the gation increased
in number, and it was evident that the spint of God was at work.
This meeting continued five weeks, when thirty-seven were baptii
About this time died Duncan McDougall. Duncan was a ,nc,nb< Church,
and a man well acquainted with his Bible He had a talon which improved
greatly uy practice. He preached a great deal in the back countr> ,
24
362 HISTOPY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and with great acceptance. For years he travelled through a rough section,
labor ing among the poor people, with no reward save a good conscience,
and in this way. he became well known through Gore, Morin and Mille
Isle, where he was much re spected. He could explain clearly the way of
salvation, and always spoke from the heart to the heart; and being of a
cheerful, friendly disposition, he was made welcome by all. He preached
in school-houses, and had large gatherings, and there is reason to believe
that his labors were blessed to many. But at last he was attacked by
an incurable malady, which interrupted his labors, and after three years
carried him off, to the great loss of his neighborhood and the Church. He
now sleeps in
the burying ground on the hill, there to abide the coming of his Lord."
In a succeeding part of his annals, Mr. King thus notices the death of
the wife
of Duncan McDougall, which occurred about 1873 :
" Not long after, died Eliza McArthur, daughter of the Big Miller
of Glenlyon. She had been a member of the Glenlyon church, and, after
coming to Canada married Duncan McDougall, who, through her influence,
became a Christian and a preacher of the Gospel. They had three sons
and one daughter, and after the death of her husband, she lived with a
son. Her strength and memory failed, and, from
an affection of the eyes, became blind. She could not recognize her
friends, but when asked if she remembered Jesus, replied that she did,
and could never forget what He had done for her. She was a good woman,
and one thoroughly acquainted with the Scriptures ; indeed, she and
Mr. McDougall knew the Bible far better than many ministers.
" In the spring of 1864, there was again an outpouring of the Holy Spirit
on our Church, and though the congregations were not so large as they had
been on former occasions 4 , many listened to the Word and were blessed. A
young man, whose brother had attended the meetings and been converted,
said he did not know how it was, but he thought people who went there
got bewitched, but he felt that he was wise enough not to be caught. But
he was caught, made a profession, and was baptised. With the exception
of a man who was nearly eighty, and his wife, the converts were quite
young. The contrast between the aged and the young, going down into
the water together, was great, and had a good effect. In that revival,
twenty made a profession, and were baptised.
" In the summer of that year, the Ottawa Baptist Association met with
the church in Dalesville. It was said to be the largest meeting of the
Association up to that time, and it was the 2gth annual meeting from its
formation. Among the ministers present were Langridge, from Ottawa city
a new man an Englishman, and a very good speaker. He continued a few
years in Ottawa, during which time the church was enlarged by several
additions by baptism. He preached a sermon before the Association,
on behalf of the claims of widows and orphans of deceased pastors and
ministeis. He has since removed to Nova Scotia, There were also present
Daniel McPhail, John Dempsey, about to leave St. Andrews for Port Hope,
Peter McDonald, W. K. Anderson, at that time in Kemptville, W. McKee
from Breadalbane, and John Ross from Thurso, who preached an excellent
sermon from Numbers xiii. 30-31. Then there was John Alexander, at that
time pastor of the church in Montreal, under whose pastorate that church
increased more than it had at any former period."
Not long after this, he says : " We were startled by news of the death
of Rev. John Edwards. He was struck down by paralysis, near Port Hope,
when on his way to visit his brother James at Peterboro. He had an attack
of the same while in Britain, but recovered. John Edwards was a good man,
and a devoted aborer in the vineyard of the Lord. He was, at his death,
the oldest minister in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 363
the Ottawa Association. In his younger days, he had been pastor of
the Baptist churches in Dalesville and St. Andrews, after which he
became pastor of a church in Peterboro. After laboring there a while,
he removed to Clarence, where his honored father had labored so long,
and while there he gave part of his time to
Thurso and Petite Nation. He remained there till he became agent for
the Grande
Ligne Mission, in which service he was very successful, collecting
money for it in England and Scotland, which he twice visited. He had
to struggle through many difficulties in life, yet, through them all,
he conducted himself in a manner becoming a minister of the Gospel. He
died away from home, without the pleasure of seeing his wife or children ;
his work was done, and the Master called him home.
"Among those who were called away about this time was Robert McNaughton,
one of the five who sat down to break bread in the wilderness of
Chatham. He had been a deacon in the church in Glenlyon, Scotland. On
account of differences with some of the brethren, Robert withdrew from
the church, and did not return till a short time before his death. As he
was not able to go out, the Church met at his house, where he joined them
for the last time in communion. To them and to him it was a very happy
season. Robert was a good man, though for a time he had entertained
mistaken views about that forbearance which brethren should exercise
one toward another.
" In 1869 I received a call to leave the church at Dalesville, and labor
with the churches of Notfield, Roxboro and Riceville, in Ontario. A few
years previous I
had received a call from Notfield, but did not see my way clear to
accept it. This time, however, considering that so many had left
the place, and laboring under the impression that my work was done at
Dalesville, it seemed to me the path of duty to accept the call. Thus
a connection of nearly thirty years with the church in Dales ville came
to a close. During this period I had seen both dark and bright times; I
had labored in the Gospel, and with my hands, that I might not be burden
some to the church. I loved the people, and I believe they respected
me, and I would not have left them only for the reasons I have stated ;
we parted in the best of friendship.
" I left and came to Notfield on the 7th of May, 1869. That winter the
snow had been very deep and was long in disappearing ; the roads were
almost impassable, and owing to the dry summer of 1868, food for both man
and beast Was very scarce ; many farmers had to part with more than half
their stock. It was hard to get hay ; those who had it to sell asked $30 a
ton, and some $40. Many managed to bring cows and sheep through the winter
by cutting down trees and giving them the small limbs at the top to eat. I
never saw such a display of brush as I saw in my journey from Dalesville
to Notfield ; every barnyard had piles of it. The labor of bringing it
from the woods must have been great, owing to the depth of snow."
The above closes Mr. King s account of his labors in Argenteuil. While
at Notfield, in the year 1872 or 1873, he thus speaks of the death of
Peter McGibbpn : " About thi s time came tidings of the death of some
dear friends in Dalesville, and among them that of Peter, or, as he was
generally known, Capt. McGibbon : he- died 17111 January, 1873. He was
a native of Glenlyon, Perthshire, Scotland, and in the year 1817, in
company with others, came to Canada and settled in tin- Rear of Chatham,
then an unbroken wilderness. Like others, he had here to endure all the
hardships of bush life, which, though new to him, might not have seemed
quite so severe as it would to a weaver, as he had been a shepherd in his
younger days, tend ing his flocks on the mountains of Scotland. He was
married to Jan. r of Archibald McArthur, pastor of the Baptist church of
Glenlyon, better known as die Muller Moir. Peter came to a knowledge of
the truth in 1835. during the rev which took place under the preaching
of John Gilmour, William Fraser and John
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 6 4
Edwards He took an active part in the building of the chapel, and for
some yeais was deacon of the church ; indeed, he took an active part in
every work of public utility such as the opening up of roads and building
of schoolhouses. He had three sons and six daughters, all of whom he had
the pleasure of seeing profess an interest in Christ and uniting with the
church at Dalesville. His eldest son, Fmley, died at the age of 26, a fine
young man, who died happy in the Lord. Two of his sons and three of his
daughters are married and have families. He had been a remarkably healthy
man, very active even in his old age few men could excel him in walking
when he was far advanced in years. He was a man noted for uprightness in
all his dealings, and his promise was as good as his oath ; he despised
a mean action. He continued a consistent member of the Church till the
day of his death.
The following is Mr. King s notice of the death of Mrs. McGibbon, who
died March ist, 1874: "In the spring of this year came word of the death
of Janet McArthur, daughter of the Muller Moir of Glenlyon, and wife of
McGibbon. She had been a member of the church in Dalesville over forty
years. Duncan McArthur, a brother of the deceased, is now 92 years of age,
and is yet healthy and active, and placing his hope of future happiness
in Christ. "
The Rev. Mr. King returned to Dalesville in 1877, after an absence of
eight years, and once more accepted the pastorate of the Baptist church,
which he held till within three years of his death, which occurred in
the summer of 1893. He was pastor of the Dalesville church over forty
years, which, with the time of his minis trations elsewhere, made up a
period of half a century that he labored as a minister of the Gospel,
and during this time he baptised fifteen hundred converts. Mr. Higgins,
in his memorial sermon, says:
" Physically, Pastor King was tall, stout, a large, strong-looking man,
and many years he possessed a splendid constitution, well adapted for
hard toil among the rocks hills and rivers of Chatham Township. Though
not having the advantage
of much scholastic training, he was gifted with more than average
intelligence and powers of utterance. He was a calm, easy, fluent
speaker. Nature and grace ai much for him, and few speakers could
excel him as a plain, practical preacher, or in platform temperance
addresses. While he held most tenaciously, and boldly pro claimed
Baptist principles, he was ready to unite with all who loved the Lord
Jesus Christ, in his efforts to do good."
Mrs. King, with some of her children, still resides on the homestead,
now a well-cultivated farm, with good buildings. She is still young
in appearance, and retains the respect and affection of all who know
her. The children of Mr. and Mrs. King were : Peter, Alexander, Janet
Louise (deceased), Finley, James, Elizabeth, John (deceased), Archibald
and Daniel. Two of the sons are in Nebraska; Elizabeth, the only daughter
living, married to Daniel J. Burwash, lives in Sawyer-
ville, Que. .
The Baptist Church of Dalesville a large stone building was erected in
1835. During Mr. King s absence in Notfield, the Rev. Alex. McFayden
held the pastorate four years, then students F. Dann and Adam (now
Rev. Adam) Burwash, followed. Students Herbert Grimwood and J. C. Cameron
supplied the pulpit for a time preceding Mr. King s death, then came
Rev. T. C. Sowter, a graduate of the logical department of McMaster
University, Toronto, who held the pastorate a year, when he was called
to the Baptist Church at Groton, Vt. At the end of that time, he was
recalled to Dalesville, and has been pastor here until quite recently.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 365
EDINA.
About four miles west of Dalesville is a post-office with the name
Edina, which
was established in 1874, WILLIAM TOMALTY being the first post-master. He
died, and his brother, Joseph Tomalty, was appointed post-master in his
place. Arthur
Tomalty, their father, was one of the pioneers in the Rear of Chatham,
settling in 1834 or 1835 on Lot 25, nth Range. He came to Montreal from
the North of Ireland in 1830, and a little later went to Sillery, where
he married Catherine Grey from Sligo, Ireland, and then came to Chatham,
as stated above. He died in April, 1862 ; his wife, May i 2, 1893. They
had seven sons and four daughters.
Joseph, the youngest son, lives on the homestead of 200 acres, though he
spent a few years in Michigan and California. He was married February 6,
1877, to Margaret McMahon, of Harrington, and the same year was appointed
post-master of
Edina.
Thomas Tomalty, an elder son of the late Arthur Tomalty, lives about
three miles west of Dalesville, where he has a small grocery and a
hostelry for the accom modation of travelers. He was married July 10,
1862, to Elizabeth Burns of 3hgo, Ireland, and settled on a farm here
of 313 acres, which he has lately divided between his two eldest sons,
Arthur and William. He has for twenty years been actively engaged in
buying farm produce and cattle and sheep, and selling them in Montreal,
to which city he makes frequent trips.
JAMES, the fifth son of ARTHUR TOMALTY, was married 22nd May, 1873,
to Grace Jane Green, of Harrington, and afterward spent three years in
California, employed, after his return, in a mill and in lumbering,
till 1882, when he settled on his present farm of 200 acres parts of
Lots 19 and 20, 8th Range where he_ gives evidence of prosperity ; he
has been a member of the Board of School Commissioners four or five years.
\LEX\NDERCALDER, who has been active and influential in local affairs,
is a resident of Edina. His father, John Calder, from Paisley, Scotland,
a weaver by trade came to Chatham in 1827 and took up Lot 24, icth Range,
on which he live 18^57, when he removed to Lot 8 in the same range, on
which he lived in 1872. In November, 1829, he was married to Catherine
McDonald, by > marriage he had seven sons and three daughters :
Alexander, who _hves in E Rev. James G., pastor of the Baptist Church
in Alvinston, Ont. ; William, living St. Amedee, Ottawa County; Robert,
living in North Nation Mills; John, who the United States. Peter and
Archibald both died young. Of the daughte Margaret, the wife of William
McQuaig, is now living; Bella, who marne m
Mot?, died in the summer of 1894; and Kate, who married Malcolm Mclntyn
Upper Lachute, died about fifteen years ago.
Alexander the second son, worked on a farm and in the lumber woods
youthful days, till his marriage, 2 7 th April, 1858, to Jane Mullen,
when he :
his own farm of 87 acres-Lot 20, Range ic-which he purch which he still
resides. He is Master of the Orange Lodge at this place ; i of the Board
of Health ; has been Valuator six years, Rural Inspector ttghte a member
of the School Board since 1868.
MURDOCH GRAHAM was one of the pioneers who came from Scotland in the
Rear of Chatham previous to 1835- He took up a lot in the i 2th kan, like
others who settled in that Range, concluded, after iving 1 migrate, and
bought 100 acres in the nth Rangoon wh.ch he hved tm. when he removed
to Petrolia, Ont., where he died in July, 1879.
366 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
a brick and stone mason, and he built many of the houses in this part
of Chatham. He acted as musician, playing the bagpipes in one of the
companies in the Rebellion of 1837. TTe had six ch^dren three of each
sex. Murdoch, the third son, married
Catherine Conlin TOth January, 1865, and soon afterward went to Petrolia,
Ont.,
where he worked several years in the oil region. In 1887 he bought 200
acres in the loth Range of Chatham, on what is known as McFaul s Flats
a very nice tract of
level land on which he still resides. He has been a Deacon of the
Baptist Church
several years.
SAMUEL BROADFOOT, a millwright, from New Glasglow, Scotland, came to Mon
treal about the year 1842, and after working in that city a year or two,
came to Lachute, where he married a widow, Mrs. Sarah Kerr. Her maiden
name was Moore. Her father, Samuel Moore, an early settler at Dalesville,
had been a soldier in the British Service, and drew a pension. His wife
was the widow of a soldier who fell at Waterloo. Mr. Broadfoot worked in
many different places, his services being widely sought on account of
his skill and ingenuity. He was employed on the Locks on the Carillon
Canal, in the Dalesville and Brownsbury mills, in Harrington ; several
years by Owens at Stonefield;also by Eddy & Booth, of Ottawa. He died
ist February, 1887 ; his wife died the 8th of the same month, in the
same year. He had two sons and four daughters ; his wife by her first
marriage had one son Joseph Kerr.
Jane, the eldest daughter of Mr. Broadfoot, was married 22nd May, 1876,
to John V. Smith, a carpenter, who had recently arrived in this country
from England. In 1889, he bought 200 acres Lot 19, Range 10 at Edina,
where he still reside?,
though his own time is spent chiefly in Montreal, where he follows
his trade.
Grenville.
PROCLAMATION OF THE 28TH JANUARY, 1808,
This township is bounded on the north by Harrington ; east, by Chatham
; south, by the Ottawa; and west by the Augmentation of Grenville. Its
surface is
generally rough, being traversed by the Lauren dan mountains ; yet there
are portions of it level and well adapted to agriculture. Its scenery
is remarkably fine, the rear abounding in small lakes, charming in
appearance, reposing in the solitude of mountain glens. Surpassing these,
however, in scenery of savage grandeur, is that of the River Rouge, which,
in Grenville, adds its powerful current to the Ottawa. No wonder that
the Indian found in the wild features of this stream something allied
to his own untamed nature, a kindred character that constrained him to
regard it as sacred.
An expansive bay, formed by the Ottawa, which is here very wide, combined
with the Canal, and its fine locks form a beautiful front to the
village. It was formerly
a point of much importance a rendez-vous for raftsmen and lumbermen ;
but the great
decrease in the lumber business has, of late years, rendered it much
more quiet. Its
eputation half a century ago is said to have been none of the best. But
however
his may be, the wave of social progress and morality, which has so
effectively struck
her places within that period, has not missed Grenville.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 367
The geological structure of Grenville is given in the report in the first
part of this volume ; but since that report was first published, some
effort has been made to develop the mines and quarries in the mountains of
this township, which are doubtless of value. An American company was for
some time employed in the rear of the township in obtaining mica ; but,
though considerable quantities were obtained, tne work for some reason
was abandoned. An asbestos company, recently formed, are about erecting
extensive works at Point du Chene, in the Augmentation of Grenville,
and there is good reason to believe that the mines and quarries of this
section will yet be regarded as the most valuable of its possessions.
GRENVILLE VILLAGE. ERECTED INTO A MUNICIPALITY, i6TH DECEMBER, 1875.
ARCHIBALD MCMILLAN, who for many years was a most prominent and
influential man in Grenville, was a native of Lochaber, Inverness-shire,
Scotland, and his father and uncle fought under the banner of Prince
Char es. When quite young, he was a
clerk in an East India House, in London, and while there, in 1780,
witnessed Lord George Gordon Riots. In 1802, he determined to come
to Canada. very popular with his clansmen, and when they learned his
determination, many wished to accompany him. He, therefore, chartered
three ships to convey himself, family and emigrants to Montreal, where
they landed in the fall of the above year. He immediately applied to
Government for grants of land for himself and associ;
but owing to red tape and other obstructions, the patents were not issued
until three or four years later. Before that time, however, the emigrants
found homes earry and Lochiel, Ontario, where they obtained free grants
of land, without di
and found a company of Highlanders who had already settled there.
Valley from Grenville westward, was little else than an unbroken
wilderness, a presented few attractions to induce any one to settle
there. The lands acquir Mr McMillan and his associates were located in
the Townships of Grenvil ton and Lochaber. Mr. McMillan gave the latter
its name, as the settlers came fr Lochaber, Scotland. It was in the year
1810, that Mr. McMillan took up his res in Grenville, having remained
until that peiiod in Montreal. the cost of survey, fees of office, and
other expenses, amounting to some $35 for each grant of 200 acres. To
relieve themselves from expense, the set made over to him their lots,
and he contracted to hold them until the patent, wen issued, as they
were liable to be escheated to the Crown for non-settlement forfeiture
the Government threatened to enforce, so that he was obliged siderable
improvements on some of the lots actually settled ; yet, notwi hstanc
number of them returned to the Crown. All the lands are now occupied
community of settlers. When Mr. McMillan first came to Grenville he mo
good-sized log house, which he had erected the year previous. It stood
just fhe Hawkesbury mills, and was called the "Old Abbey." At that time
his neighbour on the one hand lived in Hull, and on the other *a whSse
house was five miles distant in Chatham The only road between th was a
foot-path along the river side which, in the winter, could be travelled
n it on the opposite side of the river there was not even a t
rfc:
368 HISTORY OF ARGENT EUIL.
with his family and some freight, was returning from Montreal in this
way, in sur mounting a dangerous rapid, one of the bateaux came near
foundering. As it was,
she shipped considerable water, damaged part of the freight and several
valuable books. On another occasion, where the rapids were very swift
and rough, a large
tree had fallen into the river, and instead of cutting out this
obstruction, the men in charge of the bateaux tried to pole and warp them
around the tree. In doing so, the bateaux that took the lead capsized,
two pilots on board were drowned and most of
the freight was lost.
In 1812, Mr. McMillan received a Commission as Major of the Argenteuil
Militia. They were called to the Front during the war that was then
carried on between Great Britain and the United States, but when they
had reached Pointe Claire, they heard of the battle of Chateauguay, and
that peace was declared, and they returned home. Major McMillan was the
first postmaster in Grenville, and received his appointment in 1819, and
held it until 1829. He was also Justice of the Peace, and was frequently
called upon in those early days to exercise the duties of his office.
Especially was this the case when the canal was excavated, quarrels
and assaults being not infrequent. So averse, however, was the Major
to litigation, and so conciliating in spirit, that he nearly always
succeeded in inducing the belligerents to settle their difficulties,
shake hands, and go home. Major McMillan and George Hamilton, Esq.,
the pioprietor of the Hawkesbury Mills, and who was generally known as
Judge Hamilton, were warm friends. Judge Hamilton belonged to a family
highly connected in Ireland, and was himself a thorough gentleman of the
old school. He was very fond of company, and whenever he had visitors
of some note, he used
to raise a flag near his residence, as a signal to his friend, Major
McMillan, to come over and join them. In like manner when the Major had
distinguished visitors, a
flag was displayed at the " Old Abbey," to invite Judge Hamilton to
be present.
Major McMillan was also on very friendly terms with, the officers of
the Royal Staff Corps, when the canal was in process of construction,
and used frequently to be
invited to their mess, and, whenever he repaid the compliment, and the
officers dined with him, the flag was unfurled at the i( Old Abbey,," as
a hint to Judge Hamilton. One of these occasions was rendered still more
auspicious by the presence of the Governor General, Earl of Dalhousie,
who had come up to inspect the work on the
canal, and to whom an address on behalf of the citizens was presented
by Major McMillan. The latter and his eldest son, Alexander, who was an
advocate, died in Montreal from cholera in 1832.
Major McMillan had nine children six sons and three daughters who
arrived at maturity. The eldest daughter in 1822 married Thomas Kains,
who had been a Paymaster in the Royal Navy. For several years he was
Captain of the steamer " Shannon " which ran between Grenville and Bytown
(Ottawa). The second daughter married Wm. Hamilton, one of the company
of Hamilton Bros., proprietors of the Hawkesbury Mills, and who was
subsequently Collector of Customs at Stanstead, Que., where he died in
1833. The youngest daughter married George Kains, who for many years was
a merchant, and one of the leading men in Grenville. During the Rebellion
of 1837-38, he was an officer of the Grenville Volunteers, and as
Captain Pridham could not leave the Post Office, Mr. Kains took command,
and marched towards St. Eustache ; but on reaching St. Andrews, they
heard of the defeat of the Rebels, and returned; he died in 1877. George,
his eldest son, is a railroad official in St. Thomas, Ont. ; Joseph his
second son, has retired from business, also lives in St. Thomas; John,
the third son, is proprietor of a fine farm near St. Thomas ; Robert, the
fourth son, after having studied medicine and practised much in Europe,
settled in St. Thomas, where he now enjoys a good practice ; Robert,
the fifth son, is a Surveyor General, and resides in Victoria, B.C.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 369
The sons of Major McMillan, with the exception of the one who diedjn
Mont real, lived in this section, and most of them engaged in the
lumber business. Here Duncan, the youngest of them, still resides on
the old homestead. He is an octogenarian, but still retains the clear
intellect by which he has ever been charac terized. He has been a man
of remarkable energy, and very successful in business. On the breaking
out of the Rebellion, he joined the Montreal Royal Cavalry, com
prising two companies of sixty men each, His first employment was to
go with several of his company toChambly, to escort from that place
to Montreal some lead ing men connected with the rebellious party. But
on the road to Longueuil, the escort was fired on by a party of rebels
concealed in the woods near the roadside. In the confusion which ensued,
the carriage enclosing the prisoners capsized while turning round, and
the prisoners escaped. The order was then given for every man to look out
for himself, an order which was promptly obeyed. A few of the escort were
slightly, and Sergeant Sharp, an old soldier of the Imperial Army, was
quite severely wounded. After the rebels had been driven from St. Charles
and St. Denis, on the Richelieu, those places were occupied by several
companies of Imperial troops, and Mr. McMillan and another trooper were
also sent there, their duty being to carry dispatches to Sorel, Chambly
and other places. They were there but a short time, however, when they
were iclieved by two other troopers. Early in the month of December, 1837,
the Company of Cavalry to which Mr. McMillan belonged was ordered with
others to accompany the Imperial Troops to St. Eustache. They passed
the first night at St. Martin, and the next morning, at 10 o clock,
they pushed on to St. Eusiache, and crossed the river a little to the
east of the village. The church in which the rebels had taken refuge
was at once attacked and burnt.
The following is copied from a letter of Mr. McMillan : " I saw in
the evening,
after the fight, about twenty-five of these poor deluded people lying in
the church yard, just where they had been shot; it was a sad sight. The
same evening Ism- the body of Dr. Chenier lying in what was called a
hospital. He had on a stri cambric shirt, and two small red spots on
it showed where the bullets had passed through his body ; he was a
very good-looking man. Our Cavalry were ordered round the outskirts
of the village to capture runaway rebels ; several were captured and
brought in. The next day we proceeded on further west, about ten miles,
to the village of St. Benoit. As we approached the village, some of the
Rebels met us, hold ing up white flags. The village was occupied that
night by the troops, and the i day we were ordered back to the city. Our
cavalry and the Queen s \vere appointed to accompany Sir John Colborne
as guard. Sir John rode on horseback, but with much speed, so that only
a few of us were with him when we arrived in the city.
Among those was Mr. Johnson, son-in-law of the late Col. De Hertel oi
St. An he was a fellow trooper, and we rode into town together. During
the rest ol winter and the following summer we underwent a course of
drill ami disci [.line, occasional outpost service. As fall advanced,
symptoms of another outbreak b< to show themselves in the direction
of St. Scholastique and Napierville, on the
south side of the St. Lawrence ; but they were not of long continuance. I
earned a dispatch from Col. McCord, Montreal, addressed to Col. De Hertel,
who w.i way to St. Scholastique with a portion of the Argenteuil Militia,
ordering him to r. home with his men. I arrived at St. Scholastique
in the evening, and came in a little afterwards. The next day we all
returned home, assure- Rebellion in that direction was at an end. Soon
after my return to Monti reported that a large body of sympathizers had
crossed < in the direction of Napierville, to join the Canadian Rebels.
the head of two regiments of foot guards, the 7 ist Regiment ol
370 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Imperial Troops, crossed over from Montreal to Laprairie, and proceeded
on towards Napierville. I accompanied these troops as guide. It was late
in November, and the roads were a sea of mud, causing the soldiers much
hardship. That night they occupied the deserted houses and outbuildings
along the road, to within about a mile of the village of Napierville. Next
morning word came that the sympathizers had re- crossed the line, and
that the Rebels had disappeared. The troops marched into the village,
the horse taking the lead I was that morning to carry a despatch from
Sir John Colborne to headquarters Montreal, announcing what had taken
place. When I arrived at the wharf at Montreal, it was crowded with people
anxious to hear the news. The despatch was delivered at headquarters
in good time, and I was very glad to get back, after the discomforts
experienced in going to Napierville. During the winter and following
spring, I was employed in the office of Col. Harcourt of the Guards,
who was appointed commandant of all the Volunteer and Militia forces of
Montreal. In the summer, I retired from the Cavalry service, and accepted
a clerkship with a wholesale firm in the produce line, in Montreal,
with whom I remained three years."
About this time the late Mr. McMillan s family, which had been living
in Mont real several years, returned to Grenville, and induced Duncan
to accompany them, to take charge of their lands in this township,
since which time Grenville has been his home.
In 1851 he visited the great Exhibition in London, and, at the same time,
visited Scotland and Ireland. In 1859 he succeeded his brother-in-law,
Geo. Kains, as Crown Lands Agent for Grenville and other townships,
which agency he retained about ten years. He has held many of the local
offices that of School Commis sioner, Councillor of both the village
and township, and could have held much more prominent positions in the
county had he not declined. He was married in 1860 to Harriet, daughter
of C. E. Greece, Esq. They have five sons and three daughters.
CAPTAIN EDWIN PRIDHAM, who for many years was a prominent figure in
Grenville, may be numbered among her pioneers. Fortunately, he left for
his family and friends a brief autobiography, and as his son, Alexander
Pridham, Esq., has
kindly granted the use of this to the writer, he has copied freely from
it, such por tions, especially, as throw light upon the history of
the township and this section of country. Had others acted as wisely
as did Mr. Pridham, in writing the sketch referred to, the labor of
preparing this present work would have been immeasurably less, and the
interest added thereto would have been correspondingly greater. Capr.
Pridham was born in Half Moon street, London, Eng., lyth December,
1795. After attending school till he was sixteen years of age, his father
obtained a situation for him on the London Docks, where he was employed
at making out accounts and clerking. Not long afterwards he expressed
a wish to his father, that he might learn to be a cabinetmaker, and his
father having a brother in the Engineer Department of the Royal Arsenal
at Woolwich, through his uncle s influence the young man was placed
in the Government cabinet shop, to learn the trade. Mr. Pridham says :
After I had been in the Engineers Department nearly two years, I saw a
notice put up by the Government, offering to give any employees of the
works a free passage to Canada, and two hundred acres of land. Peace had
just then been concluded between the United States and Great Britain,
and the Government was anxious to get settlers to go out to Canada, so I,
with twenty more of different trades, went at once to the office, and
put down my name. This was in March, 1815. The first time I went home I
told my father what I had done. He did not say anything against it then,
but when I was leaving, he would give me only five dollars, saying that
I ought not to have taken that step without first acquainting him with
my inten-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 37!
tion, and that now I must make the best of it. We sailed in a large
transport vessel, named the < Phoenix, on the 5th of May, 1815, a
company of soldiers embarking with us. The voyage was long and tedious,
so that we did not arrive at Quebec till the 1 5th of July. On the
banks of Newfoundland the captain lay to for two hours, to allow all
hands to fish for cod. A good many were caught, and I caught seven.
It was a great treat to us to obtain fresh fish, after living so long
on salt provisions. On arriving at Quebec we reported ourselves to
the Governor, and, to our astonish ment, he told us no instructions had
been sent out to him about us. After talking a while to us, he said he
would write home to the Government, and ascertain what was to be done
for us j and as it would take two or three months to get an answer,
he would advise us to go on to Montreal and get employment, until such
time as he could receive an answer. On telling him that we had no means
of getting there, being destitute of money, he said he would send us up
in a Government bateau, and provide provisions for us. The next morning,
therefore, we started on our journey of one hundred and eighty miles,
and as we made but a few hours a day, stopping at farm houses over night,
we were twelve days in reaching Montreal. Arriving there, every one
had to look out for himself. 1 happened to fall in with Mr. John Fry,
the principal rraster builder in Montreal, who was at the wharf on
the lookout for carpenters when the boat came up. Though there were
plenty of wheelwrights, blacksmiths, coopers, etc., on board, I was
the only carpenter. After talking a while with Mr. Fry, I accepted his
offer to me, of one hundred dollars a year and my board; and as all the
money I had was one English half dollar, I was glad to comnn work next
morning. My employer was finishing a large stone building opposite St.
Gabriel Church, adjoining the Champ de Mars, and on that 1 first went
to work. The first Sunday I was in Montreal, I strolled about looking
for the different places of worship, which were very few in 1815. There
were two Presbyterian churches, one small Methodist chapel on the narrow
street that ran down by the big French
church, and one Episcopal church. I had been brought up strictly to the
Church of England, but while I was at Woolwich, which is nine miles from
London, where
my parents resided, I attended the Baptist church, and felt a
determination to serve God in future, so on the first Sunday I was in
Montreal, I strayed into the little Methodist chapel, and being much
pleased, I continued to attend there regularly, during the five years
I remained in the city. I also soon b.-gan to attend the Wednesday and
Friday evening meetings held there, and then became one of the teachers in
the Sunday School, which was the means of keeping me out of mischief and
bad company, so that I passed four years and a half very pleasantly. In
Sep; ber, 1818, I formed the acquaintance of a young woman whose name
was Elizabeth McKercher, and who lived in Lachine."
It is only necessary here to say, this young lady and Mr. Pridham were
mar: on the 26th January, 1820. Lack of space forbids the relation of the
in the next ten months, which are narrated in the biographical sketch,
but Mr. Pridharn was living on St. Hemy street at the time he next
mentions. He says : "On day evening, Mr. Moody, a man with whom I was
well acquainted, came in and to me : I have been engaged to-day to go
up to the country, to finish the msi<: of a new house belonging to
a Mr. Grant. I have to get another man to go \vu me, and if you like
to go, I will engage you ; I am to get is 6d ($1.50) per you will get
55 6d ($1.10) per day, a house to live in, and firewood. 1 agreed to
go. He said a boat would be down from Point Fortune in a U which would
take up our tool chests and baggage. The boat, however, did further
than Lachine, and so we got two carts, and conveyed our tl: Saturday,
the nlh of November. The next day there being a fair id, t
,72 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
men in charge of the boat were anxious to get off, so about eight
o clock a.m. we started. The men, who were farmers, were not very
skillful in managing the boat, and it took them a long time to get up
the sail. The wind being a side wind, and very strong, we were blown
half across the lake ; and as it began to snow, and was very cold,
they had to pull down the sail, and row back to shore. We reached it,
nearly frozen, about three p.m., two and a half miles above the point
where we started. That night we arrived at Pointe Claire, the next day
we reached St. Ann s, the third day we came to Como, and the next to
Point Fortune. The following day
our things were conveyed up to Mr. Grant s, the place where he lived
being now called L Orignal, and we took up our quarters in the kitchen
of the new house we were to finish. It was very open, but we laid boards
overhead, and made it as com fortable as we could, but still it was
very cold. The next day Mr. Grant sent up a barrel of pork and a barrel
of flour, and we went to work. After working here four or five weeks,
we found it too cold, and Mr. Grant, finding that it took too much wood
to keep the place warm, hired one part of a log house, about two and a
half miles from there, and had us move into it, while the Canadian who
owned the house lived in the other part. Our room was only ten by twelve
in size, but as Mr. Grant had put up an old stove in it so that we were
warm, we felt very contented.
"In the latter end of January, Mr. Moody, who boarded with me, wanting
to go to Montreal to see his family, had to hire a man with his horse
and sleigh to take him, and Mrs. Pridham went with him to buy groceries,
there being no store in our vicinity. They were absent about a week,
during which time I worked alone, and had to cook my own food. I was very
glad when they returned. The Sundays, when there were meetings there,
we used to walk to the Seigniory, a distance of five and a half miles,
but it was only every fortnight that service was held there by the Metho
dists. It was in going there we became acquainted with the Smith family,
who were English, and had been out here about two years. Mr. Smith
brought 500, and was living about three miles from Mr. Grant s, on
what was known as the Mile Square. His daughter and Mrs. Pridham
being of the same age, a warm friendship sprang up between them \ but
in the spring of the year 1822, Miss Smith was married to James Kvans,
who owned a farm near St. Scholastique, and they went to live there,
but two years afterwards they went to live in Upper Canada.
" About the first of June, finding it necessary to go to Montreal for
things I could not obtain where we lived, I walked the whole distance,
as there was no means of conveyance at that time. Staying the first
night at Point Fortune, the next morn ing I started, and that day got
as far as St. Ann s, and the next I finished my journey. I started to
return on the following Thursday, and reached home Saturday afternoon.
Before arriving, however, I heard that a son had been born to us daring
my absence, and I was much pleased to find that the report was true. In
the spring of 1823, as I saw but little chance of getting on where we then
lived, I decided to change our place of residence; and having heard that
Mr. Macmillan, of Grenville, had a house to let, at the head of the canal,
I went to see him. It was not a regular dwelling house, but had been
built as a store house for the lumbermen ; it was two stories high. Mr.
Macmillan wanted ^60, but when I demurred at the price, he said he would
allow me ^25 a year, the first year, for putting up partitions in it,
and 10 a year, for the four following years, for building a stable and
shed. These terms I accepted, and moved into the house igth March, 1823.
" A steamboat had been bdilt that winter, at Hawkesbury, by a Mr. Mears ;
it was to run from Hawkesbury to Hull and Bytown, but it was a very poor
affair. The first year it made one trip per week, going up on Saturdays
and returning on Wednes days.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
a jwa
trees were blown down in different direct! ^ ,r !8 llten , ed as a
great many
houses at the point, besides ,t o , in Swe l d I "ad don" "T "^ 7
K, and thus business became brisk, and so continued till the close of
navk- aiioi " ^ "
. to M ea
There was a little business during the winter however
a good deal of rafting, and the usual number of laborers 5 on the can Tl
continued to make one trip per week, and another small steamer wa "put o
n the n e at Lachine to run to Carillon via Vaudreuil. Business was very
Jo d M th?t beside* paying the rent, I was able to save something. In
the fall of $* MrTlLcShS induced me to buy a village lot from him,
which was situated near tle firs lock
snow fS a T ! hfr b rf "tf thC ^^ ! ^ gaI V- make P re P aratioils fo ^
building ; as soon as the low fell, I h red three or four Canadians to
get out limber, which cost me nothing as wood surrounded us on every
hand. By the 2 nd of February, I had enough timber T? t0 . enable ,
me to g to fraf "ing the building, which was to be fifty by n S1 ad tW
St ries in hei ht - Jt was read y for
midnMe of V i - rea y or rils "g >y te
middle of March and as there were very few people living on this side
of the river, I
fr,n t0 / T/K T Hawk f sbur y to he] P raise it. The first day we put up
all the excep the plates, and as no one came over from Hawkesbury, the
next morning indertook to put on the plates ourselves. In doing this,
we knocked off too man? the braces, and while the men were moving a
long plate it struck a bent, pushed it over, and down came all the frame
together. Two men were badly hurt/one had the ca f of his leg torn off,
and a splinter ran into the side of the other. I sent to Andrews for a
doctor, and he came up and dressed their wounds . The one who
; wound in his side, a Canadian, got well in a few weeks, and the other,
a Scotch man named McDonald, was getting on nicely, when we were startled
one morning find him dead. It seems that he became frightened from some
cause in the night,
and getting up started the wound to bleeding again, and the fact being
unnoticed" by his wife, he bled to death. I paid the expenses of his
burial.
" After some days I had the carpenter examine the fallen frame, and get
out new
374
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
pieces to replace the broken ones, and also to lengthen the frame to
fifty-six feet. When this was done, we tried a second time to raise
it, and succeeded to satisfaction. In the winter I got some pine logs,
and hired two men to saw them into boards, and these I used to cover the
building. Through skilful management I finally got the house enclosed, and
so far completed, that 1 used one end of it for a grocery store, hiring
a young man to manage it, and rented the other end to a man who employed
shoemakers to work in it, while my wife and myself continued to reside
in the house at the Point. The year 1825 was a sad year for us, for in
addition to the
disaster of the new house on the i2th of July, our eldest little daughter,
two years and two months old, died, and Mrs. Pridham was also very sick,
yet between the two houses we did a pretty fair business.
" At the close of navigation I commenced to work at the new house,
beginning at
daylight and working until nine o clock every evening. There were three
or four
soldiers left here to take charge of the Government tools and
workshops. One of
them was a carpenter, and I hired him to work for me every evening after
his own work was done, from five to nine o clock. In this way I had all
the lower flat finished by the first of May, so that we moved into it,
and very glad were we to do so, and escape the annoyance of the high
water in the other house at the Point. In the early winter previous to
our removal, I walked to Montreal, and obtained a settlement of my account
with the merchant with whom I had been dealing, and found I owed him
above ^130. I told him I was building a large house and had it covered
and clap- boarded, and that as I had no funds to pay I would give him
a mortgage on it, pay able in two years, and he was to furnish me with
groceries and what other things I re quired. He accepted my offer,
and we immediately went before a notary and had the mortgage executed
and signed. This year, a man named James Inglis came to Grenville,
and hiring a house called the Old Abbey from Mr. Macmillan, he opened
a large store in it, and made a good deal of money. On moving into the
new house, I rented the old one to Levi Le Roy. and continued to rent
it until my own lease expired in 1828, when I gave it up. The summer
following our removal I spent in finishing the house, but did not get it
entirely completed till the following spring. During the winter I put
up a stable and shed on the west side of the house, but as the Govern
ment wanted to build a bridge at the east end of the lock, and my stable
and shed were in the way, they tore them down and put up much better ones
for me at the east side of my house. This last spring Mr. Macmillan made
me his assistant in the Post Office as he was about moving to Montreal,
and he also sold me one hundred
and ten acres of land at $10 per acre, giving me time for payment at six
per cent, interest. I sold one-half of it to Solomon Morris at the same
price I paid for it, and the next year I sold one acre to Richard Mears,
for a mill site, for ;ioo.
This year I did a good business, so that I was able to pay off some of
the debts. In the winter of 1827-28 I got about twenty acres of the farm
cut over, and the next summer got it ready for a crop. The next winter,
the Quebec Government granted ^5000 to open a road from Grenville to Hull,
and Thomas Kains arid Benjamin Papineau were appointed commissioners to
look after the work, and pay out the money^Mr. Papmeau having the upper
half, and Mr. Kains the lower half of the road. This winter I got out
lumber to build a barn in the village, having succeeded so well during
the past year or two, that I was well nigh out of debt, and it was not
long before the debts were entirely paid. In March, 1829, Mr. Stayner,
the new Dep. Postmaster General, came here and found me in possession
of the Post Office. He visited every Post Office in Canada, which was
not many, there being but eighty in the two Provinces. After learning
how I was in charge, he said that would not do, as the postmaster must
be a resident at his office, and that he would have to make a
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 375
new appointment. In the year 1815, when I came over, Mr. Stayner was on
the vessel in which I came to Canada, he then being in the Commissary
Department. I
oecame acquainted with him on the voyage, though he had quite forgotten
me till I mentioned the circumstance of our meeting. He said he would
make inquiry res pecting me of the officers on the canal, and if they
gave me a good character he might appoint me postmaster. On the istof
April, about two weeks after he was here, I
was gazetted postmaster of Grenville, and I have held the office ever
since. The mails used to go up on the Hawkesbury side of the river from
Montreal ; they came via
St. Eustache and St. Andrew s, and crossed at Carillon to Point Fortune,
and so up the south side of the river. The engineer officers advised
Mr. Stayner to have the mails come up on this side of the river, which
he consented to do, and directed me after my appointment to forward them
by the north shore, which I did. Mr. Mears
who was postmaster at Hawkesbury, did not like that, as he had to send
his mail for Montreal and Hull to the Grenville office.
"Mr. Stayner wrote me, that if the postmaster at Hawkesbury did not send
his mail over, I should hire a courier and send on the mail to Hull,
and as the postmaster did not send over his mail at the appointed time,
I hired a courier and sent on to Hull and Ottawa (then By -Town). The
man I sent took the mail on his back as it was not heavy, and the roads
were beginning to break up. It took him two days to go up and the same
to return, the mail being sent only twice a week, and his
salary was $8 a trip. Mr. Stayner approved my course, and I learned
that Mr. Mears had represented to him that, on account of the bad state
of the roads, it would be im possible to send the mail on the north side
of the river. The steamer commenced
running about the ipth April that year, and immediately after her first
trip Mr. Mears wrote to the Postmaster General that the steamer picked
up the courier I had sent on the 5th of April. Mr. Stayner wrote me at
once to learn if this was the fact. I then wrote to the Postmaster at
Bytown (Ottawa), asking him to inform me at what time the courier I had
despatched on the 5th of April arrived at his orifice. He im mediately
wrote me that he arrived on the evening of the 6th. This letter I
forwarded to Mr. Stayner, and he then wrote a letter to Mr. .Mears,
reproving him sharply. The latter answered, making an humble apology
for his mistake, saying he had understood the captain of the steamer,
that the courier he picked up left Grenville on the 5th.
" This spring (1829), I had my barn framed, raised and covered, and let
two Cana dians have the land I cleared the previous summer, to sow wheat,
giving me one-
half the crop, and I furnishing the seed. The crop was a fine one,
and when the wheat was cut the new barn was ready for storing it. This
was a very good summer for business, and I was quite successful. In the
fall Mr. Stayner visited my office, and a gentleman named Noah Freer,
of Quebec, the attorney of Mrs. Taylor, who had charge of her late
husband s estate, came with him. He wanted some one to look after Mrs.
Taylor s lands in Grenville and collect the rents, and said Mr. Stayner
had recom mended me for the purpose. I accepted his offer to me, and he
soon afterward sent me a power of attorney and a list of Mrs. Taylor s
lands. Till the winter following, I was kept quite busy looking after
these lands, ascertaining who lived on them, c promising with them for
the rents they owed, and granting new leases, which v. to continue in
force ten years. This winter I did a good business, and, happily, got
clear of debt. In the spring of 1830, the steamer began to run three
trips a week, and the road fiom Grenville to Hull was opened up and
made passable. Where the river interfered, they established ferries,
so that people could now travel with horses and carriages. In the summer
I employed a surveyor to trace out the lines on Mrs. Taylor s estate,
the whole quantity of land belonging to her in the townships was live
376 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
thousand five hundred acres,* and I also leased much of it this season. I
did much towards clearing the farm this year, and was blessed with good
crops on the part already under cultivation. In the winter of 1831-32,
I got out timber for another barn, as I had men working at the one I
formerly built, turning it into a dwelling
house.
" In June of 1832, the cholera broke out, and everybody was greatly
alarmed. Very many died in Grenville, and no city or town in Canada
escaped it. One day, as it was known that she had a case of cholera on
board, the steamer was not permitted to land. It continued till the
end of September, when the country began to assume a more improved
appearance. Notwithstanding the choleia, our business this year
was good, and the following winter I finished my new barn, which was 75
by 24 feet in size, and completed the work of turning the other barn into
a dwelling. The ex pense of doing this work was considerable, still I
managed to keep clear of debt. The next summer, as there was no cholera,
people were once more in good spirits, and our business prospered ; but
we were soon to experience misfortune. In Decem ber, 1833, our little
daughter Mary was so badly scalded, that for a while we despaired of her
life; but by care she recovered, and on January 30th, 1834, our house
caught fire from the chimney, and burned to the ground. There were plenty
of people present, but it was so dry, and the fire had got under such
headway, that it could not be saved, and everything except what was in
the lower story was lost. The evening being fine, the fire was seen at
St. Martin s near Montreal, and as far up as Bucking ham. Fortunately I
saved everything belonging to the post office, books, etc. had now to
build a house again, and I decided to build this time with stone, and in
such a way that I could add to it, as I should feel able. Accordingly, I
prepared to put up a house 42 by 28 feet, and meant to have it completed,
so that we could move into it in the fall ; but the masons I had engaged
to build it were building a mill for Mr. Dewar. and as they were much
longer in completing it than they had anticipated,
they did not begin to work at mine till near September, 1835. lt was
the latter end of March before we moved into it, and then Mrs. Pridham
and I went to Montreal to buy our stock of goods.
"The expense of building had been so much, that I had only about ,150
lefi with which to purchase goods, so that I had to obtain them largely
on credit. When we had them all packed up, Mr. Penner engaged fifteen
trains to take them to Grenville. As soon as they were opened out,
we commenced business, in a small way, and adopted the motto, Slow,
but Sine, and in this manner met the bills of
our merchants as they came due. In the winter of 1835-36, I put up a
stable and
granary, 75 by 24 feet, \\hich gave ample room to store the grain, of
which I took in a great deal from our customers. There was considerable
wheat grown in those days, in the adjacent townships, and I sometimes
had several hundred bushels to dispose of in the spring, as well as a
large quantity of pease and oats."
The remaining pait of Mr. Pridham s autobiography, being more confined to
his own personal interests, is here condensed into a few brief facts. For
a number of winters, until wood began to get scarce, he got out a large
quantity of it each winter to supply the steamboat company, and from this
source realized some profit, besides clearing off his land. In 1831,
he was gazetted Captain of Militia, and in 1838, appointed Captain of
a company of Volunteers, which numbered seventy-four. They
used to drill every Monday during the year 1838, after they were
organized, and also during the year 1839. In l8 53> Mr - Pridham was
promoted to the rank cf Major,
*These lands were granted to her late husband, Col. George Taylor,
who had been an officer in the British Army. He also purchased several
more lots from settlers in Grenville. This land, or a portion of it,
is still held by his heirs.
HISTORY OF ARGRNTEUIL. 377
and, the same year, was gazetted Lt.-Col. of Militia. In 1833, he was
appointed
Justice of the Peace. He devoted considerable attention to his farm,
and it is worthy of note that he did not declare farming an unprofitable
business, as many farmers of the present claim.
An account he kept of this branch of his business for a few years,
between 1845
and 1850, shows that his farm, which was not a large one, gave him a
net profit of nearly $300 annually. In April, 1864, his wife died, and
about two years subse quently, he married a widow, Mrs. Evans, whose
maiden name was Mary Smith, mentioned in the first part of the above
sketch. She died in 1875, and he afterward married Mrs. Dunn, a widow
lady, well known to the writer, whose good works have endeared her to
many. She is still living, but Mr. Pridham died i3th February, 1885,
leaving eight sons and three daughters, Edwin, Frederic, Daniel, Charles,
Richard, Alexander, George and James, and the daughters were respectively
married to the Rev. Mr. Sutton, Thomas Wilson, a merchant of Clarence,
Ont., and John Stewart, telegraph onerator in St. Paul, Minn. Edwin was
for a long time in the for warding business in Montreal, and is now in
the same business in the West ; Frederick is a superannuated employe
of the Montreal Post Office ; Daniel is a rail way employe (adjuster of
claims) in Denver, Colorado ; Charles, deceased, was purser on a boat ;
Richard is a mail clerk in Manitoba; George, now deceased, was a Post
Office clerk in Winnipeg ; James is a railway clerk in Chicago.
ALEXANDER PRIDHAM, who still lives in Grenville, is one of the most
prominent and respected men of the county. He has been Mayor of Grenville
village ever since it was incorporated in 1875 ; was Warden of the county
ten or twelve years, and
once, in acquiescence to a requisition signed by a very large number of
the influential rate-payers, he consented to become the candidate of
the Conservative Party of Argenteuil for the House of Commons ; but,
later, resigned in favor of J. C. Wilson. In 1879. he was appointed
collector of canal tolls at Grenville, and about the same time was
appointed Consular Agent of the United States for the Ottawa Valley.
REUBEN COOK from Ticonderoga, N.Y., a U. E. Loyalist, is said to have
found his way into this section of the country about the year 1807. He
first settled in Chatham, on what is now the farm of J. D. Clerihue. He
sold out there and went to the Island in the Ottawa near Hawkesbury, and
lived there for a time, but it is said that Mears, the proprietor of the
Island, failed to keep his promise to deed it to him, and instead thereof,
sold it to the Hamilton Bros. Surely we can but think, on learning this
fact, and another misfortune which befell Mr. Cook in placing too much
confidence in others, that he must have been tempted. with Job to exclaim,
All men are liars." From the Island, he came to this township and took
up the two lot land near Calumet, which are now owned by Thomas Johnson
and Whinfield. Scarcely had he and his boys cleared the ground required
potatoe patches and cornfields, when, late in the fall, one day, a young I
sad countenance, emaciated frame and tattered apparel, came to the house
and craved the hospitality of the family. Having been sick, he said,
and unable lor a wh.le to work, he wished, if they would kindly permit
him, to remain until he recov< when he would gladly work to repay
them for their trouble and expense universal custom in these early days,
among the pioneers, never to refuse to help those who seemed in need ;
and James Anderson, the young man referre. an asylum in the house of
Mr. Cook. He was a stranger ; no one knd respecting him, save what he
saw fit, himself, to reveal.
with Mr Cook never being asked to work, and working only when he inclined
He was there provided with a comfortable home, and common human.ty
25
378 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
should have prompted him to embrace every convenient occasion to show
his gratitude, instead of stinging, like the adder, the hand by which
he had been warmed and nourished.
During the winter Mr. Cook and his sons cut considerable timber, and
when the river was free from ice, they formed it into a raft to take to
the Quebec market. It was arranged that his eldest son and one younger
should go with the raft, and that young Anderson should accompany them. As
Mr. Cook ha-d complied with the provisions of the law, and made the
improvements on his lots necessary to secure the patent, he directed
his son to go to the Crown Lands Office in Quebec, pay the required
fee, and secure it. But, unfortunately, the elder son was taken sick,
and remained at a house at the Back River near Montreal, sending his
younger brother and Anderson on with the raft. At what particular time
Satan entered into the heart of this wily young man is not known, but it
seems that the prospect of obtaining two lots of land for nothing was a
temptation which his moral nature was too weak to resist. On arriving at
Quebec, he went to the Land Office, represented himself as the occupier
of the lots of Mr. Cook, took oath to the improvements that had been made
thereon, and with the money which he in some way had obtained, paid the
fee demanded. He then, with the most brazen impudence and effrontery,
returned to Grenville, and demanded from Mr. Cook possession of the lots
to which he had thus fraudulently obtained the patent. Justice in these
days, it can easily be imagined, could be obtained only through the most
indefatigable efforts, and after much lapse of time ; and so to avoid
further vexation and expense, Cook granted Anderson peaceful possession
of his ill-gotten land, and began to make improvements on another lot
adjacent, the same on which his grandson, Elisha Cook, now resides.
Tradition says that Anderson spent his life here. He never married, and
in consequence of his litigious proclivities, was usually involved in a
law suit, and, naturally, died poor. The descendants of Cook claim that
Mrs. Cook was the first person who ever sowed wheat in the township. On
cleaning out a box for some pur
pose, she found a small quantity of wheat in it, and a sudden whim to sow
it occur ring, she selected a spot for the purpose in an enclosed field,
and the yield being remarkably large, the settlers in the vicinity at
once decided in future to raise wheat.
Hiram, one of the sons of Mr. Cook, after living in various places,
returned to
Grenville. He had several sons, but all save one found homes long ago
in the West. William, the one of Hiram Cook s sons who remained here,
was appointed Secretary- Treasurer of the Council when the village was
incorporated in 1876, and still holds the office.
CHURCHES. ANGLICAN CHURCH.
The earliest records that can be obtained of religious work in Grenville
are those in connection with the Rev. Joseph Abbott, the first" Church
of England clergyman who settled in St. Andrews. We are ignorant of the
date of his first arrival in
Grenville, but it is said he left th is place for Abbottsford in 1828,
and from that time till his return, the Rev. Andrew Balfour conducted
service in the schoolhouse. How ever this may be, the following record
shows that Mr. Abbott was here in April,
1831 :
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 379
" EASTER MONDAY.
GRENVILLE, 4th April, 1831.
" At a vestry meeting held in the school house of this place, this day,
pursuant " to public notice, were present :
"Rev. Joseph Abbott, Thomas Kains, Esq., Ed. Pridham, Owen Owens. John
" Taylor, Henry Atkinson, James Anderson, Joseph Hambly, Jas. Wheeler,
Joseph " Marsha, 1, William Cousins, Samuel Ogilvy, Edward Moreton,
Robert Anderson, " Christopher Edie, James Williamson, William Williamson,
David Williamson, Ralph " Homer, Benj. Patterson, Robert Reason, Richard
Ritchie, James Loughlin, Tames
" Cousins, Thomas B. White."
Edwin Pridham and Joseph Hambly were appointed church wardens.
Mr. Abbott, having been appointed Bursar of McGill University,
left for Montreal in 1845, an d w ^s succeeded in Grenville by the
Rev. K. G. Sutton, who was followed in September, 1847, D 7 the
Rev. Charles Forest, whose successors were as follows .
Rev. Frederick S. Neve, in 1859 ; Rev. J. H. Dixon, in 1871 ; Rev. John
Rollit (July), in 1875.
Mr. Rollit resigned in December, 1886, and was succeeded by
Rev. A. J. Greer, who was followed by the present incumbent, Rev. William
Harris, in 1889.
The church was erected in 1832, at a cost of $1100 : of this sum the
Lord Bishop first gave $200, and subsequently $100 : Col. Taylor first
subscribed $100, and after ward $40 ; members of the Royal Staff Corps
were also liberal subscribers.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
A Presbyterian church edifice was erected in Grenville during the
ministrations
of the Rev. Mr. Mair, while that clergyman was pastor of the church
at Chatham.
As the church here has ever since been supplied by the minister located at
Chatham, the history of the church at that place is believed to contain
all that would be of general public interest.
ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH OF GRENVII.l I.. HISTORY OK ITS FOUNDATION,
BY RK.V. J. GASCON.
The history of the Roman Catholic parish of Grenville is so intimately
con nected with that of the whole County of Argenteuil, that it is
impossible to study the progress of the former without admiring the
rapid development of the latter. 1:
it is an immutable principle admitted by all nations, that the foundation
of h , ness and true progress are only found in religious and Christian
spirit.
Grenville was only an immense forest, inhabited by a few bold adventurers,
when
the first missionaries came thither to pitch their tent and at the same
time erect the cross of Christ. Attracted as by an invincible loadstone,
colonists gathered imr diately and settled around this symbol of their
Redemption, around which thcv a rampart with their hearts and bodies
against all outside attacks. Charmed by the beauty of the country and
the fertility of the soil, those first piomvr> set < our- ageously
to work, resolved to make a " home for themsel-
Of course, we may presume that among the first who came to a this
part of the county of Argenteuil, there were men of different creeds and
nation. .lit: Irishmen, Scotchmen, Englishmen, Frenchmen vied generously
one with the other, hut the struggle was peaceful, fair and loyal. Many
of them were ignorant of the u-.u 1
380
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of our divine and holy religion, but all were endowed with those
noble and manly qualities which make a man courageous, sympathetic and
kind-hearted. The Roman Catholic Church, always filled with care for
the spiritual and temporal welfare of her children, sent some of her
missionaries to soothe the griefs of those brave colonists, sustain their
courage and revive their hopes. Till then the wood cutter s axe alone
had disturbed the silence of that vast solitude; henceforth, he who will
may repeat in his seclusion the sublime and beautiful hymns of our divine
religion. . .
We do not possess any authentic document to fix the date when the
first mission
ary came to preach the Gospel in this part of the county of
Argenteuil. The archives of the Roman Catholic Church of Grenville do
not run any farther back than 1839. The first official act was signed on
the i;th of February of that year, by the Rev. J. B. Bourassa, then in
charge of the mission. But there is no doubt that several good and zealous
missionaries had visited this region many years before the date men
tioned. The first priests who in 1839 ministered to the
new born colony were the Revds. J. B. Bourassa, Wm. Do^an and
J. D. Charland. Rev. H. L. Girouard became their successor in 1840,
Revds. J. N. Papineau and Lefaivre in 1841, and
Revds. Fathers J. Henkendries, Wm. Brady, Morrisset and J. Colgan in
1842. Revd. Mr. Colgan was then appointed parish priest of St. Andre,
and administrator of the mission of Grenville, up to the 2nd of May, 1845.
Revs. J. Theoret, Richard and G. Huberdeau were successively put in
charge of the mission in 1845, 1846 and 1847. Then in 1848 and 1849,
Revs. A. McDonell and A. M. Bourassa continued the apostolic work of
their devoted predecessors. Rev. Mr. Bourassa, who, some months ago,
celebrated with great pomp the soth anniver
sary of his ordination to the priesthood, has not forgotten the
arduous beginnings ot the Grenville Mission. How many good works were
accomplished, how many griefs soothed, how many obstacles surmounted by
those brave and pious soldiers of Christ. They held an unshaky faith
in the following words of the Holy Writ : " If God is for us, who will
be against us ? "
Rev. Mr. Bourassa remained in charge of the Grenville Mission till 1851,
when Rev. Father Tabaret, O.M.I., succeeded him. The Roman Catholic
people of Grenville cherish the memory of that pious missionary, who was
chosen in the counsels of divine Providence to play so important a part in
educational work in Canada. The modest missionary of 1851 was to become,
some months later, the learned doctor, the distinguished economist, the
great philosopher appointed to govern the College of Ottawa, which has
now become, owing to the kind patronage of His Grace, Archbishop Duhamel,
one of the finest Universities in North America. The people of Grenville
are loud in praise in speaking of the virtues and zeal of that humble
mis sionary, whose memory will last forever among them. Rev. P. Molloy,
O.M.I., so well known and so dear to all the citizens of Ottawa, was a
devoted assistant to the Rev. P. Tabaret. At Grenville, as everywhere
he ministered, he left behind him the memory of his great charity and
admirable humility.
From 1852 to 1857, the mission of Grenville was successively in charge
of Revds. M. Byrne, J. David, A. O Malley, J. Gillie, G. A. Ebrault,
J. J.Collins and Trudeau, O.M.I. Rev. L. Jouvent was then appointed
missionary on the 28th of March, 1858, where he remained till 1862. A
devoted priest, a loyal and honest citizen, he was destined to occupy
a more important position. Several years later he was chosen
to be Vicar General of the diocese of Ottawa. He filled this
important position up to the time when he returned to France, his
native country. His successor to the mission of Grenville was the
Rev. Mr. Mancip, parish priest of L Orignal. The first official act
bearing his signature is to the date of the 3oth March, 1862. The Colony
of Grenville, which had already existed for several years, made great
strides in the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 i
way of progress under the administration of Rev. Mr Mancit> Tin
religious senaces were held in a small chapel P u tha , 1 Ume the
Sault, a few steps only, it appears, from thes^t w er ^DoH rd d\s Orme ^
Hr g sixteen companions generously shed their bio, Ormeaux, and h.s
That glorious soil, where are undoubted ^ bu ied the ^ ! *$ lOn , f New
^ rance
r^ Duieurs." The new church was solemnly dedicated bv His
Grace, Bishop Gmgues. The ceremony took place i^r^of^ltcLwdl
Their Pml ^^ S y afft i cted when contemplating the results of their
labors, usiastn was certainly quite natural, for the colony of 18^0
had made
miss on and tn^t ^ ^ T^ f tlme The ^^ had ^ P lace ^
canonical ntd ^1^ S much lon g, ed for > the mission wa< being
replaced bv a
d ow th^ , i Vem , S accom P Ilsht d dur in g that period are far in
the past,
and now there remain only a few venerable witnesses of the beginnings
of the Gren-
ission ; but tradition has transmitted from the fathers to the sons
the pious
>ry of the devoted missionaries who first ministered to the Catholic
people of
Lrrenville We must here pay a grateful tribute of praise to the following
gentlemen
of disi 11 1 H gl US a C1VH rde / left behind them some ver > P reciou
^ exam,)les
iinterestedness, generosity, and patriotism. They always advocated
good under-
standing, union of all men of good will for the benefit of the
country. Who ha, not
Si Th 8 w ci u tizens T , of whom Grenville is proud, Messrs. John
Howard, Patrick
Kelly 1 homas Mackam, Peter Trainor, Charles Johnstone, Tames Burns,
sen., Orphir
ft .n, James Barren, James Grace, A. B. Philion, Michael Morane, Martin
Lowe, Joseph
in, John Johnstone, and many others, who for many reasons commanded the
esteem and respect of their fellow-citizens. Henceforth, young people
may be inspired
With their example, and, in their turn, walk in the way so nobly traced.
Rev. Mr. Foley, now parish priest of Almonte, was the first parish priest
of (iren- le Beginning a new parish always requires of the priest who
takes charge of it a onsiderable amount of work, a constant disinterested
si, and much self sacrif:
I he first parish priest of Grenville was endowed with all these qualities
in no
382 HISTORY OF ARGEN.TEUIL.
small degree. A man of duty, he devoted the three years of his ministry,
not only to the spiritual, but also to the temporal welfare of his
parishioners. For this reason, the people of Grenville cherish a fond
remembrance of their first pastor. Mr Foley was appointed a canon and
a member of the Chapter of His Grace the Archbishop of Ottawa.
Rev. J. L- Chemiz succeeded Canon Foley in 1874. People are loud in their
praise of that good man for his wise and prudent administration. He
left the parish in the month of July, 1877, and had for his successor
Rev. M. O. Berube, now parish priest of L Orignal. Rev. Mr. Berube,
whose courtesy has become proverbial, is the model of a good parish
priest. Endowed with a kind heart, a loyal and frank
character, he was not long in gaining the affections of his people. When,
in 1880, his superiors appointed him parish priest of the fine and
important place of L Orignal, it was not without regret that the
parishioners of Grenville were separated from that good priest whom
they esteemed so highly. He left in Grenville some precious examples of
disinterestedness, devotion to soul?, and public spirit and love of
prcgress.
From 1880 to 1883 three devoted priests were successively parish priests
of Gren ville. Rev. J. I- Francceur was appointed the first in 1880. He
remained there three ytars, and during that time worked energetically
for the spiritual and temporal welfare of his parish. Rev. D. J. Halde
succeeded him on the 151)1 of May, 1883, and Rev. E. Dacier, on
the 22tid of May, 1884, all of whom left behind them a good name and
reputation. Zealous prusts as they were, they had only the ambition
of working faithfully and successfully in the vineyarJ of the Lord,
and winning souls to God.
Rev. Messire Sauve arrived at Grenville in the month of < )ctober,
1885. l n
appointing Mr. Sauve parish priest of Grenville, Archbishop Duhamel
was aware that he was putting the right man in the right place. His
kindness, his piety, mod esty and charity have become proverbial in
Grenville. J. 13- Hormisdas Sauve w;is born on the iyth May, 1851,
of truly Christian parents. After a brilliant course of studies at the
Colleges of Montreal and Ottawa, he listened obediently to the voice of
God, who called him to the priesihood. When a student at the Seminary
of Ottawa
he held first rank, owing both to his ability and \irtties. He was
ordained to the priesthood on the 3oth of December, 1884, and appointed
curate to La Pointe Gatineau a position which he occupied up to the month
of October, 1885 when he was appointed to Grenville. A virtuous priest,
he was also a loyal and disinterested citizen. As a priest he was a wise
guide, a prudent adviser, a charitable pastor, always ready to help the
poor and console the unhappy ones. " Love, poverty and
humility," was his motto. His constant fidelity to that golden rule
gained for him the esteem and popularity which he always enjoyed among
his parishioners. In 1870, when a regiment of Pontifica! Zouaves was
enlisted to defend the illus
trious Pope Pius IX, Messire Sauve, although still a young man, was
one of the first to generously offer the sacrifice of his life. He Wi,s
the first Canadian wounded under the walls of Rome, at the time of the
capture of that city by the Piedmontese.
It becomes the priest to recount these things to his parishioners with
enthusiasm, always keeping in remembrance the devoted missionaries who
have evangelized the
population ot Grenville. May this brief sketch, inadequate as I deem it,
help to acquaint the present generation with many events in the history
of Grenville which must necessaiily be of interest. I would also that
it tend to prove that which can be attained by industry when our lives
are governed by faith and guided by its blight light.
The Rev. J. Gascon, the present priest at Grenville, was appointed to
this mission in October, 1892. He was born at St. Agathe, County of
Terrebonne, in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
383
1863, reared in Ottawa, and educated at the University of that city. He
was ordained priest in February, 1891, and after having served as
assistant priest eighteen months, he came to Grenville, where he has
since remained, each succeeding year securing more firmly and largely
the affections and respect of his people. He is very energetic.
METHODIST CHURCH.
The first church formed in Grenville by this denomination was in
1854. There are now three church edifices on this mission one at Grenville
village, one at Chatham, and another at Calumet. There is also a good
parsonage and outbuildings at this village, which is the head of the
mission. There is a good choir and Sabbath School at every point on the
Mission, and the Church generally is in a prosperous condition.
1854 1855
1856
1857 1858
1859
1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867
GRENVILLE.
Number of Members.
i .
aj-o
*U [i,
^
U~
t-t
h
u
Kducatioiial Fund.
a
^~Z
G.. 3 = Ji Jl
$
4 82 5 oo 4 oo
2 90
3 oo 3 oo i 97
5 IS i 60
4 59
-
$ I 50
$
40 67
65 69
67
47 48
49 64
64
65 56
2 OO
2 43 75 50 75
I 00
1 5 i 07 i 61
John V Wilson
o 60
i 75 1 50 i 72 i 79
2 55 i 76
o 50 o 50
o 75
I 00
4,00
I 01
o ;s
Joseph Hill
In 1872 the parsonage was burnt and the records destroyed, so that we
are unable to give the names of the ministers between that date and
1867. Rev. John
Corbett was the minister then (1872) in charge, a.nd the following
are his successors : Revds. W. Norton, R. G. Peek, Alex. Campbell,
A. Raley, R. VV. Kechnie, W. Smith, Jas. Watson, Chas. Deeprose,
R. F. Oliver, \Vm. Howett, M.A., Andrew Galley, E. A. Davis, B.A.,
A. Logan, W. H. Stevens and D. Brill.
THE REV. DAVID BRILL, pastor of the Methodist Church at Grenville and
Calu met, was born in Bagot, Renfrew County, Ontario, 2-jth November,
1859, and is a
son of John Brill and his wife, Elizabeth Hazlewood.
His early years were spent on a farm, and he received his higher
scholastic training under special iflstructors in his native county. He
waS corrrerteti and tin- with the Methodist Church in 1859, and was
soon made a class leader. In 1861 lie was licensed as an exhorter,
and the following year as local preacher, and soon after this supplied
as a young preacher, in the Renfrew and Clarendon circuit, while he was
preaching in Thorne, Que. In 1863 he was stationed at Riceville Mission
under Rev. Z. B. Hitchcock as superintendent, and in the same year was
removed to
g HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
ick with Rev F. B. Stratum. On the 4* June, ,865, he was ordained Deacon
1 in lune 1867, was ordained Elder by Bishop Richardson.
y Hewas ma d "ebruary! ,866, to Miss Mary Amelia Pake of Sheffield by
the sid?ng E"der, Rev. Benson smith ; they have one son, John Wesley,
and three
several conferences on the fol-
n f nlmh Mississippi Huntley and Fitzroy, Renfrew, Edwards-
an ?n "California he was stationed at Bonan Church, in the city of San
Jose, in
Bren wood Byron and at Martinez, county seat of Contra Costa County.
W^n .Cannifton in 1875, he received a sunstroke, which so affected his
health that SnS^tor certificates the conference held at Kingston in ,888,
him a superannuated station and a release to live by the sea coast for
a tune,
The change of climate had the desired effect, ana in
.
a few weeks he was able to do some work as a supply.
The Rev D Brill has served the conference as Registrar of Baptisms for
two Gracious Revivals have attended his ministry j he has built and
repaired and parsonages, perhaps the greatest number of any minister
f ^wSin clirrnTa lTkn invalid, he raised about $: 3,000 for church
building, etc. The following letter shows the esteem in which he was held.
F. F. JEWELL, D.D., Presiding ^ Elder of Oakland District, I
02 e. Valencia St., San Fran- , _
I SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., 22nd Feb., 1694.
ClaL-U. V-ttl. J r i ~\ T *.U J *
The Rev. WM. JACKSON, D.D, President Montreal Conference of the Me
Church of Canada. DEAR SIR AND BROTHER :
Our esteemed brother, Rev. D. Brill, is about to leave us to return to
the ference where his membership has remained, while he has been ^ith
us m person a^j useful work. His humble, faithful, untiring devotion to
the cause of Christ, and common Methodism, has greatly endeared him to
his brethren in the minis try and
laitv here and makes his going from us an occasion of much regret.
remarkable qualifications in creating and improving church property,
and leaves
mo^menS of his skill and industry in several fields of labor. Without
exertion he has been faithful in labor, kindly, in spirit, and a
Christian gen f m ^ ^^^^ere. His family has maintained the same spirit
and character, and will also bear w h
the affectionate regards of those who have known them. We would fain
deta.n them here, but the ord.-rings of a Divine Providence seem to
indicate otherwise.
We trust that this brother beloved may be spared many years to honoi
effective service in his chosen and loved profession and calling.
Sincerely and cordially,
F. F. JEWELL.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
(Contributed^)
" In the month of May, 1887, Mr. A*. J. Vining, a student of McMaster
Hall, " Toronto visited this neighborhood and held evangelistic services
in Betts School- " house (Gauley Settlement), about six miles northeast
of Grenville Village.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 385
" very successful, and many professed faith in Christ. Some old Baptist
members, " and those recently converted, were formed into a regular
Baptist church, and,
" having decided to accept the offer of Mr. John Stewart of a piece of
land for a church, they commenced at once to build. By iqth December of
the same year, the
" edifice was completed, and on that day was dedicated to the service
of God.
" It was built about 30 by 40 feet, with a seating capacity of
200. Commodious " vestries have since been added.
Mr. Vining left in the fall, and the work was carried on by Rev. P. H.
McEwen till May, 1888, when Mr. A. N. Frith, student of McMaster Hall,
took " charge for the summer. He was followed by the Rev. George Brock,
who served " the church from October, 1888, to May, 1889, and then gave
place to the Rev. George Leehy, of McMaster, who remained until the
following October. During " the time of the latter s ministrations, a
small building was purchased in theGauley " Settlement for week evening
services, and was fitted up for that purpose.
" In October, 1889, the present pastor, Rev. J. Robinson, received an
invitation " to become their pastor, and accepted. He was born in England
in 1845, entered
" the ministry at the age of 23, and, in 1881, came to Canada. Since that
time he " has been pastor of the Lewis Street (now called First Avenue)
Baptist Church,
" Toronto, the Sidney and Stirling churches, and of the present one
at Grenville.
" Since settling at Grenville, a branch cause has been started at Avoca,
where a " student labors every summer. In November. 1892, a new church
was opened at " Stonefield; it is the same size as that at Grenville,
and the land for its site was given " by Messrs. T. Owens and Reuben
Weldon. The membership, including Grenville, " Stonefield and Avoca, is
about 127. Thus, in six years, the Church has erected " two new churches,
purchased one building, sustained a pastor and kept a student " at work
during the summer. They receive a small grant per year from the Baptist
" Mission Board, and are almost free from debt."
Since the above history of the Baptist Church was contributed, the
Rev. Mr. Robinson has removed to another place, and he was succeeded
at Grenvilie, in N:
1895, by the Rev. J. Bonner, the present pastor.
DAVID WILLIAMSON, SEN., was one of the pioneers of Grenville, whose
enter; contributed toward the activity of business, and whose descendants
are among the active business men of the township at the present. He
was born in the County of Down, Ireland, and when seven years of age,
crossed the ocean with his fathei family in the sailing ship Ploughman,"
which reached Quebec after a three mor. voyage.
The family consisted of eleven members; but he was the last survivor,
first settled in Caledonia, Prescott County, Ont. ; but shortly
afterward, in 1817, came to Grenville. In his earlier years he was
engaged in transporting freight, and, 1, was in the forwarding business,
his energy and genial nature causing his service be much sought by the
lumbermen along the Ottawa. For a number of years he a line of stages
between Grenville and Bytown, and carried the mail. In 1837 he
one of the first in the township to offer his services to his country,
enlisting company of Capt. Pridham. In 1838, he married Sarah Mclnncs. ot
Argylesh Scotland. They had nine chilrden five sons and four daughters
; of the died in 1887. The remaining four sons are among the active
men ofGrenvil David, the eldest, having quite early decided to follow
commercial lit store of Messrs. Owens, of Stonefield, at Montebello,
as clerk. In 1875 he ope store on his own account in this village,
and is still in the same busme taken much interest in local affairs,
and has been Municipal Councillor s
386 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
also School Commissioner. He is telegraph operator, and has been
postmaster since 1875. Of his three brothers, Thomas has been a lockmaster
at the village of Gren- ville for 23 years. James, who is captain on
one of the river steamers, is also in the f< r war ding business.
John A. is foreman on the canal. He belongs to the Argenteuil
Rangers, and, in 1866, at the time of the first Fenian Raid, was in
Capt. R. Pridham s company, which was sent on duty to St. Johns, Que.,
and Cornwall, Ont.
DAVID REEVES, a member of the Royal Staff Corps, when a young man,
in 1804, enlisted in the u3rd Regiment of Light Dragoons. He served
in the Peninsular war ; was wounded at the battle of Salavera, and
subsequently fought at Waterloo. He received a pension from the British
Government for his military services of is. 6d. sterling per day. After
his regiment was disbanded, he enlisted in the Royal Staff Corps, and
arrived in Grenviile in 1825. He was one of the members of this corps
who remained in the country afier the canal was completed. He died in
Lachine, and his wife died of cholera in Grenviile, in 1832.
They left three sons, one of whom died in Kingston; the other two,
Christopher and Daniel, still live in Grenviile, and are men much
esteemed. Christopher, after being engaged a number of years in the lumber
business, purchased a farm, and on this he now resides. Daniel was clerk
in the store of George Kains for twenty- seven years. He then, in 1859,
hired the store of Mr. Kains, bought his stock of goods and continued in
trade for himself. In 1876, having been quite successful in business,
he retired. He has been Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner,
but has preferred to keep aloof from politics and public affairs. He
was appointed Justice of the Peace, but declined to qualify.
JOHN KELLEY, from Ireland, settled in Grenviile, 1825, on a lot of land
now owned by John Howard. The house which he built and used for an hotel
is still standing. He was accidentally drowned in 1X35, while fishing at
the head of the Long Sault. He left three sons and three daughters. One
of his sons died many years ago. The other two, Patrick and John, have
been energetic, successful business men ; the former in Grenviile, the
latter in Carillon. Patrick Kelley, at the age of 12, enlisted in the
company of Volunteers, commanded by Captain Pridham. He was very active,
and his youth, perhaps, rendering the excitement and equipage of military
life more
fascinating to his mind, he soon outstripped his older comrades in
knowledge and practice of the drill. On one occasion, when Major Mayne
was present, reviewing
the Volunteers, not liking the manner in which they were handled by
the drill master, an old soldier of the regular army, exclaimed :
" Here, Kelley. step out and drill these men. 1 The order, which was
not more complimentary to Kelley than it was mortifying to the drill
master, was obeyed in a manner that gave much satisfaction to the major.
Mr. Kelley has been proprietor and manager of an hotel in this village
for many years, and has also engaged in the forwarding business. He
has been interested, as well, in the public affairs of the village,
having served as Municipal Councillor, and was Commissioner for the
trial of fcmall causes till he declined longer to act. His two sons,
John and E. P. !-- elley, contractors and forwarders, also reside in
the village. Wm. H. Kelley, a third son, resides in Montreal, where
he is engaged in the lumber business. He exports large quantities,
some years sending ten million feet to the States. He iccentiy took a
contract for supplying lumber for the Montreal Harbor Impjovements. He
was married i3th September, 1887, to Estella Ann Carney, daughter of
P. Carney, of Roxton Falls, Que.
Ltvi LEROY, a son of Peter Francis LeRoy, whose father was one of the
pioneers at Chute au Blondeau, came to Grenviile in 1827, and, as his
vocation had been
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
hotelkeeping at the former place, he engaged in the same business
at Grenville his house standing on what is known as the " Point." He
had also been a pilot, and it is said, he was one of the very first
whose services were called in requisition on the ttawa. tf is house was
frequented by lumber men and raftsmen, and though we do know what the
interior of this particular inn was like, we cannot refrain from picturing
in our imagination the scenes that must have greeted a traveller in the
humble tavern, in those days of primitive simplicity. What a contrast
the house and all Us appointments must have been to the village hostelry
of the present. No car peted parlor with mahogany sofa, gilded mirror,
lace curtains, and highly polished coal stove, awaited the traveller
in those days. On the contrary, a large room, whose only furniture was
a few chairs and benches, and warmed by a rough stone tire- place, in
which blazed a pile of logs and wood sufficient for many days in a stove
of the present manufacture. And what groups gathered around that blazing
hearth. How many tales of prowess, hardship, combats with wild beasts,
or other adventures were poured forth during the wild stormy nights by
the hardy men there assembled.
Mr. LeRoy was one of the number in Grenville who fell a prey to the
cholera in 1832. After his death, his widow, who was a daughter of
Reuben Cook, mentioned on another page, continued the management of
the hotel a dozen years or more, when his son Orrin succeeded her. The
latter, like his father, besides keeping hotel, al?o acted as pilot,
and has followed the business for fifty years. He has vivid recol-
lections of the hardships recounted by his father and grandfather,
which they experienced in taking their grain to mill the nearest mill
being located on the one hand at Hul 1 , and the other at St. Ann.
HUGH CLARK. His grandfather, Clark, came from Scotland to this township,
when the canal was in process of construction. He afterward settled on
a farm about two miles north of Grenville Village, on a farm now owned
and occupied by
his son, Robert Clark, and spent the remainder of his days here. He
had eight sons and two daughters, of whom only his son Robert and one
daughter now live in this section. His eldest son, John, who was employed
in different places, made Grenville his home till he died in January,
1863. He had three sons and two daughters, of
whom only two sons now live here.
Hugh, one of the latter, a carpenter by trade, was married in May, 1878,
lo Margaret Ellen De\var, and lives in Grenville Village.
MRS EMERY CUSHIXC, now living in Grenville, is one of those remaining who
saw the country soon after it merged from its primeval state, and now
witnesses the struggles of the third generation, well advanced towards
middle life, since she was born.
Emery Gushing, as well as his brother Lemuel, was for many years a
well-known figure along the Ottawa, also in Montreal. He was proprietor
of an hotel in that city, was largely engaged in the forwarding trade
on the Ottawa, and had a line of coaches between Ottawa and Montreal. He
died in the latter city, where he spent
most of his life ; he had five sons and one daughter. His eldest son,
Emery, was for some time clerk for his uncle, Lemuel Gushing ; he married
Mary Ann McGuire. ami settled in Pembroke, On ., where they lived many
years. They had seven chil dren three sons and four daughters two pairs
of twins among the number.
ARTHUR GUSHING, the eldest son, has spent most of his life on the
Ottawa, being
promoted by his employers as his faithfulness and ability gained their
confidence. In 1892, he was appointed Captain of the steamer " Ida,"
running between Ott. and Kingston, and the following year became Captain
on the " Harry Bates." He
388 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
has recently abandoned the river, however, and is now proprietor of a
public house in Ottawa." He was married 26th December, 1881, to Florence
Graham of Ottawa ; she died in November, 1882, and he was again married
2nd November, 1886, to Mary Jane Burrows, of Chelsea, Que.
MERCANTILE.
Besides David Williamson, who has already been mentioned, the following
either have been or now are engaged to a greater or less extent in
mercantile life. All are men accorded a voice in the affairs of the
township.
JOHN WILSON, who came from Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1816, with his
family, consisting of wife and five children, was for a number of years
a prominent and suc cessful merchant in Grenville. He first settled near
Montreal, and in a short time opened a handsome store in that city. About
1828 he removed to Greece s Point, Chatham, from which place he came to
Grenville in 1832. He engaged in mercantile business on his arrival,
and pursued it successfully till 1848, when he went to Cum berland,
Out., and died there a few years since at the advanced age of ninety.
Robert, his third son, remained in Grenville ; continued the business
begun by his father, and also took an interest in the schools and
municipal matters of the place having served as School Commissioner and
Municipal Councillor several years. In
1847, he married Jane Smart, and four sons were the fruit of this
marriage three of whom are now alive. Mr. Wilson died in 1879. John
L. Wilson, one of the sous, entered into partnership with his father,
and soon succeeded to the entire business, and continued it till 1882,
when he retired. In 1879, he was married to Eliza J. Mooney, and still
resides here, preferring the quiet of domestic, to the cares and vexations
of public life.
JOHN WADE, one of the merchants, came here and opened a store about 1875.
His grandfather was one of the early settlers of East Hawkesbury, Out.,
and after wards conducted an hotel at Greece s Point. Not long after
coming to Grenville, Mr. Wade built his present store, in which he keeps
a good stock, and his enterprise has led him to engage in other business
which he vigorously prosecutes. He has a car riage and blacksmith shop,
is engaged quite largely in the lumber trade, and owns a tug boat called
the " H. M. Mixer." He finds time also to serve his fellow- citizens
as School Commissioner and Municipal Councillor In 1862, he married
Catherine Eraser, a granddaughter of Reuben Cook, of whom a sketch is
given on another page. Mrs. Wade remembers many of the incidents of
pioneer life related by her grand parents, one, particularly, which
made a deep impression on her mind in the diys of her childhood : Her
grandfather, one day, espied a canoe coining down the Ottawa, the only
occupant of which seemed to be a woman. Seeing him at work on shore,
she rowed the canoe towards him, and when she landed, he learned, to his
surprise, that the canoe bore the dead body of her husband. This couple
lived far up the Ottawa, the husband sickened and died, and as there were
no neighbors nor minister to bury him, his stricken wife determined to
convey his body to a place where it could receive Christian burial. This
was her mission when she met Mr. Cook, and he at once secured her all the
aid required, and she had the consohtion of seeing her husband properly
interred in Grenville.
JOHN HOWARD, who died in 1894, had been in business since 1855. He was
a member of the Village Council for a decade or more, and was also a
School Commis sioner. He was much liked by all.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII. g
JAMES BARRON who is a son of Joseph Barron, a pioneer of Hawkesburv ha
been in the grocery business here for twenty-six years. He is clerk of
s.oners Court and has been School Commissioner several "eare . H was
CamaTn fo,
some time on the steamer Aid," for Col. George Smith, of Montreal. He
married daughter of the late John Mason, lockmaster at Carillon.
. JOHN COOK has been in trade here for about thirty years. He al<o
ha carnage blacksmith and harness shop, and has engaged to some extent
in he lumber business He has been a Justice of the Peace for fifteen
years, also a member of the Municipal Councils and of the Board of School
Commissioners; his wife is a granddaughter of Reuben Cook, mentioned on
another page.
W. T. WHITE from Dairsee Muir, Fifeshire, Scotland, opened a store in
Grer v.lle ,n 1877, m which he still trades. He, too, has been Municipal
Councillor and School Commissioner. He is also agent for the Ottawa
Navigation Company conductor on the railroad train which in summer runs
between Grenville , Greece s Point. Mr. White is a man of public spirit
and much geniality.
JAMES MILLER came from Ireland to Canada in 1873, and to Grenville in
i8 7 c. He has been in trade most of the time since, and has been a
member of the Villaee Council for several years.
THOMAS AND WILLIAM MORROW, grandsons of a member of the Roval Staft Corps,
and sons of George Morrow, a farmer in Grenville, are doing a thrivin-
business here in the mercantile line. They were formerly clerks in the
store of Mr" Pndham, and being enterprising young men they soon purchased
his stock of goods
and engaged in trade on their own account.
WILLIAM BRADSHAW. who came from England in 1880, was employed about a year
in the bakery of Mr. Hope, at Lachute, then came to Grenville, married and
entered into business. A few years afterwards he went to Washington
Territory and was in Seattle during the great fire in that place. He
returned to Grenville however, after an absence of two years, and began
the manufacture of bread and confectionery. He supplies not only the
villagers, but many of the inhabitants of the neighboring district. He
also has a flour and feed store, and has recently opened a grocery.
James Burns, jun., who has been a general jobber in Grenville for more
than twenty years, has a grocery and market on Canal Square.
WILLIAM THOMAS HALL came from Hawkesbury Village to Grenville in 1889,
and entered mercantile life, which he had previously followed. Soon
after his arrival he built the store in which his widow still trades,
but he died two years subsequently. Albert E., one of his sons, with
his mother, still continues the business, keeping a good stock of general
merchandise. William S., another son, is studying dentistry in the Royal
College, Toronto.
JAMES GAULEV also opened a store in this village in 1875, but having
died the next year, his wife and sister, Elizabeth S. Gauley, continued
the business. The latter, Miss Gauley, very early displayed a penchant
for trade and speculation, and this trait having developed into rare
business tact, has contributed much to the success of the firm, yet she
believes that no business can be truly prosperous that has not Christian
principles for its base.
-590 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
PROFESSIONAL.
DK. WILLIAM ALBERT MACKAY is of the same lineage as Mr. J. A. N. Mackay,
banister of St. Andrews a family of social and military distinction. The
father of Dr. Mackay was a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Militia, and a
notary for many years in the county of Two Mountains. The subject of
our present sketch was born at St. Eustache, in 1861, and was educated
at St. Laurent, at Bishop s College, takingjiis degree from the latter
in 1884. After practising eight years in Pontiac, Que., he came to
Grenville, where he enjoys a large practice. He is a brother-in-law
of Mr. Dansereau, Postmaster of Montreal, and his wife is a niece of
the R. C. Bishop of Glengarry, Ont. A brother of the doctor is proprietor
of the Belmont Retrtat, a
Gold Cure establishment in Quebec city.
GECRGE W. PRFNTISS, M.D., was born at Chelsea, Que., and studied medicine
with the late Dr. Ruggles Church (late Attorney-General). He took a
three years
course at McGill, then attended lectures at Bellevue, New York, returned,
and took his degree at McGill in 1863. After practising in Wisconsin, and
in different parts of Canada a few years, he settled in Grenville in 1869,
where he has since resided, receiving a fair share of patronage. He has,
for a number of years past, also had a drug store in connection with
his office.
C. L. BKAUDOIN, N.P., who has had considerable experience in the notarial
business in other places, located in Grenville a few years since. He is
proficient in his professional practice; writes both French and English.
A. B. FILION, who is one of the prominent public men in Grenville,
has a fine farm and residence about a mile from the village. He went
from Western Ontario to Arundel in 1866, and took up 600 acres of land,
which is now occupied by his
second son. He came to Grenville in 1872, and two years later was
appointed Justice of the Peace, Forest Ranger of Argenteuil and parts
of two adjoining counties, and Secretary-Treasurer of the township and
augmentation of Grenville.
THOMAS CUMMINGS, a member of the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884, is
one of the enterprising business men of this village. He was born in
Grenville, and
found employment on the Ottawa early in life. In 1870 he became purser on
a small boat called the " Canada," which ran between Ottawa and Whitehall,
N.Y., stopping at all the intermediate places. Two years later he became
captain of the same boat, and afterwards held a similar position on
different tug boats. For some years he had a contract for carrying (he
mail between Montebello and Carillon. In 1884 he joined the expedition
that was sent to the relief of General Gordon, and sailed from Quebec
for London in the steamer "Circassian;" thence crossed to Calais, passed
through the north of France, Belgium, Germany and Austria, and sailed
from Trieste for Alexandria. At Wady Haifa he was placed in command of
the steamer " Mahala," which carried mails and soldiers between this
place and another far up the Nile. He was engaged six months on this
expedition, and when the Relief Corps was dis
banded Mr. Cummings received a medal from the British Government, and
one also from the Khedive of Egypt, made from a cannon captured from
Osman Digna. He has several souvenirs of this trip, and among the curios
brought from Egypt is a copper coin, discovered in one of her ancient
tombs. Mr. Cummings, besides having a contract for conveying the mail
between Grenville and Lost River, at present keeps a boarding house and
livery stable here.
SAMUEL J. MURRAY, a son of James Murray, mentioned elsewhere, married
Eliza Crooks in 1885, and opened a carriage and blacksmith shop here in
1887. He is also Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner.
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL. -,gi
JOSEPH D AVISON is one of the respected artisans of this village, who
for forty
years has quietly and faithfully ministered to the comfort of his
patrons. He came from Donegal, county of Antrim, Ireland, to Canada
in 1847. He was married in 1853 to Ellen Wyatt, of Hawkesbury Mills,
and in May of the folio ving year settled in Grenville. They have had
ten children eight sons and two daughters ; of these four sons are
deceased; three more and one daughter live in Vancouver, B.C.; William,
the remaining son is a farmer living in Grenvilie, and the other daughter
is married to Thomas Weir, postmaster at Gushing in Argenteuil.
Until recently there were two good hotels in Grenville one owned by Mrs.
Mclntyre, which is now rented by La Belle, and the other by Louis
Champane. The
latter building was burnt a few months since. Mr. Champane has had
considerable
experience in conducting hotels and livery, and in the new building
that he is about erecting will, no doubt, sustain his reputation for
efficiency in his business.
It is of great disadvantage to this village that the C.P.R. station is
distant from it about two miles; yet this disadvantage is in a measure
counterbalanced by the convenience of having, during a portion of the
year, ready communication with Montreal by boat, or another branch of
railway, and with Ottawa by boat. The C.P.R. station is very pleasantly
located on a level tract of land, to which a mountain forms a most
beautiful background.
JAMES H. HALPENNY is the respected young station agent. He was born in
Ottawa, learned telegraphy at Brittania, and entered the employ of the
C. P. 1\. in 1889; since that date he has been operator at different
stations on this railway from Alberta to Ottawa. He was appointed agent
at Grenville in September, 18^2, and is now also telegraph operator.
DAVID GILL came from the county of Down, Ireland, to Hawkesbury Village,
about the year 1835. He afterward married Mary Fras^r from Scotland,
and about 1850 came to Grenville. and bought 175 acres of land on the
north shore of the Bay, at the base of the mountain. He cleared up the
greater part of this land, and it is now a beautiful and productive
farm. Mr. Gill served as municipal councillor for the Township, yet he
had little desire for municipal offices. He died in 1875 > -^ rs -
Gill in 1858. They had six children four sons and two daughters. The
latter have a millinery store in Grenville village ; two of the sons are
in California ; John, another son, who lives on the homestead, was married
in 1883 to Janet Krskiue, of Montreal. His farm and good buildings,
with the Bay in front and the mounuin in the rear sure to attract the
notice of the passing traveler. James, his eldest brother, who also has
a good farm in Grenville, was married in 1874, to Sarah Hayes, of East
Hawkes bury, Ont. He belongs to the Argenteuil Rangers, and both the
brothers have seived as School Commissioners and Municipal Councillors.
ALEXANDER FRASER, came from Banffshire, Scotland, to this country in [832,
and first settled near Lachute, but two years later came to Grenville,
and bought the lot now owned and occupied by hi? son Alexander. He spent
his remaining days here, cleared up the greater part of his land, and
died about 1860. He left live sons and four daughters. Alexander and
his sister Isabella still live on the In id ;
James, their brother, lives in Breadalbane. John, another brother,
and the only one besides those named above who lives in this section,
resides on a farm of i 20 acres in a most pleasant rural locality,
a little more than a mile from Grenville Village. In 1865 he married
Mary Spratt of Hawkesbury, and the same year settled on ! --nt
farm which he has industriously cleared of the principal part of its
virgin Four of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Fraser, two sons and two
daughters, arc cd.
Alexander G., their eldest son, when eighteen years of ihe
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
belt of a shaft in a grist mill at Calumet, and killed. They have eight
children three sons and five daughters now living. The home of Mr. Fraser,
beside a babbling brook, with cozy dells and trees adjacent, is very
pleasant, and one in which is found genuine Scotch hospitality.
About a mile east of the C. P. R. railway station of Grenville are the
KINGSEY MILLS. Many years ago a man named McMullen bought the land on
which these mills are located, and built a saw mill on the large brook
which crosses the estate. He afterward sold to a man named Wilson, who
converted the saw mill into a grist mill, or at least ground oat mill,
leaving the bolting of it to be done by his customers. It is claimed
that this was one of the first mills in the country, but Wilson sold
the property to James Hutchison, who in 1846 sold it to JOHN J. CROOKS
who had previously lived in Montreal. The land, consisting of 120 acres,
Mr. Crooks has
chiefly cleared, and brought into a state of cultivation. The mill having
been burnt, he rebuilt it, putting in three run of stones, and, besides,
manufactures oatmeal. But as mills became more numerous in the country,
he decided to grind only provender, and changed the mill into a woolen
factory, which for a number of years has been of great service to the
farmers of this locality. Another enterprise in vyhich Mr.
Crooks has engaged is that of brick making having found a good quality of
clay on his farm for the purpose, and there being no other brickyard in
the Township. He was married, in 1846, to Clementina Lummis, who came
with his father s family from England when she was but seven years old,
her trip from Quebec to Montreal
being made on the " John Bull," one of the first steamers that ever plied
between these two cities. They have six sons and four daughters, and to
the former, the farm, mill and brickyard provide ample employment. The
commodious dwelling of Mr. Crooks, which is nearly hidden by trees
and shrubbery, is known as " Kingsey Hall." About half a mile distant,
and nearly north from Kingsey Mills, are the sawmill
and carriage shop of JAMES MURRAY. His father, John Murray, came from
Belfast, Ireland, to Grenville, soon after the construction of the
canal had been commenced, and being a carpenter by trade, he at once
was employed in the locks. Not long afterward, he took up the lot where
his son now lives, and about 1846, erected thereon a saw mill which
continued in operation till ten years since, when the present circular
saw mill was erected. Mr. Murray died many years ago ; he had three sons
and three daughters ; all of the former and one of the latter are now
living. Two of the sons were members of Captain Pridham s company of
Volunteers in the troubles of
1837-38-
JAMES MURRAY is the only one of the sons who remained in this section. He
has always lived in the homestead, and in addition to the great amount
of work he has performed in clearing up his farm, and with his saw
mill, carriage and blacksmith shop the two latter of which he erected
forty years ago he has for a number of years made an efficient School
Commissioner. He was married, in 1851, to Sarah Ogilvy ; they have four
sons and two daughters now living. The large piles of lumber of almost
every kind which Mr. Murray has for sale in his mill yard give
evidence both to the quantity of timber still found in this section, and
to the energy with which his mill is run. The country all about here was
a wilderness when the father of Mr. Murray came, and his only neighbor,
who had settled here a short time previous, was Mr. Hambly.
Abigail, a sister of Mr. Murray, married Andrew Stuart, and settled on
a farm of 200 acres, about a mile distant from her parents. Mr. Stuart
died here 2jth January, 1892. They had twelve children who grew up ;
one son, James A., and his sister Sarah, live on the homestead a fine
estate with their mother. Another of the sons and two of the daughters
settled in Grenville.
HISTORY OK ARGENTEUIL.
393
JOSEPH HAMBLY, a sergeant in the Royal Staff Corns
Cornwall, England. Like many others who belonged to tTis i
to remain in this country and take up land ; and so anxious was he to
do so Tat
purchased h.s discharge when in a short time afterward, to his surprise
and cha er in the whole corps was discharged. Mr. Hambly had six
children-three son and three
daughters-who grew up. Join!, the son, who has always lived on the
homestead" which consists of 2 co acres,, was married in 1847 to Jane
Clark; she died ^864
and m 1870 he married Euphemia Cameron. He has eight children-four
sons d four daughters-still hvmg. One of his daughters, S. T- Hambly,
is Postmistress at Calumet; Catherine, another daughter, was married
ist June, 1856, to Vi liam Mclmyre grandson of a pioneer on Beech Ridge,
St. Andrews. He lives neaAl" Hambly, his father-in-law, and now manages
the farm. He has two brothers n Calumet; one is proprietor of mills in
that place; the other foreman of the Boon Company at the mouth of the
River Rouge.
Mr Hambly was a member of Captain Richard Pridham s company of Volun
teers at Cornwall. He has been a bailiff for many years, and has seen
much of the rough life m Grenville m the past ; but his interest is now
centered in the future and higher life. Baptist clergymen, in recent
years, have labored with some success
this section, and Mr. Hambly and wife, with their daughter, Mrs. Mclntyre
and her husband, united with the Baptist Church.
It seems somewhat singular, that while wolves infested localities only a
few miles from this place, when the country was new, they were seldom seen
here although bears were quite numerous, and are even yet occasionally
seen on the mountain, and now and then one is killed.
ANDREW KERR was one of the Royal Staff Corps, and came from Scotland
with Ins family. After his discharge he took up one hundred acres,
which is now the home of his grandson, Andrew Kerr. He had one son,
Andrew, and three daughters As he knew but little about chopping, this
work devolved chiefly on the son The
latter was married 5 th August, 1851, to Catherine McGillivray, and
as the homestead was several miles from the Ottawa, and there being no
road, he had many hardships ) contend with, such as carrying grists on
his back to the river, and after he had rossed into Hawkesbury carrying
them some distance farther to the mills. But like other men of that
time, he did not falter, and in process of time enjoyed the reward of
his labor. He has had twelve children five sons and seven daughters ;
three of the latter, married, live in Grenville. Andrew, one of the sons,
was married i2th July, 1886, to Jane Nickerson ; his parents live with
him on the homestead. The
farm sustains twenty-four head of cattle, forty-two sheep, with horses
; and the home most pleasant and rural in aspect, gives evidence that
peace and plenty abound in it! Methodist ministers found their way,
occasionally, into this part of Grenville many years ago, but they
have held service regularly in school houses for the last five or six
years. Presbyterian clergymen, or students, have held service here fort
nightly for twenty years. Their old church was replaced in 1800 by a
neat new one called " Mountain Church."
JAMES MCARTHUR lives in the rear of Grenville, about a mile east of the
road running to Lost River; his sister Mary, and his father, Lachlan
McArthur, compris ing the entire family. The hardships through which
the latter old gentleman has
passed are calculated to awaken our astonishment at the capacity of
human endur
ance. He was bom in Kilchoman Parish, on the Island of I slay. Aigyleshm .
land, but had lived in Glasgow a few years, and left his wife and two
children tin when he sailed for this country, June, 1846 ; he was six
weeks on the voyage.
26
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
uncle owned and occupied the property where he now lives in Grenville,
and to his house he first came. He found employment in Grenville and
Harrington for a few years and had been here six, when his wife and
children arrived. In 1857, he took up two hundred acres of land in
Harrington Glen, m the xoth Range, at the south
end of Bevin s Lake. Although at so recent a date, owing to his distance
in the
forest and the absence of roads, he had to meet all the hardships and
privations experienced by pioneers in the first decade of this century.
The cabin which he had built for his family, and to which in October
he first took them was five m iles north of their nearest neighbor,
John McCulloch. In March following William Thompson became his nearest
neighbor, six miles distant, in Arundel on the north. It was a cold day
when he started with his wife and infant, a bag of oatmeal, a bag of salt,
an axe and gun, for their future home. At Mr. Donald Eraser s he engaged
Mr. Eraser s son, Colin, then fifteen years old, to row them some distance
down the lake. The canoe was old and leaked badly, and their condition
was in no wise improved by a violent storm of sleet which struck them
soon after they had embarked. Mr. McArthur threw a shawl over his wife
s head and the infant in
her arms, admonishing her to keep it there, to protect the child from
the storm. While anxious that this should be done, he was more anxious
that his wife should not notice the rapidity with which the boat was
filling, and become frightened,
hence he frequently exhorted her to keep her face and the child
covered. The high rocky shore prevented their landing, and the only hope
was that the boat would float till they reached a point where they could
land. At last, as they drew near shore, but where the water was still
six feet deep, the canoe sank. The boy was brave and strong, and did
all he could to assist, and Mr. McArthur, being a capital swimmer, soon
had his wife and child, as well as everything else, safe on shore. Here
Mrs. McArthur and the child remained, while he and Fraser went a mile and
a half and procured another canoe. In this, they continued their journey
some distance further, till they reached McDonald s deserted shanty,
when Fraser returned with the boat. Mr. McArthur s matches being wet he
could not kindle a fire, so,
leaving his wet oatmeal, salt and tools in the shanty till the next day,
he and his wife travelled in their wet garments through the "cold wind,
three miles to their new home. Happy indeed would they have been, had this
been the last of the hardships they were to encounter in this place. The
next spring he had enough land cleared, with his wife s help, to enable
him to plant and sow. Having neither horse nor oxen, they hoed in their
grain six bushels of oats and planted ten bushels of potatoes. In a year
or two afterward he obtained a yoke of oxen, and then lelt that he was
quite independent. Dalesville twenty-six miles distant was the nearest
point where he could. reach a mill ; and to this place he used to go
in the winter through the woods, making his own road most of the way
through the snow, three or four feet deep. His oxen at such times were
yoked singly, each drawing a small sled, the journey occupying two or
three days.
On one occasion, taking a quintal of flour on his back at his uncle s,
in Grenville, he started for home, which was also about twenty-six miles
distant ; his course was marked only by blazed trees. When he reached
the lake, at a point called the Narrows, where it was not more than half
a mile in breadth, the boat happening to be on the opposite side he had
to swim the lake to get it, and then return for his flour. After taking
dinner at Mr. McCulloch s, he once more took up his load and travelled
on, reaching home that evening. To us of the present day, the thought
of carrying a load of one hundred and twelve pounds twenty-six miles,
on one s back, is appalling indeed, it seems incredible that the feat
could be accomplished by a man of ordinary size unless endowed with
superhuman strength. Mr. McArthur is not
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. -, g -
an exceptionally large man, his height not exceeding five feet nine or
ten inches and his average weight in those days being one hundred and
seventy-five pounds
On another occasion he took a barrel of flour at his uncle s, and putting
it in
two sacks, placed them on his horse, and started on a bridle path for
home via Lost River. Coming to a morass, through \\hich he dare not lead
his horse he hitched
him. took the two sacks 196 Ibs. on his back, carried them half a mile
around left them, and then returned for his horse.
Mr. McArthur had cleared a space of forty acres on his new farm,
all of which he and his wife logged, had obtained a team and cows,
and was beginning to feel that his days of penury had passed, when he
suddenly lost everything he possessed the result of an unlucky venture
in lumbering.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace ; Behind a frowning Providence, He hides a
smiling face."
Mr. McArthur, by a sudden turn of fortune, was, not long afterward,
set on his feet again, and now enjoys a happy home with his son
and daughter. Mrs. Mc Arthur died April 25th, 1893. She had been a
remarkably strong and industrious woman, and a help-meet in every sense
of the word. Lizzie, the child who came so near being drowned in Bevin s
Lake, is now Mrs. Johnson Smith, of Chatham the mistress of a pleasant
and comfortable home. James, the son, who now manages the homestead,
has lately returned from British Columbia, where for five years he was
industriously employed in a lumber camp ; he now has a good farm of
one hundred
and sixty acres, with stock and sheep in plenty.
Farther back, towards Harrington, near the roadside, is a very pretty
little body of water known as Cook s Lake, Mr. Hugh Cook s fine new
house fronting it.
Such lakes or ponds are quite numerous in this part of Grenville three
or four lying near the road. In this section are the homesteads of other
pioneers, Living stone, McVicar and McLean.
ARCHIBALD LIVINGSTONE, from the Isle of Mull, Argyleshire, Scotland, was
a member of the Royal Staff Corps. After his discharge he took up 300
acres of land, which is now owned and occupied by Archibald Steele. He
lived and died at this place, his last days being spent with his son
Alexander ; he had three sons and two daughters.
Alexander, his second son, married Catherine McDonald, and took up 350
acres near the homestead, which is now the home of his own son, John
Livingstone. He clearedabout 15 acres of this, and died 23rd February,
1890; Mrs. Livingstone died 4th May, 1884. They had twelve children;
eleven three sons and eight daughters,
grew up ; one of the former and four of the latter are married. Archibald,
the eldest son, married, lives in Wyoming ; Catherine, one daughter,
married to Charles Webster, lives in Ottawa ; Jane, married to William
S. Hall, lives in Cumberland, Ont.; Flora, married to Frederick Rodgers,
lives in Montreal ; Isabella, the yo> est, whose husband, Archibald
Cameron, died recently, now lives on the homes t with her brother. Annie
lives in New York ; Maggie in Hawkesbury, Out.: an with her brother on
the homestead, all forming a respected Christian fain:
HUGH McViCAR came to Chatham, Que., in 182 r, and for six years was em
ployed on the canal. He afterward obtained 100 acres of land in the rear
of Gren ville, on which his son Hugh now lives. He and his sons cleared
the land, v now a part of a good farm of 200 acres. Mr. McVicar died in
1857. The son. 1 i was married September 5th, 1860, to Mary McLean. They
have one son, Hugh, and one daughter, Catherine, who live with them.
6 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
On an adjoining farm lives Charles McLean, who is mentioned in the history
of Avoca. The farm is the old homestead where the father first settled ;
a good farm and a pleasant home.
TAMES MCKNIGHT, from the County Down, near Belfast Ireland, came to
Canada in May, 1850, and settled in the west part of Gore on a farm now
owned by his son John. He died there in October, ,879; his wife died in
November, 1877. They had but two sons, John and Robert; the latter lives
in Manitoba. John lived near the homestead till the spring of 1885, when
he removed to Gren ville, though he still owns his farm in Gore, as well
as that which belonged to his father -in all. 200 acres. He was married
i6th March, 1856 to Jane McVIahon ; she died 9 th Tuly, 1893. They had
five sons and three daughters- all still living. The eldest daughter,
married to James McKnight, lives in Manitoba. One son, Robert 27 years
old was drowned while bathing at La Belle tails, in July, icSS 9 . He was
a young man highly respected, and his sad death was a severe blow to his
Barents, and caused much sorrow in a large circle of friends.
When Mr. McKnight lived in Gore, he was for some time engaged as foreman
in the construction of railways, and an active member of the Argenteuil
Rangers, being ensign of Company No. 3. During the Fenian raids lie was
called with t Volunteers to Cornwall and several other places. Besides
his property in the Gore, he has a good farm of 350 acres in the 9 th
and xoth Ranges of Grenville, where he
S lt was here that the son of Mr. McKnight lost his life in July,
1889. Just at the base of the cliffs which form the fall, a cold mountain
stream enters the bay. Me Knight very warm from work in the hay-field,
with two other young men, approached the bay and he at once prepared
to take a swim. Making his way toward a part : he beach near the fall,
he had just reached the place where the cold brook water enters, when
he was seen to throw up his hands and disappear. As he was a capil
swimmer, his companions supposed he was merely performing one of
his feats; when in a few moments, he did not reappear, their fears
were aroused search was kept up for a day or two before his body was
recovered, and this was oniy accomplished by means of grappling irons. It
is supposed that cramps were pro duced by the action of the cold water
on his heated body.
This section is the home of EDWARD ALLEN, M.D., who came to Avoca in ib
,i, and who now lives in Grenville ; he has quite a practice here and
in adjoining town ships, as well as in the neighboring county, Ottawa. _
He was born in San Franci :o, educated in Harvard University, and began
practice in Boston.
LA BELLE FALLS.
Near the farm of Mr. McKnight, the river Rouge, which thus far runs
parallel with the highway, and near it, makes a sudden turn, nearly
forming a right angle. in< river expands into quite a bay at this
point, along the shore of which for some dis tance in the summer season
is a broad, sandy beach, not unlike the sea shore. O
farther side of this picturesque bay. from the road, rise steep mountain
cliffs thrc a narrow gorge of which, the river, compressed into one-eighth
its usual width, pours with a wild rush, and falls several feet into the
boiling cauldron below, wild grandeur in the scene, which is not a little
enhanced at times when the rive swollen, and the logs of lumbermen with
a mad rush come through, dive perpen dicularly into the seething abyss,
then, as in a battle of demons, roll, wrestle, anc pound each other,
till stripped and scarred, they are forced into more quiet waters,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 397
and drift silently away. As only a front view of the river and falls can
be obtained without climbing midway of the mountain, and out on the rocky
plateau twenty- five or thirty feet above the falls, curiosity sometimes
impels one to do so, and he is well repaid for his trouble. Another fall,
very similar to the lower one, occurs a few rods back, beyond which is
another bay, only the lower part of which is visible, on account of a
turn in the stream around high projecting cliffs. These falls have a
gruesome history ;
About the ye.T 1857, a young Presbyterian student, who was preaching
in this section, went out fishing one day. Nut returning at nightfall,
search was made for him, and his boots and stockings were found on the
heights above the falls, where it was supposed he had removed them to
approach the brink of the cliff to look over. His body was found the
next day near the shore below the fall, and it was generally believed
he had slipped on the cliff and fallen off.
Near the La Belle Falls by the roadside stands the cottage of JOSEPH
GEEGAN, a very intelligent old gentleman, who for many years was keeper
of the McTavish
Light House, near Point au Chene. He was married 22nd November, 1860,
to Ann McCallum, eldest child of Captain Alexander McCallum. Archie,
the eldest son of
Mr. and Mrs. Geegan, died i4th November, 1892, at the age of 29. He was
an exemplary young man, beloved by all who knew him, and his death was a
severe blow to his parents and friends. Alexander, their remaining son,
still lives with them. Ida, their only daughter, is a very successful
and popular teacher. Mr. Geegan has been a great reader, and is very
familiar with Burns and other poets, and it strikes one that a couple
more appreciative of their location than he and his hospitable and genial
wife could not ha,ve settled amid these romantic surroundings.
DUGALD McCALLUM, a. brother of Mrs. Geegan, lives on an adjoining
farm. His father, Captain Alexander McCallum, after leaving the employ
of Messrs. McPherson & Crane, engaged with Messrs. Robertson, Jones &
Co., successors to the former Company, in the forwarding business, and
held a responsible position with them until 1859, when he retired to
his farm in Grenvillc, now owned and occupied by his son Dugald, where
he spent the balance of his life. He had besides his daughter. Mrs.
Geegan, three sons, Archie, Dugald and DonaM. Archie, who was Captain
of a boat, lived and died in Ottawa; Donald lives in Arnprior. Dugald,
the second son, spent his early years on the Ottawa, being at one time
captain of the steamer " Whitehall " five years, for the McNaughtons. He
also placed the first lighthouse on the river, between Grenville and
Ottawa. He was married i6ih April, 1864, to Mar garet McArthur. and
settled on the homestead five years later. They have two sons and five
daughters now living ; Archibald J., the elder son, is married, and is
in the Life Saving Station on Lake Superior.
JOSEPH McMAHON, from the County Down, Ireland, came to the north part
of Gore, in this county, in 1823. The ship in which he crossed the
ocean was burnt near Quebec, but the passengers were saved. He worked
the first summer after his arrival on the Grenville canal, and in the
fall took up 100 acres of land in He lived there till 1872, and then,
selling his property, he and his wife lived
remainder of their years with their son, John, in Grenville, on the
nth He died here 9th December, 1878 ; his wife died in March previous :
they had sons and five daughters.
John, the eldest son, was the first child born in the north of his
brother Samuel, and two sisters, who live in the Augmentation, are i
of the family living in this section. John married 8th February, 1851,
I McGregor ; they have three sons and five daughters now living ; live of
398 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
ters are married ; three of these live in this county, one in Maine,
and another in Michigan. In 1883, the eldest son, 23 years of age,
was killed, while loading a
large stick of timber ; the cant hook slipped, and the timber rolled
on and crushed him. He was a youth of promise ; he had many friends,
and his death was the cause of great sorrow. Mr. McMahon was for many
years one of the Argenteuil Rangers, and went to the front during the
Fenian raids. He has a fine farm here of ico acres.
CALUMET.
This place is located on the Ottawa, about three and a half miles west of
Grenville, and it is doubtful if the scenery around it is surpassed in
beauty by that of any other village in the province. It is situated on
a high, level tract of ground less than half a mile in breadth, which
is bounded by the river on the southland on the north by a mountain
rising abruptly, and running parallel with the river. The mountain,
which is mostly wooded from base to summit, is the most prominent and
beautiful feature of the landscape ; and from one or two rocky prominences
a grand view may be obtained of the country along the Ottawa, and far
into Ontario, requires only a little effort on the part of the citizens
here, in the way of preparing suitable accommodations for boarders,
to make this one of the favorite summer resorts of Quebec ; for while
the scenery at hand is most striking, it is contiguous to other scenery
which is wild and grand in the extreme.
The Calumet is a small stream tumbling down the mountain side, but
such is the height from which it comes, that it affords excellent water
power, and the numerous cataracts formed in its descent are ever present
objects of admiration to visitors. Sixty years ago, the Calumet Falls
were the property of the Montreal Water Works Company, and it was their
intention to convey the water in pipes to that city, but the plan was
never executed.
The history of the place is not ancient, the little village, which seems
to be growing, having sprung up since the advent of the railway. About
forty-five years ago a man named Charlebois opened a marble quarry here,
a short distance up the
mountain side, and erected a mill on the Calumet, for sawing and dressing
the marble quarried. It is said he got out and shipped quite a quantity
to Montreal, during the few years he worked, but his venture was abruptly
terminated by his death. He was accidentally drowned in the Ottawa,
at the mouth of the Calumet. The timbers which formed the foundation
of his mill may still be seen here ; but no attempts have since been
made to continue the work he began, though there appears to be a large
quantity of marble here.
Mr. Richard Lanigan gives the following graphic description of the place :
" In 1870. when I came to Calumet, you could count the dwelling houses
on the fingers of one hand, minus the thumb ; to-day we can count ten
times that number, il we include the Island. Then we had no railway
accommodation ; to-day, those living in Calumet can visit either the
political or the commercial metropolis of the Dominion, leaving home
after breakfast, transact their business, and be back again in time for
tea ; or, you can leave for Montreal by the early train, spend twelve
hours in the city, and be home by bedtime. Then we had no accommodation
for travellers ; now we have two well kept, comfortable hotels ; and,
in connection with the railway, a refreshment room, which is a model
for all restaurants along the entire line,
we had no public means of transport across the Ottawa ; now we
have steamers plying daily between here and the towns of Hawkesbury
and L Orignal, in addition to which, there is an hourly ferry just
established. Then there was but a tri-weekly mail, and we had to drive
or walk four miles for our letters and
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
newspapers ; now we have a daily mail, with a post-office at our doors
Then there was no smithy or place where you could hire a horse; to-day
we have two blacksmith shops and three livery stables. Then we had not
a single store to-day we have six. Then we had only a small saw mill ;
now we have a grist mill and two saw mills : one of which, the Ottawa
Lumber Company, furnishes emplov- ment during the summer to over a hundred
men, and, in the winter, to an equal number in their log shanties. Then
there was only the firm of the Hamilton Brothers lumbering on the Rouge ;
this summer, logs and timber belonging to thirteen different firms were
sorted out at the booms. Then we had no place of worship now we have
two churches and one resident minister. This is doing fairly well; but,
with the wealth of gifts with which nature has endowed us, we should
have done far better."
Mr. RICHARD LANIGAN was born in Donegal, Ireland, and, in 1836, came with
his father s family to Three Rivers, Que., at which place his father died,
fn 18^4 he and his brother, George T. Lanigan, established The Inquirer
at Three Rivers"; but the following year, Richard withdrew from it,
and engaged in other business. In
1860, he was married to Margaret Kiernan, and in 1870 came to Calumet,
as the agent of J. K. Ward, who was engaged in extensive lumber business
and owned
large timber limits on the River Rouge. Since 1874, Mr. Lanigan has been
Secretary-Treasurer of the Rouge Boom Company until quite recently, when
he resigned on account of ill health. In 1878, lie built a store here,
and has since been successfully engaged in trade. He is a man of more
than ordinary ability, and has found time, amidst his business calls,
to write occasionally for the press, and to give us a story entitled
"They Two," which reflects no small degree of credit on his skill as an
author. The story the scene of which is in this Province illustrates
life in the Canadian forest and in the lumber camp, and it is told in
a concise and easy style that never wearies the reader. It is claimed,
moreover, to be true ; but however this may be, it is certain that if
more widely known only a small edition of it having been published it
would be accorded a prominent place in Canadian literature.
Mr. Lanigan s home is in a romantic, rural spot at Calumet, just
the place one imagines to encourage the cultivation and pursuit of
literature. He has taken an active interest in the cause of Methodism,
and has contributed liberally towards its support. Owing to infirm health,
his business now is conducted chiefly by one of his sons.
His brother, GEORGE THOMAS LANIGAN, was regarded as one of the ablest
writers and newspaper men in Canada. His first literary venture was "
National Ballads," published in 1865, when he was quite young, and about
the same time he published the free Lance in Montreal. He was instrumental
in connection with Mr. Hugh Graham in starting the Montreal Star, and,
subsequently, was employed for some time as editor of the Sherbrooke
Examiner. Afterward, he joined the editorial staff of the New York World,
and next removed to Philadelphia, Pa., in connection with the Record
of that city, and died there a few years ago. He was brimful of wit,
and wielded a facile pen.
One of the prominent industries of this locality are the mills of ROBERT
MC!NTVRI:, which he purchased a few years since of Hon. J. K. Ward. The
water which fo: the motor of these mills is brought in an iron pipe from
the Calumet, under the C. 1 . Railway. The mills consist of a grist mill,
containing three run of stone and one of rollers, a circular saw mill, a
planing and shingle mill all of which are kept in active operation. About
a million and a half feet of lumber and a large quantity of squared
timber are turned out here annually.
400 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Mr Mclntyre was bora in Lachute, and is a descendant of one of the
early pioneers of Beech Ridge, in St. Andrews. He came to Grenville
in 1870, and built a steam saw mill, which he kept in operation about
fifteen years, when he sold it, and built another on the island opposite
Calumet. Two years afterward this was burnt and he then purchased his
present mills. He is a man of much enterprise and industry ; he now
receives valuable assistance in his business from his two sons, Daniel
A. and William. . .
\ post-office was opened at Calumet in May, 1887. Previous to this,
it had been
kept at Eden Dale, a short distance from Calumet. Mrs. H. Burch was
Post- mistress at that place : she died in 1892, and Miss S. J. Hambly,
her adopted daughter, was appointed Post-mistress, and still holds the
position. In connection with the office, she also has a small stoie,
in which she keeps a variety of articles for the accommoda tion of
the public.
S M. BRENNAN is a prosperous merchant of Calumet ; he came to this country
from Ireland when a child, and, until a few years ago, followed farming
near Pembroke, Out. He sold his farm, and in 1884 engaged in mercantile
business in Calumet. In 1886, he built his present store, and, by his
fair dealing and urbanity, has secured a large trade. In 1892, he opened
a branch store in Harrington, near the Rivington post-office; but this
was burnt in May, 1894 the work, no doubt, of an incendiary. The esteem,
however, in which Mr. Brennan is held in that section secured him much
sympathy in his loss, and has gained for him much larger patronage in
the new store, which he speedily erected. He takes an interest in all
local affairs, and is one of the School Commissioners of the township.
The OTTAWA LUMBER COMPANY, which has a large mill here, is a joint stock
company, of which Mr. A. Baptist, of Three Rivers, is the principal
shareholder. The mill was erected in 1886, under the supervision of
the late James Dean, a brother-in- law of Mr. Baptist. This mill cuts
over one hundred thousand logs per season ; two- thirds of which are
spruce, and all are cut on the Rouge. The mill now employs about 150
men. Mr. S. A. Dean, son of the late James Dean, is the present manager ;
he lives here in an attractive cottage amid romantic scenery.
HENRY WALKF.R is the foreman of the mechanical department of the
mill. He was reared in Montreal, and learned the trade of millwright
in that city. He was employed three years in British Columbia, and,
after that, engaged to the Ottawa Lumber Co., and has been in their
employ seven years.
The quantity of lumber and freight of various kinds handled here gives
quite a scene of activity around the railway station, and provides
employment to several men. Trains stop here, giving passengers time for
refreshment ; the fine restaurant referred to above by Mr. Lanigan is
in charge of Mr. FRED. WEAGER, a gentleman who has traveled extensively
on this Continent, and who, for some years, has devoted much of his time
to Christian work. He is a licensed Exhorter in connection with the
Methodist Church, and on the Sabbath usually supplies one of the pulpits
cf that denomination.
ALFRED BRIGDEN, baggageman at this station, came from Woolwich, England,
to this country in 1869. He has served as baggageman twenty-one years,
seven of
which he was in the Bonaventure Station, Montreal.
The two hotels at Calumet are owned respectively by - - La Belle and John
Millway ; that of the former is an imposing brick structure, and is one
of the attractive objects in the village ; its appointments are such as
meet the approval of ihe traveling public. The other is a commodious
building near the railway station, the proprietor of which is devoted
to his guests and friends, and supplies them with home comforts.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
The Methodist Church edifice was erected in 1884 by the Hon. J. K. Ward,
and donated by him to the Methodist Church of Canada.
The Anglican Church was built in 1887 by public subscription.
The Hon. J. K. Ward, though a citizen of Montreal, has been so intimately
associated with many of our business men in the lumber trade, and the
county, more over, has such a monument of his liberality in the church
at Calumet, that a sketch of his life may very appropriately have space
in these pages.
The following sketch is taken chiefly from Borthwick s "Gazetteer of
Montreal."
HON. JAMES K. WARD, M.L.C. His father was a native of Dunham, England.
After serving in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, from 1799 to 1816, and passing
through
many skirmishes and battles, he retired after the battle of Waterloo,
and settled in the Isle of Man, where he died in 1834. The subject of
our sketch was born in Peel,
Isle of Man, 91)1 September, 1819. He was educated at Douglas, the capital
of the Island, served his apprenticeship as a practical mechanic in the
Island, and emigrated to New York in 1842. After spending ten years of
his life in the United States,
he at last settled in Montreal, Canada, where he has ever since been
engaged in the lumber business, selling and manufacturing. He is a Justice
of the Peace and a Life Governor of the General Hospital, the Women s
Hospital, the House of Industry and Refuge, and the Protestant Hospital
for the Insane. He has been Commissioner of the Protestant School of Cote
St. Antoine, and the President and Vice- President of several important
and industrial corporations in Montreal. Like so many Manx
men, he is a Liberal, and has always gone against the absorption of
the smaller
States by the greater and more influential, as has been seen on the
Continent of Europe for the last quarter of the century. The Hon. Mr. Ward
has greatly improved the south-east of Montreal, by his connection with
the large cotton mill there erected. He was married, in 1848, to Eliza
King of London, England, who died some years afterward. When he arrived
in Canada, he married, the second time, Lydia fren- holme, of Kingsey,
P.Q. This family is well known in Montreal."
About two miles further west from Calumet is the confluence of the Rouge
and the Ottawa a place which no visitor to this section of the country
should fail to visit. The Rouge, coming from the almost unknown regions
of the North, and still main taining its attachment to mountain defiles,
shoots into view around a precipice, a few rods above the bridge, and
between massive ledges rolls onward into the larger stream, at this point
an expansive bay more than a league in breadth. A wooded island lies in
mid channel of the Rouge, a short distance from the Ottawa ; below this,
just at the point where the two streams meet, heavy booms with their
iron liga ments stay the further progress of the logs, till they are
separated and formed into rafts by the respective lumber companies to
which they belong. Above, and on both sides of the island, the channel
is filled with logs, piled tier above tier. Between the island and the
booms, the broad surface is filled in the same manner from shore to shore.
Two or three dwellings occupy the beautiful level tract on the eastern
shore of the Rouge, at its mouth, in one of which dwells Mr. Mclntyre,
foreman of the
Boom Company.
Here, many years ago, lived Stephen IJevin, of whom more will be learned
in the history of Arundel. He bought from the Government, at this place,
Lot 22, and Range, built and traded for furs. A man named Heatley lived
on Lot 23, west side of the Rouge, and a man named David Kimble built a
tavern close by Bevin s house; both these buildings were burned. Bevin
sold his land 200 acres to Messrs. Hamilton, lumber merchants, of
Hawkesbury, for the sum, it is said, of $25.00.
1 The facts with regard to Bevin were obtained from Mr. R. Lanigan.
402 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
The road leading to this place passes along the base of the mountain,
a short distance from the Ottawa, and just before reaching the noble
iron bridge which spans the Rouge, it passes through an enchanting
grove. Below the bridge, at a higher
altitude and nearer the island, is the costly bridge of the C. P. R. A
foot bridge, beside the railway track, accommodates the visitor, and
the one whose nerves are of the requisite stability obtains a view which
rewards him for the venture the rapid stream far beneath, the mountains,
the evergreen island, the level tract with its groves of beautiful trees,
and the wide spreading bay with the glittering spires of L Orignal on
the plateau beyond all form a scene which defies the pen of the poet and
mocks the pencil of the artist. The following description of this place,
with the account of well authenticated events which have transpired here,
is taken from the story, " They Two," of Mr. Lanigan ; the quotation being
a tale recounted by " Old Casper," one of the characters in "They Two."
He hinted that he knew something of the Rouge or the River of the Great
Spirit, as the Indians called it. It was sacred to them, and there lived
their Manitou. There were seven falls or chutes near its mouth, and at
the seventh there was Table Rock, where, in the old time, they offered
sacrifice. On the east bank, and north of ihe house built by old Bevin,
are the graves of three men, seven feet apart from one another. One
was a white, one an Indian, and one a negro. : * * * South of the high
eastern bank, where these graves are, it is
thickly grown with white oak ; and below the slope, a sandy plain runs
down to the Ottawa river, part of which is covered with white and Norway
pine. The eastern part of the plain, fronting the Ottawa, has been the
camping grounds of the Indians, time out of mind.
" Towards the close of the i;th century, the French Fort of St. Anns,
at the head of the Island of Montreal, was unprotected for a time ; the
garrison having gone to quell Indian disturbances on the Richelieu. The
Iroquois on the Upper Ottawa, hearing this, made a descent on the Fort,
carrying off arms, spoils and some of the women, and did not cry halt
till they put the portage of the Long Sault between
them and their enemies, the French. They camped at the mouth of the Rouge
their sacred river, and commenced to feast on the good things they had
carried off. Word soon reached Montreal of the sacking of the Fort of
St. Anns, and a force was at once despatched in pursuit. It overtook the
Indians in the midst of their feasting, and a deadly struggle ensued,
with the result that all the Indians were massacred, except their
chief. When he saw that all was lost, he turned and fled for the seven
chutes, on the Rouge, well known to him when a boy. He was as fleet as
a deer; and striking through the pines and the oak trees on the higher
level, on the east side of the Rouge, he gained the Table Rock before
his pursuers espied
him. He flung his eagle plumes into the roaring torrent, as an offering
to the Mani tou, and bounding from cliff to cliff like an antelope,
hurried on his way. There were those on his track as fleet as he. Two
Braves of the Abenaquis, allies of the French, were foremost in tin.-
chase; and as they neared the highest of the seven chutes, the Iroquois
was seen to fall ; and in a moment after, his enemies were upon him. As
his foremost pursuer sprang forward to bury his tomahawk in the prostrate
man, his weapon came down only on the grey rock, the Iroquois having
disappeared in a deep fissure."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 403;
Augmentation of Grenville.
PROCLAMATION OF i2th DECEMBER, 1810.
This Township is bounded on the north by Harrington, south by the
Ottawa River, east by Grenville, and west by the Seigniory of La Petite
Nation. It contains about 22,300 acres of land and the usual allowance
for highways, equal to nearly 34^3 square miles.
To the majority of people, the Augmentation of Grenville is a terra
incognita. Seventy years ago, a number of hardy and determined emigrants
plunged into the wilderness here, and during the remainder of their
lives were almost as effectually removed from the outside world as if
they had been dead and buried. Possessed of those physical attributes
which shrink from no hardship, and that fortitude which never despairs,
they toiled on for the accomplishment of their object securing a home
with the determination of heroes and the endurance of martyrs.
Their children, who in many instances were partners in their toils, have
extended the work begun by their fathers, until now fields of waving
grain and luxuriant
meadows are found where so recently stood the dense, sombre forest ;
and flocks
and herds repose upon the spot where savage beasts stalked and devoured
their prey.
Many of the younger generation have either removed permanently to distant
parts, or, having earned money in their absence, have returned to invest
it in farms around the scenes of their childhood. But, wherever they are,
their vocations are pursued with the same patient spirit and determination
to succeed which characterized their ancestors qualities which, as a
legacy, are of more value, a thousand fold, than bank stock and real
estate. The inhabitants of the Augmentation, isolated as they were,
from necessity, for many years, and which, from long habit and location,
they still con tinue in a great measure to be, have seldom, if ever,
married outside of their own locality, in consequence of which, the
families are nearly all allied to each other. Some seem to have gained
the impression that the land here is rough, stony, hard, to cultivate, and
that, the people likewise, are poor and rough in manners. Never did a more
erroneous opinion find credence. As already shown, the farms are for the
most part fine ones, and the soil is fertile. The majority of the
dwellings are small and plain, yet, let a stranger enter one, and he
will find nearly all the comforts, and some of the luxuries, that are
supposed to be found in the habitations of the wealthy ; nearly every
house contains an organ. The farm, buildings are generally better than
the houses, the reason for which is, that the farms are large, and as
the stock and crops have increased, the farmer, in order to protect
them properly, has been obliged to build new and larger barns. On some
of the older farms commodious frame houses were erected long ago, and,
when others feel that they can afford the luxury, without incurring debt,
they will erect larger and more imposing dwellings.
It is the strongest evidence of the good judgment of the farmer in
this section
that he buys nothing till he can afford it. He knows the extent of
his capital and whence he derives his income ; consequently, before
indulging in a luxury, he con siders carefully the ways and means
by which his income can be increased. His dwelling, however humble,
still answers the purpose of its erection ; but his horses, cattle and
sheep, his chief support, must be improved in quality and increased
in number, and he is not slothful in adopting means by which this end
may be attained. He, therefore, secures the best farming implements,
horse rake, mowing machine,
arm wagon, etc., and when he has all these necessaries, he will build
a new house.
404 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII..
In adhering to this plan, the farmers have all kept clear of debt, and
it is a matter for congratulation in the Augmentation, that there is not
a mortgaged farm in the locality. The people are all in comfortable
circumstances, have good horses and respectable buggies. They are not
only nominally Protestants, but church-going, religious people. Few, if
any, are the households in which grace is not said at meals. Hospitable
and friendly in the extreme, vigorous in frame, yet retiring in manner,
with strong love for their kindred and homes, they are people on whose
hearthstones the fires of patriotism are ever aglow men who would hasten
from every hill and valley, from every field and cottage to repel an
invading foe.
POINT AU CHENE.
The first settler in the Augmentation is said to have been Archibald
Campbell, who came here about 1816, and lived here many years. Other
parties Scotch settlers sometimes remained with him while they were
erecting cabins farther back in the wilderness, McRae and the Campbells,
the first settlers in Harrington, being of this number. Notwithstanding
the fact that it was so early settled, the place has the appearance of
being new mountains and woods encroach so closely as to leave
only a narrow strip of cleared land along the river.
EVAN CAMERON, a descendant of one of the pioneers of this place, has
a store here and a three mile tract of land a short distance away,
and is well known in this section as a man of enterprise and public
spirit. He was much interested in having a railroad station and post
office established here. His grandfather, Alexander
Cameron, who lived across the Ottawa, had purchased five hundred acres
of land at this place, and on this his son Donald settled about 1830, and
his children, of whom Evan is one, still own and occupy the property. He
was married in September, 1836, to Mary McDonald, of Inverness-shire,
Scotland, and they spent their lives here. Mr. Cameron died 5th March,
1850; Mrs. Cameron, gth September, 1879. He was a man of enterprise
and influence; was a Volunteer in 1837, and, later, became Captain of
Militia. They had five children four sons and one daughter, who grew
up. The
latter, Hannah, and her brother Donald still remain on the homestead,
about a mile from the station. Evan lives at the village of Point
au Chene, and Archibald, the younger of the family, lives in Wyoming
Territory.
Alexander, eldest son of Donald Cameron, was married igth October, 1866,
to Annie McCusker, and settled near the homestead. He died 25th April,
1887. His widow, an intelligent, hospitable lady, who takes much pains
in the rearing of her children, still resides here. They had four sons
and five daughters. Jennie, the eldest, married to Alexander O Neil,
lives in Ottawa. Ella, the third daughter, married to John Johnson,
lives at Calumet. Emma, fourth daughter, married to William Allison,
lives at Vankleek Hill, Ont.
ANDRE ST. AMANT, who has charge of the store of Mr. Evan Cameron, was
born at Caledonia Springs, Ont. He was employed three years as clerk
in Grenville, and in July, 1879, engaged to Mr. Cameron, with whom he
has since remained, with the exception of the winter of 1882-83, when he
attended the Business College in Ottawa. He is an efficient and reliable
salesman and bookkeeper. He has been twice married : first, in October,
1866, to Jane Campbell ; she died 25th February, 1889, and he next
married Jane Matthews, 22nd October, 1891; who died 22nd September, 1893.
The first post-orifice was established at i oint au Chene about 1854,
Alexander
McTavish being postmaster.
THOMAS MATTHEWS, who is Postmaster now, appointed in May, 1878, also has
a store here. Mr. Matthews was born in Quebec ; his father dying while
he was a
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 405
child, his mother removed to Montreal, and there he attended school. He
learned
the trade of millwright, and \vas employed at this in Vaudreuil
when the Rebellion of 1837 broke out, and he joined the Volunteers
there. Afterwards, he followed his trade, being employed chiefly on public
works the Victoria Bridge, Carillon Dam, and on the C. P. Railway. After
the completion of the Victoria Bridge, he went to the States and was
employed in the construction of the Grand Rapids and Indiana
Railways. Before coming to Point au Chene, he lived ten years in East
Hawkesbury, Ont., of which he was a Municipal Councillor the \vhole time,
and one term Mayor, as well as Schcol Commissioner. He came to Point au
Chene in 1877, and used his
influence in securing a daily mail and a railway station here. He soon
opened a
store, in which he still keeps an assortment of goods such as are found
in country stores, and in which, also, is the post-office.*
FRANK GALIPEAU is the proprietor of the hotel here, rhich affords ample
accommodation for the traveller ; livery is also attached. Mr. Galipeau
came from Thurso to Point au Chene, and opened a public house in 1864;
he was married the
same year to Lizzie Khol.
The following is an article taken from the Watchman, Lachute, i3th
February, 1896 :_
" The NON-MAGNETIC ASBESTOS COMPANY has been formed, with a capital
of $15,000 (which is proposed to be increased to $75,000 at a very
early date), with headquarcers at Point au Chene, Que., and operated
on the property owned by Messrs. E. A. Cowley, of Montreal, president
of the North Lake Fish & Game Club, and of C. H. Wells, L.D.S., of
Huntingdon. Nine carloads of lumber for workmen s houses have already been
sent to Point au Chene. and building operations are in full blast. The
foundation of a mill 100 x 50 feet, and four storeys in height, is about
completed, and in a very few weeks a loo-horse power engine and boiler
will be in place, with all the necessaries cyclones, crushers, grinders,
blowers, dryers, etc., and will be in complete operation. A boiler house
is also being erected, together with outbuildings, etc.
" It is anticipated that about seventy-five men will be employed in the
working of the mine, and that a very large amount of money will be put
in circulation in the county. The credit of the successful issue of the
enterprise is entirely due to Mr. K. A. Cowley, one of the directors
and owners, and who is one of the most successful young business men
of Montreal. The thanks of the entire community are due to him for his
indefatigable enterprise and push in this matter.
"The principal stockholders in the Company are Messrs. W. T. Costigan, Wm.
Sclater and E. A. Cowley, Montreal; F. McCall and P. Seed, of Brooklyn,
N.V. ; also Dr. C. H. Wells, of Huntingdon ; the mine manager and
superintendent being
Capt. Drysdale, of Cape Breton, a man well known to the asbestos
world. The con
tractor for the buildings is Mr. J. S. Murray, of Hawkesbury, who, with
a large gang of men, are very busy getting matters into shape at Point
au Chene. The county should congratulate itself upon this accession to
is wealth, and as the mine is in reliable hands much may be expected
from it."
The best road, doubtless, thereis in the County of Argenieuil passes
from the road along the Ottawa, northward, the whole length of the
Augmentation. Two mountain
ranges, or chains of high hills, connected with the Laurentian mountains,
also travc the Augmentation from north to south, running parallel, and
enclosing a tract of level ground, averaging, probably, a mile and a
half in width ; sometimes they so neaily
*Mr. Matthews died recently.
406 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
approach each other that they are scarcely half a mile apart, then
receding only to draw nearer together again, in one place nearly forming
a circle. The whole tract thus inclosed is divided into many fine
well-cultivated farms. In many places, also, clearings have been made
on the lower slopes and among the glens, so that there is quite a number
of thrifty farmers some distance from the main road and out of sight of
those who travel it. One peculiarity of the land is that it is nearly
free from stone, so that one can plow up to the base of the mountain,
even where it is a perpendicular ledge, without hindrance. The scenery
is fine ; the mountains are not high, and the summits are rounded and
generally well wooded and covered with dense foliage. In places
the ledge protrudes, assuming bold and fantastic shapes, and is decorated
with enough of vines and low shrubbery to give additional beauty to the
landscape. Crawford, Bates, Kelly, McArthur and McNiel were the first who
entered the wilder ness here to make for themselves and families a home.
Traveling northward from Point au Chene, after leaving the Cameron
estate, we soon come to the farm of HUGH McNEiLL, whose grandfather,
of the same name, came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to L Orignal
in 1818. In 1827 he came to Point au Chene, and bought the land 300
acr es now owned and occupied by his youngest son, Joseph McNeil), sen.
Mr. Hugh McNeil! was cne of the first Justices of the Peace appointed
here, and was also a Municipal Councillor; he died 5th September, 1867 ;
his wife died 25111 April, 1871. They had seven sons and two daughters,
who grew up. Three sons and one daughter remained in the county. David,
the fourth son, settled near the homestead and spent his life here,
dying October 22nd, 1887. He married Elizabeth McNeill in 1851. They had
six childrenfour sons and two daughters. Hugh, the youngest child, who
was married 5th August, 1891, to Martha Ann Kelly, lives on the homestead.
JOSEPH McNEiLL, sen., the youngest child of Hugh McNeill, lives on the
adjoin ing farm, the old homestead. He was married to Elizabeth Crawford,
daughter of John Crawford, Esq., i8th March, 1868. Mr. McNeill has been
one of the Councillors of Grenville; has a good farm on which everything
indicates prosperity.
JOHN CRAWFORD came from the County Longford, Ireland, to Canada,
in 1822, and settled on the North River, at St. Columban. He had a
good education ; ad been a surveyor in Ireland, and, after coming
here, traveled and surveyed with Col. Bouchette two or three years;
surveying, meanwhile, Buckingham, Templeton, and other townships. Owing
to Bouchette s recommendation, he was granted a hundred acres of land,
in addition to that which he had already acquired in the Augmentation
to which he came in 1827. He was also one of the first Justices of the
Peace appointed in the township; he died in August, 1877. He had three
sons and six daughters who grew up. John Gordon Crawford, his fourth
child, was the first child born in the Augmentation ; he married 28th
March, 1865, Melissa Howe, of L Orignal, and sc! + led on a farm of 300
acres near the homestead. They have had ten children sex *.r> sens
and three daughters ; four of the former are deceased. Thomas William,
their second son, and a fine looking exemplary boy, was drowned while
fishing in a small lake, two and a half miles from home.
Thomas, the eldest son of John Crawford, the surveyor, was also drowned
in the Gatineau, 25th May, 1853.
WILLIAM CRAWFORD, fifth son of the surveyor, was married ist June,
1865, to Jane McDowell, from the County of Antrim, Ireland. They have
had eight children
three sons and five daughters. One of the two eldest daughters, twins,
is married
to Thomas McMichael. Mr. Crawford lives on the homestead in a pleasant
cottage,
HISTORY OF AKGENTEUIL.
407
surrounded by trees and shrubbery. Both he and his brother, John
G.Crawford, are among the thrifty, prosperous farmers of this locality.
MRS. ELIZABETH YOUNG, who lives in this neighborhood, is the daughter of
Daniel McMichael and his wife, Martha Crawford, second daughter of John
Crawford, surveyor. Mr. McMichael died in January, 1889. The daughter,
Elizabeth, married
25th September, 1871, Robert Young, the youngest child of Thomas Young,
who settled in the Augmentation in 1827. He came to Canada from the
County Derry, Ireland, in 1816, and took up 200 acres of land, on which
his son Robert also lived! The latter died 4th April, 1884. His widow,
Mrs. Elizabeth Young, with her family, still lives on the homestead. They
had seven children three sons and one daughter are now living.
AVOCA.
Although this was only the name given to the post-office, which was
established
in October, 1861, the name is now applied to all the section
which is nearer to the post-office than it is to that of Point au
Chene. Individuals living in the Augmenta tion claim to belong to
whichever place they receive their mail, Point au Chne or Avoca.
JOHN MCCALLUM was the first Postmaster appointed here, and he still holds
the position the office being in his dwelling. Mr. McCallum was born in
Argyleshire, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1 835. Two of his brothers,
Archibald and Alexander, had come to this country a few years previous,
in 1832. Archie, the elder, was a teacher by profession, and taught many
years in Grenville Village, and died there. Alexander was employed by
McPherson & Crane, who owned a line of steamers running between Montreal
and Kingston, and were extensively engaged in the forward ing business. He
worked for them several years, having command of a boat much of the time,
for which reason he was always subsequently known as Capt. McCallum.
With John, also, came out his brother Donald and sister Mary ; the
latter lived
with John till her death. Donald, after living some years in Montreal,
went to New Orleans, where he died.
In 1842, Mr. John McCallum bought his present farm of 200 acres at Avoca,
and has since lived on it and cleared it of its forest, having now a
fine farm with good buildings and all the surroundings of a cheerful,
happy homestead. He is one of
those men whose sound judgment and unswerving rectitude secure influence
in what ever community they dwell; hence, a thing is not likely to
be unpopular in Avoca which has his endorsement. Possessing a fund of
anecdote, as well as humor, he is never at a loss to entertain, which
gift, combined with his generous hospitality, pro claim him thoroughly a
Scotchman. He has long filled the office of Councillor as well as School
Commissioner. He was married 2ist December, 1843, to Ann, daughter of
James McArthur, one of the pioneers of this section. For more than half a
century, Mrs. McCalluni has been the partner of all her husband s toils ;
and, now, with him enjoys, in the company of intelligent children, the
repose she has nobly earned. They have had fourteen children, twelve
of whom are now living. Archibald, the eldest son, lives in Alpena,
Mich. Dougal, another son, whose wife is deceased, lives in the same
section. One son and two daughters live in British Columbia. Alexander,
married, lives in Lachute.
JAMES McARTHUR, from the Isle of Mull, Argyleshire, Scotland, came to
Point au Chgne in 1820, and to Avoca in 1826, and settled on the farm
of two hundred acres, which is now owned and occupied by his son, Neil
McArthur. At that early
period, in the entire absence of roads, he naturally experienced much
hardship, yet
4o8 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
he endured it with characteristic Scotch fortitude and secured the
object of his labors -a comfortable home. At one time, in the spring
of the year, he went to Point an :hene, six miles distant, on foot,
for seed potatoes. Placing a bag full on his back he conveyed them to
his residence; yet, so great was the heat from his body iii
executing this task that the germ of half the potatoes those nearest
his person- was destroyed, and they never sprouted. Mr. McArthur died
*6th April 1874 his wife, 2ist January, 1878. He was twice married. By
his first marriage he had one child, a daughter ; by the second, he had
twelve children, who grew up. Only two sons and two daughters settled
in this county.
Neil, thefounh son, remained on the homestead, and married, 291!) March,
1863 Ann Arthurs. They have had three sons and three daughters. Jessie,
the eldest of the latter, married, i8th July, 1892. George E. Walker,
and now lives in Missoula, Mont. James McArthur, one ot the sons,
on the 2 8th fune, 1886, went to Vancouver B C
on the first through tram of the C. P. R. from Montreal to the Pacific. He
married in March, 1890, Miss Douglas, formerly of Pictou, N.S. He lived
some years at Kamloops, and died there at the age of 26, zyd January,
1891.
The following is from an obituary published in the Inland Sentinel :
" Mr. McArthur has been a resident of Kamloops upwards of four years,
having been in the employ of Mr. W. R. Megaw until the spring of 1889,
when he associated himself with Messrs. Stevenson & Mclver. and bought
out Mr. Megaw s business. He was known as a straightforward, energetic
and honorable business man, and, in con junction with his partners,
was fast working up a large and rapidly increasing business."
JAMES MCARTHUR, another son of the pioneer of the same name, lives on
a farm adjoining that of his brother Neil. He was married 22iid June,
1868, to Jane Arthurs sister of Mrs. Neil McArthur, and the following
April they settled on the farm of 150 acres, where they now live, and
to which 100 acres have since been added. A
fine brick house, recently erected, conveys the impression that
xMr. McArthur is a successful farmer. They have lost one child. Iheir
remaining childrentwo sons, Dugald and Sampson, and one daughter, Maggie
C., live with them. Mrs. McArthur and her sister, Mrs. Neil McArthur,
are daughters of Sampson Arthurs, who lived in this section, and who
died leaving a widow and nine children. Both sisters are intelli gent
Christian ladies, members of the Baptist church. Their husbands members of
the Presbyterian church are highly respected, and both have filled
responsible local positions.
JOHN BATES came from the County Tyrone, Ireland, m 1826, and settled
in what is now known as Avoca, on the land now owned and occupied by
his son ot the same name; he had eight children four of each sex. He
died July 4 th, 1867. Joseph Bales, one of the sons, married Margaret
McNeili, 22 nd July, 1851, and settled near the homestead on a farm of
300 acres. There was no road to it at that time, and
there were less than (en acres cleared. Mr. Bates cleared nearly all
of this large tract before his boys were old enough to render much
assistance ; and his widow, who is still living and active, thinks,
with good reason, that few know more of the privations and hardships
incident to pioneer life than herself. The farm is now a very fine one
located m the midst of romantic and beautiful scenery.
The buildings are situated near the centre of a tract of level ground,
little more
than a mile in diameter, mountains almost forming a circle around
it. Mr Bates
was a Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner for some years,
and a member
Orange Lodge. He died i 3 th April, 1892. His widow still lives on the
homestead, her son, David R., and her daughter Euphemia, living with
her. She
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 40g
has had nine children six sons and three daughters five of the former and
two of the latter are now living all doing credit to their training. One
daughter, married to Thomas William Kelly, 4 th July, 1888, lives adjacent
to the homestead, on a
good farm. Joseph William, the eldest son of those now alive, also lives
contiguous on a farm of 200 acres. He was married r 5 th July, 1889,
to Martha Reid : he is a Municipal Councillor, and has been Master of
the Orange Lodge at Avoca for several years.
JONATHAN KELLY, from the County of Tyrone, Ireland, settled in this place
in 1826 or 1827, on the 200 acre tract now owned by his son Jonathan,
who has since added another 200 acres ; he died here, ist of August,
1866. He had nine children seven sons and two daughters three of the
former settled in this neighborhood Jonathan, the son who remained on the
homestead, was married izth July iSqo to Isabella Bates. They have had
eight children four of each sex- two of the sons are deceased. Sarah Jane,
the eldest daughter, was married 2 8th April 1886 Henry Hannah, a brass
founder of Montreal. Mr. Kelly about forty-four years since organized
an Orangemen s Lodge at this place, and they held their meetings at his
house until their hall was erected, in 1884. He has served as School Com
missioner, and, like most of the farmers of this section, appears to be
in good cir cumstances. A violent storm and hurricane, which swept over
this place in the latter days of June, 1894, prostrated two of his barns,
but he soon rebuilt.
George, the fifth son of Jonathan Kelly, sen., who also lives in Avoca was
married 2 2nd August, 1859, to Kezia Bates. Two years later, he settled on
the t of 150 acres, where he still lives, and which he has almost cleared
of its forest He has served as School Commissioner of the township,
and is a pillar of the Baptist Church, which was organized here forty
years ago. He has had eight children- three sons and five daughters;
two of the former and three of the latter are now jiving. Ihe eldest
daughter, married to Duncan McVicar, lives in Lancaster Ont One son,
married, lives in Wisconsin.
ALEXANDER MCLEAN lives here on a 200 acre farm in a secluded and a
most rural part of Avoca, to which a good road leads from the main
settlement back through beautiful stretch of forest. The clearing,
comprising doubtless a hundred acres is sed on almost every side by the
everlasting mountains, much of the way by >endicular cliffs, so that
one may easily imagine himself within the walls of a gigantic castle. Nor
are pinnacles or projections, vines and shrubbery wanting to mplete the
picture of ivied towers and battlements. A good farm of fertile soil
comparatively level and free from stone, could not again be found
amid scenery c ; wild grandeur. Mr. McLean s father, Charles McLean,
from the Isle of Mull IMyleshire, Scotland, came to Canada about 1820,
and first lived in Lachute A tew years later he settled in Grenville,
on the land where his son Charles and lughter Isabella now live, and
was a Volunteer in the Rebellion of 1837 he died
June, 1866; his wife, Mary McArthur, died 2 ist April, 1888. They had
ten cln ren eight sons and two daughters ; two of each sex settled in
this County exander married Mary Arthurs, daughter of the late Sampson
Arthurs a8th tember 1875, and the same fall they settled on the farm in
Avoca described
I heir genial friendliness and hospitality accords harmoniously with th
Beauty of their surroundings.
Avoca is the home of ARTHUR J. WILSON, one of the heroes of the Riel
Rebel-
in 1885. When but ten years of age, his ambition prompted him to see the
1. Going to Montreal, he shipped on a vessel of the Allan Line, went
to Liver-
ol, thence sailed for another port, and for seven years on different
vessels visited
27
4 IO HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
many countries of the Globe Australia, Japan, South America, etc. In
the North West Rebellion, he served as a trumpeter in " A " Battery,
Royal Canadian Artillery, and was so badly wounded at the battle of
Fish Creek, that one of his arms was amputated. He was awarded for
his services, by Her Majesty the Queen, a medal on which is engraved
the word " Saskatchewan." On a recommendation of a Board of Officers,
he was also awarded, by the Governor General, a pension of 55 cents a
day $200 per annum.
The River Rouge, in its tortuous course, approaches in one place the
settlement
of Avoca, and here are the farm and mill of DAVID McNEiLL, eldest son
of David McNeill mentioned in a former sketch. Mr. McNeill bought 100
acres of land here, in 1882, on which was a saw -mill. The mill he has
almost wholly rebuilt, added
machinery for making shingles, and has a carpenter s and blacksmith s
shop, and is evidently a man of enterprise ; he was married i4th March,
1882, to Jemima Trinneer; The scenery is wild and romantic ; a ledge
running from one bank of the river to the other, which is here quite
wide, forms a natural dam, affording an excellent mill site. Two or
three rounded projections of rock rise a few feet above the water, and
between these the current rushes with a roar, and falls in a miniature
Niagara. When the Rev. Mr. Mair, Presbyterian, and his successor, the
Rev. Mr. Black, were located at Chatham, in this County, they occasionally
visited the Augmentation of Grenville, and held services. After the
termination of Mr. Black s pastorate, students from Queen s College,
Kingston, and afterward, from the Presbyterian Col lege, Montreal,
preached to their followers here. In 1874, the Rev. Robert Camp
bell (now Dr. Campbell of Montreal) and F. M. Dewey, a student laboring
here at that time, succeeded in arousing the Presbyterians to the
importance of erecting a church, and it was done the following year. John
McCallum, David McNeill and Hugh Craig were members of the building
committee, and subscribed largely towards the erection of the building.
N. D. KEITH, from Glencoe, Ontario, who is now in his fourth year at
McGill University, is the present incumbent of the Presbyterian Church
here.*
He seems to have been very successful in gaining the respect of the
people of Avoca, and his prospect of future success is flattering.
A Church of England edifice was erected in Avoca, as far back as
1854. There are quite a number here connected with it, and services are
held regularly. The pre sent incumbent a student lives in Ottawa county.
As before stated, a Baptist church was organized here forty years
ago. Though they have always conducted their services in a school-house,
there are a good many Baptist people here, and they intend soon to erect
a church building.
J. I. MANTHORNE, a student at McMaster University, Toronto, and who has
also attended at Woodstock, has charge of the Baptist Church at Avoca
and Har rington, and is laboring to the general acceptance of his people.
* The above sketch of the churches at Avoca was written in 1894.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Harrington.
PROCLAMATION OF 6TH MARCH, 1841.
Harrington is bounded on the north by Arundel and Montcalm, east by
Went- worth, south by Grenville and Augmentation of Grenville, and west
by Ponsonby.
A mountain range, passing through the Township from north to south,
divides West, or what is usully called Old Harrington, from the part
which has been more recently settled, and though the land in the west is
somewhat broken, it is mostly free from stone, and is divided into many
fine farms. In the western part also, the River Rouge passes through the
Township from north to south. This Township is divided into two School
Municipalities, designated as No. i and No. 2 ; the School Board of the
former meets at No. i School house at Lost River.
The Municipal Councillors at Harrington are: Jos. Mihvay (Mayor), John
Fraser, Peter McCrimmon, William Morgan, David Green, Henry Morrison
and Donald Dewar.
Presbyterians, of whom there are a good many, have held service here
many years. There had been much talk and a strong desire in this body to
build a church edifice here ; but owing to their inability to agree on a
location, they divided into two factions, and in 1893 each one erected
a church building. Unable, however, to main tain two pastors, one of
these buildings is now occupied by the Methodists, who hold service in
it regularly.
A cheese factory has lately been built here, which is patronized by all
the farmers of this section.
The first settlers of this Township were MURDOCH McCRAE, DUGALD CAMP
BELL and WILLIAM CAMPBELL. They had not been here long, however, before
the settlers named below followed.
ANDREW FRASER came from Inverness-shire, Scotland, and first settled
at Cale donia, Ont., then at Lost River, Harrington, on the farm now
owned by John McMillan. He had four sons and five daughters who came
with him to Canada ; the sons bought 500 acres of land at Lost River,
and on this they and the father settled.
Alexander, one of the sons, worked on the Ottawa a few years, and,
about 1854, bought 100 acres of land in West Harrington, on which
he now lives. There had been but five acres cleared at the time, but
he has since cleared the whole of it, and bought fifty acres more of
woodland in Grenville. He has been a Municipal Coun cillor, and is a
staunch member of the Presbyterian Church. Soon after buying his farm
in Harrington he married Christie, daughter of Dugald Campbell. Seven of
their children five daughters and two sons are now living. Three of the
former are married ; one lives in Montreal, and two in this County. John,
the eldest son, who now has charge of the homestead, was married, in
January, 1892,10 Jennie McLean.
JOHN SHA\V, from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, came to Canada in 1832,
and died the same year, in Ontario, from cholera. His wife, not knowing
of his death, with
412 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
her boy, John, and a young daughter, came to Canada the following year,
expecting to find him. Learning that he was dead, she settled in Dundee,
where she lived ten
years. John, her son, having bought a tract of land in Harrington in 1843,
an< ^ built a house, she came here and lived with him till her death,
i;th February, 1875. There were but twenty acres cleared on this land
when Mr. Shaw purchased, but he has cleared nearly all* of the home
farm, comprising 120 acres, and has purchased 260 more. He has been
one of the active, substantial citizens of the locality, and served as
School Commissioner and Municipal Councillor a number of years, and for
a long time has been Secretary-Treasurer of No. i School Municipality, of
this township. He has also been an Elder of the Presbyterian Church over
thirty years. He was married 22nd February, 1851, to Sarah McPhail; she
died 22nd April, 1862. Six of their children one son and five daughters
are now living. The son, John Shaw, jr., married to Miss C. A. MtCulloch,
lives on the homestead. Two daughters of Mr. John Shaw, married, live
in Harrington.
ROBERT DOBBIE, a weaver by trade, came from Glasgow to Canada, about
the year 1832. He first lived in Lachute, then at Hill Head, till 1846,
when he bought a farm in Chatham, in the 6th range, which is now owned
and occupied by his son, Thomas Bobbie. He lived there till his death,
nth June, 1881 ; his wife died in
May, 1848. Six children four sons and two daughters grew up ; one of
the former
is now deceased.
John, one of their sons, in 1863 bought the farm of 250 acres on which
he now lives, nearly all of it then being forest land. A great part of
this he has since cleared, and he now has one of the finest farms in
the County. Mr. Dobbie is a striking example of energy, industry and
physical vigor. Going into the lumber camp when
a young man, he worked until he had money enough to buy his present
farm, and with what energy he has since worked to clear up and bring
his land to its present state of cultivation, they alone know who have
had similar experience. A few years since, he built a fine, commodious,
brick dwelling ; and he has all the barns and outbuildings indicative
of successful fanning. He has all the improved farming utensils, and
besides horses, sheep and a lot of young stock, keeps a fine herd of
thirty cows. He has added largely to his original farm, and erected a saw
mill and grist mill on his premises. He was married nth February, 1865,
to Jane McOuat, a lady of much intelligence and amiability. She died
24th October, 1893. Seven of their children are now living; two sons,
Robert and Peter, and five daughters, Maggie, Jennie,
Aggie, Jessie and Kllen Maud. Harold I. and William G. Crabbe are two
boys that Mr. Dobbie has kindly adopted.
While Mr. Dobbie has been a model of industry, and very successful in the
accumulation of this world s goods, he has not, like too many others,
retained his means with a miserly grasp, but his house has ever been
the dispensary of free hearted hospitality, and his purse open for the
support of religious instruction, schools and public improvements. Like
himself, his sons and daughters all appreciate the value of industry, and
practise it; consequently they are intelligent, strong and healthy, with
skill to perform different species of handiwork. Two of the daughters,
Aggie and Jessie, aie successful teachers ; the latter being a graduate of
the Normal School, Montreal ; a younger sister has also attended the same
school. Mr. Dobbie has long served as School Commissioner and Councillor,
and one term as Mayor of
Harrington.
Altogether, his farm, with its broad meadows, luxuriant crops, and
most beautiful mountain scenery around, is one which even the passing
traveller will not be likely to forget.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 413
DUGALD CAMPBELL came from Scotland, and was one of the three first
settlers in Harrington. He remained at Point au Chfine a while, and
then, doubtless, about 1845, ca me to Harrington and took up the land
now owned and occupied by Alexander Campbell. He lived here till his
death, 2 8th April, 1881. He had several children, but only two sons,
Donald and Alexander, and one daughter, Christina, grew up Alexander
married 5th August, 1866, Mary McRae ; they had nine children six sons
and three daughters who are now living. Two sons, married, live in the
States and one daughter, married, lives in Montreal.
Mr. Campbell died 51)1 May, 1881; his widow, with her vounger children
still lives on the homestead.
KENNETH CAMPBELL, from the Highlands of Scotland, came to Ontario,
and later, about 1837, to Harrington, and took up the land now owned
and occupied by his grandson, Alexander Cnristie Campbell. He died here
about 1871; he was twice married. Four of his sons, by the first marriage,
settled in this County;
Kenneth, the eldest son, married, loth April, 1867, Ann McRae. He lived on
the homestead until 1886, when he bought the farm of 121 acres, where he
now hves. He has four children, two of each sex, no v living. His elder
son, Alexander Jinstie, married Mary Fraser. Mr. Campbell (Kenneth) has
had much of the unpleasant experience and hard labor of those living in
new and secluded settle
ments, but he now has a good, well cultivated farm, with all the comforts
of life.
WALTER McViCAR, from the Isle of Islay, Argyleshire, Scotland, engaged
as clerk for the Hudson Bay Company, and went to the North-West. On his
return, he
bought the farm now owned by J. W. Wainwright, St. Andrews. In 1826,
or there about, he married Mary Dockstadter. They had eight sons and
five daughters ; three of each sex settled in this section. In 1836
he sold his farm in St. Andrews, and subsequently bought a farm of 200
acres, in the rear of Chatham, which is now owned by his son William :
he died there about 1866. Walter, his second son, sth February, 1851,
married Hannah Williams, and, about 1868 bought joo acres of wild land in
Harrington, near the Grenville line, on which he still lives. There was
no road
here at the time, and now his house is located near the junction of two
excellent roads ; a store is adjacent, while his well cultivated farm
looks as if it might have >een cleared for a century. He has five
sons and two daughters, all married save one. William, his eldest son,
married to Emily K. Stewart, December 15111, 1874, lives on the homestead,
and has a blacksmith s shop here.
At the junction of the roads mentioned above stands the new store of S. M.
Brennan, of Calumet. Another one, in which he was doing a good business,
was
wrned in June, 1894, it is generally believed, by an incendiary. Sympathy
for his
loss and indignation at the villainous act have secured Mr. Brennan a
large increase
of trade in his new store.
At a short distance from this store lives JAMES BENNETT, on a good farm
of 275
acres, which he bought in 1889. He was married the same year, igth
March, to
-harlotte Bigrow. Mr. Bennett s father, Louis Bennett, was an orphan,
and was
reared by James McOuat, of Lichute. He settled, in 1875, "ear Calumet,
on a farm
of 200 acres, where he now lives. He has six sons and two daughters ;
two of the
Jrmer are married. About half a mile north of Mr. Brennan s store a
bridge crosses
liver Rouge, which still preserves its full width amid wild mountain
scenery.
About the same distance farther on is the house of DONALD MC!NTOSH,
in which
the Post office, established in 1877, with the name of
Rivington. Mr. Mclntosh
came from the Parish of Pelty, Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1860,
with his father s
family of seven children. They lived two years in Ontario, and then
moved to
414 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Harrington, where the father died in 1863. They were the first settlers
in the town ship on that side of the Rouge. Donald, the third son, bought
200 acres of land here, but relinquished part of it to make the payments
more easily, and afterward bought in smaller quantities, till he now
has 350 acres. The original farm was wild land, in what, at that time,
must have been an exceedingly wild place; but through the industry of
Mr. Mclntosh the forest has disappeared, and his farm abounds in prolific
crops of grass and grain. He was married 6th January, 1863, to Sarah,
daughter of George Bates, of Avoca. Mr. Mclntosh gratefully acknowledges
the help he has received from her, and believes her counsel, prudence and
industry have contributed to their success as much as his own. Though
threescore years of age, Mr. Mclntosh, notwithstanding his decades of
toil, is still in the full vigor of his strength, and attends to his
work with step as elastic as that of youth. Besides being Postmaster,
he has been Municipal Councillor, School Commissioner and Mayor of the
township. They have one son and five daughters now living. The eldest
daughter is married to Walter McVicar, jr., and lives near her parents.
DONALD FRASER, in 1847, c ame with his family from Glenelg,
Inverness-shire, Scotland, to Glengary, Ont., where he lived two years,
and then moved to the 5th Range in Harrington, and settled on 100 acres
of land, which is now owned by his nephew, William Fraser. He died ipth
August, 1876. On his arrival at this place
he was twenty miles from mills and market, without roads ; and half of
this distance, for a long time, was traveled only by means of blazed
trees.
Colin, his second son, says that he had lived there three years before
he ever saw a horse at his father s door, all their provisions having
to be brought on their own backs, and their seed to be put into the
ground with a hoe. Even after the lapse of three years, when they owned
a horse, it was customary to plant their grain on the rough ground with
a hoe. Colin Fraser was married 28th March, 1863, to Margery,
sister to Donald Mclntosh noticed above. They first lived in the
Augmentation of Grenville, nth Range, where Mr. Fraser cleared twelve
acres of his wild land; but after three years he sold it, and bought
200 acres in Harrington, 2nd Concession, where he now lives. This also
was forest land, and ico acres of it he has himself chopped and even
logged alone, save now and then, when he has obtained a few days help by
exchanging work with his neighbors. His sons, after they were old enough,
gave him a little assistance, but the work of chopping and clearing was
chiefly done before they could render much aid.
^It will be seen that few men have had more knowledge of the hardships
of pioneer life than Mr. Fraser ; he has persevered in the face of
obstacles before which thousands would have quailed, and, single-handed,
accomplished an amount of work that seems incredible and yet he is
still young looking, though past fifty, and continues to labor with
strength apparently unimpaired. It is a fact on which he may be con
gratulated, and of which he has reason to feel proud, that there have
never been spirituous liquors on his premises in all the years he has
lived here. Mr. Fraser is not only a temperate man, but one whose love
for the Golden Rule, " Do unto others as you would that they should do
unlo you," renders him a man whom one likes to meet. It should also be
said that, in the practice of this rule, he has the hearty encouragement
of an intelligent Christian wife. Until the age of fifteen, he could not
speak a word of English, Gaelic being his native tongue, and the latter
is still the language in which he and Mrs. Fraser often converse. Owing
to the entire absence of schools
here in his early days, he did not receive the advantages which they
confer ; yet his wife, being a great reader, and he an attentive listener,
and, withal, possessed of a remarkable memory, his mind became stored
with a degree of knowledge, especially Scriptural, which many a good
scholar might covet. Like others already mentioned,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
415
he now enjoys the reward of his privation and toil, possessing a good
farm and stock, with all modern labor-saving machinery reaper, horse rake,
mowing machine, etc.
Mr. Eraser has been an Elder of the Presbyterian church, as his father
also was, for several years. Their youngest child, Maggie, is a successful
pupil in the Normal School, Montreal, and in their household may be found
a variety of books and papers the Montreal Witness, Christian Herald,
Northern Messenger, etc.
The reader will, doubtless, remember that in the sketch of Mr. James
McArthur, in the history of Grenville, mention is made of Colin Eraser,
a boy who rowed the unlucky canoe on Bevin Lake. He and the Mr. Eraser
noticed above are identical.
That incident, as will be seen, was not the last of his unpleasant
voyages in a canoe.
Until the bridge was built across the Rouge here, about fifteen years
ago, Mr. Eraser and all the settlers thai side of the river, whenever
they went to mill or market, had to experience an amount of trouble,
sufficient, it would seem to most men, to induce them to sell out and
leave the locality. On reaching the river bank with his horse and cart,
each man had to detach the horse, unload the cart and row the latter
across. He would then return, get his grist or whatever comprised his
load, row over, and then return and make a third trip for his horse, which
always swam beside the boat. On returning home, he had the same labor
to perform, and, in case it was dark, not unfrequently hitched the horse
to a tree, and left him and his load till morning. It seems incredible
that here, less than half a century ago, and within thirty miles of a long
settled country, was a community enduring all the hardships and privations
experienced by our ancestors, when they first opened up the country.
CHARLES BAIN was an orphan, reared in the old Protestant Orphan Asylum,
2409 St. Catherine street, Montreal. He was indentured 28th February,
1853, for
six years, by the directresses of that institution, to a man in
Hawkesbury, Ont. Like many another homeless and friendless boy, he had
a sorry time of it, being compelled to work early and late, in sunshine
and storm, in heat and cold, and often at labor far too severe for one
so young to perform. After enduring this treatment for some time, he
determined to return to the Asylum, lay his case before the directresses
who had placed him there, and ask them to get him another place where,
at least, he
would be accorded treatment more humane. On his way there, he was
offered good wages and a pleasant home, if he would go to the States ;
but being too conscientious to run away without the permission of his
guardians, he refused. As might be sup posed, his complaint to the
directresses was unnoticed, and he was sent back to com plete the term
of his indenture. Five months before the term of his indenture expired,
feeling that forbearance had ceased to be a virtue, he left the place ;
his only reward for his five and a half years labor being the few old
clothes which he was compelled to wear during that period. Fortunately,
he next engaged to work for an old couple, where kindness was the rule
rather than the exception. After working in Kenyon,
Ont., and other places, till 1862, he bought 200 acres of land in
the 2nd Range of Harrington, where he now lives. In order to earn
money to pay for it and make improvements, he subsequently worked for
J. P. Wells, Vankleek Hill, and John Bell, of Pembroke, Ont., lumbermen
ten years. He was married yth September, 1864, to Rachel, daughter of
the late George Bates, of Avoca. They have had nine children seven sons
and two daughters. Five of the sons and the daughters are now living.
Mr. Bain, like his neighbors, has seen many hardships. But like them,
also, he has persevered and cleared up a large part of his farm ; he
has twenty-two head of cattle, three horses, and all the comforts which
bespeak prosperity. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church. He
has served as School Commissioner and twice as Valuator of the township.
416 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
WILLIAM STEWART is another of the men who fell upon the wild forest in
this part of Harrington, and literally conquered for himself a home. He
c^me from Cole- raine, in the County of Perry, Ireland, in 1847, lo
Quebec, where he remained two years. His mother, brother and two sisters
came with him ; but the mother died on the voyage. A few years later,
he bought 100 acres of land in the Augmentation of Grenville, which
is now owned by John G. Crawford ; cleared it and erected buildings.
Selling this property about 1868, he purchased 200 acres in Harrington,
in 4th Range, where he now lives. Not a tree had been felled on this
property, where now he has eighty acres under a good state of cultivation,
twenty-four head of cattle, five horses and eighteen sheep. As he began
life in Grenville without a dollar, his success
affords ample proof that farming, even under many discouragements, maybe
followed with profit. Mr. Stewart has served his township as Municipal
Councillor ; he has five sons and four daughters. Two children a boy
and girl are deceased. Robert W., the eldest son, who now has charge of
the homestead, is married to Hannah McVicar. Two daughters, married,
live in the County.
ROBERT HARRISON lives farther on, and near the western line of Harrington.
He came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, about 1869 ; since which
time he has lived chiefly in St. Henry, Montreal. He was married loth
September, 1873, to Eliza Jane Brombey, of Si. Laurent. In the spring
of 1893 they came to Harrington ; and he is now engaged in farming,
assisted by his son William H. Harrison.
JOHNJ. KEYS, checker at Montreal for the Merchants Line of Steamers
between Montreal and Kingston, came from the North of Ireland to Canada
about fifty years ago 1845. Not many years subsequently he was engaged to
fill his present position, and has held it ever since valid proof of his
efficiency. In October, 1856, he married Sarah Woodhouse, and they have
eight children one son and seven daughters. In 1879, Mr. Keyes bought
245 acres of land in Harrington, bordering on Ottawa County, and his wife
and children came to live on it. There was but one acre cleared at the
time, and the family, with the exception of the son, Walter A. Keys,
did not long remain here. Walter A. was married, loth April, 1888,
to Annie Isabella Dodd, of Grenville, Que. He now manages the farm,
which is nearly all tillable, and has cleared over sixty acres, so that
it now sustains fifteen head of cattle, twenty sheep and three horses.
LOST RIVER.
From the fine farming section known as " Old Harrington," a road leads
through a wild mountainous section, several miles into the south-eastern
portion of the town ship known as Lost River. On this road, about
two miles from the old settlement, in a rough dell, shut in by woods
and mountains, is a saw-mill and a large frame dwell ing, in which is
the Harrington Post Office, which was established in September, 1856,
Alexander Campbell being Postmaster. A year later, D. B. Campbell was
appointed
Postmaster, and still holds the position. For the next three miles,
through a coun try equally wild and chiefly wooded, past three or four
small ponds, the road conti nues, before reaching a more habitable
section. The rest of the distance to Lost River is through a narrow
valley between mountains, in which are a number of fairly
good farms.
About a mile before reaching this suggestively named stream, on the
summit of a
hill, is the dwelling of MURDOCH BETHUNE, who was appointed Postmaster
at Lost River in 1882. The Post Office was established at this place
about 1875, Roderick McLennan being the first Postmaster.
The first settlers at Lost River were NEILL BETHUNE and DONALD McQuAiG,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 417
who came from Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, to Lochiel, Ontario,
in 1849,
the following year to Lost River.
ALEXANDER BETHUNE also came from Glenelg, Scotland, in 1849. ^ e u ve d
nve years in Lochiel, and in 1855 bought I0 acres of land at Lost River,
which is now owned and occupied by his son William, and which he and
his sons cleared. He died at the house of his son Murdoch, with whom
he had lived a few years, 25th May, 1877 ; his wife died isth January,
1870. They had four sons and five daughters;
all except one of the daughters, who died, live in this section. Murdoch,
the third son, in 1860, bought 150 acres of wild land, on which he now
lives, and a part of which he has cleared. He spent some time in a lumber
camp in the State of Michi
gan. In 1870, 291)1 December, he married Sarah Cameron. He lias been
a School Commissioner and Councillor, and, besides being Postmaster,
is recording Secretary of the Orange Lodge at Lost River.
XEILL BETHUNE (or Beaton, as the name is usually called in this locality)
died about 1872, leaving six sons and two daughters. His son Donald came
to Lost River with him or in the same year, 1849, and bought half of Lot
4, in the 4th Range. A few years later, however, he let his own son Donald
L. have this, and he removed to Kincardine, Bruce County, Ont. Donald
L. Bethune was married 29th September, 1870, to Christina McCaskill,
from Glengarry. He sold the home stead about 1875, and bought TOO acres
contiguous to it, Lot 4, 4th Range, where by industry he has made farming
profitable. He has been one of the members of the School Board.
Descending a long hill on a road entirely shut in by hills and woods,
about a mile from the Post Office, we reach Lost River and the little
hamlet of the same name. This small, dark stream is so called from the
fact that; soon after leaving one of the little lakes or ponds, a few
miles above, and of which it is the outlet, it passes under a natural
bridge or rock, three or four rods in width, and covered with soil and
irees. This bridge is level with the surrounding land, and, of course,
in its pas sage under it this short distance, the stream is lost to view
hence, Lost River.
A saw-mill, store, hotel, Orangemen s Hall, a shop or two, and three
or four dwellings, comprise all the buildings of this place. The hotel,
located at the end of the little bridge which crosses the stream here,
is owned and occupied by GEOKGE W. BURCH. He is a grandson of Benjamin
Burch, and a son of Alva Burch, both of whom are noticed in the history
of Lachute. He went to California in 1871, where he spent five years. He
was married 22nd November, 1882, to Janet C. Thorn ; they lived in Lachute
till 1889, when Mr. Burch bought 200 acres of land at Lost River, built
and opened a public-house, in which he still resides. He also has 200
acres about ten miles from this place in the nth range of Wen Worth,
at Sixteen Island Lake. To this tract, also, belongs an island of six
acres, which is a great resort for sportsmen.
WILLIAM ERASER, a son of Andrew Fraser mentioned in the history of
Harring ton, followed work on the river Ottawa about ten years, married
Margaret McRae,
1 7th June, 1857, and settled at Lost River, on a farm of 200 acres,
on which they lived till six years since, when they removed to this
little village. Mr. Fraser is one of the prominent citizens of this
township, and has been Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner
several years. Alexander W. Fraser, his son, in 1886 built a store here,
in which he is doing a good business ; he also erected a saw-mill here in
1893. In 1871, a fire swept over this place and quite a tract of country
around, des troying McLennan s dwelling and store, and other buildings ;
in all, four dwelling- houses and three barns, Mr. Fraser s buildings
among others. Mr. Fraser and his
4l8 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
family are staunch Presbyterians, and with them, at present, is living
the Rev. Robert B. Thomson, \vho came as missionary with his family to
this country in June, 1887 from Dundee, Scotland. He has been engaged
in missionary work for thirty years,
and has labored in different fields in Canada since his arrival. He came
to Lost- River in 1892, and is building a church here.
JOHN McCuLLOCH came to Lost River from Kintelle, Scotland, about 1853. In
1855, he married Kitty McRae. They have two sons and five daughters. About
twenty years ago, or in 1874, he moved to Old Harrington, to a farm
of eighty acres, where he now lives, and which is in a good state of
cultivation. In 1884, he sold his farm of 175 acres at Lost River, to
his son, Murdoch McCuUoch ; the latter was married at Christmas, 1886,
to Mary Mott, of Chatham. He now lives here, and is
among the enterprising and prosperous young farmers of Lost River.
NIEL McCkiMMON came from Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, to Glengarry,
Ont., about 1852. He lived there five years, then settled on 200 acres
of land at Lost River, which is now owned and occupied by his son,
Peter McCrimmon; he died here i6th November, 1889 He had ten children,
who grew up ; three sons and
five daughters are now living ; two of the former live at Lost River,
and one in Bri tish Columbia; two married daughters, also, live in this
County, and one in Chelsea. John, one of the sons, an energetic young
man, was employed profitably five years in Minneapolis, Minn. About the
year 1876 he bought 200 acres of land adjoining
the homestead, on which he lives, and which with his large acreage of
grain, his stock of cattle, horses and sheep, gives evidence of industry
and prosperity. He was mar ried 1 8th August, 1886, to Bella McMillan. He
is a member of the Orange Lodge,
which erected a Hall at this place about ten years ago. Peter McCrimmon,
who lives on the homestead, and is a brother of John, noticed above,
spent ten years in Michigan, and three in Wisconsin, in lumber camps
the proceeds of which labor he has prudently saved. There was not a
tree felled on this land when his father came here ; two-thirds of it
is now cleared, and on it the son has 23 head of cattle, horses, and
thirty-five sheep. He was married ijth April, 1892, to Diana McMillan.
His mother, who can speak nothing but Gaelic, lives with him.
LAKE VIEW.
About six miles from Lost River, in a northeasterly course, is a Post
office which was established in 1878 with the name Lake View. WILLIAM
T. HIGGINSON, tvho lives here, was appointed Postmaster, and his family,
with a very few more, com prise the population of the locality. The
land between this place and Lost River, though less broken than it is
at the latter place, is but sparsely settled, and consider able of it
uncleared. The cleared portion at Lake View borders the eastern end of the
Lake bearing the same name, which, until within recent years, has always
been known as Macdonald s Lake. It is six miles long with an average
width of i 1 / ^ miles, and its location among such wild mountain scenery
renders it to the lover of nature an object of great attraction. Were
the means of communication better be ween this locality and the cities,
there is no doubt that it would become a noted summer resort.
William T. Higginson is a grandson of George Higginson, one of the
four brothers who came from Lome, County of Antrim, Ireland, in 1817,
and settled in
Hawkesbury, Ont. He was first employed by Thomas Mears, then by Mears
suc cessors, the Hamilton Brothers; and after living two years in South
Nation, he pur chased a farm in West Hawkesbury, on which he lived until
his death. He had 12 children, six of each sex ; only two of his sons
remained in that section.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 419
William T., his third son, was married to Mary D. Byers, i3th May,
1850. He had learned the carpenter and millwright trades, and after
working a few years in North Nation and Buckingham, he bought a farm in
Hawkesbury, near the home stead, on which he lived from 1856 to 1873,
when he sold it. He followed his trade till 1878, when he purchased 300
acres of land in Harrington Lots 8 and 9, in the 8th Range, of which
only ten acres were cleared. The creek, which is the outlet of Lake View,
crosses this land, and on it, at the time of his purchase, was an old saw
mill. Mr. Higginson, soon after coming here, erected a grist mill, and
in 1886, built a new saw mill of the most improved style and machinery,
to which he has added a shingle mill. The saw mill, owing to the large
quantity of timber hereabout, is of great utility to the locality,
and the grist mill is scarcely less important.
Mr. Higginson and his son, William C., who lives here, and now has the
chief care of the business, have cleared up many acres of the land,
and have a good farm which, in connection with their mills, gives scope
for the exercise of the energy and industry for which the Higginsons have
generally been noted. Mrs. Higginson died 8th January, 1892 ; they had ten
children, but only three sons and four daughters arrived at maturity. Mary
D., one of the daughters, now the widow of Edwin Brown, lives
with her father and brother.
At the end of Lake View, and contiguous to the dwelling of Mr. Higginson,
lives
DONALD K. CAMPBELL. His grandfather, William Campbell, was one of the
three first settlers in Harrington. He came with his family from Glenelg,
Scotland, and first settled in Kenyon, Ont. His son, Kenneth, about the
year 1856, bought 400
acres of land at what is Lake View, one-half this quantity comprising
his home farm, on which he lived till his death about 1871. He was one
of the loyal actors in the suppression of the Rebellion of 1837. ^[e was
twice married : first to Christy Campbell, by which marriage he had ten
sons and two daughters ; she died in 1866, and he then married Catherine
Fraser five sons and one daughter were the fruit of this union. Donald K.,
his fifth son by the first marriage, about 1874, bought 200 acres of wild
land adjoining the homestead, and the following year, i6th November,
was married to Mary Jane, daughter of John McCulloch. He is one of
those hardy, persevering Scotchmen, to whom no physical labor seems
impossible or a hardship. He has cleared about 100 acres of his land,
chopping it all himself, and is yet young in appearance and in the vigor
of manhood. He possesses the stock of cattle, horses and sheep usually
seen on the premises of a thrifty farmer, and has a shop in which he
performs not only his own blacksmithing, but that of his neighbors, and,
withal, has time to serve his townsmen as School Commissioner.
In August, 1894, bears, five or six in number, attacked one of the
oatfields of
Mr. Campbell, and though considerable effort was made to destroy them,
they con
tinued their destructive work. Just as the inhabitants were thoroughly
aroused and resolved to unite in a war of extermination, the marauders
cunningly left the place, " for fields and pastures new."
A lover of the wild and beautiful in nature could scarce find a retreat
where the scenery would minister more fully to his gratification than at
the home of Mr. Campbell. At the left, a short distance down the meadow
slope, the placid lake reposes between farms and woodland on the one hand,
and a chain of high rounded hills on the other ; their sides and summits
clad with a dense forest of evergreens where lone liness and silence
reign undisturbed. In front, and near at hand, a thousand cedars rear
their spar-like trunks, and scatter their fragrance far and wide, while
in the rear, and at the right, mountains with wooded sides and bald,
jagged fire-swept cliffs add to the wild grandeur of the scene. But
wild and grand as is the scenery, it is surpassed by that which meets
the eye in traveling the next three or four miles
420 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
toward ArundeL From the height of land a road descends for some distance,
through a dense wood ; the heavily timbered mountain slope rising abruptly
on the left, while on the right, the tree tops sinking rapidly in height
give evidence of a lake, or a deep chasm, between the road and the steep
mountain ridge which rises at no great dis tance beyond. A little further
on, and the curiosity is in a great measure gratified by a glimpse,
through the branches, of water far below, and a little further drive
to a turn in the road and a cleared space reveals a wonderful lake,
stretching back in the course we have just come, till lost to view among
precipitous cliffs. It is not more than half a mile in width; but its
location, beauty and solitude fill one with wonder and admira tion. The
right shore, looking backward, rises gradually, till it becomes a mountain
cliff, and the left is one steep mountain slope from the water s edge,
so steep, indeed, that we wonder if it has ever been trodden by human
foot. In the distance, and just before the lake recedes from view behind
projecting cliffs, midway between the shores, lies an islet, bewitching
in its garment of evergreens.
Has that islet ever been visited by a human soul? Have the waters of ihis
solitary and beautiful lake ever been ruffled by the oars of civilized
man? Did the canoe of the red man ever glide over its surface ? What was
its appearance at the time the Algonquin warrior was struggling to repel
the hated Iroquois from his soil? Such are the questions suggested to
the mind by the solitude of its isolation. No house, no barn nor human
being is in sight ; a crane, as he rises from the margin and wings his
solitary flight along the base of the mountain, is the only indication
of animate nature. Loneliness indeed I
But what lake is this? Even of its existence we had never heard. Is
it possible
that people living hereabout are so accustomed to the wonderful and
beautiful in natuie that they never speak of it? Surely, a lake like this
in some countries would become the theme of every tongue, and writers
and artists, in the portrayal of its beauty, would exhaust the cunning
of their art. We take a reluctant leave of this awe-inspiring sample of
nature s work, with the impression that we shall not see it again ; but
to our surprise, after another drive of a mile or less among the hills,
we come again upon its shore, when it spreads out much broader than
before, and new scenery for admiration meets the eye. Later still, we
drive along its margin, where its waters are nearly level with the road,
and we learn that it winds around among the mountains, for a distance of
three or four miles, in most fantastic shape. We learn, too, that instead
of some romantic Indian name, of which it seems so well de serving,
it is known only as "Green s Lake." While we are still reflecting on
the peculiarity of its form and location, we come upon another lake,
on the border of Arundel. Though beautiful and far more regular in shape
than Green s Lake, it lacks the wild scenery which renders the other so
attractive. The drive along its shore is romantic, a cliff having been
cut down so as to leave a space just wide enough for the road between
the base of the cliff and the water; this has received the euphoneous
name of Matilda Lake.
In Harrington, near the end of the lake which bears his name, lives
DAVID GREEN. His grandfather, James Green, came with his family from
England, about the year 1830, and settled in Thomas Gore, where he
spert the remainder of his days. His son William married Margaret
Humes ; they had eleven children six sons and five daughters. About
1864 he bought 100 acres of wild land in Harrington, Lot 13, gth Range,
of which he and his boys cleared eighty acres. He died 26th September,
1881, at the age of 61 ; Mrs. Green died 2jth January, 1886. David, one
of the sons, remained on the homestead, and has added to it 100 acres.
He was married i2th May, 1879, to E izabeth Cameron.
Romantic as is the location of his home, and prosperous as seems his
present
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 421
condition, one cannot forbear thinking what must have been the isolation
of Mr.
Green s family on their arrival here, thirty years ago. There was no road,
and the difficulties of obtaining necessaries was a repetition of what
many others ex perienced half a century before. But the way in which he
has succeeded shows that he lacked none of the essential qualities of
a pioneer. The absence of a school, however, is still a great detriment
to his children; in order to reach one, they have to travel a distance
of three miles.
THE GLEN.
In the north-eastern part of Harrington, at the southern extremity of
Bevin Lake, is a tract of level land shut in by mountains, which is
known as "The Glen." It
is divided into several farms, each of which includes a portion of
this level tract, as well as many acres of the wooded heights in the
rear, into which they reach. A romantic stream, a large brook, the
outlet of Lake View, with swift current and many a turn and cataract,
flows through "The Glen," a distance of three or four miles, into Bevin
Lake. The mountains so nearly approach each other at the western end of
" The Glen," that only a narrow gap intervenes, and through this gap,
beside the stream, amid scenery of the wildest nature, a road leads from
Lake View to " The Glen."
It was in this remote corner of Harrington that Mr. Lachlan McArthur
had the rough experience of pioneer life related in the history of
Grenville. He was also connected with an incident that occurred while he
lived here which cast a gloom over the community of scattered settlers
through all this region^ and which is still related by the aged people
here with unabated interest.
Near the dwelling of James Colquhoun, beside the road at the entrance to
" The Glen," is a single grave that of BENJAMIN BURCH, who was drowned
at this place and buried here nearly foity years ago.
It was in the Spring of the year, when the creek connecting the two
lakes was a
swollen torrent, more dangerous, from its rapid current, than many of
our navigable rivers. Mr. McArthur, a man named Kimball, and Burch, were
about to set out from "The Glen," to obtain seed grain and potatoes, and,
on account of the absence of a road and the difficulty of travelling,
Kimball and McArthur wished to row up the creek in a bark canoe. Burch,
not being able to swim, rather opposed the scheme, but being assured
that if he would but sit quietly in the boat he would incur no danger,
he laid aside his objections, and embarked. Soon afterward they had to
pass under the trunk of an uprooted tree, which lay a few feet above
the water. All were obliged to bow their heads low, but Burch, probably,
through nervousness, caught hold of a projecting limb, which caused the
boat to upset. After much struggling against the current, Kimball and
McArthur gained the shore, and on looking for Burch, found him clinging
to a tree, whose top lay in the creek and
the trunk reaching at an inclined angle to the shore. Mr. McArthur thrust
a pole towards him, with the request that he would take hold of it and be
drawn ashore; but the poor fellow was too paralyzed with fear to comply,
and then Mr. McArthur cautiously walked out on the tree, extended his
hand and begged him to reach out his own hand and seize it ; still, he
was unable to accept the proffered aid. Finally, McArthur in desperation
made a dash at the coat collar of Burch, intending to drag him by force
to the land. Being a powerful man, he would, no doubt, have effected his
object, but, unfortunately, his foot slipped, he fell against Burch, and
both were again in the wild current. McAnhur had a harder struggle this
time to regain the shore than he did before; but he finally regained it,
422
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
after being carried some distance down the stream. The body of Burch
was found,
after a search of two or three days, in which several joined, nearly
covered by sand, iust where the bridge now crosses the stream. The
state of travelling was such that it was impossible to take the body
for interment to a cemetery, and it was buried therein the wilderness,
close by the scene of disaster.
JAMES COLQUHOUN, whose house is noticed above, came from the County of
Donegal, Ireland, with his father s family to Canada in 1845 ; ancl both
he an ( * ^ s father worked in the Seigniory of Argenteuil the three
following years. The father, then, bought 200 acres of land in Chatham,
parts of Lots 4 and 5 in the xoth Range* He lived there till 1866,
when he moved to Harrington Glen, and settled on 100 acres of Lot 8,
gth Range, which is now owned and occupied by his son John ; he died
here about three years later; Mrs. Colquhoun died about 1881.
The son, James, was for some time in the employ of Peter McArthur of
Dales- ville. At the age of 21, he engaged to work in lumber camps, and
was thus employed five or six years. In 1858, he bought 200 acres in
"The Glen," parts of Lots 7 and 8, Qth Range ; half of which had been
owned by his father ; of this he has cleared 75 acres. When he first
commenced work here in the forest, he often walked back
and forth to his father s house, in Chatham, 24 miles distance, carrying
loads on his back varying in weight from 40 to 80 Ibs. The first year that
he began work here he covered with his hoe six bushels of oats, from which
seed he raised nearly TOO bushels. His nearest mill was at Dalesville,
about 25 miles distant. He was married ist May, 1860, to Dura Clifford ;
they have five sons and four daughters ; two of each sex are married.
Mr. Colquhoun has served for several years as Municipal Councillor and
School Commissioner.
Wentworth.
PROCLAMATION OF THE 3RD OF JUNE, 1809; ORGANIZED IST OF JULY, 1855.
Proclamation of the 3rd of June, 1809 ; organized ist of July, 1855.
This township is bounded on the north by the township of Howard,
on the east by the townships of Gore, Morin and Mille Isle, south by
Chatham, and west by Harrington. It contains about 61,600 acres of land,
and thousands of acres of water. A mountain range enters it from the
township of Gore on the third Range, and runs westerly on the north of
Lake Louisa, into Harrington, and there are also several other mountain
peaks within its limits.
Wentworth may be truly said to be a land of lakes and mountains, a
township replete with scenery wild and picturesque. It contains thirty
lakes, varying in size from y z a mile to 5 miles in length. Of these,
Sixteen Island Lake and Lake Louisa are the largest ; the former, which
is about 5 miles long, with an average width of i mile, is located in the
north-west part of the township ; the latter, 3 miles long and i^ wide,
is in the south-west. It is a beautiful sheet of water, surrounded by
hills and mountains, and contains several attractive islands, clothed with
evergreen trees. A number of people have, for several years, resorted
to it, in the summer season, and the late Hon. J. J. C. Abbott had a
summer house on its margin.
There are also the Upper and Lower Rainbow Lakes ; the former is on
the 4th and 5th Lots of the 6th Range ; and the latter is on the 8th
and 9th Lots of the same Range. West River is the outlet of these two
lakes, and it passes through two more lakes before leaving Wentworth ;
the first being Round Lake, about a mile in circuit,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 423
which is between the 5th and 6th Ranges, and the second is West River
Lake, on Lots 1 6 and 17, in the 3rd Range ; it is about one and a half
miles long, and half a mile wide. West River, continuing its course
into Chatham, is utilized by the Cartridge Factory, and the Mills at
Brownsburg, and, finally, flows into the North River at Lachute. Williams
Lake, in " The Glen " of Wentworth, is the source of Dalesville Creek,
and Clear Lake has the honor of uniting the angles of Wentworth, Gore,
Chatham, and the parish of St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil all meeting in
its waters.
Lake Louisa was the scene of a sad accident about the year 1863, a. shor
account of which is extracted from the writings of the Rev. Mr. King :
" A new settler living on the margin of the lake had a bee for the
purpose of felling trees on land he intended to clear. Whiskey, of
course, as at all bees, was supplied in abundance, and after the men had
finished their evening meal the most of them went home. Two Frenchmen,
however, and a young Irish lad were somewhat belated in their desire to
experience all the enjoyment to be had on such occasions, and doubtless
were in a condition wholly unfit to venture on a lake in a canoe on a
dark night. But there was no one to prevent them, and in the morning
the bark canoe was found bottom upward, and near it a man s cap, but the
men themselves could not be found, though diligent search was made and
the lake dragged for several days. As it was late in the fall, the lake
was soon frozen over and the search was abandoned, and in the spring,
after a long dreary winter, it was again renewed, but to no avail. It was
not till summer, when the water was low, that two of them one of the men
and the Irish lad were found. These were discovered near the shore, one
of them on a flat rock, as if the body had been dragged there by some
animal ; the other never was found, and the body doubtless sank in the
mud or floated under a rock.
"The following spring the body of a man was found beside an uprooted
tree on the shore of the same lake. He was a stranger in the place, and
had called at some of the dwellings the fall previous, but he suddenly
disappeared and none knew whither he had gone. He had, no doubt, got
lost in the woods, lay down to rest, and died from hunger and exhaustion."
WILLIAM SMITH, from Yorkshire, England, of whom there is a sketch
in the history of Lachute, is said to have been the first settler in
Wentworth. He came about 1815, and located in the north-east part of
the township, at what is now called Dunany, a Post office having been
established there with that name in 1853, and Mr. Smith was appointed
Postmaster.
Other early settlers of Dunany were James Stephenson, Watson Guy, Duncan
McArthur, Arthur McArthur, Duncan McDougall and Robert Smith.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith had twelve children six of each sex that arrived
at maturity. James, their eldest son, in April, 1858, was married to
Mary Jane McLean, of Lachute, and settled on Lot i, Range i, in Gore,
adjacent to that first occupied by his grandfather. After a residence
there of sixteen years, he removed to Lachute, in the history of which
place he is further noticed.
With the exception of that part of Went/ orth in the vicinity of Dunany,
settlers do not seem to have entered till after 1832 or thereabout,
deterred, doubtless, by the rough and stoney appearance of the land.
GEORGE SEALE, the present Mayor of Wentworth, came from the parish of
Black- water, King s County, Ireland, to Morin, where his brother Joseph
had previously located in 1847. He took up too acres of land there,
which is now owned and occu pied by A. Watchorn, but sold it some years
later, without having cleared any of it. In the fall of 1847 he came
to Wentworth, and, after making his home for a year in the house of a
friend, working meanwhile, he purchased the west half of Lot 9 in the
424 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII .
2nd Range, to which, some years subsequently, he added the adjoining Lot
10 ; these 300 acres form his present home farm. He afterward bought 100
acres located on Lake Louisa, which is contiguous to his first purchase,
and, still later, purchased the summer residence and 73 acres of the
Hon. J. J. C. Abbott, which is on the margin of the same lake. Besides
this, a few years since, he bought another hundred, for which he paid
$2,000, for his son.
Mr. Scale had only good judgment and a vigorous constitution when he
began his career in Wentworth, and when he bought his first land he had
but $50 to pay down ; the price was $400, and the balance he was to pay
at the rate of $50 per
annum. This he paid with the proceeds of his potash, and we can understand
the amount of labor this involved, when we recollect that it takes sixty
large maples to make ashes enough for one barrel of potash containing
from six and a half to seven quintals, for which he received $8.50
a quintal. Fortunately, there was a man living in the Seigniory of
Argenteuil who knew Mr. Seale in Ireland ; and when the latter made his
first purchase of land, this man sold him a horse and cow, accepting his
verbal promise to pay at a future period, which promise was faithfully
fulfilled. Before buying his second lot of land, he had finished making
potash, and relied on his crops and stock for income. About the time of
commencing his pioneer life, his brother Joseph sold his land in Morin,
came to Wentworth, and the two brothers worked in partnership. After
a lapse of nine years, their property was apprized at $1,500, and the
co-partnership was dissolved, George paying Joseph $750 for his
share. In 1860, he was married to Jane, daughter of Peter Cruise,
who emigrated
from Ireland and settled in Wentworth in 1844. Mr. Seale ascribes much of
his prosperity to the wise counsel, careful management, and good judgment
of his wife. He has been a School Commissioner and Municipal Councillor
many years, and has been Mayor of the township fifteen years. He has
commodious buildings, keeps a large stock, several horses, and has all the
improved farming improvements and wagons that indicate successful farming,
He has had twelve children, but only six three of each sex are now living.
One of his daughters, Hannah Maria, married to Walter H. Spencer, lives
in Morin, Manitoba ; Thomas, the eldest son, lives with his father on
the homestead.
William P., the second son, was married 6th May, 1891, to Ellen Cleland,
and he lives on a farm of 100 acres, near the homestead. He has recently
erected a good barn, is making many improvements, and seems to have
inherited a good share of parental enterprise. He was employed in 1891
in taking the census of Wentworth and Montcalm, and has stored his mind
with much interesting in formation respecting these townships.
LOUISA.
A Post-office was established in the south-western part of Wentworth in
iSSo with the name Louisa, and WILLIAM WATCHORN was appointed Postmaster,
which position he still holds. His father, William Watchorn, came from
Ardoin, County
of Wicklow, Ireland, in July, 1833, an d took up 100 acres of land in
Gore. In 1837, ne removed to Wentworth and took up 200 acres, Lot 5,
in the ist Range. He was Municipal Councillor some time, and was a
Volunteer in Capt, Quinn s Company in the Rebellion of 1837 ; he died,
2 2nd December, 1865. He had four daughters and three sons who grew
up. William, his second son, when a young man, spent a year or two
in Ontario, and after his return, worked t\vo or three years on the
homestead. On December ioth, 1868, he married Mary Elizabeth Robinson,
of Wentworth, and the following year bought 200 acres in the 2nd and
3rd Ranges,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 425
in this township, on which he still lives. He has cleared and improved
his land, so that it sustains a good stock of cattle, horses and sheep. He
has been a School
Commissioner fifteen, and Municipal Councillor over thirty years, and,
some years ago, was Ensign in Company No. 2 of the Argenteuil Rangers.
ROBERT BOYD, an aged farmer of this section, came to this country from
Hazle- wood, Sligo County, Ireland, in June, 1853, and was employed in
different places Chatham, Lachute, Thomas s Gore, Toronto, etc., foi
fifteen years. He was married 3rd December, 1867, to Dorothy Brown of
Gore. In May. 1877, he bought 300 acres in the i2th Range of Chatham. Soon
after settling on it, while clearing land, a limb of a tree penetrated his
ear, causing partial deafness, and so affecting his health that he felt
himself unable to manage so large a farm, hence he exchanged it for 50
acres in Wentworth, parts of Lots 5 and 6 in the 2nd Range. This was in
May, 1879, and he has since lived on it, but, owing to the infirmities
of age, is obliged to yield the management chiefly to his children,
and he, resignedly, awaits the peace and rest of another world.
An Anglican Church edifice was erected in this locality in 1894, at
an expense of $1,000, which has been fully paid. George Scale, James
Morrison and Robert Rowe formed the building committee, and subscribed
very liberally towards defraying the expense of its erection. All who
took an active interest in the work were also liberal subscribers.
Religious services of other denominations are occasionally held here in
the school house.
An Orange Lodge was formed in this part of the township, more than half
a century ago, and an Orange Hall was erected here in 1886.
WENTWORTH GLEN.
In the eastern part of Wentworth, on the 4th and 5th Ranges, adjacent
to Shrewsbury, in Gore, is a moderate depression of land which has long
been known
as the Glen, and which is itself considerably diversified by hill and
dale. A road leading from Louisa to Shrewsbury passes through it, and
Dalesville Creek also runs through quite a portion of it.
JOHN QUINTON and PATRICK RICE, who located here about the year 1833, were
the first settlers, but neither of them remained more than a year or two.
Quinton was an Englishman, and was always known among his neighbors, who
were Irish, as " English John," to distinguish him from others who bore
the name of John. A small field, which he cleared, is still designated as
" English John s field."
On the road leading to The Glen from Louisa is a farm, on which JOSEPH
CRESWELL, from the County of Donegal, Ireland, settled in 1840. He took
up one-
half of Lot 4, 3rd Range, and several years later bought the other half of
the same lot. In May, 1846, this family suffered a terrible affliction,
their house being burnt, and three of their children two little girls,
one three and the other five years old, and a boy of three were consumed
in it. Mr. Creswell cleared up the first 100 acres he purchased, and a
lime kiln having previously been opened on the other Lot, he repaired and
worked it for some years, when it again fell into disuse. He died 2oth
September, 1885 ; his wife died the 22iid of the same month and year. Five
of their children three sons and two daughters lived to maturity. Joseph,
the second son, now living, in his youthful days went to Michigan, and
was employed there in lumbering five years. After his return he worked
the same length of time on the homestead, and then, 4th August, 1875,
was married to Annie Scarborough of Staynerville, Chatham.
28
426 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In 1877, he went to California, where he spent two years ; but since his
return he has worked on the homestead, of which he owns all save 25 acres,
which has been
sold. Four or five years ago, he reconstructed the lime kiln, and has
since kept it in active operation, his farm possessing a large quantity of
superior limestone. Mr. Creswell was for some years a member of Company
No. 2 of the Argenteuil Rangers, and has also been a Municipal Councillor.
HENRY MORRISON, from Bella Bay, County Monaghan, Ireland, came to Canada
in 1833, worked on the Canal at Carillon three months, spent a year in
Gore, and then came to The Glen and bought one-half of Lot No. i, in the
5th Range. Several years afterward, he bought 200 acres more adjacent
in the 4th Range of Gore. He and his boys cleared up the greater part
of the first and a portion of the second lot. - He was a member of the
Municipal Council a numbers of years, of Capt. Quinn s Company in the
Rebellion of 1837, and of Capt. James Smith s Com pany during the Fenian
raids. He died 3rd October, 1873, at the age of 75 ; his
wife died 3rd June, 877. They had four sons and three daughters that
grew up.
William, their eldest son, now living, was married, i8th March, 1857,
to Elizabeth Parker, sister to Mrs. James Morrison his brother s wife
who was mar ried at the same time. He settled on one-half of Lot i, 5th
Range, in Gore, and has since bought half of the adjoining Lot No. i,
6th Range, in Wentworth. He has constantly resided here since, and has
a good farm well stocked. He has been a Justice of the Peace about 20
years, is Deputy Master of the Orange Lodge, and has also been Master,
and was Ensign of Company No. 2 of the Argenteuil Rangers, and went
with them to the different places to which they were ordered during the
Fenian raids. He has five sons and three daughters ; two of the former
are married one
resides in Carson City, Nevada ; the other, William J., lives near the
homestead ; James is in Boston ; and Edward and Richard, the two youngest,
live with their parents.
James, tht second son of Henry Morrison, was married, as stated above,
iSth March, 1857, to Jane Parker. She and her sister, Mrs. William
Morrison, were daughters of Edward Parker, who came from the County
of Carlow, Ireland, and settled in Gore, in 1829. Mr. Morrison, a year
previous to his marriage, bought
half a lot, near the homestead, on which he settled and has always lived,
and has since purchased 400 acres more, adjoining it. Though he has
devoted much time to hunting, he seems to have given enough of it to
farming to improve his land and
acquire the quantity of stock and other things usually possessed by
the majority of farmers. He has also found time to serve his country
as a soldier, having for several years been ist Sergeant in Company
No. 2 of the Rangers, and was with them in their famous endeavors to
encounter Fenians.
The truth is, Mr. Morrison is a man of great muscular power and vigorous
health, a tramp of twenty miles, with a gun, through woods and over hills
and moun tains being yet but pastime for him, though upward of threescore
years of age. He is not above medium height, but broad chested, with
muscles and nerves of iron, and an eye that never fails to send a bullet
to a vital part. He has killed a quantity of game that might rouse the
envy of Nimrod, and no doubt has had some exciting adventures, but he is
not a man of boastful spirit, and speaks of his experience as a hunter
with extreme modesty. He shot his first bear when he was 18 years old,
and the number of animals he had killed up to ist October, 1894, were
as follows : bears, 47 ; deer, about 50 ; foxes, over 40 ; 5 caribou and
about the same number of wolverines. He once had an unpleasant experience
with an animal, of which we have forgotten the name. He had set a steel
trap in the hollow of a fallen tree, and on visiting it afterward,
he thoughtlessly thrust in his hand to pull out the trap for
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 427
examination. Unluckily for him, a victim which had been caught in the
trap by the hind leg was only too ready to avenge its wrongs, and buried
its teeth in his hand with a death grip, from which he could not release
himself, though he made strenuous efforts. He bethought him of his knife,
but it was in the right pocket of his pants, and his right hand was the
one seized by the animal. After several fruitless efforts he finally
succeeded in getting his knife with his left hand, and then, opening it
by the aid of his teeth, he actually severed the head of the animal from
its body before its grasp was relaxed. Mr. Morrison is as familiar with
every square acre of the forest land of Wentworth and other new townships
as he is with his own farm ; and we are indebted to him for several facts
respecting their physical features. He has had eleven children, of whom
six are now living three of each sex. His sons are all married Edward,
the eldest, lives in Manitoba, and the other two, Henry and Thomas,
have farms near the homestead; both are members of the Orange Lodge
and have belonged to the Rangers. A daughter of Mr. Morrison, married,
also resides in this section.
VALENTINE SWAIL came from the County of Down, Ireland, to Thomas s Gore
as early as 1820, and took up 100 acres of land there. He sold it, and
removed to "The Glen," not far from 1842, and took up 200 acres in the
4th and 5th Ranges,
on which he lived a number of years, when he sold out and went to the
Eastern Townships Compton County where he died in April, 1870. He was a
man of intelligence, and was much respected while living in " The Glen ;
" his advice respecting legal as well as other matters being often sought
by his fellow- townsmen. He had formerly taught school in Ontario,
and no doubt his education gave him considerable influence among the
illiterate of that day, rendering him a desirable leader in municipal
and military affairs. He was one of the loyal actors in the
Rebellion of 1837, an d became a Captain of militia. His wife died here
in 1870. He was twice married, and had seven children, by whom he was
much respected and loved. In his last years he was much interested
in spiritual matters, it is said, and died a Christian. By his first
marriage he had one son and two daughters, who grew up.
His son Valentine, when quite young, bought 100 acres here, which is now
owned and occupied by James Morrison. About 1847 he married Annie Lister,
and after living on his farm a number of years sold it, and removed to
Morin, where he became pro prietor of 200 acres, which is now owned by
his son, Ebenezer Swail. He lived here till his death, 26th April, 1894,
and was for some time one of the Argenteuil Rangers. He had six sons and
three daughters, who grew up. James Swail, his second son, when 18, went
to Michigan, and after an absence of two and a half years returned, and
on i4th June, 1871, was married to Mary Ann Davis. She died in 1889, on
the anniversary of her marriage. From this time to the i5th of May, 1893,
when he was married to Mrs. Sarah Morrison, he was engaged in farming or
lumbering in Papi- neau Seigniory, Alberta and Wisconsin. His present wife
was the widow of the late John Morrison, and they now live on the farm
where she resided before her hus band s death. Mr. Swail once belonged
to the Rangers, and was with them during the Fenian excitement. By his
first marriage he had five children, three of whom are now living ;
one daughter, married, lives in Wisconsin; his two boys are with him.
SAMUEL CLIFFORD, from Fermanagh, Ireland, took up too acres in Mille Isle,
but being dissatisfied with his choice of land, sold it and purchased of
a British pensioner a Location Ticket for 200 acres of land in " The Glen
of Wentworth ; " this lot is now owned and occupied by his youngest son,
William, who has added 100 acres to it. William was married, 23rd March,
1875, to Sarah Armstrong; he has been Municipal Councillor ten years,
School Commissioner eight, a member of the
428 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
Orange Lodge and of the Rangers several years. He has two sons and
one daugh ter; the former, Samuel and John, aged respectively iSand [6,
belong to the Rangers, and Samuel was one of the " Reserves " at the late
"Tug-of-War" between the Argenteuil boys and those of Glengarry. Harriet,
the daughter, also lives with her parents. Like others, Mr. Clifford in
early years suffered from raids of bears and wolves, the former especially
being numerous in this section. About 1882, he received a visit from one,
which seemed to have the combined impudence and auda
city of all the rest of his race. It was in the spring, one evening at
early twilight, and Mr. Clifford was milking in the stable. He had a
fine calf, about two months old r on the bain floor, which was separated
from the stable by a. partition. Suddenly the calf gave a loud piteous
bleat or two, as if in pain. Mr. Clifford rose leisurely from his milking
stool, and started with his milk pail in his hand to learn the cause. To
his amazement, as he emerged fiom the stable door, Bruin, a monstrous
fellow, walked out of the other on his hind feet with the calf in his
mouth, having seized it with his teeth about midway of the back, so that
he could easily balance it. He seemed in no wise disconcerted by the
shouts of Mr. Clifford, but trotted off with an air which portrayed the
following thought "You must be a fool if you think, after all my trouble,
I am going to give up this fine veal, on account of a little noise."
He did give it up, however, but not till after Mr. Clifford had secured
an axe and his dog, and was again at his heels. He had not time to load
his gun, hence Bruin escaped, and the calf was so badly injured that
soon afterward it had to be killed.
LAUREL.
In the western part of Wentworth is a rew settlement which, on account
of the number cf Irish who have located there, has long been called New
Ireland ; but a Post-office was etablished there in 1886 with the name
Laurel, by which name the locality is now known.
About half a century ago, EDWARD McCmsKEY came with his family from
Ireland and settled in Chatham. Years afterward, or about 1860,
his two sons, James and John, took up 300 acres of uncleared land in
Wentworth. Lots 23 and 24, in the ;th Range. Their improvements formed
the nucleus of a settlement to which many have since gathered. The
McCluskeys and others in the locality have made good progress as
pioneers. About 1861, JAMES MCCLUSKEY was married to Mary Wilson
ofLachute r and their progeny alone are likely to keep undiminished
the population of Laurel. They have had fourteen children twins at one
time and triplets at another. Ten of the children are living, of whom
one son and two daughters are married. Matthew
McCluskey, the second son, who has spent some years in Michigan and
Wisconsin, is Postmaster, and Edward, a younger brother, is his assistant.
MONTFORT.
The following account of the Montfort Colonization Railway and the
Montfort Orphanage is taken from 2 he Watchman:
" Had the early settlers among the forests and mountains of Wentworth
been told
that one day the puffs of the engine and its shrill whistle would startle
the wild animals of that region, it would have been deemed a most unlikely
story. But this age of progress has produced many wonders, and a railway
in Wentworth is not one of the smallest. This has been accomplished by
the energy, pluck and perseverance of a
band of French Canadians in Montieal, who several years ago conceived
the idea of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 429
colonizing the uninhabited regions of Quebec. A charter was obtained,
a survey made as far as Arundel, and after seeking and obtaining aid
from both governments, the work was commenced and is now completed as
far as Sixteen Island Lake.
"The officers of the Monlfort Colonization Railway are E. Senecal,
President ; Joseph Brunet, Vice-President; Messrs. F. Froideveaux,
Godfrey Chapleau and E. D. Porcheron, Directors ; A. S. Hamelin,
Secretary-Treasurer. The Railway is a narrow-gauge line at present,
although the road-bed, grades and curves have been made the same as on
the standard gauge. O.ving to the wildness and roughness of
the country the construction of the Railway was very expensive.
" At Montfort, we found, to our surprise, a large, commodious and well
furnished hotel. This hotel was built last year by Mr. Froideveaux,
and is kept by Mr. Piouff. It is situated on the side of a high hill,
overlooking lake St. Francois- Xavier. Just below this lake is another
called Lake Chevreuil (Deer lake), the latter being several hundred feet
below the former. Between the two on the stream which connects them is
situated the Orphanage, and mills and out-buildings attached thereto,
which are under the direction of the Peres de la Societe" de Maiie. The
origin, work and present state of this institution deserves more than
a passing note.
"The question naturally arises, how came this institution to be planted
in such
a strange place ? for it must be remembered that when the work was first
inaugurated there was no railway, no clearance, and not even a cart road
nothing but the primeval forest.
" It seems that a number of French Canadians in Montreal conceived
the idea of taking several lots of land in the bush and forming a
colony for the purpose of set tling the country. They made their idea
known to the late Cure Rousselot of Montreal, who became interested
therein. Messrs. Froideveaux and Montmarquet were select ed to go in
search of a location, and chose the nth Range of Wentworth. In the
meantime, Cure Rousselot, who as rector of a large congregation in
Montreal came into daily contact with much suffering, degradation and
crime among homeless children thrown upon the streets, was seized with the
idea that it might be possible, in some of the unsettled lands of this
province, to establish an institution, which would take these children
in their tender years before they had become injured by the vice of
the city, and feed, clothe, educate and teach them how to cultivate the
soil, and finally place them as proprietors on lots of land to do for
themselves. The population of the city was congested, there was no path
but that of crime open for homeless waifs there, but the country needed
a rural population, and thus the scheme took shape in the good priest s
mind. Friends came forward with help, and in 1881 first a mill and then
an orphanage was built, known as the Agricultural Orphanage of Montfort.
"An order of priests, brothers and sisters in France, whose special
work is that of agriculture, was brought out to take charge of the work,
and under their excellent management its success has been assured. Some
time later a large property was bought in Arundel, where they have now
an immense establishment.
" We were conducted through the institution by Pere Albert, who in the
absence of the Superior, Pere Boucher, was in charge At present there
are over 200 children being cared for, the youngest being about five
years old. In the school room was found a large class of the smaller
ones under the charge of one of the sisters. They all looked well fed,
well clothed, bright and happy.
The Superioress conducted us into the dormitories, where the little cots
were ranged in rows and seemed very comfortable. Another room is fitted
up as an hos
pital ward, but happily it was unoccupied. One of the sisters is skilled
in the use of medicines and has a drug shop in the building. In another
room we found a number of young lads learning the tailoring business,
and specimens of (heir work
43 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
were exceedingly creditable. In a large room perhaps a dozen sisters
were engaged mending clothes for the boys. The kitchen was a model of
cleanliness and conve nience. There, an immense range, covered with
large copper kettles and pots from which delicious odors came, gave some
indication of the amount it takes to supply such an institution with
a meal, especially when its inhabitants are blessed with a Wentworth
appetite. In the kitchen is the only fire in this large building. The
whole is heated by hot-water furnaces, and all the rooms lighted by
electricity. Some of the larger boys work in the saw mill, to which is
connected a run of stones. There is also a planing machine, a blacksmith
and carpenter shop."
Gore.
PROCLAMATION OF IQTH OCTOBER, 1840.
This township is bounded on the north by Mille Isles, east by the
Seigniory of Two Mountains, south by the Seigniory of Argenteuil, and
west by Wentworth, and
contains about 23,660 acres and the usual allowance for highways. It
has several beautiful little lakes, and much fine scenery.
Notwithstanding the fact that Gore is a rough, stony township, containing,
in fact, scarcely any of what might be termed level land, men have settled
here, prospered, and become well-to-do farmers. Neither is their number
small ; there
being very few who are not proprietors of at least 100 acres, with the
buildings, and stock of cattle, horses and sheep, which supply them with
the comforts of life. Wonder at what men through determined perseverance
have accomplished in other localities, mentioned in these pages, here
grows into astonishment, and espe cially when we learn that, little
more than half a century ago, the inhabitants of Gore were struggling
with poverty and all its attendant ills. But they were a hardy race,
large in stature, giants in strength, and gifted with almost superhuman
endurance; indeed, the well authenticated accounts of the feats of labor
individuals sometimes performed, and the privations they endured, almost
stagger credulity.
The carrying of loads on the back weighing from 50 to roo Ibs. from
Lachute to the different abodes in this township was a matter of so common
occurrence, that it incited little wonder or comment. It was only in
drawing a parallel between hard ships of which their children complained
years afterward, and what they themselves endured in the first decade
of their pioneer experience, that these incidents were mentioned, and
they were thus retained in memory to edify and instruct their posterity.
The following true story is related of a man who lived in a remote part
of Gore :
He was one day carrying home, on his back, from Lachute a sack of flour
weigh ing 1 12 Ibs., expecting that his sons would meet him on the way
and relieve him of this heavy burden. He had arrived within two miles
of his house, however, before meeting the sons, and so indignant was he
that they had not sooner come to his assistance, that he refused to let
them touch his load, and bore it to his door before putting it down.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 431
Hard labor, with scanty and poor diet, was the lot of many, potatoes
often being the only food some of them could obtain for days and even
weeks. It is said that a man living in Mille Isles named Robert Carruthers
often related a feat he accomplished, and which no one doubted, viz.,
chopping and burning the wood, and performing the other labor requisite
for manufacturing two barrels of potash, having nothing in the way of
nourishment meanwhile but potatoes and water. The tim ber required for
this was 120 maples of large size, or their equivalent ; and when we
consider the amount of chopping and other labor this task involved, it
seems incred ible that the physical powers could be supported by such
nutrition sufficiently long to perform it.
A family named Rogers, who had lately arrived from Ireland, on their way
to Gore, remained over night at St. Andrews; at this place an addition
was made to
the family by the birth of a son. The third morning afterward, the mother,
taking the young infant in her arms, walked -the entire distance twenty
miles that day
to Gore.
For a long time, the only horse in Gore was one which belonged to a
pioneer whose name was Hazlitt Hicks, and it is doubtful if any horse
has become as famous since the days of Bucephalus the war horse of
Alexander. His services were not so much required in clearing or tilling
the land, for the men, by uniting their efforts, performed much of the
labor that in later years was done by oxen or horses, but in conveying
grists to and from the mill this particular horse was of price less value,
not only to his owner, but to all his neighbors. So many were the loads of
corn he drew to the mill at Lachute that he began to be called " Cobby,"
and the name is as well known to-day in Gore, and in adjacent localities,
as that of John A. Macdonald. The price of " Cobby " for a day was
a day s work, to be given to his own owner by the one who hired him ;
and many a day s work did he earn for his master during the thirty years
" Cobby " is said to have lived.
It is a subject for regret, that the great strength of many of the
pioneers of this section was not always used in the wisest manner,
nor for the promotion of good; especially was this the case when they
attended bees, cattle fairs and elections, or on festive occasions, where
a free use of liquor invariably led to quarrels, or to the settlement of
old feuds, by pugilistic encounters. So well established was the fact,
that a cattle fair always resulted in intemperance and disgraceful
fights among some of the men of this section, that it became a custom
with one of the clergymen of Gore to preach a powerful temperance sermon
to his congregation on the Sabbath preceding the fair. From the number
of times this sermon, or one of like import, was heard, it became so
familiar to one young man of retentive memory, that he often rehearsed
it for the edification of his companions. It is to be hoped, however,
that although they made it a subject for levity, it was not altogether
void of influence on them for good.
An aged eye-witness of the scene describes a humorous incident which
occurred at Grand Brule during the troubles of 1838. The Registry Office
among other public buildings had been sacked, and when our informant
arrived, a herculean Irish man from Gore stood at the open door of the
vault with a score of his companions around him, whom he was addressing,
as follows :
" It s hard, boys ; we ve worked for many a day, and little we have to
show for it, and sure we might as well now have a dade for a farrun ;
" and with serene gravity he took up a pile of papers, and walking
through the crowd, gave to each person a document with the exhortation,
"Take a dade, sir."
The strength and courage of the men of Gore made them important allies
to the politician who anticipated trouble on the day of nomination or
election ; indeed their
432 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
fame for carrying every cause they espoused rendered them about as
important a factor in election campaigns as was the Irish Brigade,
in the Federal Army, during the Great American Rebellion.
But all this has passed away ; great indeed is the change that a third
of a century has wrought in Gore, in the moral and social condition of
its people ; the disgrace and other evils of intemperance are as well
understood and abhorred here as in any township in the province. Even
those who still adhere to the custom of taking a
social glass when away from home do it with that regard for decency
and economy
which prevents their absence from their families an unreasonable time,
and restrains from the foolish expenditure of money. A higher degree
of intelligence is now found among the people ; sobriety has taken the
place of intemperance ; prudence has sup planted recklessness, and the
many dwellings in which a family altar has been estab lished proclaim
that the people of Gore understand, and are trending toward that higher
life, without which existence is nonentity.
Lovell s Gazetteer of British North America, published in 1881, says :
" The men of Gore are a sturdy loyal class, mostly descendants of and
settlers from the north of Ireland. They are nearly all Orangemen, and are
famous for the fine appearance they made when, as a part of the Argenteuil
Rangers, they hastened to the front to repel the Fenian invasion."
The first settlers in Gore were James Stephenson and Robert Smith, who
came from Ireland, and located in the extreme west of what now forms the
township. R.obert McMahon about the same time settled in another part,
and William Henderson, Alexander Johnson, James Armstrong, William Boyd
and his brother James soon located at what is now the centre of Gore,
which is crossed by the present road from Lakefield to Lachute. They
were all from Ireland, and their descendants may still be found in the
township, as well as the descendants of other pioneers whose names will
be mentioned in the proper place.
WILLIAM HENDERSON came from the parish and county of Sligo, and settled
here in 1824, in the 2nd Range, very soon after the arrival of Robert
McMahon. He lived here till his death, aoth August, 1870. He had fourteen
children, eight sons and six daughters, all of whom save one son lived
till maturity. Samuel, the eldest one, now living, was married 26th
March, 1837, to Hannah Hunter ; they had three sons and three daughters
who grew up. William, one of the sons, and the only one now
living, has been connected with the Methodist Church as a clergyman for
thirty years, and is now stationed at Danville, Que. About a year after
the death of his first wife, Mr. Henderson married Mary Ann, daughter
of the late Capt. Johnstone, By this marriage he has had ten children,
*of whom nine two sons and seven daughters are now living. John, one of
the former, has been a minister of the Methodist Church fifteen yeais,
and is now stationed at South Woods, Lake Ontario. His twin brother,
who was a fireman on a railway train, was killed in California in a
wreck caused by train robbers. Another son of Mr. Henderson, who had
charge of a gang of thirty
men in a quarry in New Hampshire, was killed by the premature explosion
of a blast. Mr. and Mts. Henderson are still living, and though aged,
are active in mind and body, and are much respected for their good words
and works ; he was one of the
loyal actors in the Rebellion of 1837.
LAKEFIELD.
This is a small hamlet in the southern part of Gore. Its buildings
comprise two
churches Anglican and Methodist a school-house, blacksmith shop, grist
mill, saw mill, and four or five dwellings.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 433
A Post-office was established here about 1844 , George Rodgers was the
first postmaster. Mr. Rodgers was a very prominent man in the township,
and for several years was its Mayor. The place is so called from the
proximity of two small lakes the smaller one, lying within a few yards of
the street, is about three-fourths of a mile long and a little less in
width. The larger one, Barren s Lake, so called in honor of Col. Barren
of Lachute, is about three miles long, with an average width of half a
mile. It is a beautiful body of water, and much of the scenery around
it is very attractive.
The first settlers here and in this vicinity were Frederick Rodgers and
two brothers, Samuel and George Rodgers, Hazlett Hicks and Michael Craig.
FREDERICK RODGERS came from the County of Mayo, Ireland, about 1824,
and took up the east half of Lot 10, 3rd Range, which is now owned and
occupied by his grandson, George Rodgers. He was Ensign in Capt. Evans
Company, and was on duty during the Rebellion of 1837-38, and was also
a staunch Orangeman. He died
in February, 1878. Three sons and five daughters of his fourteen children
arrived at maturity.
Frederick, the eldest son, after living twenty years on two different
farms which he had purchased , settled on the homestead. He has recently
given this to his second son George, and i>ow lives with his third son,
Matthew J., on a farm of 200 acres lately purchased, located about i^
miles from the homestead. Mr. Rodgers joined
the Rangers on their organization, and was always with them when they
were on duty until a few years since ; he was Municipal Councillor
fourteen years. He has been twice married, first to Eliza Rodgers in
November, 1844, by which marriage he had three daughters who grew up ;
his second marriage was to Eliza Parker, 26th July, J 857 by whom he
had eight children, four of each sex. He claims to have been the first
male child born in Gore, and though he is now nearly threescore and ten,
he still continues to drive 10 miles daily to Lachute, carrying the mail,
for which he has had a contract ten years.
Mr. Rodgers has many reminiscences of pioneer life, one of which was his
first trip to Montreal, when he carried a barrel of potash. In returning,
he stopped at a house just at dark, to inquire the way. Falling asleep,
soon afterward, he rode
till past midnight, when coming to a house he roused the proprietor and
once more asked the way. To his surprise and chagrin, he found th* it was
the same house at which he first called. While asleep, he had struck a
road on which he had long been travelling back toward Montreal. Besides
the two sons mentioned he has one
in Toronto and another, Wm. J., in Lachute.
SAMUEL RoEGEPScame from the County of Connaught, Ireland, with his wife,
two sons and a daughter, in the summer of 1828. His elder son, John,
married Elizabeth Nicholson in 1832 ; she is now 82 years of age, and
in the enjoyment of a fair degree of health.
Mr. Rodgers was an active Churchman, and for years officiated as Lay
Reader, often walking many miles to distant places to hold services;
he died in June, 1845.
He had three sons and four daughters, of whom the eldest was the late Col.
Samuel F. Rodgers, of the nth Battalion. Capt. John Rodgers is the
second son of the late Samuel Rodgers, Lay Reader; he was married in
March, 1872, to Harriet, fourth daughter of the late Captain George
Sherrit, who commanded a Company in the nth Battalion for twenty
years. Mr. Rodgers is Captain of Co. No. 5, in the same Battalion, and
has been Secretary-Treasurer of the Municipal Council of Gore and of
the Board of School Commissioners, since Nov., 1876. He has three sons
and one daughter; the latter is a teacher in her native township.
434 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JAMES ARNOTT, from Scotland, was one of the very early settlers at
Lakefield. A
man named Robinson had taken up land and made a little improvement when
he sold out to Arnott. The latter erected a grist mill and saw mill here
about 1835, and kept them in operation many years.
Other early settlers in Gore were William Byrnes, William McMannis,
James Bennett and James McDonald, who was for a long time Secretary of
the Municipal Council ; he died in 1881, at the great age of 103.
WILLIAM EVANS, from the County of Mayo, Ireland, came to Gore with
his family about 1834, and settled on a lot of 200 acres, which is now
owned by George Rodgers. During the Rebellion of 1837-38, he organized
a Company of Volunteers,
of which he became Captain. He had several children, of whom Thomas was
the eldest son. He was married about the year 1847 to Miss S. Moore,
and settled on
the east half of his father s lot, which he had purchased. He joined the
Rangers at their organization, as Lieutenant, inCapt. Sherritt s Company,
and after the death of the latter he succeeded to the Captaincy. He was
also chairman of the School Board several years, and was Lay Reader at
Lakefield and in Arundel, a long time. He died in December, 1868. He
had seven children five sons and two daughters that grew up. Two of the
sons are deceased, two are in California, and one and the two daughters
live in this township. Robert, the eldest son, who still lives here,
bought 100 acres of Lot n, 5th Range, and some years later, in 18*84,
he bought the same quantity of Lot 7, 2nd Range, on which he now lives,
though still owning the other. He was married ist May, 1883, to Louisa
Bennett. He joined Capt. Rodgers
Company of Rangers at its organization; has been witli them at all the
different places to which they have been called, and is now Lieutenant
of that Company.
ANTHONY COPELAND came from Enniskillen, Fermanagh County, Ireland, to
St. Andrews in 1822, and in 1833 came to Gore, and took up a Lot of 200
acres in the 6th Range, on which he lived till his death about 1874. He
had three sons and four daughters who arrived at maturity. Nathaniel,
his eldest son, learned the car penter s trade, and followed it,
with the exception of a few years spent in farming, till 1868, when
he bought a farm of 200 acres in the parish of St. Jerusalem, on which
he now lives. Thomas, his eldest son, went to California in 1868, and
was employed
there about 17 years, as foreman in a quartz mill. He returned in 1884,
and bought a store at Lakefield, wh^re he still trades. He has since built
a new store, and has both stores well stocked with general merchandise. He
also has the Post-office, having been appointed Postmaster in 1885, and
as he is the only one engaged in mercan tile business in Lakefield, he
receives large patronage, which may be attributed, in part, doubtless,
to his genial nature, public spirit, and general confidence in his
integrity. He was married 23rd December, 1887, to Elizabeth Boyd, and
was ap pointed Justice of the Peace in 1893, and for several years has
been master of an Orange Lodge at Lakefield.
MICHAEL CRAIG, a local preacher, was the first to devote his time and
energies to religious labor in Gore. He came from Ireland with Samuel
and George Rodgers, in the summer of 1828, and very soon, it appears,
engaged in those earnest efforts for the moral improvement of his fellows
which was his characteristic through life, and owing to which he is still
held in grateful remembrance. It may be said that he was the father of
Methodism in this township. He was a peace-maker, and through his
influence many local disputes and differences were settled without
litigation, and amicably. About the year 1829, he induced the people
to erect a place of worship, and although it was a log structure, many
a reverential band of worshippers gathered there, and the good wrought
within its humble walls was not less, doubtless, than that effected at
grander and more costly shrines.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 435
William Henderson and Capt. Alexander Johnstone were on the building
com mittee of this first house of worship. Mr. Craig travelled through
several townships in the course of his labors, and his memory is cherished
as gratefully in Morin, Mille Isles, and other places, as at Lakefield.
About the year 1867, the Rev. William McCullough began to collect funds
for a new church, but it was not completed till 1869, during the pastorate
of the Rev. Mr. Russell. It is a frame building, bricked up inside,
and finished neatly with ash ; the walls and ceiling being entirely of
this wood.
This place first belonged to St. Andrews Circuit, then to Lachute ;
but, during
the pastorate of Mr. McCullough, it was formed into a circuit of itself,
called
Lakefield, which embraces Gore, Mille Isles, Thomas s Gore, and a
school-house in the Seigniory, known as Hammond s School-House.
The first Church of England clergyman that came to Lakefield was the Rev.
William Arnold, who was sent by the S. P. G. in the beginning of 1838. He
awak ened sufficient interest to secure the erection of a church edifice
here, but left near the close of the year, and was succeeded by the
Rev. John Macmaster, whose first record of Baptism was 2-jih December,
1838. He was here several years, as his last record of Baptism was 3Oth
January, 1849. Rev. William Abbott of St. Andrews officiated a short time
till the arrival of Richard L. Stevenson, travelling missionary of the
District of Montreal. The first record of Mr. Stephenson was i4th March,
1850 ; his last ist January, 1851.
Rev. Joseph Griffin, missionary, succeeded, and his first entry in
the Register
was iQth January, 1851. He was a very energetic man, and was instrumental
in securing the erection of a new church building at Lakefield and at
Shrewsbury. But a mental disease destroyed his usefulness, and he died
at St. Andrews 6th May, 1867.
The church here is of stone, firmly and thoroughly built, and of good
size. In it is a tablet, on which is inscribed the following :
" Erected to the memory of Rev. Joseph Griffin, who built this church.
" A man of energy, self-denial and truthfulness, who, for many years,
as beloved clergyman of this parish, bravely served his Master. Who went
about doing good."
The following are the names of the clergymen who have been on this
mission since the incumbency of Mr. Griffin :
Rev. Mr. Taylor, Rev. J. Empson, B.A., Rev. Mr. Kittson, Rev. John Rollit,
Rev. Mr. Richmond, Rev. Charles Boyd, LL.D., Rev, James Senior, Rev. R. D.
Irwin, Rev. Mr. Mount.
GEORGE POLLOCK, from the County of Derry, Ireland, came to Gore about
the year 1837, an d was soon afterward engaged as a loyal Volunteer in
the Rebellion. He settled on the lot which is now owned and occupied
by his second son, Captain John Pollock. He died here 2nd February, 1891.
He had two sons who arrived at the age of manhood William, who lives
in Lachute, and John, who is Captain of No. 6 Company of Rangers, and
Master of an
Orange Lodge the latter position being one which was also held by his
father. He married Jennie, a daughter of William Riddle, one of the
pioneers of Mille Isles.
The following obituary notice of HAZLETT HICKS is taken from the Lachute
Watchman of February 25th, 1887 : " By the recent demise of Hazlett Hicks,
Esq., of Gore, that part of our community has lost one of its oldest and
most respected members. The deceased was one of the first enterprising
men who settled in this
section of the country. He was born in the County Fermanagh,
Ireland. Mr. Hicks
and wife emigrated to Canada somewhere about the year 1825. He took up
his resi-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
dence in East Settlement, on the farm of Mr. Barber, for whom he worked
two years. Subsequently, and as one of its first settlers, he moved into
the north part of Gore, and became the proprietor of two hundred acres
of land in the 3rd concession. For several years after his occupancy of
his farm, he was, in consequence of the absence of roads, necessitated to
make his own road to Lachute Mills, a distance often miles, and being the
only owner of ahorse in the community, for several years, he found his
services in almost constant requisition for conveyance of grist, etc.,
for his settlement, to and from Lachute Mills. As a farmer Mr. Hicks was
successful. He was always a constant and worthy member of the Church of
England, and an unswerving adherent of the Conservative party. About
eight years ago his wife passed into eternity. Of their family of
eight children, four survive to mourn the loss of those who have been
called hence, it is to be hoped, to a brighter and happier home. The
survivors have the heartfelt sympathy of the community in which they
are well known. The remains were taken to Trinity Church, Lakefield,
where the service was read by the Rev. J. Senior; the funeral sermon
was preached by the Rev. G. Rogers, of St. Luke s Church, Montreal." Com.
"LAKEFIELD, February 23, 1887."
JOHN SCOTT is the proprietor of one of the finest farms in Argenteuil
; his buildings are located back a little from the main road leading
from Lakefield to Lachute at the boundary between Gore and the parish of
St. Jerusalem d Argenteuil. His father, James Scott, came from the County
of Mayo, Ireland, in 1847, an d settled in Gore on 100 acres in the 6th
Range; he lived there till his death, 2ist November, 1885. He had six
children three of each sex all of whom, save one son, live in this county.
John Scott, his second son, was married 24th March, 1864, to Elizabeth
Arm strong ; they have four sons and three daughters ; one of the latter,
married, lives near the homestead. Mr. Scott first bought 300 acres in the
first and second Ranges of the parish of St. Jerusalem, where, evidently,
he had followed farming with much success. In 1894, he purchased another
well-improved farm of 200 acres adjoining his own, and now has a tract
of 500 acres, with good buildings. The latter are located near the outlet
of the lake called Sir John s Lake from Sir John Johnson on a good-sized
creek, which supplies admirable water-power. Mr. Scott has so utilized
this that it is made not only to saw his wood and grind his grain, but do
all his threshing and cutting of ensilage. His barns are located several
rods from the creek, but power is transmitted to them by means of wire
cables. Altogether, Mr. Scott s farm and improved methods of agricultural
work are extremely interesting, and are strong evidence of his enterprise.
At the time of the organization of the Argenteuil Rangers, four
Companies were formed in Gore, though many of them were Mille Isle
men, and were respectively commanded as follows : Company No. 2, by
Capt. Wm. Smith ; Company No. 3, by Capt. Geo. McKnight ; Company No. 5,
by Capt. Geo. Rodgers ; Company No. 6, by Capt. Geo. Sherritt.
Capt. Sherritt distinguished himself during the Rebellion of 1837. He
was an energetic, brave man, one who always stood fearlessly for right.
SHREWSBURY.
A Post office was established at this place, which is in the extreme west
of the township, in 1860, and JOHN CHAMBERS was appointed Postmaster. His
father, James Chambers, came from the County of Sligu, Ireland, to
Montreal, in 1831, and remained there in the employ of the "Board of
Works," nineteen years. About
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
437
1850 he came to Gore, and bought a farm of 100 acres ; ten years later he
bought 100 acres more adjoining it, and 100 adjacent, in Mille Isles. He
lived here till his death, loth July, 1882; he had three sons and two
daughters that grew up. John,
the eldest son, who owns the homestead, with 250 acres he has since bought
having in all 550 acres has long been a prominent and influential man
in this section of the county. He was married igth March, 1857, to Jane
Morrell, of Lachute. Besides his office of Postmaster, which he has held
for thirty-four years, he has been a School Commissioner and Municipal
Councillor thirty, and Mayor of the township fifteen
years. For more than a decade he has been a Justice of the Peace, Captain
of Militia nearly as long, and Color-Sergeant in Company No. 3 of the
nth Battalion, a quarter of a century. For thirty-eight years he has
been Master of the Orange
Lodge in this locality, has been District Master of the Orange Association
of Argenteuil twenty, and was " Knight in Command " of the Scarlet Order
of the Orange Association about twenty-seven years.
Mr. Chambers is a staunch supporter of the Church of England, and was
largely instrumental in securing the erection of the church edifice at
Shrewsbury, and has been connected with Sabbath School work for a third
of a century. In politics he is Conservative, though, as in his religious
principles, he is very charitable, and has many warm frier.ds in the
opposite party; in short, he is a gentleman whose intelli gence, obliging
disposition, and social qualities render him eminently congenial. He
has six children two sons and four daughters ; three of the latter
are married.
Since the above was written, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and one of their
daughters have died.
WILLIAM ROTHWELL, some time in the last century, moved from Margate,
Kent, Eng., to Ireland, where he reared his family. Charles Rothvvell,
one of his sons, who had fought against the rebels at Castle Comer in the
Rebellion of 1798, came to this country in 1831, and took up parts of Lots
2 and 3 in the 6th Range of Gore. He was Sergeant inCapt. Alex. Johnstone
s Company in the Rebellion of 1837, and lived here till he died, in
August, 1846 ; his wife died in July, 1868. They had nine children,
of whom two sons and four daughters grew up.
Samuel, the youngest son, was married in February, 1845, to
Margaret McCullough, of Gore. He and one of his brothers were also
in Capt. Johnstone s Company in 1837-38, and were at the burning of
Grand Brule. He also joined Capt. McKnight s Company of Rangers at its
organization, and went with it to the various places to which it was
ordered during the Fenian raids. Mr. Rothwell was for some time a School
Commissioner, and has been Church Warden thirty-six years ; he is the
oldest Orangeman in the township, having belonged to the organization
fifty years, and he has held all the offices in his Lodge. He has two
sons and six daughters ; two of the latter are married.
The sons, Andrew and Samuel, and one daughter, Eliza, live with their
parents. Andrew is Lieutenant in Capt. Good s Company of Rangers, and
is Secretary of the Orange Lodge. Though age prevents the performance
of the labors they once enjoyed, Mr. and Mrs. Rothwell are fortunate
in the possession of kind and intelligent children, to whom they have
surrendered the management of their
estate, which comprises 400 acres, with a good stock.
There is a school house here and an Anglican Church building, which was
erected in 1858 during the incumbency of Rev. Joseph Griffin at Lakefield
the latter place being the headquarters of the mission.
438 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
MILLE ISLES.
ORGANIZED IST JULY, 1855.
This municipality, which is very irregular in shape, is bounded, north
by Morin
and the County of Terrebonne, east by Morin and Terrebonne, south by
Gore and the County of T\vo Mountains, and west by Wentworth and Howard.
Like the other townships and parishes of Argenteuil, Mille Isles contains
a num
ber of small lakes, well stocked with fish, and some of them are rendered
attractive by picturesque scenery. A small stream known as Cambria River,
whose source is in lakes in the parish of St. Sauveur and in Gore, flows
through Mille Isles near the centre, into the North River in the parish
of St. Columban.
The first settlers in Mille Isles were JOHN and HENRY HAMMOND, as is
shown in a sketch in the history of Lachute. They lived in the north
part of the parish some time, after other settlers came in, and, as they
owned a yoke of oxen, in winter after heavy snowfalls they often kindly
broke out the road past their neighbors dwell ings. Charles More says he
recollects that, when he was a small boy, Henry Ham mond, on his return
home, after these hard trips of breaking roads, sometimes came into his
father s house, and threw himself on the floor, before the bright fire
in the fire place, to rest. At such times it was a custom of a brother
of Charles, older than himself, to steal out and use Hammond s oxen to
haul wood, which, otherwise, he
had to draw on a hand sled.
The old settlers of Mille Isles, who are still alive, all have their
stories of hard work, performed in winter s cold and summer s heat,
and ofttimes with but a scant supply of even coarsest fare. It will
be recollected that it was in Mille Isles Carruthers made two barrels
of potash on a diet of potatoes and water. All the different methods
of conveying grists to and from the mill, which were adopted by early
settlers in older localities, were here repeated. John Hammond, for
want of a horse, once brought a grindstone weighing 80 Ibs. on his back
from Lachute 20 miles. A man named James Good, called " Little Jim,"
to distinguish him from another man known as "Big Jim," once started to
carry two bushels of corn on his back to the house of a man, who had
kindly offered to take it with his own grain to the mill at Lachute.
The distance to his neighbor s dwelling was long, but Little Jim " bravely
bore his load of 120 Ibs. two miles, when, in crossing a stream on a log,
the well filled sack fell off into the water. The poor fellow then had
nothing to do but fish it out and return with it to his house.
A Post-office was established in Mille Isles many years ago, William
Pollock being the first Postmaster ; Mr. Westgate is the present one.
WILLIAM GOOD, from the County of Cork, Ireland, in 1847 to k U P 3 acres
f land in Gore, adjoining Mille Isles; he lived on it till his death,
23rd October, 1878. He had three sons and one daughter, of whom one son,
Philip, and the daughter, Mrs. Samuel Pollock, are now living. Philip
Good now owns the homestead, and has bought 150 acres adjoining it in
Mille Isles, on which he has lived many years ; he is much respected in
the parish. He was in Capt. McKnight s Company of Rangers during the
Fenian raids, has been School Commissioner, Municipal Councillor, and
an active promoter of all local improvements. He is a staunch supporter
of the Methodist Church, of which also he is one of the class leaders,
and a trustee.
His son, William Henry, who is married and lives with him, is also active
in Church work.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
439
SAMUEL CAMPBELL, from the County of Deny, Ireland, about 1837, took U P
20 acres of land in this parish, which land is now owned by his son John ;
he died in May, 1875. He had six sons and two daughters that grew up.
Thomas, his third son, learned the blacksmith s trade, and after working
some time in Montreal, returned to Mille Isles and was married in
February, 1867, to
Esther Lee of Lachute. He was a man of intelligence, and held prominent
local positions, and belonged to the Orange Order, as his father had
also. His first wife, by whom he had two boys and one girl, died in
September, 1872. About a year afterward he married Mary Riddle of this
parish, by which marriage he had one son and one daughter.
Samuel, the youngest of his first wife s children, learned his father s
trade, and after spending two years in New Hampshire, returned in October,
1893. He has erected a fine shop in a central location, and his thriving
business, with his energy, indicates that he is one of the rising young
men of the parish.
MATTHEW HAMMOND, from the County ofCavan, Ireland, settled in the east
part of Gore in 1830, and lived there the remainder of his life. He
had four sons and three daughters, who arrived at maturity. In 1840,
his eldest son, James, also came with his family, and settled in Mille
Isles on 200 acres, which is now owned by James Patterson. He arrived
in June, and on the 171)1 of the following month his wife was suddenly
seized with illness, and died within two hours.
The next summer, towards evening one day, he started out with his little
son, David, to look for his cows. They lost their way in the woods,
wandered into Morin, which was then an unbroken wilderness, and, finally,
came out in St. Colum- ban, ten miles distant, in a direct line from
home. There, at Phelan s store, Mr. Hammond learned where they were. In
their wanderings they had traveled many miles in a circuitous route,
and though they came to a shanty or two in the forest, they could learn
nothing, as they contained only women, who could not speak English ; and,
indeed, they were too much frightened at the appearance of a stranger
to say anything. The lost man and boy were absent three days, and their
neighbors had been out searching for them in all directions. Mr. Hammond
had the honor of
owning the first wheeled vehicle in Mille Isles, which was a cart. After
the death of his wife, he married Nancy Pollock of Gore, by which marriage
he had ten children that grew up. By the first marriage, he had six sons
and one daughter ; the latter was married to Philip Good ; the sons,
also, settled in this section. Mr. Hammond died in 1874.
James, his second son, three years after coming to Mille Isles, began work
on Lots 21 and 22, 3rd Range, on which he now lives at that time covered
with a dense forest. He has cleared 160 acres, which he chopped nearly all
himself. The old arch where he made potash, and earned his first money,
may still be seen in his meadow, a poplar tree, 18 inches in diameter,
growing close beside it. He was married 13111 August, 1845, to Matilda,
daughter of Henry Maxwell of Mille Isles. Mr. Hammond, as well as his
neighbors, during all the early years of his pioneer life, had to go
to Lachute to get a horse shod ; and all his loads were drawn on the
" slide car," the most primitive of all means for conveying loads. He
belonged to Capt. Pollock s
Company of Rangers, and has served as Municipal Councillor and
valuator. He has
had twelve children, of whom six sons and five daughters are living. Mr.
Hammond has good farm buildings, a goodly number of horses, cattle and
sheep, and though the labor he has performed during the last half century
seems enough to wear out any human frame, he still can accomplish in a
day an amount of work from which most young men would shrink.
44 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
WILLIAM, his youngest brother, by his father s first marriage, was
married nth October, 1860, to Rebecca Ford. He owns 100 acres Lot 28,
2nd Range, and 100, near it, in the ist Range. He joined Capt. Pollock s
Co. of Rangers, was Municipal Councillor some time, and is now a School
Commissioner.
CHRISTIE CARRUTHERS, from Fermanagh County, Ireland, came to Chatham
about 1830, and was employed in different places for a few years ; but
died while engaged at work, some distance from home. After his death,
his family, consisting of his wife, four sons and three daughters, came
to Mille Isles, where the sons and one daughter always remained. Matthew,
the second son, settled on a wild lot in the east part of this parish,
which is now owned by his youngest son, Valentine. He married Ellen
Matthews, and lived on this land till his death in 1890. He was one of
those who joined the Rangers at their organization, and was with them
during the Fenian raids. He had six children three of each sex who grew
up, though one of the daugh ters is now deceased. William, his eldest
son, married Elizabeth Ford 3oth August, 1881, and lives on a farm of
300 acres near the homestead, on which farm is a small body of water
known as Carruthers Lake."
Mr. Carruthers has been a Ranger, and is another of the hardy pioneers
who, with but his hands and head for capital, entered the forest and
made for himself a comfortable home.
The REV. MR. GRIFFIN, who was stationed at Lakefield, was the first
Church of England clergyman who came to Mille Isles, but he held only
an occasional service. The Rev. H. B. Wray, who came here about 1860,
was the first minister of this denomination who was stationed here; the
mission comprised Mille Isles and Morin, as it still does, Mille Isles
being the head. Mr. Wray built the church here which is still used,
his first service in it being held i3th October, 1861. It is a neat
and commodious building, on high ground, and commands one of the most
extensive and
beautiful prospects in the country. Rev. Joseph Merrick succeeded
Mr. Wray, his
first entry in the register of baptisms being ist November, 1863; and
a parsonage was built during his incumbency.
The following is a list of the succeeding ministers who have been on
this mission, with the date of their first entries in the register:
Rev. J. H. Dickson, 3rd July, 1870; Rev. C. Boyd, 3ist March, 1872;
Rev. Jas. Fox, Qth January, 1873; Rev. Edward Archibald, loth January,
1875 ; Rev. C. Lu.mm.is, 23rd July, 1877 ; Rev. Josiah Ball, gth
April. 1882 ; Rev. Chas. Trottman, 28th November, 1886.
R. F. Taylor came next, as lay reader ; his first entry as incumbent
was i5th April, 1889 ) R CV - J a s. Elliott, 4th November, 1892 ;
Rev. Henry Arthur Meek, ist October, 1893.
The REV. MR. MEEK, the present incumbent, was born in Darby County,
England, in 1860. After spending eight years in teaching in public and
private schools, he came to this country in 1883, and was educated for the
ministry at the Diocesan Theological College, Montreal, being ordained
in 1887. He was married in 1889 to Janet Maria, daughter of H. Budden,
Quebec. His former charges were Glen Sutton, in 1887 ; Buckingham,
in 1889. Mr. Meek is an energetic young man;
a fluent speaker, profound reasoner, and his affability and liberal
principles have made him popular with all.
At no great distance from this church are the church and manse of
the Presby terian body in Mille Isles. Rev. John Irvine was the first
resident clergyman of this denomination, and he settled here in 1863. His
pastorate continued through a period of 17 years, up to 1880, when he
resigned. During nearly the whole of the next decade the church was
supplied by theological students. In 1889 the Rev. S. F.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 441
McCusker became pastor; heat once, with a good deal of energy, began
to collect
funds for the erection of a church, which object he accomplished after
extensive travelling for the purpose.
He also was the means of erecting another church in the County of
Terrebonne, on the border of Mille Isles, some of the congregation
of Mille Isles residing in that county. This is called Knox Church
of Cote St. Gabriel. In 1893 Mr. McCusker removed to another place,
and was succeeded by the REV. JOHN MCCARTER, the present pastor. He
was born in Scotland, and educated at the High School and University
of Glasgow. In 1862 he went to South Africa, by invitation of the Dutch
Reformed Church, and was settled in charge of one of their congregations,
in Natal, till 1874. In 1869 he published a small volume, entitled " The
Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa" an interesting and well written
historical sketch, which shows that Mr. McCarter possesses no slight
degree of literary ability. This work, afterward remodelled by him,
in Dutch, was published in Switzerland in 1876.
Mr. McCarter returned to Scotland in impaired health, and in 1877 came
to Canada, and for some years had charge of a Presbyterian congregation
in Redbank, N.B. Since 1887 he has been occupied with home mission work.
The first Methodist minister who labored to any extent in Mille Isles
was the Rev. Arthur Whiteside, who began holding a series of revival
meetings in No. 2 School-house, in March, 1877, an ^ lils sa ^>
many were converted under his preach ing. After this he held service in
School-house No. 3, till the erection of a church. Immediately after
the revival, land for a church site was given by Robert Beattie, who also
contributed liberally towards the erection of the building. Chief among
the other contributors were Henry Hammond, William Good, Philip Good, Rev.
David Megahy, William Kerr, Valentine Swail and James Thompson.
Afier the completion of the church, which was in the fall of 1878, the
inhabitants living adjacent to it, of all denominations, generously
helped to pay the debt which still remained. It was dedicated near
Christmas of 1878, by the Rev. T. Pitcher.
Mr. Whiteside left in June, 1879. He was a man of great energy, a sincere
Christian, and he won much credit for the way in which he prosecuted
his labors, in the face of many discouragements. The following is a
list of his successors, with the time they remained on the circuit
the head of which, it will be remembered, is Lakefield : Rev. William
Smith, 2 years ; Rev. F. W. A. Myer, i year; Rev. Job Roadhouse,
3 years ; Rev. W. W. Weese, 3 years ; Rev. T. J. Wilkinson, 2 years ;
Rev. T. Brown, 2 years; Rev. J. Holt Murray, 3 years. Rev. A. S. Morrison
is the present pastor.
CAMBRIA.
A post-office was established here with the above name in 1872, and the
late Mr. Stuart was appointed Postmaster.
HENRY MAXWELL came with his family from the County of Deny, Ireland, to
Mille Isles, in 1837, and took up 200 acres. A few years later he took
up 100 acres more, adjoining this. He lived here till his death, about a
quarter of a century ago, and was a member of Capt. Evans Company in the
Rebellion of 37. He had three sons and two daughters all but one of whom
grew up. John, his second son, married Mary Taylor, August 6th, 1863,
and settled on the homestead, which now contains 300 acres, with the
indications of thrifty and successful management. Mr. Maxwell joined
Capt. Pollock s Company of Rangers, and was with it at the time of the
Fenian raids ; he also has been a member of the Municipal Council and
School Board several years; has been valuator, and, for a long time,
member of the Orange Lodge. Mrs. Maxwell died i8th February, 1887.
29
442 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Only two of their children sons are living. Thomas, the younger, is
in the States ; William, the elder, who was married 4th January, 1888,
to Mary Elliott, lives on the homestead. When Mr. Henry Maxwell came to
Mille Isles, there were but few families living here. Thomas Woods, from
Ireland, who still has descendants here, was about the first to arrive ;
he and Samuel Moore had been here about two years before the arrival of
Mr. Maxwell.
WILLIAM STUART came from near Coleraine, County of Derry, Ireland, to
Canada, in June, 1843, an .d tne same fal1 took U P 20 acres m the west P
a F t of Mille Isles. He was appointed Postmaster in 1872, and was School
Commissioner and Secretary-Treasurer of the Municipal Council several
years. He died i2th January, 1877, aged 69 a man of intelligence, who
was greatly missed. He had two sons and two daughters, but only one son,
William, and his sister Rachel, who live on the homestead, are now alive.
William succeeded to the offices held by his father, viz. : Postmaster
and Secre tary-Treasurer of the Council and Secretary-Treasurer of the
School Board, but he resigned all in a few years, so that he might devote
himself more fully to his other labors.
MATTHEW STRONG, Mayor of Mille Isles, who has considerable property
here, received the Post-office on the resignation of Mr. Maxwell, and
still retains it. William Strong, his father, came from Sligo, Ireland,
to Gore, arriving loth July, 1830. He took 100 acres in the 5th range,
and subsequently bought 400 more adjoining it. He opened a store and
started an ashery and distillery on his premises, soon after his arrival;
the use of the latter, however, he abandoned after a brief interval. The
two former continued till 1859, when he bought the saw mill in Mille
Isles, of the Seigneur, J. L. de Bellefeuille, and two lots of land,
with a water- power privilege of William "Stuart, and erected a grist
mill. Mr. Strong was a prominent man in this section of the county, and
was a Councillor before the present municipal system was established,
and a School Commissioner in Gore many years.
He died 3oth November, 1881, aged 83; Mrs. Strong died xoth July, 1885,
also 83. Their children, who arrived at maturity, were four sons and
three daughters.
Matthew, the youngest son, in his earlier years, went to Iowa, and
bought a farm located near the railway station in Pomeroy ; but, from
the conviction that he could do better financially in this country,
he returned and succeeded to the milling busi ness of his father. He
was married isih July, 1874, to Martha Beckham, one oft intelligent
daughters of Lachute. He has been very successful in business, and his
enterprise has been of much benefit to Mille Isles. IK addition to his
grist mill and saw mill, he has a planer, and manufactures shingle and
lath in short, prepares all the lumber required for building, and, as
he has purchased a thousand acres of timbered land, he is well prepared
to supply any local demand for lumber.
Mr. Strong is one of the martial-looking Rangers, whose appearance has
won s many compliments for the Battalion ; he joined Capt. Sherritt
s Company No. 6, i Ensign, at its organization, and still holds the
position. Besides being Postmaster, h has been for a long time a member
of the School Board, the Chairmanship of which he declined, and has been
Mayor of the parish 24 successive years.
SAMUEL MOORE, from Connaught, County of Mayo, Ireland, settled in Mille
Isle about the year 1837, taking up 200 acres of land near the centre
of the parish,
was a Volunteer during the Rebellion of 1837-38, and was at Grand
Brule ; he dii about the year 1880. He had six sons and six daughters ;
the latter and four of I former are now living ; two of the daughters,
married, live in this section.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 443
Charles, his eldest son, lives on a farm of 250 acres, near the homestead,
with
good buildings, and all the comforts of a successful farmer. He joined
Capt. Sherritt s Company of Rangers, and was at St. Johns, Cornwall,
etc., during the Fenian raids.
THOMAS M. WILSON, a substantial farmer, lives in this section. His father,
James Wilson, came from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to Canada
about 1825. He was a baker by trade, and he started in this business
at Chambly Basin, and during the Rebellion supplied the Commissariat
Department of the loyal forces stationed there with bread, and also with
wood, and did a successful business. Soon after com ing to this country,
he married Janet Hislop of Isle aux Noix. They had one son
and two daughters who are still living. Mrs. Wilson died about 1834. A
year or two afterward, he married Ann Jane Walker, of Montreal, by
which marriage he had four sons and one daughter who grew up. A few
years after the Rebellion, he removed to Montreal, where he followed
his trade about ten years. His wife died in June, 1852, and the next
year, having a daughter living in Mille Isles who was married to Richard
McMullen, he brought his son, Thomas M., to Mille Isles to live with them.
About a year later, the father came, and in 1857 he and the son settled
on a farm of 200 acres which the latter now owns. The father died here,
3rd July, 1868.
Thomas married, 2 5th January, 1865, Annie Haney of Lakefield. He was a
member of Capt. Sherritt s Company of Rangers, and had all its varied
experiences; he was a member of the Orange Lodge and has been on the
School Board for twenty
years, and is now Chairman ; he is also an Elder in the Presbyterian
Church. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had twelve children, of whom two sons
and six daughters are now living.
PROCLAMATION OF THE IQTH FEBRUARY, 1852,
The original boundary of Morin as given in the Surveyor s Report is as fol
lows : All that tract or parcel of land bounded and abutted as follows :
on the
northeast, partly by the township of Doncaster, partly by the township of
Wexford, and partly by the township of Abercrombie ; on the south-east,
partly by the town ship of Abercrombie, and partly by the Augmentation of
the seigniory of Mille Isles ; and on the west, partly by the township
of Beresford, partly by the projected town ship of Howard, and partly
by the township of Wentworth, minus that part comprised in Ste. Agathe
and Ste. Adele.
But the following Act was assented to in 1881 : " Whereas, according to
the provisions of chapter of the Consolidated Statutes for Lower Canada,
regulating the division of Lower Canada into counties, the county of
Argenteuil includes that por tion of the township of Morin, situate
to the south-west of the line between the lots numbers twenty-four and
twenty-five of all the ranges of that township, and that a part of the
county of Terrebonne is bounded by the line between lots Nos. twenty-
six and twenty-five of the same township ; and whereas the said lots, that
is to say, No. twenty-five of the ranges i, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the said
township of Morin, thus form part of both the counties of Argenteuil and
Terrebonne, it- is necessary to rectify the said boundaries. Therefore,
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Legislature of Quebec, enacts as follows :
1 Sub-section 14 of section i of chapter seventy-five of the Consolidated
Statutes for Lower Canada is amended by striking out the words 26 and 25,
in the fifteenth line of the said sub-section, and substituting therefor
the words 24 and 25."
444 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII,.
MORIN.
Morin, like Mille Isles, was settled in part by those who had first
started as pioneers in Gore or other older townships, but quite a number
of the early settlers were direct from the Old Country. Like Mille Isles,
also, the land is very uneven and stoney, yet the farms are not few that
produce fine crops and sustain a large stock. The inhabitants are all
in comfortable circumstances, and not only moral, but much interested
in the different churches to which they belong; quite a propor tion of
them, through the efforts of Evangelists, being most actively engaged
in religious work.
The first settlers in Morin were Joseph, John and Thomas Scale, brothers
from Connaught, Ireland. They first settled in Lachute, but about the
year 1850 they
came to this township and took up land in the first range ; they lived
here the re mainder of their days.
GEORGE HAMILTON, originally from the County of Cavan, Ireland, came
here from Gore in 1852. He was a man of ability, a good speaker at the
hustings, and
soon became a leader in the township. He was Postmaster in Bretonville,
a Justice of the Peace many years, and was appointed Superintendent of
Bridges by the Pro
vincial Legislature; he also served some time as Mayor of Morin.
JAMES and LAWSON KENNEDY from County of Monaghan, Ireland, came to this
country in 1847, an ^ settled in Morin in 1850. The former, James Kennedy,
first went to Port Hope, Ont., where he spent three years. He died in
Morin in 1890, leaving four sons and four daughters; two of each sex
settled in Morin.
WILLIAM GILMOUR, an old soldier without family, also was one of the
pioneers who lived and died here.
ARCHIBALD DOHERTY from Movale, Donegal, Ireland, came to Canada in
1846, and after living seven years in Shaw bridge and vicinity, in 1852,
bought parts of Lots 44 and 45, ist Range 200 acres in Morin on which he
still lives. He was married 4th November, 1848, to Elizabeth, daughter
of Benjamin Robinson, of Shawbridge.
There were only three acres of h ; s land cleared at the time he settled
on it, and though he had a horse he soon had to sell him from lack of
hay in the place to feed him. The only roads in Morin then were scarcely
visible footpaths, and everything required by the setilers had to be
brought in on the back. For two or three seasons after selling his horse,
Mr. Doherty had to plant all his seed-grain, as well as veget ables,
with a hoe, but being a good type of the pioneers who came to win, he
did not despair, and to-day has his land cleared up, a good stock of
cattle, with comfortable buildings in which to house them. He and his
wife have experienced many hard ships, but now enjoy the comforts they
have nobly earned.
Mr. Doherty is a man of intelligence, a great reader, and has served as
Munici pal Councillor many years ; he was also for some time Sergeant of
a Company of Ran gers. He is an active member of the Methodist Church,
and is always glad to do any thing that may contribute to the promotion
of the Christian cause.
They have had ten children four sons and six daughters ; only two of
the former
are now living. The daughters are all married, one of whom lives in
Manitoba, the rest in this section; Archibald, the youngest son, now
has the management of the home stead.
JOHN REILLY, from the County of Cavan, Ireland, with his family, settled
in Gore, about 1834. His son John was married to Martha Clarke, August
15, 1853. She came to this country from the County of Monaghan, Ireland,
with her father in 1848.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
445
The ship " Miracle," on which they sailed, was wrecked near the Magdalen
Islands, and eighty of the passengers and crew were drowned. About 1854,
Mr. Reilly settled in Morin, where he and his wife still live ; they
have five sons and two daughters. The latter live in Montreal, three of
the sons are in Manitoba, one in Toronto and the other in the States.
WILLIAM WATCHORN, nephew of the one of the same name who settled in Morin
in 1852, camefiom Ardoin, County of Wicklow, Ireland, to this country
in 1860. The next decade, he was employed at different times by Colonel
Barren, of Lachute, Rev. Wm. Abbott of St. Andrews, Commissary Forbes of
Carillon, and Mr. Robertson of Isle aux Chats, and then, about 1870, he
bought 50 acres of land in the first Range in Morin, and has since bought
200 acres more adjoining it. Before leaving Ireland, he joined a regiment
called The Carlow Rifles, and was with it as Sergeant five years ; this
Regiment subsequently saw service in the Russian war. He joined the Argen-
teuil Rangers at their organization, and has been with them at all the
different places where they have since been on duty. He was Sergeant
Major sixteen years, and in
1893 was made first Lieutenant. For long and efficient service, Mr,
Watchorn surely deserves the medal which was long since promised the
Volunteers, but which promise as yet has not been fulfilled. He was
married in 1870 to Catherine O Brien, of Brownsburg ; they have had
ten children, of whom one son is deceased. Mr. Watchorn is a staunch
churchman, and has been churchwarden.
MORIN FLATS.
This is the name given to a part of the township which more nearly
approaches a level than any other portion, but with the exception of
a few acres which border the stream flowing through it, the land here
is quite the reverse of flat. As it recedes from the stream it rises
more or less abruptly in almost every direction, is broken by hills
of various degrees of height and irregularity of surface. The soil,
however, is good and the herds of cattle that graze on the hillsides
and the number of commo dious barns in view show that the energy of the
settlers has not been expended here in vain.
The Montfort Colonization Railway, which is to be constructed through
Went- worth to Arundel, passes through Morin Flats, and will be of
inestimable value to this whole section of country, located as it is
so far from the chief market of the pro vince, and with which it has
heretofore had no convenient means of reaching.
WILLIAM JEKYLL was one of the pioneers from Ireland who settled in Gore,
and he died there. After his death, his family, consisting of his widow,
a son Isaac and a daughter, came to Morin, and took up Lots 38 and 39
in the 3rd Range. That they were here at a very early date is obvious,
from the fact that Isaac Jekyll pre sented one of these lots to James
Kennedy to induce him to settle on it that he might have a neighbor.
Mr. Jekyll was a man of ability and great enterprise ; not long after
coming to
Morin, he organized an Orange Lodge, of which he became Master, and held
the posi tion till his death, nth February, 1894. He was married in 1856
to Matilda Stapleton of St. Sauveur.
A post office was first established in Morin at what was called
Britonville. In
May, 1877, one was established in Morin Flats, and Mr. Jekyll was
appointed Post master. He always took an active interest in municipal
matters, and for about 20 years was Mayor of the Municipality, he was
also Secretary-Treasurer of the Council and School Board for some time,
and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. He
44^ HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
enlisted early as a Ranger, and during the Fenian raids was Sergeant
in Company
No. 3 Capt. McKnight s and after the Captain s death Mr. Jekyll was
promoted to
his position, September 29th, 1882, and subsequently to the rank of
Junior Major.
He had two sons and two daughters. Henry, the second son, who is now
Rector of St. Mary s Church, Hochelaga, on the promotion of his father
to a higher rank, succeeded to the Captaincy of Company No. 3.
WILLIAM H., the eldest son, was also one of the Rangers, and was bugler
in Companies Nos. 3 and 8; he was married in February, 1886, to Margaret
Jane Stevenson. His father opened a store at this place m 1884, and
William now con tinues the trade, and has also succeeded to the former
s position as Postmaster. He is a gentleman whose intelligence, public
spirit and genial nature render a worthy successor, and one well fitted
to fill the void in social and business life created by his father s
demise. He is loyal to the Church of England, and is one of the Church
Wardens of this place.
WJLLIAM WATCHORN, a brother of Frank mentioned in the sketch of Louisa,
came with him to Gore, and settled in 1833. ^ n 1 ^5 2 > William came
to Morin. where he spent his last days. He was twice married, by which
marriages he had four sons and two daughters. Joseph, his second son,
by his last wife, was married, nth Septem ber, 1867, to Deborah Ann,
daughter of Valentine Swail, noticed in the history of Wentworth, and he
settled on a farm of 200 acres near the homestead, which he had bought
in 1865. He has since bought a farm of 160 acres in Manitoba, which is
in charge of his two sons, William J. and Valentine Henry.
Mr. Watchorn is an active member of the Methodist Church, and has
held all the different offices in it, and is now steward ; he has also
been a member of the School Board many years. Mrs. Watchorn is also a
devoted member of the Church and zealous in the observance of the Golden
Rule. They have three sons and two daughters ; one son is still with his
parents, and the daughters are employed as type writers one in Montreal,
the other in Manitoba.
Abram, a brother of Joseph Watchorn, lives on the homestead, and is
also one of the influential men of Morin Flats, and a pillar of the
Methodist Church.
The mills of the NEWTON BROTHERS are a very important factor in the
business of Morin. JOHN NEWTON, from Connaught, Ireland, came to Montreal
about 1830. He was employed as foreman by Dawe, the brewer, and died
in that city about 1836. He left two sons and two daughters. His widow
came to Wentworth, when she married William Watchorn, and spent her days
there. John, her youngest son by her first marriage, came to Lachuteat
12 years of age, to learn the trade of blacksmith. After following this
trade a while, he opened a shop at Stonefield, where he manufac tured
plows. In 1855, 6th September, he was married to Isabella Kidd, and three
years later he moved to Morin. He opened a store here, bought 500 acres
of land, on which he kept a dairy of 30 cows, and erected the first
mill built in Morin. He lived here 18 years, during which he served as
Justice of the Peace, School Trustee, and, for a time, as Mayor of the
township. Mr. Newton has been a man of much activity and enterprise,
and has erected mills in various parts of the county.
Mr. and Mrs. Newton have had eleven children, of whom four sons and
four daughters are now living. One of their sons met a sad death by
drowning at his saw mill in Wentworth. Mary, one of their daughters,
married to Arthur Davis, lives on the homestead in Morin. Mr. Newton,
fora few years past, has resided in Lachute.
These mills in Morin are now owned by two sons of Mr. Newton, John and
Albert E. ; the former has the grist mill and planing mill, the latter,
the saw mill. John Newton, after spending two years at the Wesleyan
College, returned to this
place in the spring of 1894, to co-operate with his brother in the
management of the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L. 447
mills. They have replaced all the old machinery with new, and have added
a new feather-edge clap-board machine, the only one in this section
of country, and also have an improved shingle mill. Their water wheels
are of the most improved pattern, and with new buildings and entire new
machinery, they are well prepared to do a
large amount of business. The motor power for these mills is supplied by a
rapid stream of considerable volume the outlet of lakes in Wentworth. At
the point where the mills are located it makes a descent of many feet
over a solid ledge of rocks, foiming, especially in high water, a scene
of wild grandeur, and supplying immense and exhaustless water-power. The
proximity of the new railway affords a
ready market for all the lumber manufactured here, and everything augurs
a suc cessful business for the young men whose capital is here invested,
and the prospect is not a little enhanced by their genial manner, upright
principles, and great energy. Albert E. was married, 2nd July, 1890,
to Mary Ann, daughter of William Boyd of
Mille Isles. He takes contracts for building, all the lumber for which
is supplied and fully prepared at their mill.
The Anglican and Methodist are the only church edifices in Morin, both
of which are located at Morin Flats.
The REV. JOSEPH GRIFFIN was the first Church of England clergyman who
labored in Morin. The present church building was erected during the
incumbency
of Rev. H. B. Wray, and Morin and Mille Isles being in one Mission, as
stated in the history of Mille Isles, the ministers who have supplied
it have already been noticed.
The first work in Morin in connection with Methodism was commenced in
1853 by the Rev- Mr. Coleman, who preached on alternate weeks at the
house of James Westgate. This continued about a year, when a minister
was sent specially
for the place, since which regular weekly service has been maintained. In
1866 a church was built during the pastorate of Rev. Erastus Currie. The
principal sub
scribers to this work were the late George Hamilton, a local preacher,
Robt. Newton, John Newton, Cornelius Brown, Charles, Richard and John
Seale, jun., Joseph, Abram and Francis Watchorn, Archibald Doherty,
sen., John Davis, James Westgate, John
Burns and Matthew Hammond. This church was burnt about 1880, and soon
afterward, during the ministry of Rev. John Lawrence, a subscription was
taken for a new one, and the present church was completed in 1882. The
chief contributors
were William Sloan, merchant of St. Sauveur, the late Robert Newton,
Jos. and Abram Watchorn, John Newton, sen., all the Scales, Cornelius
Brown, Archibald Doherty, David and Ebenezer Christie, James Westgate,
William Burns, John Con nolly, John Davis, Thos. Dale and John
Hammond. The REV. MR. ALLISON is the present minister in charge of
this church.
Arundel.
PROCLAMATION OF THE STH OF JULY, 1857.
Arundel is bounded on the north by De Salaberry, east by Montcalm,
south by Harrington, and west by Amherst and Ponsonby, of Ottawa County.
Up to 1857, Arundel was a terra incognita ; not a man had located there
for the
purpose of making a home ; the only individuals who had penetrated its
wilds were hunters and trappers, or lumbermen driving their logs through
the many turns and over the cataracts of the Rouge.
448 HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
STEPHEN JAKES BEVIN is said to have been the first white man who came into
this township, and he had lived so long with the Indians, and followed
so closely their mode of life, that he was more generally regarded as
belonging to the red men than to the Anglo-Saxon race. He was a hunter
and trapper, and traded largely with the Indians, and in the pursuit of
this vocation he frequently traversed many square leagues ofterritoiy
along the Ottawa, becoming familiar with all the streams and lakes with
which it abounds. He was born in England, but came very early to this
country with his father, and in some way had opportunity to become so
familiar with the Indian tongue that he was employed by the Hudson Bay
Company as interpreter
and clerk. While thus acting, he had ample oppoitunity to see that large
profits accrued to those who purchased the products of the chase from the
Indians, and realizing that he might enjoy a share of these profits, he
left his employers, started trade on his own account, and added to it the
profit and pleasure resulting from his own labor as hunter and trapper. In
1822 he first entered what is now the township of Arundel, proceeding
up the Rouge, and built a shanty and storehouse, which served as his
trading post, at the junction of the creek which now bears his name with
the Rouge. This place is now the site of the mills of theOblat Father?.
Bevin s object in locating here was to intercept the Indians as they
came down the Rouge laden with furs, for which they were seeking a
market. Meeting them here, so far from the pale of civilization, and
beyond the route of other traders, Bevin had a decided advantage. Game,
too, was abundant here, and as the lakes and streams provided profitable
trapping, his location seemed to have been happily chosen.
The stream known as Bevin s Creek is the outlet of Bevin s Lake, a most
beauti ful body of water, six miles long, with an average breadth of
a mile. Thus it will be seen, this lake and its outlet form a lasting
memorial of the old hunter who lived so long upon their shores.
Of the. very early history of Bevin we are in somewhat of a mystery,
though it is said his father, whose name also was Stephen, once owmd
a ropewalk in Quebec, and that he was killed in Belleville, Ont.,
by gelling caught in the machinery of a grist mill, which he had
erected on contract. The son, after leaving the Hudson Bay Company,
had a partner in his business, at least some of the time, and one year,
which they regarded as their most piofitable, they killed, besides many
other animals, 1 80 deer and 40 beaver. Bevin died in this s-ection in
1886, at the house of his youngest son, George, at the aged of 87. He had
five sons and one daughter. Stephen B., one of the sons, in early youth
evinced a strong desire to follow the exciting vocation of his father,
and, as this desire was soon intensified by the shooting of a bear, he
persisted in his object, and has since had the pleasure of spending many
years in hunting and trapping. Though now well advanced in years, every
fall finds him seeking hunting grounds remote from settled districts,
where he is more or less successful.
The first actual setter in Arundel was WILLIAM THOMSON, who located here
in March, 1857, having purchased of Sidney Bellingham, M.P.P., who owned a
large quantity of wild land in the township, 300 acres Lots 10, 11 and 12
in the 2nd Range. Mr. Thomson came to this country from Glasgow in 1828,
and bought a farm in Lachute, with which he was engaged some years. In
1833, April 2oth, he was married to Margaret Currie, a native of Greenock,
Scotland, and soon afterward opened a general store at Van s Corner. He
abandoned this business about 1846, to engage in teaching, which he
followed successfully for the next twelve years, at LTpper Lachute,
New Glasgow, Brownsburg and Belle Riviere. His removal to Arundel is
thus detailed by his son William, now Postmaster in this township :
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 149
" In March, 1857, we came to Arundel from Belle Riviere, where my
father had been teaching for two years. He was induced to come by the
representations of Sidney Bellingham, Esq., who was then member of
Parliament for the county of Argenteuil, and very much interested in
colonizing this township. At that time there was no road leading to
Arundel, and after leaving Lachute we passed through the
rear of Chatham, Grenville, and a part of Harrington, and struck the
River Rouge at Mr. James Millway s. Following up this stream, we reached
the mouth of Bevin
Creek, where a small shanty had been built by Mr. George Albright and his
party, who had finished a survey of the township a few weeks previous. The
shanty, at the time of our arrival, was occupied by a man named Delorm,
his wife and two hired
men the men having been employed by Mr. Bellingham to build a house on
the Fitzallan farm. The horses that brought us up, of which there were
seven or eight, had to stand in the woods over night, tied to trees, with
very little to ear, and the snow beneath them nearly three feet deep. The
next morning, when the men who came up with us started to return, very
little, I think, would have induced father to return with them, indeed,
I believe he was prevented from so doing only by his Scotch pride.
It may be of interest to some to know the names of those who assisted
us in moving; they were Mr. William Drennan, John Smith, David McAdam,
George N. Albright, the surveyor of this township, and poor Andrew
Millar, who, though at that time a very clever man, has since died in
a lunatic asylum. After they left we had a very lonesome time ; none of
us knew anything about bush farming, and conse quently worked to great
disadvantage; but we learned it all in time, so that we
succeeded in making a living, and in clearing up the farm."
The nearest settler to Mr, Thomson, at this time, was Lachlan McArthur,
of whom a sketch is given in the history of Grenville ; he lived in
Harrington Glen, about six miles distant. However hard the first few
years of Mr. Thomson s exper iences in Arundel may have been, he bore
it bravely, and, with the help of his sons, soon had his forest land
transformed into fruitful fields; before his death he had cleared 75
acres. As it was necessary that a Post-office should be established here,
it was done at once, and Mr. J homson was appointed Postmaster a position
he held till his death, zgth December, 1873. Subsequently he was appointed
Crown Land Agent, and, about 1860, Captain of Militia. Mrs. Thomson died
7th July, 1885 ; they had two sons and four daughters who arrived at
maturity. The homestead was divided between the two sons John and William.
William married, 3rd August, 1876, Mary Drennan, of Lachute. He
succeeded to the Post-office after his father s death, and still has
the position. He has been Secretary-Treasurer of the Municipal Council
since 1877, and of the School Board since 1882. He is a gentleman of much
industry, intelligence and public spirit. Of the daughters of the late
William Thomson, the second one, Maggie, died 3rd Novem ber, 1859 the
first death in the township. The eldest daughter, married to Henry Porter,
lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Agnes, the third daughter, married Reuben Cook,
151)1 March, 1869 ; she died 3rd June, 1875. Mary, the youngest,
married Wm. Staniforth in 1871.
WILLIAM AND DAVID STANIFORTH, who arrived in the spring of 1858, were
the next settlers in Arundel. Their father, George Staniforth, with his
family of three sons and two daughters, came to Canada from Yorkshire
England, in 18.15, an( ^ after spending a year or two in Montreal, came
to the county of Argenteuil. Soon afteiward Mr. Staniforth and his son
William purchased 700 acres of land in Arundel, and in the spring of 1858,
as stated above, William, and David, his brother, became pioneers in this
township. William was the first to take a wheel I vehicle into Ari.ndel,
45 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and, though it was nothing more imposing than- a cart drawn by a yoke
of oxen, it was an achievement of no little importance to its author,
and elicited many congratu lations. He started on this journey from
Dalesville, and accomplished it after a variety of vexations and hardships
of three days duration.
David Staniforth bought 250 acres, located at no great distance from that
of his brother, and they cleared their land by exchange of labor. In about
ten years William had cleared 100 acres of his tract, during which he
had manufactured many tons of potash, the greater part of which he sent
to Montreal. Before the clearings became large, he found it difficult
to raise buckwheat and corn, on account of the prevalence of frosts,
a drawback which disappeared as the country became
cleared and settled. His first building was a shanty, but this was
succeeded two years later by a house. In 1883 he erected a saw mill on
his premises, and the following year a grist mill. It will be seen that
Mr. Staniforth was a man of much enterprise and industry, and besides
all the labor he performed in clearing a large farm and building mills,
he took a contract from Government for $2,500 for building a long bridge
across the Rouge a structure which is still in use. He was a servant of
the public all the time he resided here, being a member of the Municipal
Council and of the School Board, for some time Mayor of the former and
Chairman of the latter. He was married to Mary, daughter of the late
William Thomson, in 1873. His father followed him from Lachute soon
after he went to Arundel, and died at his house in 1872; his mother died
about 1880. His father, as will be seen on a suc
ceeding page, had been a local preacher, and did much for the cause of
Methodism in Arundel.
In 1888 Mr. William Staniforth sold his farm of 700 acres, mills,
farming utensils, wagons, fifty head of cattle and six horses, to the
Oblat Fathers, for $i 2,000. During the next three or four years he
engaged in lumbering, and then bought a farm of 500 acres in Lachute,
where he is now engaged in farming. He also has the oversight of the
fine farm in Lachute of his brother Joseph, who died in 1892. William
and two of his sisters are the only survivors of his father s family.
SAMUEL AND JAMES MCCRANDLE also settled in Arundel in 1858, and the
McCrandles are now among the enterprising and independent farmers of
the town ship.
CORAL COOKE, whose sons are among the leading men of the township,
settled here in 1859 > ne was tne youngest son of Reuben Cooke, of
whom a sketch is given in the history of Grenville; in 1837 ne married
Euphemia Black, the sixth of a family of seven daughters. The following
year he was with the Volunteers at St. Eusiache. Having a farm in
Hawkesbury, he lived there several years, and then bought 100 acres
in the rear of Grenville, to which he removed in 1846. Bequeathing the
latter pur chase to his eldest son Hugh, who still lives on it, in 1859,
he moved to Arundel, where he had bought 700 acres, and erected a house
the second or third in number in the township. He lived here till i ith
June. 1883, when he died at the age of 70; Mrs. Cooke died in February,
1892. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Church, and their house
was always a home for Methodist ministers. The farm was
divided among four sons. Reuben, the second son, was first married to
Agnes Thomson ; she died 3rd June, 1875, and 251)1 September, 1877,
he was married to Mary, daughter of the late Donald Loynachan, of Beech
Ridge. Mr. Cooke has a fine farm of 300 acres, with a large stock and all
the buildings and farm implements which in~ dicate successful farming;
he has himself cleared 150 acres of his land. Like his parents, he is
an active supporter of Methodism, takes much interest in the Sabbath
School, and heartily encourages any work calculated to promote the
Christian cause. He was a School Commissioner a long time, and Mayor
of the township nine years.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 45!
Samuel Cooke, a brother of Reuben, was married to Lizzie, daughter of
the late Samuel Stewart of Grenville, 3rd November, 1873, an ^ settled
on 100 acres of his father s estate. He afterward purchased 100 more of
his brother John, and now has a farm of good size, well cultivated and
sustaining a large stock. In March, 1893, he opened a store near his
dwelling, and seems to be progressing as well in the mercan tile as in
the agricultural line. He has been a member of the Council and of the
School Board a number of years.
Adjacent to the two brothers noticed above* resides their brother. John,
on a good- sized productive farm. Like the others he is a respected
citizen, and has an influence in local affairs.
WILLIAM D. GRAHAM, JUN., is the present Mayor of Arundel. His father, bear
ing the same name, when a small boy, came from Ireland with his parents,
who settled in Gore. In 1853 he was married to Amanda Johnson, and some
years afterward came into possession of her father s estate. About 1870,
he bought 200 acres of land in Arundel, on which his son Alexander now
lives ; a few years later, he bought the farm of 120 acres of Lots n and
12, 3rd Range, on which he has himself settled. He has spent much of his
life in lumbering, and, regarded financially, his business has been quite
successful. Four of his sons who live in Arundel are all enterprising,
well-to-do farmers and respected citizens.
William D. Graham, jun., was married August iSth, 1880, to Euphemie
McVicar, and the next spring he settled on the farm of 100 acres in
Lots 13 and 14, 4th Range, where he still lives. In the same spring,
1881, he erected his present house and store, and commenced trade. He
is a man of great energy and has devoted much time to lumbering; in the
winter of 1893-94 he cut 20,000 logs.
The only cheese factory in Arundel he and his brother Edward erected
in 1893. He has also been a dealer to some extent in cattle, sheep and
horses. A man of pub lic spirit, he has no sympathy with the penny-wise
policy, which retards progress ; he has been a Municipal Councillor twelve
years nine of which he has been Mayor and is Master of the Orange Lodge,
a position which his father had previously held several years.
Levi V. Graham, a brother of the above, was married 171)1 July, 1889,
to Eliza Morrison. He resides on a fine farm of 120 acres, which he
purchased in 1887, and on which he has made considerable improvement,
and recently erected a large barn. In 1893, he bought another farm of
130 acres, well improved. He has all the improved farming implements,
and devotes himself to agricultural pursuits in a manner which renders
the vocational once a pleasure and a profit. He is a mem
ber of the Orange Lodge and of the School Board.
John Graham, brother to the two named above, was married 25th June, 1876,
to Emma Boyd, and the same year bought 200 acres, Lot 7, 2nd Range, in
the north part of Gore. In 1891, he purchased 200 acres more adjacent,
in the ist Range. In March of the same year, he suffered a serious loss
by fire, his house and chief part of its contents being burnt, with no
insurance. In August, 1894, he sold his property in Gore, and purchased a
well improved farm of 300 acres in Arundel, in the 4th Range. The greater
part of it is level and entirely free from stone, and on it are two good
barns the larger of which is 80 x 45 ft. He also has all the improved
farm utensils and keeps a large stock of cattle, horses and sheep. While
living in Gore, Mr. Graham was for 12 years a member of the Municipal
Council ; but though he desired to perform all the secular duties of
a citizen properly, his inclinations for a number of years past have
led him to engage more actively in religious work. He was appointed an
exhorter by the official Board of the Methodist Church, was a member of
the Camp Meeting Association, and a steward and class leader. He is
452 HISTORY OF AUGENTEUIL.
Superintendent of the Sabbath School in the Methodist Church at Arundel,
and at all times is very much interested and actively engaged in
Christian work.
Among the several fine farms in Arundel is that of A. B. FILION, one of
the prominent officials of Argenteuil residing in Grenville. In 1866,
he came to Arundel, and bought 600 acres of land which he still owns,
though it is under the management of his soil; Arthur W. Filion. At the
time of purchase it was forest land, and Mr. Filion has cleared nearly
300 acres of it, and brought it into a good state of cultivation.
The buildings erected on it are new, and the barn is a structure
deserving the attention of farmers; it is 80 x 22 ft. with a high,
well-lighted basement, and a stable attached 1 6 x 80 ft. It contains
two good silos, and the stables have a constant supply of pure water
provided by a hydraulic ram. The farm is located on a ridge between the
valley of the Rouge and another ridge running parallel to it, something
more than a mile to the eastward, so that the farm not only commands an
extensive view of the surrounding country, but is itself conspicuous
in the sight of many inhabitants. It sustains, at present, fifty head
of cattle, eleven horses and forty sheep ; and besides other fields of
grain, sixty acres in the summer of 1894 were devoted to oats.
JAMES BENNETT, who owns and lives on a farm near the Anglican Church,
is a son of one of the pioneers of Gore, and one who, for sixteen years
from their organ ization, served as Ranger. His father, James Bennett,
came from the county of Cavan, Ireland, to Canada about 1820. After
working a while on the Carillon and
Grenville canals, he took up 100 acres of land in Gore, and was one of
nineteen who were the first in that township to receive their patents. He
married Catherine Mc- Fall, and lived in Gore till his death, about 1883 ;
his wife died three days after his own demise. They had eight children
four of each sex that grew up. James, the youngest son, married twice
first, 8th January, 1867, to Annie L., daughter of the Rev. A. O. Taylor;
she died in November, 1876, and he was then married i9th September,
1877, to Ann Jc\ne Nickson, of Grenville. He is by trade a carpenter,
and has followed it in Arundel since the year of his arrival, 1877 ;
he bought his land, 100 acres, in 1881.
CHARLES MOORE, who lives here, is also the son of a pioneer of Gore. His
father, Charles Moore, came from Connaught, County of Mayo, Ireland,
to Gore about 1834, and took 100 acres in the 3rd Range, and a few
years later he bought an ad joining tract of IGO acres. Both of these
he cleared up, and they are now owned
and occupied by his youngest son. Thomas Moore. He was a Volunteer in
1837 ; he died in the spring of 1888, and Mrs. Moore in 1890.
The son, Charles, when thirteen, was apprenticed to a blacksmith in
Lachute, and has since followed that trade. In February, 1854, he was
married to Margaret Bennett; she died in May, 1881, and in September,
1887, he married Sarah Ann Bevir,. In the spring of 1875, he moved to
Arundel, and opened a blacksmith shop the first in the township. He
bought 16 acres of wild land, for which, on account of its location,
he paid $10 per acre. He has had the misfortune to have two shops burned
down since he lived here, without insurance. He was connected with the
Rangers some years, was Sergeant of Company No. 5, and was with them
three months at Niagara, and was also at Cornwall, St. Johns, etc.,
in 1866- He was a Municipal Councillor for some time, but resigned. By
his two marriages he has
five sons and six daughters ; Charles, his second son by the last
marriage, lives with him.
WILLIAM RIDDLE, from the County of Deny, Ireland, about the year 1848
took up 200 acres in the first Range of Lots in Milie Isles. In 1852,
he married Mary Ann Curren, and not long afterward, gave one-half his
land to his father, who had
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 4? 3
arrived in this country with the rest of the family; the father died
there, but William Riddle still lives on the same farm, and has added
to it another 100 acres. He has three sons and seven daughters. James,
his second son, went to California in 1876, and after an absence of ten
years, returned, and in 1887 bought 150 acres
of land in Arundel parts of Lots 15 and 16 in the 6th Range; he has
since spent
about two years more in California. He was married, November 28th,
1883, to Maggie Moore, of Chatham, Que. In 1893 he added 100 acres of
improved land to his original farm, and his surroundings, and energetic,
industrious habits attest that he is one of the rising farmers of
Arundel. For some years he has been a Municipal Councillor and School
Commissioner.
About the year 1834, JAMES SCOTT came from Armagh, Ireland, with
his family, and settled in East Frampton, Que.; he died there, about
1871. He had six children three of each sex. John Scott, his eldest
son, was married to Ann McNeely, 251)1 March, 1855. Her father, Robert
J. McNeely, was a relation of the wife of Sidney Bellingham, M.P.P., and
Mr. Bellinghara gave him an interest for ten years in the 5th, 6th and
7th Ranges of Lots in Arundel, and he settled here. His son-in- law, John
Scott, also came and bought 200 acres, Lot 13, in the 6th Range, of which,
before his death, 4th February, 1890, he cleared 75 acres. He was a man
much respected for his kindness and benevolence, and was chaplain of
the Orange Lodge, and a School Commissioner. He had twelve children,
six of each sex, but only four of each are now li\ing.
William, the second son, was married igth June, 1889, to Mary, eldest
daughter of Thomas Dobbie of Lachute. He bought 100 acres of his
father the year previous, and has since erected buildings and is making
improvements with an energy which
foretells success.
FREDERICK W, BROWN is one of the individuals of this section who for some
years has been engaged in the work of a pioneer. He was born in Cumberland
County, N.S., and at the age of 13, went on board a vessel coasting
chiefly along the Maritime Provinces, though she sometimes crossed the
ocean. His wages were given to his mother, and at her solicitation,
in 1880, he left the sea, went to the States, and found employment in
Boston. He was married, 6th June, i88r,to Charlotte Kidd of Morin,
Que. In the spring of 1883, he bought 160 acres of land in Arundel,
on which there were no buildings, and only ten acres cleared. In the
fall of the same year, they returned to Boston, where they remained
two years, and then returned to Arundel. Through industry and economy,
Mr. Brown has effected a good beginning ; he has cleared many acres,
erected comfortable out-buildings, and keeps considerable stock. He is
an active laborer in the Methodist church and a
devoted teacher in the Sabbath School.
Mrs. Brown is the youngest daughter of William KidJ, who came from
Cooper, Fifeshire, Scotland, to Montreal about 1844. He remained there
some time , working at his trade blacksmithin* and in a brass foundry. He
then moved to Grenville, and bought a small farm near Chatham line, not
far from Greece s Point. He erected buildings and worked at his trade
about 14 years. He was a man of fervent piety, and during his residence
there often acted as lay preacher in churches of different denominations,
though he was himself a staunch Scotch Presbyterian. About the year 1862,
he bought too acres of land in Morin, erected buildings, and lived there
till he died, i ith November, 1883. He had one son and six daughters
; the son and three daughters are now living; the former in Arundel,
where he has a farm and a saw mill.
A post-office was established in the north part of this township,
about 1880,
454 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
with the name ANTOINETTE. Charles Boom was appointed postmaster, a
position he still holds, and he also has a contract for carrying the
mail between his office and Lost River.
The mills erected by Mr. Staniforth, and the land on which he expended
so much physical energy, came into possession of the Jesuit Fathers in
1888. They are doing an active business here, and the little hamlet will,
no doubt, soon develop into a thriving village. The Rev. Armand Bouchet,
superior of the Orphanage at Montfort, who purchased the mills, is about
completing an orphanage at this place, and designs bringing a large
number of the orphans here from Montfort. The Rev. Fathers have a large
farm here and a creamery, and their object is to instruct the orphans
in the principles of farming. They have added a shingle mill, planer,
etc., to the saw mill, which is a large one, and turns out annually a
large quanity of lumber.
There is but one store here as yet, the proprietor of which is
Mr. Ferdinand Brosseau, who is one of the prominent men of Arundel. He
was born in St. Jerome, and, at the age of 17, engaged as clerk in
a store at St. Sauveur, and remained six years. In 1884, July 24th,
he was married to Marie Louise Proulx, and a few days later, entered
mercantile life in Arundel, where he has worked up a good trade, and
recently erected a new and neatly finished store. He purchases farm
produce of every kind, and has bought many cattle and sheep. He has
two farms in Arundel, of 100 acres each, and one in Amherst of 86. He
subscribed liberally towards the erection of the Roman Catholic Church,
and is a liberal contributor toward all local improvements.
The first Church of England clergymen who came to Arundel were those
stationed in Lachute or Grenville, and the distance and bad roads caused
much irregularity in their visits. The Rev. Mr. Codd was the first who
undertook to establish regular service here, which was about the year
1869. Rev. James H. Dixon was his suc cessor, and he made an effort
to have service monthly, but, for the reasons named above, they were
subject to interruptions; his ministry continued from 1871 to 1875.
He was followed by Rev. L. O. Armstrong, who remained about a year,
and was suc
ceeded by Rev. H. J. Evans, whose ministrations extended through several
years,
during which time the present church was erected. The following are
his successors: Rev. Mr. Brown, Rev. Mr. Harris, Rev. Mr. Warden,
Rev. VV. C. Dilworth, Rev. R. F. Hutchings.
Mr. Hutchings is from Arichat, C.B. ; he was educated at King s College,
N.S., and at the Theological College in Montreal. In 189^ he came to
Arundel, where he still remains devoted to his work and popular with
his people. He has recently erected a parsonage, which, Hk2 the church,
is commodious, and occupies a sightly and romantic location. The glebe
comprises several acres, a part of which is wood land, dry and pleasant,
and affording convenient and beautiful grounds for picnics. The shed,
too, is high, so that the upper part has been finished and furnished,
making a most convenient room for the various purposes for which it
is utilized.
George Staniforth was the first to labor in Arundel in the cause of
Methodism. He had been a local preacher in England, and soon after
settling in Arundel, in
1858, he began those labors among his fellow-townsmen which resulted in
the build ing of a house of worship in 1866. This was a log structure,
but, nevertheless, the men who built it and worshipped in it were of
that class who worship " in spirit and in truth." The same building,
remodeled, clap-boarded and painted, is now the neat
little church in which the Methodists of Arundel still worship.
The Rev. Mr. Maudsley, who has long and faithfully labored in Argenteuil
and in
adjoining counties, is said to have been the first, after Mr. Staniforth,
to preach in this township ; his labors commencing in 1861. Rev. Mr. Bell
followed, and he was sue-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL. 455
ceeded by the Rev. Daniel Connelly, whose field of labor embraced Arundel,
Grenville and Harrington.
The present church building was begun in 1889 by the Rev. Peter McGregor,
and completed two or three years later, during the pastorate of Rev. F. H.
Morrison. The following interesting sketch, in which the history of the
Presbyterian Church in Arundel is embodied, was prepared at our request by
the Rev. James Stewart, who was the first Presbyterian minister stationed
in this township, but who now resides in Montreal :
11 Having had the pastoral charge of those in connection with the
Presbyterian Church in three of the northern Townships of the County
of Argenteuil, for many years, 1 am well acquainted with those places
and with many of the people there. The general aspect of the country
is picturesque and romantic, abounding in a variety of objects which
cannot fail to interest the mind of the lover of nature. His attention is
attracted to something new and striking in almost every step he takes.
Mountains, valleys, rolling uplands, level flats, ravines, primeval
forests, and many hills made bare through the ravages of fires, often
carelessly kindled in the hot and dry season of the year, break forth to
his view from all directions ; and, in addition, miles of green bush,
occasionally, and lakes, rivulets and streams, clearings and farms in
different states of cultivation.
" Starting from the front of Harrington, say, at McCuaig s Corner,
he enters by
the highway between two mountain ranges ; the one on the left stretching
north- east, a distance of about eight miles, and then turning due
north, about the same distance to Arundel ; and the other on the right,
eastward, passing Lost River on the south, till it enters a few miles
into Wentworth, and then goes east again to the vicinity of the 1 6
Island Lake, after which, it takes its course due north, passing in
the rear of Lake Settlement, Lake Bevin and Bark Lake, and far beyond
the boundary line between the counties of Argenteuil and Terrebonne. The
chain of mountains, chiefly on the east side of the River Rouge, and near
the western boundary of Harrington, falls in the far north, on the line
just described, and this junction forms a triangle, having the front of
Harrington for its base. By dividing this triangle into four sections,
we have Old Harrington, East River and Lake Settlement, Arundel, and
in fine, DeSalaberry, where the English and Gaelic-speaking people of
those townships reside.
" This part of the county is remarkably healthy, so much so that there is
no resi dent doctor between the villages of St. Jovite and Grenville a
distance of over forty miles ; and the rate of mortality has, hitherto,
been low. The climate is excellent ; the temperature is moderate,
and even in winter it generally escapes the devastating effects of the
violence of the storm in other parts, being protected much by surround
ing mountains. The scenery is beautiful in several parts, but especially
in Arundel, which was more recently settled than either of the other
townships. If one stands on a fine day in July on the road opposite the
post-office, with his face turned east, he beholds Lake Bevin about one
mile distant, stretching from north to south for several miles, like
a sea of glass under the glare of a vertical sun, with the mountains
behind towering to the clouds ; or, if looking north, he can survey,
almost with one glance of the eye, the lovely panorama stretched from
beneath him in the valley of the Rouge, extending for miles, so far as
the eye can see the outlines, and the well laid out farms adjoining each
other, in regular succession, covered with good grain ripening fast for
the harvest, now at hand. Or, if looking to the left over the River
Rouge, about a mile distant, he sees the home of the Oblat Fathers
now a plain village, but evidently destined in the future to have a
commanding influence in the surrounding country. Expensive improvements
are carried on, new buildings erected and beautiful gardens are laid out,
and the range of hills in the background extending their arms north and
HISTORY OF ARGESTEUIL.
south, and covered with living green, he cannot fail to admire the scene,
and this, in a place where, not many years ago, the wild beasts of the
forest roamed with impunity and the Indian felt himself to be monarch
of all he surveyed.
" With the exception of some French families, and one or two from the
United States, the settlers are of British and Irish origin. A. few of
themselves and the parents of the rest have emigrated to this country;
,ind how sadly some of those who went direct to the bush, on their
arrival in Canada, repented the step they had taken ; and how soon they
would have hastened back to their native hills, had they possessed the
means to enable them, and especially when they called to remembrance
the blessings they enjoyed there, as compared with their prospects in
the wjods and how heartily they could sing with Scott, when under the
influence of the spirit of Scottish patriotism, the following lines :
" O Caledonia, stern and wild Meet nurse for a poetic child ; Land
of brown heath and shaggy wood, Land of the mountain and the flood.
Land of my sires ! what mortal hand Can e er untie the filial band,
That knits me to thy rugged strand ?
" The difficulties they had to encounter, when striving to make for
themselves comfortable homes, were, to most of them, many and great. There
were no roads for a time. They were only narrow paths and an occasional
blaze to guide them through the extended forest, till preparation was
made for oxen. Many here had to carry their scanty provisions on their
back. The distance was great, the prices
charged for flour and other necessaries were high, the means to purchase
were very scanty, the work to be done was heavy. The ordeal to go through
in trying to make ends meet was often painful to flesh and blood. But
years silently, yet surely, rolled on, one burden after another they were
enabled to carry. Some of them often thought they would sink under them,
but in their greatest extremity a way of escape was opened up. They
bravely and courageously kept their shoulder to the wheel, and by the
blessing of God came out of the conflict not the worse of the struggle,
but greatly benefited thereby. God prospered and helped those who helped
themselves. Their lands mostly are cleared ; the old system of farming is
being abolished, and dairy farming, a better and a more profitable one, is
being adopted. The soil that was run out is enriched with manure ; cheese
and butter factories are erected in suitable localities. The country roads
are, upon the whole, good in all directions. Railways will soon reach
them all, at the points most convenient and acceptable to them, and almost
before they are aware of it ; they have splendid properties, comfortable
homes, and now can live in a state of comparative independence.
" Beyond the boundary stated, in the townships adjoining Arundel, in the
west and north, the great body of the people are French. Of late years,
they have been increasing in number very fast, and occupying the land
for a long time possessed by the lumberer. Hitherto they have conducted
themselves well, as neighbors of the
Protestant element, and are a quiet and industrious people, minding their
own busi ness, and consistent adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. In
the rear of Harrington, east of the Rouge, there is a small settlement
of French Protestants, who have been provided with a teacher for many
years past, to educate their children and to hold religious meetings amcng
them. The rest of the population are all Protest ants, and divided among
Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican churches. The latter two Churches,
chiefly in Arundel and the townships west, are doing a good work for the
Master. Their ministers seem to be busy and earnest laborers in the Gospel
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
457
vineyard, and encouraged by the help of their people. The Presbyterians
are, for the most part, in Harrington. Quite a number of their families
and of those in DeSalaberry, believing that they would get on better in
the world elsewhere, sold their farms, and left, some for Manitoba and
some for British Columbia and other parts several years ago. The blank
thus occasioned as yet has been only partially filled up. Nevertheless,
the Presbyterians are still in the majority, and if not numerically in
creased from without, they are so through additions of growth from within.
Grenville and Old Harrington were settled many years before the northern
townships were, and many of the settlers were Gaelic-speaking people,
requiring a preacher able to speak Gaelic and English ; with this
they were generally supplied. In the course of time a large number
of families from Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, belonging to the
con gregation of Rev. Mr. Beith, afterwards Rev. Dr. Beith, Sterling,
and one of the leaders of the Free Church, settled in the Lost River
district. Being entirely Gaelic people they united with the other stations
of Grenville and Old Harrington, and received a thi rd of the missionary s
service. This arrangement continued till the new Central Church was built,
when they all worshipped together, as one congregation, for a few years.
By and by, the Grenville township section became a distinct congregation,
and was joined to the French Church, near the village of the same name,
and many of the
people in Old Harrington, and especially Lost River and beyond, found
out from experience, that the Church was to be practically useless as
a place of worship, because they lived so remotely from it that they
could seldom attend it. The old Kirk of Scotland in Canada being united
with the Canada Presbyterian Church, about this time, new changes, as
might be reasonably expected, took place with respect to some of the
Home Mission Stations ; hence Avoca was united to Old Harrington
and Lost River. But again this union continued only for a year or
two. The preachers sent could not preach in Gaelic, and, with a very
few exceptions, the Lost River people absented themselves from church,
on the ground that they could not be benefited by the service in English,
and without wearying the reader by further
details, the result was that they turned round and joined themselves to
the northern pastorate of Arundel, and through some differences which
arose, the Old Harrington people separated from Avoca, having sent a
petition to the Presbytery of Montreal, requesting to be joined to the
same charge; their request was favorably responded to. This union was
effected and continued a long time, till within two years of the close of
the pastor s connection with the whole field. Then he had no alternative
than to hand in his resignation to the Presbytery, feeling that his
health was declining and the work too heavy for his strength. During
this period of the people s history, they had to undergo many changes,
some painful to the feelings and perhaps to
the interests of individuals and families. Households began to break
up young
men and women to quit the old homesteads. One, here and there, of the old
pioneers was gathered to his fathers, and friends and relatives mourned
over their loss, and especially over those who had left an example
worthy of imitation by surviving connections; for some of them did good
in their day and generation. But in some
respects, the changes were favorable, not merely in regard to
their prosperity in the world, in their progress towards securing
for themselves a competence to live upon by the blessing of God, but
also in their character and conduct. Their social, moral and religious
life could compare well with that of many who boasted of their virtues,
integrity, intelligence and outward moral conduct striving to carry out
the golden rule in their lives to do to others as they would that others
should do to them. They had not had the advantages which others in more
favorable circumstances enjoyed; they possessed not much of this world s
goods. They were not favored with material riches, with great learning,
power or a name of distinction among men. They have
30
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
had but little or nothing earthly to boast of perhaps, save good health,
common fare of living, strong arms, self-reliance, honesty of purpose,
and faith in the kind Providence
of God.
" Not a few were gentle and loving in their disposition, and just
and generous in their dealings with others. They sympathized with the
afflicted, and, according to their ability, liberally helped the poor
and outcast, the cause of God among men ; while a few were no credit
to society at large or to themselves, and continued without much change
for good. The rest went on in the right direction. As progress was made
in the cultivation of their farms in the world of nature around them,
so it happened in the cultivation of the heart and mind, and manifested
itself in the conduct of daily life. Education, according to the Common
School System of this country, made considerable progress among the
settlers in the course of years. As might be reason ably supposed, it
was a slow and up-hill work for some time. Many difficulties were 10
be met with and overcome ; hindrances, not a few, to be removed ; and
many hardships to be borne. The necessaries of life, in the case of most,
could only be provided through much toil and self-endurance. The education
of the young and rising generation was, in the meantime, lost sight of
and kept in the background. But the time at length arrived when public
attention was drawn to it. The preliminaries were gone through with as
soon as convenient. School sections were marked out, schoot commissioners
appointed, and school-houses built and teachers employed. A Government
inspector began to visit the schools once, and sometimes twice, a year,
doing his duty faithfully, yet at the same time kindly and patiently,
and thus elicited, through examination on the different branches taught,
the state of education in each school. The encouraging advice given on
such occasions, whatever the progress might be, was often followed with
good results, stimulating both teacher and pupils to greater diligence
in time to come. It is amazing, after all that is published in the local
and provincial press of the Dominion, about the necessity of such a
course of instruction as is given in our public schools, its imporlance,
advantages, and the high position not a few have reached, chiefly through
its instrumentality, to find not a few practically disregarding it.
i( But, notwithstanding the benefits to be derived from the Common
School Sys tem, it is defective in its provisions for the education of
the whole of man. It is good as far as it goes, but it does not go far
enough. It is merely secular, securing advantages often of great value in
the present life, but not what is of the greatest importance and moment,
what is necessary to prepare us for the life to come. To
the Christian religion, as revealed in the Word of God, we must go
to get the know ledge of that preparation and exercising diligence in
the use of the means of grace. We must deny ourselves, bear our cross,
and follow Christ in the way He has marked out for us, and we shall then
grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord.
" What we need for our own spiritual good, we require for the benefit
of our children and young people. While paternal instruction is very
much neglected in
our day, Sabbath Schools are a great necessity, and this being felt in
the North, they were kept up for many years in a state of efficiency,
and much good was being done through this agency, as acknowledged by
those who experienced it in their own
souls."
It is unpleasant to turn from the annals of churches, religion, and the
peaceful pursuits of rural life, to the records of revolting crime.
One travelling through Arundel, and observing its many points of
attractive scenery, fields of waving grain, quiet, grazing herds, and
above all, the peaceful, friendly manners of its industrious people,
would scarcely believe that in this scene of peace was once committed
a murder as atrocious as any ever recorded in the annals of crime.
HISTORY OF ARGRNTEUIL. 459
In 1875, between the months of August and November, a man employed
altern ately as a farmer and as a shantyman, named Dan. Narbonne,
abruptly disappeared
from this township. Though a few entertained suspicions of foul play, no
search was made for the missing man, and the matter was soon forgotten. In
October, 1880, a woman named Mary Quinlevin, wife of Martin Samson,
appeared before Thomas Barron, J.P., of Lachute, and made oath that
she believed Dan. Narbonne had been murdered by Jean Baptiste Narbonne,
his brother.
This oath was given on account of admissions that, she claimed, had
been made to her by Genevieve Lafleur, the aged stepmother of the
deceased. Warrants were
at once issued, and Jean Baptisle Narbonne, his father and stepmother
were arrested
the two latter being accessory to the crime. Besides the woman, Mary
Quinlevin,
who lodged the complaint, there was another witness, George McKenzie
at that time a merchant in Arundel. He testified that on recently
questioning rtie old man as to where he had obtained the money to buy
certain goods of him, in 1875, the old man confessed that it was money
obtained from his son Dan., who had been murdered by his brother, Jean
Baptiste Narbonne. The accused, finding the evi dence so strong against
him, at once made a full confession of the shocking deed, which, related
concisely, was as follows :
The father, Francois Narbonne, his wife and the two sons, occupied
a small loghouse together. The deceased had a little money which he
had earned, and which he had entrusted to the care of his stepmother
for safe-keeping. Un friendly feelings had subsisted between the two
brothers, and it was shown that the stepmother had counseled Baptiste to
put Dan. out of the way ; and had actually obtained some poisonous herb,
herself, to mix with Dan. s food or drink. For some reason, this method of
despatching him was abandoned, and the murderer then borrowed a gun of a
neighbor to execute the fiendish act. Coming into the house one evening,
where his father and stepmother were in bed, but awake, and his brother
was asleep on the floor, Jean Baptiste deliberately raised the gun,
and shot his brother, unconscious of the fate awaiting him. The victim
started, and partially rose from his position, when the brute completed
his fiendish work, by striking him over the head with the gun and thus
breaking the stock. Impervious to remorse or shame, the three slept
through the night, with the murdered brother and son lying beside them in
a pool of blood. In the morning the murderer and his worthy sire dragged
the body by the feet a few yards from the house, and buried it, while the
stepmother washed up the blood and removed the stains where their victim
lay. It was not pro bable, however, that people so ignorant and depraved
would forever keep a secret so important j indeed, it is surprising that
five years elapsed ere this foul deed was brought to light, but "murder
will out." Quarrels ensued between the guilty parties, and, no doubt,
the aged sinners thought that by revealing the crime they might get rid of
the surviving son, and escape punishment themselves. The sequel, however,
proved their mistake. After his confession, the murderer conducted the
officers of justice to the grave of his victim ; the remains were
disinterred, a trial of the guilty trio before Judge Johnson, at
St. Scholastique, soon followed, and they were all sentenced to be hanged.
The sentence, however, was afterward commuted to imprisonment fe, a
the old couple have since died in the penitentiary, and the son is
still at work there. It is to be hoped that, during the long period of
his imprisonment, he has been able, through reflection, to realize the
enormity of his unnatural crime.
460 HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
MONTCALM.
This township, which is of recent formation, is not mentioned in the list
of Municipalities in the Province of Quebec, published by Government in
1886. it is bounded on the north by the north line of Argenteuil County,
east by Howard south by Wentworth and Harrington, and west by Arundel. It
is as yet but thinly
settled, and the population consists chiefly of French, though it
contains a few English- speaking people. Of the latter there is a small
settlement on Bevin a Lake next to Arundel. Bevin Lake, as well as Bark
Lake, both of which extend into Arundel, lie chiefly in Montcalm.
HOWARD.
/
PROCLAMATION OF THE I4TH NOVEMBER, 1873.
Organized in 1883, in virtue of article 35 of the Municipal Code.
Like Montcalm, this township is a new one, and but thinly settled. It
is bounded on the north by the north line of the County of Argenteuil,
east by Morin, south by Wentworth, and west by Montcalm. Until its
organization, Howard, for Municipal purpose?, was attached to Morin.
The first settlers in Howard were Joseph and Pierre Millette, who settled
in the south part of the township about 1864. In the north part, where
the Municipal business is transacfed, the first settlers were HUBERT
PAQUET and a man named Corbeil.
The following are the names of those who have served as Mayors of Howard
since its organization : Messrs. HUBERT PAQUET, CHARLES BRUNET, ALEXIS
CHICOINE, and OLIVER WOOD.
A post-office was established in Howard a few years since, and Hubert
Paquet was appointed postmaster ; he was succeeded about 1892 by FREDERIC
SENEGAL.
Like all the other townships of Argenteuil, Howard contains several
small attractive lakes, Lake St. Joseph and Lake St. Marie being the
most noted for their beauty.
PRESCOTT.
This County is located in the extreme western part of Ontario, and is
bounded north by the Ottawa River, east by the County of Vaudreuil,
south by Glengarry and Stormont, and west by Russell. It is divided into
the townships of Longueuil, East Hawkesbury, West Hawkesbury, Alfred,
Caledonia, North Plantagenet, South Plantagenet, and the villages of
Hawkesbury and L Orignal.
With the exception of a few quarries, which are noticed elsewhere in
these pages, the geology of Prescott is unimportant ; hence it has been
deemed unnecessary to devote space to a subject of so little interest.
The physical features of the County are more interesting from an
agricultural point of view than from any other, for though there are many
points of scenery that are picturesque, the County is generally very level
and adapted to cultivation. The only exceptions are marshy portions,
and the greater part of these, which were once regarded worthless, have
been so far reclaimed, that it is now believed that nearly all will yet
be rendered tillable.
Fortunately, the French settlers, on coming into the County, preferred
the low land which the English-speaking portion discarded, consequently
the marshes have been drained and transformed into productive fields,
so that the greater part of Prescott is thoroughly cultivated. As a
farming section it can scarcely be excelled in the Dominion, and it is
doubtful if there is another County of equal extent which contains a
greater number of independent farmers.
CENSUS OF 1891.
Roman Church Catho- of Ertg- lics. land.
Presby terians.
Metho dists.
Bap tists.
Congre gational.
Prescott., 18. S14 1.161
2 ?66
I. 17/1
ItA
4Q,
26
* * ft
IS
JD4 I c
lai
AQ
j
Hawkesbury East 3>6oo 250
oVo
c64
Vy
272
IO4
6
Hawkesbury West M46 240
714
/*
121
J> ~"T 71
1 1
Hawkesbury Village I 482 167
IJt
281
J^J 2/1
2Q
28
Longueuil., I 061 44
20
9*
-12
~!7
;
L, Oricnal Villaee . . 714 44
in
o* 71
j
8
"lantapenet North . 1.71 1 * 20
1 ->J 162
QO
27
244
28i;
1
06
I
**3
y"
462
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
CENSUS OF 1891. Continued.
Popu lation.
No. of families.
Total dwellings occupied.
Wood.
Brick.
Stone.
One
Story.
Two
Stories.
Three Stones.
Prescott
24,173 3<53 1,943 4,896
2,740 2,042 1,172 1,002
4,245 3,080
4,138 515 325
831 504
355
95
1 80
706
5 2 7
4,005 484
324 803 490
351 178
165 686
524
3>473 441
303
677
330 37 148
135
648
484
443 33 14 1 06
138 35 23
21
33 40
87 8
7
20 22
9
7 9
5
*
3,006 367 73 783
327 I
171
I4S
563 476
975
HO
IS*
18
57
345 7 17 123
47
22
5
Alfred
Caledonia .
Hawkesbury East. . . Hawkesbury West.. Hawkesbury Village Longueuil . .
2
6
5
L Orignal
/
1 lantagenet North . . Plantagenet South . .
1
Total occu piers of land.
Being owners.
Being tenants.
101
acres to 200.
20 1
acres and over.
Acres under crops.
Acres in pasture.
Acres in Woodland and Forest
Gardens and orchards.
Prescott
3,46i 473 3"
685
399
77 197
165 658 496
2,937
421
274 6 34
3 2 3 67
155 99 536 428
487
47 27
1 63
10
38 63
122
6?
525 84 40
H5
77 15 46 ii
72 65
148 9 15 36 16
7 18
7 9
21
127,097 25,404
H,527 28^28
9*7 *
1,529 ii, in
2,598 21,057 15,732
59>76i 5,250 5,37! 15, *3 6 7,039 1,607 4,388 1,065 12,962
6,943
63,241
4.73 1 10,015 8.988 9,214
2,925 2,796 2,508 8,468 13,596
^231
137
65
192
269 48 124 58 182 156
Alfred
Caledonia
Hawkesbury East . . . Hawkesbury West . . Hawkesbury Village.
L Orignal Village... Plantagenet North . . Plantagenet South..
REPRESENTATION OF THE COUNTY OF PRESCOTT.
UPPER CANADA.
MEMBERS ELECTED.
YEAR.
John McDonnell
John McDonnell
Alexander McDonnell
Angus McDonnell ,
W. B. Wilkinson
Alexander McDonnell .... Alexander McDonnell ....
John McDonnell
Donald McDonald
Donald McDonald
Donald McDonald
Donald McDonald
R. P. Hotham
John Kearns ,
Donald McDonald
Neil Stewart
Donald McDonald
T. H. Johnson
T. H. Johnson
Henry Wellesley McCann .
Henry W. McCann
Henry W. McCann
Thomas Higginson
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 463
PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.
J. Boyd
Geo. W. Hamilton
William Harkin
Willif.m Harkin
Albert Hagar
Albert Hagar
Alfred F. E. F.vanturel . Alfred F. E. Evanturel , Alfred F. E. Evanturel
. .
Prescott .
(I II
1867 1871
1875 1879 1882 1884 1887
1890
1894
MEMBERS OF THE DOMINION PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF PRESCOTT.
From 1867 to 1878, Albert Hagar. From 1879 to l882 > Felix Routhier.
From 1883 to 1890, Simon Labrosse. From 1891 to 1895, Isidore Proulx.
Although the list of Representatives given above was sent by the Clerk
of the Legislative Assembly, we find that the names of Thomas Mears,
William Hamilton,
and Dr. David Pattee are not mentioned. At a Court of General Quarter
Sessions held at L Orignal, 24th September, 1816, it was ordered that
Thomas Mears, Esq.
do have a draft upon the Treasurer for ^"41 for his wages as member of
Parliament Following the copy of this order is this statement :
" I hereby certify that I have given a draft for the above amount.
" Jos. FORTUNE, C. P."
A document among the papers of the late Judge Macdonnell also states
that Thomas Mears was a member of two Parliaments.
It is a fact well known also, that when Prescott and Russell were
united for purposes of representation, about 1822, William Hamilton
and Dr. David Pattee were candidates ; Pattee received the majority of
votes, but owing to the prejudice and trickery of the returning officer,
enough votes were thrown out to give Hamilton the seat. An investigation,
however, followed, which resulted in giving Pattee the seat.
When Neil Stewart was elected, the following letter of congratulation
was sent
by the Governor-General :
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, October i7th, 1844. SIR,
I am advised to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the i3th inst.,
announcing the election of Neil Stewart, Esq., for the County of Prescott,
and to convey to you the expression of His Excellency s thanks for the
satisfactory intelli gence it conveys.
The Governor-General heartily congratulates the freeholders of the county
upon the worthy selection that they have made.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your faithful servant, C. A. LOWE, Ensign. T. M. HIGGINSON.
464 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
INHABITANTS OF PRESCOTT.
A description of the character and habits of the people of Prescott
would be simply a repetition of what has been said in a former part
of this volume of the people of Argenteuil. Of the same race, from the
same country, and often from the same district and neighborhood, even
in many instances of the same kindred, they naturally possess the same
characteristics. Loyalty, patriotism, honesty and hospi tality may be
said without exaggeration or flattery to be the distinguishing traits of
the inhabitants from Vaudreuil to Russell, from the Ottawa to Stormont
and Glengarry.
A larger American element remained in Prescott than there did in
Argenteuil, and their descendants are among the thriving and influential
citizens of the present. U. E. Loyalists formed no insignificant part of
the early settlers of Ontario. Scattered here and there, also, were not
a few who had aided, to a greater or less degree, in securing American
independence. It is woithy of note that these two classes, who had settled
here under circumstances and with motives so entirely different, dwelt
side by side in harmony. Each had acted conscientiously, and according to
his own views of what was ri&ht ; hence, in the new position they forgot
political differences^, and each respected the rights of the other. Far
different was the feeling against the one who, though now claiming to
be a loyalist, had long borne the stigma of traitor.
Benedict Arnold, it will be remembered, was one of those who
enthusiastically espoused the American cause, on the declaration of
Independence. It was he who led the force up through the dense New England
wilderness to capture Quebec, but which expedition ended disastrously
for the Americans, and cost the life of their gallant officer, the young
Richard Montgomery. Arnold was equally brave in other campaigns against
the British, but suddenly incensed at some fancied slight or reproof
from his superior officer, he deserted, and, subsequently, fought with
his usual determination and bravery against the Americans. At the close
of the war he sought safety in England, and we learn from the Report of
1891, on the Canadian Archives, the following :
Among other applicants for large tracts of land in Upper Canada was
Benedict
Arnold. _ In a letter to the Duke of Portland, dated 2nd January,
1797. he writes :
There is no other man in England that has made so great sacrifices as I
have done, of property, rank, prospects, etc., in support of Government,
and no man who has received less in return." In July, 1797, in a petition
to the King, Arnold asks for 10,000 acres of land in Upper Canada,
for himself, and 5,000 acres each for his wife and seven children,
being 50,000 in all. One condition on which Arnold was very
pressing \vas, that he should not be obliged to come to Canada to take
possession of his land. Another was, that it might be made general, so
that he could select his land in any part of the British provinces in
which land was available. In a letter of General Simcoe to John King,
Under-Secretary of State, dated 26th March, 1798, To answer your first
query, is there any objection to Arnold and his children having any
grant of land in Upper Canada ? I say there is no legal impedi ment
(on American grounds), provided they have not already had any grant in the
Province of New Brunswick ; but General Arnold is a character extremely
obnoxious to the original loyalists of America ; his not intending to
reside in Upper Canada does away, in some measure, with that objection."
It will thus be seen that though the Ontario loyalists could condone
what they regarded an error of judgment and want of loyalty in others,
they could not tolerate the presence of one who had traitorously deserted
the cause they abhorred, even
though he had espoused their own.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 465
As Prescott formed a part of Glengarry up to 1817, we do noi know bow
many of the gallant fellows belonging to the Glengarry corps in the
war of 1812 really lived in what is now known as Prescott. That there
were some, there can be no doubt, and we sincerely regret our inability
to give their names and places of residence. One fact should not be
forgotten, that in that war, as well as in the Rebellion of 1837, there
were Frenchmen whose loyalty and bravery stood out as conspicuously in
defence of the British flag, as that of their English-speaking brethren
; several young French Canadians walked all the way from Sorel to take
part in the battle of Lundy s Lane.
Since the above was written, the following has been received :
" HAWKESBURY, April 15, 1896. " DEAR SIR,
"With a desire to preserve the names of the good, true men of the County
of Prescott, who bore arms in their country s cause, I send you the
enclosed list of pensioners of the war of 1812, who received a share of
the $50,000 granted by Government. Most of them took part in the battles
south of the St. Lawrence, Chateauguay, etc. Hoping that this may be of
service to you in the preparation of your valuable work,
V: I remain, yours respectfully,
" T. T. HIGGINSON."
" TIMOTHY POOL, who engaged in farming after the war ; BAPTISTE ROY,
whose death took place at an advanced age ; MICHEL SEGUIN, who also
engaged in farming, became totally blind and died at the age of 86 ;
FRANCOIS DECHAMP, who received a grant of land for his services, and
lived to the age of 95 ; JOSEPH MANARD, a farmer, who also lived till
he was 95 ; ALEXANDER BOUDRIE, who owned an ashery, and was
reputed to have lived to the great age of 100 years ; all settled after
the war in East Hawkesbury, and died in that place."
" CHARLES ROUTHIER and JULIAN LE BLANC also settled in East Hawkesbury,
but the former died in L Orignal in 1878, and the latter in St. Eugene,
aged 94. Mr. Routhier was on the river between Montreal and the Sault,
forwarding stores, when the battle of Chrysler s Farm took place."
" Another pensioner was JOSEPH CHATELAIN, a farmer who settled in South
Plan- tagenet, and died in that place in January, 1896, aged 105 years."
Among those who took an active part in the stirring events of the war of
Inde pendence, and the wars of the first Napoleon, two of our townsmen
who ended their days here might be worthy of a short notice.
"The first was SYLVESTER CORE, the village blacksmith, who came here
in the wake of the U.E. Loyalists. His stories of the Green Mountain
Boys heroic deeds, and, of course, his own, were startling. Like most
veterans, he had a long lease of life, dying here at the age of 90. The
other, WILLIAM HOLLIDAY, was born in London, Eng., and left home at the
age of nine. He enlisted on a man-of-war, and served in the fleet till
1815. He was at Corunna when the remnant of Sir John Moore s army was
saved by the embarkation of the men and stores ; and had the ill luck
to be a prisoner of war for five years in a French prison before an
exchange could relieve him. He died in Hawkesbury at the age of 80,
leaving no family."
" FRANCOIS LAROCQUE was born at Sorel, Que., in 1796. At sixteen he
joined a company composed chiefly of young French Canadians ; these
young recruits, at
tached to a small body of regulars, reached Kingston by forced
marches. From Kingston they pushed on to Niagara, arriving in time to
share to the full the hard fought field of Lundy s Lane."
466 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
" The young soldier came out of his first battle with three wounds, the
most severe being caused by a musket bullet, which passed through his
leg near the knee. After receiving his discharge, Mr. Larocque settled
in East Hawkesbury, on a fine little farm of 60 acres, three miles from
the Ottawa river ; here he reared a large family of indus trious and
respectable children. His death took place in Hawkesbury in May, 1883,
at the age of 87."
Mr. T. T. Higginson also relates the following incident, which is worth
pre serving :
Finlay McRae, one of the pioneers of West Hawkesbury, and a veteran
British soldier, had been in the battle of the Nile, Trafalgar,
and other engagements without receiving a wound. In the war of 1812,
he was taken prisoner by the Americans and received treatment which he
could not forget. One Fourth of July, when en tering Hawkesbury Mills,
he saw a flag-pole, from which the Stars and Stripes were gaily floating
in the breeze. His blood was up. His cooper s axe was in his hand, and
with this he cut down the flag-pole, tore the flag in shreds, and set
the crowd at defiance. " Mad dogs ! " was his favorite expression when
angered, and one that
was oft-repeated till the American flag was destroyed and no one saw fit
to interfere with him. It is said that at the battle of the Nile, when
both armies were nearly exhausted, and Finlay McRae and an artillery-man
were the only ones left of this com pany, McRae charged the gun alone
and fired the last shot which turned the tide of victory.
Among the papers of Judge Macdonnell, we find the reports of the several
com panies of Prescott militia that annually met for drill. The names
of all the men in each company are given with their ages, the lot and
concession where they lived, and in case a man was absent, the cau^e
thereof is carefully reported. We can give the names of only the officers,
and a few of the companies.
Co. No. 2. Muster of Capt. Alexander Grant s Company ist Reg. Prescott
Militia, 2oth Dec., 1827. Capt. Alexander Grant, Lieut. Philo Hall,
Ensign John G. Mclntosh, Sergts. Alex. Marston, Waters Mills, 76 men,
rank and file, 2 men absent without leave.
Co. No. 4. Capt. Alexander Cameron, Lieut Chas. Waters, Ensign W. Z.
Cozens, Sergts. John McMaster, Daniel Johnson, Josiah Jackson, 51 men,
rank and
file, mustered 27th Oct., 1827.
Co. No. 5. Mustered at Vankleek Hill, Monday, 17111 December, 1827.
Capt. Donald Roy McDonald, Lieut. Kenneth McClusket, Ensign John McRae
; Sergts. Barnabas Vankleek, Ewen McLachlan, Donald Campbell, 67 rank
and file.
The following are reports of companies "mustered at Wade s," in 1832.
Capt. P. Le Roy, Lieut. G. H. Macdonnell Ensign vacant. Total rank and
file. 66.
Co. No. 4 Capt. Alexander Cameron, Lieut. Charles Waters, Ensign Alex.
Cameron, Sergts. John McMaster, Josiah Jackson, Anson Center, 62 rank
and file;
Capt. J. Harrigan s Co., 52 rank and file.
Co. No. 6. Capt. Elijah Brown, Lieut. C. A. Low, Ensign Joseph
S. Whitcomb, Sergts. Hugh Lough, William Bailey, Thomas Higginson,
147 rank and file.
Co. No. 5. Capt. D. K. McDonald, Lieut. Farquhar Robertson, Ensign
John McRae, Sergts. Barnabas Vankleek, Hugh McLachlan, Hollis Griffin,
78 rank and file.
The following list shows that the Militia were well organized and
officered in
1838.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
467
List of the officers of the ist Regiment of Prescott Militia, with
their places of residence, and the dates of their appointments, taken
April, 1838:
RANK.
NAMES.
RESIDENCE.
DATES OF APPOINTMENT.
REMARKS.
AGES.
Colonel
Me Macdonnell ......
Pt. Fortune ....
1st April, 1822. . .
Received Commission.
70
T t -Col
Geo Hamilton . <
Hy Mills
i8th June, "
tt n
58
Maior
Alex Grant
Longueuil
23rd Aup., 1833..
a a
64
Captain..
H
Jeremiah Harrigan ....
W. Hawkesbury. Plantagenet
26th Feb., 1812. .. 6th May, 1820
It Ii tt it
54 54
Donald R McDonald.
Longueuil
27th April, "
tt tt
$4-
((
Elijah Brown ... ....
W Hawkesbury .
28th " " ..
it it
((
James Molloy ,
Plantagenet
loth March, 1824.
it U
((
C Johnson
25th Feb., 1826...
Not rec d. Commission.
5 6
John Chesser
Caledonia Flats.
26th " . .
i. a
45
11
William Coffin
Hy. Mills
2ird April. 1833..
Received Commission.
39
Lieut
W llawkesbury.
25th " 1820..
it a
67
ts
a
Chas . A . Low
G I H Macdonnell ..
Hy. Mills Pt. Fortune. ....
loth March, 1824. ist Feb., 1832. . .
It it
Not rec d. Commission.
39 31
n
\Vm Z Cozens ...
L Orignal
2nd " "
tt it
48
it
Jessup s Falls. . .
3rd " :
tt ~t
tt
Farq. Robertson
W. Hawkesbury.
4th " "
tt ti
40
Ensipn
John McRae
ft
2nd 1820 . .
Received. Commission.
41
(i
a
Joseph S. \Vhitcomb.. I ohn \V Grant
tt L Orignal
28th Feb., 1826.. 2"U d Autr., 18^2. .
Not rec d. " Received
23
ii
Jno. Wurtele Marston
ii
24th " ..
Not rec d. "
32
tt
Neil Stewart
Vankleek Hill
2 all " "
41
H
Simeon Cass
Head Port
27th "
42
tt
Longueuil
28th " " ..
Received Commission..
53
tf
I. B. P Macdonnell. .
Pt. Fortune
23rd " 1833.
it a
24
Basile St. Julien
8th Jan., 1836
a ti
42
Adj
John Kearns
Plantagenet . .
9th March, 1824. .
Or Mst r
The formation of the i8th Battalion of Prescott Militia was prompted by
the same war cloud that caused the organization of the nth Battalion or
Argenteuil Rangers. We cannot give the exact dates at which the different
companies except
the first were formed, but in 1866 the promptitude with which they
responded to the call issued from head-quarters showed that they lacked
neither the martial spirit nor patriotism which had always been the
distinguishing traits of their ancestors. To their credit, too, it
should be remembered that the reports which had been long in circulation
led them to believe that they were to meet no insignificant foe, but
veteran soldiers the greater part of whom had seen service in the armies
of Grant and McLellan. The first company of the i8th Battalion was formed
in 1862 at Hawkesbury Mills, the officers of which were as follows :
Captains.
Co. No. i, Wm. Higginson. " " 2, John Shields. " " 3, A. I. Grant.
" " 4, Geo. McBean. " " 5, H. W. McCann. " " 6, Angus Urquhart.
ist Lieutenants. Angus Urquhart. Hugh Lough. John Miller. Wm. Ogden.
Donald Mclntosh. John W. Higginson.
Ensigns. Jas. Higgiuson. John Mclnnis. Sturgis M. Johnson.
Joseph Grant. Wm. C. Willis. Geo. N. Robertson.
468 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The Hon. John Hamilton was appointed Lt.-Col. in 1863, and William Higgin-
son Major.
On Sunday morning, the third day of June, 1866, a telegram was received
by Captain (now Lt.-Col.) Shields, to call out the Battalion, and
proceed forthwith, by Steamer" Queen Victoria," to Ottawa. Captain
Bowie, commander of the steamer, had been ordered to proceed to L
Orignal, and convey the Volunteers from that place to Ottawa with
all possible dispatch. The Volunteers were at once duly notified by
the non-commissioned officers and officers of the several companies ;
the morning was favorable for the purpose, as many of the Volunteers
had assembled at the differ ent churches in the villages for public
worship. Although the time for assembling was brief, between three and
four o clock p.m. of the same day the order was re
ceived, Companies i, 2, 3, 5, and 6 reported at the L Orignal wharf,
and boarded the steamer, which started immediately for Ottawa, stopping
on the way to take in other Volunteers that were waiting; the steamer
arrived at Ottawa about n p.m. Com pany No. 4 of the Battalion, having a
longer distance to travel, did not arrive at Ottawa until the following
day Monday.
On the arrival of the Companies in Ottawa, the commanding officer,
Captain Shields, immediately reported to the Adjutant-General,
Col. P. L. McDougall, who was anxiously awaiting them. Ail were at once
billetted, with orders to report (sharp) at 7 o clock on Monday, June
4th, at the Ottawa and Prescott Railway Station, and proceed to Prescott
on the St. Lawrence. Arrivingin Prescott at 10 a.m., and report ing to
Col. Atcherly, the officer commanding the garrison at Fort Wellington,
they were immediately stationed one-half at the Railway Station the
other in the Town Hall.
The following, copied from the Battalion Order Book, shows the names of
the officers when they were called out in 1870 :
Head-Quarters i8th Battalion,
Dominion Hall, Cornwall, ayth May, 1870.
1 8th Battalion arrived at Cornwall this evening, and reported to Col.
Atcherly, commanding the Garrison.
Major Shields, in the absence of Lt.-Col. Higginson, commanding the
Battalion.
The marching in state showed the strength of the Battalion to consist
of 20 offi cers and 155 men, as follows ;
No. i, Capt. C. I. Higginson, two subalterns and Uiirty-six men.
2, " Donald Mclntosh, two subalterns, 38 men.
3, " Pattee, two subalterns, 27 men.
4, " Ogden, two subalterns, 30 men.
5, McLean, two subalterns, 24 men.
SCHOOLS OF PRESCOTT.
BY W. J. SUMMERBY, SCHOOL INSPECTOR.
J. Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, shortly
after his appointment in 1791, wrote to Sir Jos. Banks, President of
the Royal Society, as follows :
In a literary way I should be glad to lay the foundation stone of
some society that I trust might hereafter conduce to the extension of
science. Schools have been shamefully neglected. A college of a higher
class would be eminently useful, and would give a tone of principle and
manners that would be of infinite support to government."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 469
This is the starting point of the educational history of Ontario. During
the whole period that he remained^in Canada, Gov. Simcoe continued
to press upon the Imperial authorities the importance of this work,
urging them to make provision for the establishment of a university for
the province and a grammar (classical) school for each district. But
the Colonial Office was slow to act, and the Governor had to leave the
province on account of ill-health before his ideas were destined to
bear fruit.
After some years of agitation, grammar schools were finally established
in each
district, and subsequently (1816) an act was passedfor the establishment
and encour agement of common school education. Six thousand pounds
($24,000) was granted from the provincial funds, and apportioned among
the ten districts of the province. The District Boards were to apportion
it among the schools in the several districts according to the number of
their scholars; none was to be given to a school with less than twenty
scholars, and no school was to receive less than one hundred dollars.
In this same year (1816) Ottawa district was organized. This district
com prised the territory now included in the counties of Prescott and
Russell and also part of the present county ofCarleton.
In the journals of the House of Assembly for 23rd January, 1823, we find
a record that Mr. David Pattee asked for leave to bring in a bill to
establish a Public (Gram mar) School in the District of Ottawa. Leave
was granted and the Act was assented to by the Lieutenant-Governor,
Sir Peregrine Maitland, on the igth March, 1823.
One hundred pounds a year was granted, to be "disposed of in paying
the salary of the teachers of the said school." And among other things
it was enacted " that the said school-shall be opened and kept in the
Township of Longueuil, in the County of Prescott, at or near the place of
holding the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the said district,
at such place as the trustees appointed may think proper."
Four years later (1827) we find an Act passed authorizing the Reverend
John McLaurin to grant to the trustees of this school, one acre of land
for a site.
Mr. McLaurin s report for the year 1827 tells us that he had then 27
scholars. He also states that some of his most advanced pupils had gone
to Burlington College in the United States, " there being," he says,
"a great tendency in this place to send their children to finish their
education in the States." He speaks of their " excellent schoolhouse,
built of stone and lime, well fitted up and large enough to accommodate
from 50 to 60 scholars."
His assistant, Mr. Gates, is mentioned, and the report ends by informing
us that he had " given every encouragement to education by making my
fees very low."
This is the only classical school in this part of the province for
many years, and all the leading men of the district sent their boys to
school here.
George Hamilton, Alexander Grant, and Philo Hall were members of the Dis
trict Board at this time (1827), and they reported the common schools of
the district as eleven in number, "kept by masters duly qualified." They
"recommended an appropriation of ^126 IDS for the support of the said
schools."
The province increased rapidly in population ; but the Legislature did
so little towards aiding the common schools, that a committee of the
House of Assembly in
1831 stated that the schools were in a "deplorable" state. There is
reason to believe that in Prescott things were not so bad ; as, in
comparison with other districts, the population was small, and each
district received the same share from the fund. Nearly everything,
however, was left to voluntary effort.
Dr. Ryerson was appointed Chief Superintendent of Education in 1844,
and at once he bent his energies to the establishment of a really
national system of Education. " Free schools " were denounced as "
legalized robbery " and as a
470 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
;< war against property." Lord Elgin, who was Governor during this
period, gave much valuable aid to the popular cause. Finally, in 1850, a
school law was passed adapted to the municipal system of the province. The
leading principles of the system were local control ; local taxation,
aided and stimulated by government assistance ; education free to all,
and compulsory ; systematic inspection under government control. The
Act of 1850 did not give us all this; but it went a long way towards
it, and subsequent amendments have given us the system now practically
completed. In 1852, 2,300 pupils attended the schools of the counties ;
these pupils were taught by 50 teachers, who were paid something less
than $5,000 in salaries.
The two Grammar schools at L Orignal and Vankleek Hill at this time had
51 pupils between them. Their income is put down at ^"220. Twenty years
later, 1872, the public (common) schools contained 6163 pupils taught
by no teachers who received $13,726 in salaries. The High (Grammar)
schools in 1872 were attended by
76 pupils.
At present there are 200 teachers in the Primary schools (public and
separate) teaching 10,766 pupils at a total cost of $58,000 yearly.
The two High schools at Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill are educating about
250 pupils at an annual cost of nearly $5,000.
There are 81 R.C. Separate school teachers in the counties ; most of
these schools have been established of late years. The St. Eugene Separate
school is the oldest in the counties, having been established about 1852.
We have 3 Protestant Separate schools.
The old Grammar school at L Orignal was discontinued in 1873, after the
estab lishment of the Hawkesbury schools.
In 1877, Training schools for third-class teachers were established
in every county. Since then every teacher in Ontario has received
professional training.
WILLIAM J. SUMMERBY, the author of the above sketch, and through whose
earn est and judicious labors the schools of Prescott and Russell are
advancing, is a son of William Summerby, who came to Canada in 1853,
and for many years was a foreman on the Grand Trunk and Great Western
Railways ; he died in 1892.
The son, W. J., received a thorough training for teaching at the Toronto
and Ottawa Normal Schools, and became Head Master in the Kingston Model
School. He was married in 1874 to Miss Loucks of Russell a descendant
of a U. E. Loyalist. Mr. Summerby was appointed School Inspector for
Prescott and Russell in 1880 an appointment for which his ability,
geniality and experience in teaching
eminently fitted him.
The following will give some idea of the way in which school affairs
were managed fifty-four years ago :
" Pursuant to act of Parliament relative to common schools, at a
quarterly meet
ing held by the School Commissioners for the eastern and western division
of the town of Hawkesbury, at the Red School House, near Wm. Wait s
stone house, on Tuesday, the first day of March, 1842, Rev. Franklin
Metcalfe, Joseph S. Whitcomb, George Higginson, Dr. James Stirling,
Peter Roy McLaurin, Archibald McBam, and Nath aniel Burwash, being
School Commissoners,
" Resolved, That Rev. Franklin Metcalfe take under his charge to
superintend three divisions, viz.: Nos. i, 2 and 3, designated
as follows : No. i, commencing at the town line at Point Fortune,
including the ist and 2nd Concessions, thence westerly as far as the
west side of the Gray property. No. 2, from thence westerly to west
side of Christopher Campbell s farm near the Clay Hill, including the
ist and 2nd Concessions. No. 3, thence to the west side of the Commons,
including the ist and 2nd Concessions."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 47 T
Then follows a description of the various divisions assigned to other
Commis- ners, who, it seems, were also Superintendents, but it is
noticeable that while the ev. Mr. Metcalfe has three divisions, the others
have only two divisions each was iten Resolved, " That the Rev. Franklin
Metcalfe and Dr. James Stirling be the Commissioners to examine all the
teachers in the several divisions, and qualify them accordingly.
Resolved, That each Commissioner appointed to the several divisons under
their charge shall visit such schools monthly, and report thereon to
the next quarterly meeting. J
At an adjourned quarterly meeting, held 3 rd October, 1842, the following
was a
part of the business transacted :
SCHOOLS REPORTED. REPORTED BY
No. 7 taught by Robert Hamilton ~)
" Alexander Bagsley I Dr. Jas. Stirling. 10 Mr. McDonald
4 " " Thomas White I
5 " Wm. Lough J J 0s eph Whitcomb.
6 < James Gambell ) George Higginson.
1 6 George Gray { Nathaniel Burwash.
1 Miss Mclntyre ~\
2 " Miss Schagel and Miss O Brien { Rev. F Metcalfe
3 " Mr. Watson j
Moved by Rev. Mr. Metcalfe, seconded by Mr. Joseph Whitcomb That owing
to the fluctuating nature of the population and the serious loss that
will accrue the teacher, from the collector not being able to collect
all the school fees of is 3 d month, the School Commissioners hereby
recommend and permit the teachers emselves to collect the above fee from
each scholar attending their respective schools and that intimation be
given to the teachers to that effect, and in case of receiving such fee,
the teacher grant a receipt."
At a meeting held by .the Board, 8th December, 1842, it was Resolved
"that the :ral school teachers shall take upon themselves to collect
the school fee of is 3 d per month, and, in case of refusal to pay,
the teacher may apply to the Commis sioners for authority to enable the
collector to collect the same."
PROGRESS OF THE TIMBER INDUSTRY. By COLIN DEWAR.
A history of the square limber industry of the Ottawa Valley since its
inception m 1806 is interesting in its character, whether regarded as
a source of revenue to the Provinces, or as individual enterprises, or
in its more extended form as a business furnishing employment to the
laboring classes, and through them promoting the general welfare and
prosperity of the country.
The intrepid pioneer of the square timber business, as well as the
heroic settler
Of the Township of Hull, was Philimon Wright, Esq., who, on the nth of
June, 1806
Bouchette says, 1807), started from the mouth of the Gatineau with the
first raft of
square timber ever floated on its surface. This was an undertaking of
far greater
magnitude than at first sight appears to be. There were the dangerous
and almost
472 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
unexplored rapids which they had to pass, and which were unknown to the
men he had with him ; true, he had several times surveyed them from the
shore in passing up and down, but was in profound ignorance as to the
proper channel to be run. There was this in his favor, a good pitch of
water, which enabled him to pass in safety the dangerous rocks which
obstruct the channel. Mr. Wright must have been a man of good, sound,
common sense, of indomitable courage and perseverance, of keen observa
tion and sound judgment, and with a practical turn of mind.
When he left the mouth of the Gatineau river on that morning in June, it
was with a raft poorly equipped and constructed, and as poorly prepared
for the storms and dangers incident to a voyage to Quebec. He had neither
anchors, chains nor snub
bing ropes, nothing but birch withes to lash or tie the crtbs together,
and two kinds of wooden anchors : one kind made with a large stone
fastened round with split pieces of wood and tied with hempen cord ;
the other kind was cut from the fork of an elm
tree, which was used to fasten the raft ashore, when it became necessary
to effect a landing. But with all the deficiences of a well-equipped raft
(for he was ignorant of what was required, even if he had the means of
acquiring it,) he cast off, and was soon slowly drifting along on the
quiet waters of the Grand river. Every point and head land was carefully
noted ; his men were put in proper training to handle their oars,
and keep in unison ; any defects in the construction were remedied,
and in due time they drew near to that turbulent surging rapid which,
to all of them was an unknown passage. As their frail structure is
brought to shore for the night, their ears are saluted by the roar of
the waters of the Long Sault, and as they gather around the caboose for
their evening meal, the usual sounds of merriment are suppressed ; they
have no heart for fun or levity with that dismal sound in their ears,
and as they creep into their cabanes d ecorce, it is not to sleep, but
to talk of their probable chances on the morrow, and speculate on the-
success of the undertaking.
After an early breakfast, the moorings are cast off, the oars are manned,
and in a short time the point is rounded, and they are almost within sight
of the breakers; and, as the white caps of what has since been called
the Cellar become more distinct, is it any wonder that with blanched
faces and bated breath they calmly survey the scene, and drifting on
with the current, prepare themselves as best they can for the descent?
As usual Mr. Wright s keen eye takes in the situation at a glance, and
\yith the same alacrity which marks all his movements, he gets his raft
brought into the desired channel, and they begin to descend the waters
of the Long Sault.
In due time they arrive at the / oof, or what is now called " Greece
Point," where for a short distance the water is quite smooth, thus
enabling them to get a little breath ing spell before running the Chute au
Blondeau." During the passage down these rapids Mr. Wright is not idle ;
he has gained a good deal of knowledge and experience in that short time ;
he finds he does not require oars at the sides of the raft, but only at
the bow and stern, and thus he is ever on the alert to profit by past
experience. Having made the raft secure in one of the sheltered bays,
a proper survey was made, and damages and defects repaired and remedied
before running the Carillon rapids, which, although much shorter than the
other rapids, is equally rough and turbulent. At length they are passed,
and a long stretch of calm, smooth water is before them, giving them an
opportunity for getting a much needed rest, as well as repair ing any
damages sustained. As a raft of timber had never been seen on the river,
it was regarded as a great curiosity, and the few settlers along the
banks would gather at it when they would tie up for the night, anxious
to find out where he was going, etc., and were almost horrified when
Mr. Wright informed them of his destina tion and the route he intended
to pursue. Here again Mr. Wright showed his good
sound judgment in deciding to take the north channel, instead of keeping
south,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 473
and running the Lachine Rapids. His course has been followed ever since
by all rafts coming down the Ottawa ; of course, all square timber rafts
from the St. Lawrence go through the Lachine rapids, but at that time
it was deemed an impossible feat. The north channel divides the Island
of Montreal from the Isle Jesus, and opens at the lower end of the Lake
of Two Mountains, and was at that time comparatively unknown, even to
the voyageurs. Notwithstanding all efforts to dissuade him from the
course he had adopted, he entered the narrow and turbulent waters of
the north channel, or, as it is now called, Riviere des Prairies. For
a considerable distance the water is swift and rough, but about midway
are those dangerous rapids of Sault au Recollet, which compare with any
on the river. In due time the rapids are passed, and they have floated
out into the St. Lawrence at Bout de 1 Isle. Although he has passed
all the rapids, the danger and trouble is still with him ; he has now to
depend upon his oars and a fair wind, there being little or no current
to help him onward, and it is a slow, tedious journey, often delayed or
driven back by contrary winds ; but at length, at the end of 35 days,
he has the satisfaction of arriving at the port of Quebec with the first
raft of square timber ever brought down the Ottawa ; and it was with a
feeling of pride that he could point out to the members of Govern ment
and others who came to view it, and could demonstrate clearly, that it
was an accomplished fact, that timber could be brought from the Ottawa
Valley to Quebec that they could pass through those dangerous" rapids
with comparative safety ; and the experience that Mr. Wright gained in
this venture was of great benefit to him in each subsequent one.
The running of the rapids is not the greatest danger that raftsmen have to
con tend with, great as these dangers and difficulties are. It is when a
storm arises when a raft is in an exposed situation, such, for instance,
as being overtaken in a storm on Lake St. Peter (which is an expansion
of the river twenty-five miles long, and nearly nine miles broad), when
their chances of weathering it are small indeed, and which has well been
called "The raftsman s graveyard." A memorable storm occurred on this
lake in the summer of 1839, whe n a large number of rafts were
wrecked, and the greater part of the crews lost, among whom was Jerry
Campbell,
from Chatham, one of the oldest pilots on the river, and which cast a
gloom over many families.
Mr. Wright continued for several years to take down timber to Quebec,
each year increasing his store of knowledge and the requirements of
the trade, no other competitors engaging in the business until after
the close of the war, when a few farmers from the township of Chatham
ventured their all in this new industry, among whom were the families
of Burch, Allan Fish, Bayley, Smith and Campbell ; after
them came the Dewars, Noyes Brothers, McPhee, Thomsons, Douglas, Ostroms,
and others, who carried on lumbering operations between Grenville
and Bytown. The years 1824-25 were marked by great depression in
commercial circles, and especially in the timber trade, owing to the
Baltic timber being admitted into Britain at a lower rate of duty. This
depression completely ruined the first named lumbermen, who all, with
the exception of the last, emigrated to the United States. With the
return of prosperity others engaged in the business, among whom were
John Waddell and Allan Cameron, alias "Big Allan," who for many years
were the best pilots on the river, and who afterwards filled the same
responsible positions with Hamilton Brothers.
Later on came a host of others, viz., Major McMillan, Tucker, Edwards,
Culbert and many others, together with Windsor and Beckett, whose names
are synonymous with anything but what was good. The Falls of Chaudiere
at Ottawa, with the rapids above, are too well known to require any
description in this article ; it only remains
3*
474
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
to say that to Wm. Noyes, of Chatham, belongs the honor of taking
down the first timber that was made above these falls, which feat was
accomplished about 1827- 8. The first slide for the passage of single
sticks of timber was built on the north side of the river by Mr. Wright,
in the year 1829. The furnishing of " withes" for the use of the rafts
was quite an industry of itself, giving employment to men and teams, as,
owing to the want of ropes and chains, especially when the business was
in its infancy, their places had to be supplied with them, but which,
of late years, has been superseded. It was in the latter part of the
first decade of this century that Mr. Wright took out the first raft
of square timber from the township of Hull, and floated it down to
Quebec, and as we look back to the latter part of the last decade, what
improvements have been made in every branch of business! and for years
past, the square timber business has only been child s play compared to
what it was even half a century ago. Prior to that time it was no uncommon
sight to see the river, in the busy season, closely covered with rafts,
moving along with from fifteen to twenty large square sails on each ;
and it required a good knowledge of seamanship to navigate and control
such an unwieldy mass as a large raft, and keep it in the proper channel.
The introduction of steamboats on the different stretches of water
has caused quite a revolution in the timber trade. In the first place,
it has reduced the time required, which means a decrease in wages and
expenses. It does not require as many men to navigate a raft ; a few extra
men are hired in running the rapids and then discharged ; and lastly it
has decreased the risk of being caught in a storm, and increased the
chance of being able to get into some sheltered bay. A great change
has also taken place in the construction of rafts since 1840. Before
that time the augur was the principal factor in its frame work, together
with long wooden pins, or, as they were called, "pickets." and the cross
pieces or traverses were fastened with " -knock-downs," a thing that is
not known at the present day by any river man under sixty years of age.
Since the introduction of "canned meats" and vegetables, together with
plenty of rice, sugar, and other wholesome food, into the lumber camps,
that dreaded disease called the black leg (one form of scurvy] has
entirely disappeared. It was no un common occurrence for a number of the
men to be laid by with it, and it was univer sally dreaded by lumbermen,
and with good reason. Of late years, the quantity of square timber has
greatly declined. From statistics furnished by a prominent lumber man
to the Ottawa Journal, one and a quarter million feet would be the full
amount of this year s cut. The same authority states, that in 1890,
five million feet were taken down the Ottawa, and in 1888 nearly eight
million feet were taken down.
This falling off is due to several causes : First, the increased
quantity of sawn lumber of all widths and sizes which are shipped to
Great Britain ; then, more iron vessels are built, and thirdly, the
great saving in sawn lumber as compared with square timber. There is,
in connection with this industry, a peculiarity seldom seen in other
works of so much magnitude and importance, viz., the rise and fall in
the same century. Its inception, the work of one individual, with small
beginnings then the gradual then the rapid development and increase,
until it reached the zenith of its prosperity, and then the rapid decline
to the small quantity above quoted, so that it is safe to predict that
when the century (1906) has passed, the last raft will be as great a
curiosity as the first one was, one hundred years before.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 475
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The earliest record we have been able to obtain of any Agricultural
Society in Prescott reads as follows :
Agreeable to public notice a meeting was held at the Court House in
the Village
of L Orignal in the District of Ottawa on the i;th day of February,
1844, for the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society in and for
said district, when Charles P. Treadwell, Esq., was appointed Chairman,
and William Z. Cozens, Esq., Secretary. The following officers of the
Society were then elected : President. Charles P. Treadwell.
Vice-Presidents. Elijah Kellogg, Esq., Joseph S. Whitcomb, Wm. Kirby,
Charles Hersey, Esq., and William Bradley. Treasurer. Thomas H. Johnson.
Secretary. William Z. Cozens.
Directors. Richard Allen, John Ramsey, Godfrey Valley, James Cross,
Ewen Cameron, James Proudfoot, John Chesser, Chauncey Johnson, Esq.,
Chauncey John son, jun., John Pattee, George Cross, Wm. A. Thomson,
Peter Sterling, Esq.
At a meeting held in the same place 22nd March following, it was resolved,
the following persons be appointed experts for viewing crops this year :
Chauncey Johnson, jun., James Renwick and Farquhar Robertson, and that
the expetts of the plowing match should be Peter Sterling, Esq., John
McNabb, E. Kellogg, Esq.
The following persons are chosen judges at the annual Cattle Show for the
undermentioned articles for the year 1845 ; William Kirby, ~\ L. Downing,
(- on horses. John Garland, ) Ewen McMaster, )
Chauncey Johnson, Esq., ( on horned cattle. Richard Allen, J
Patrick McGee, ^
James Cross, -on sheep and hogs. William Bradley, j William Kehoe, \
O. Gates, *> on butter, cheese and cloth.
Hiram Johnson. _)
TREASURER S STATEMENT FOR 1845.
Dr.
To balance of year 1844 per returns made 3 7 oo
* amount of Provincial grant 250 o oo
" subscribed by County of Prescott 63 15 oo
" " " "Russell 25 o oo
^342 2 oo Or.
By amount paid County of Russell 99 10 oo
of expenses dra wing money I ooo
" paid County of Prescott 199 5 oo
" " William Cozens, Secretary 81000
" T. H. Johnson, Treasurer 5 ooo
" John Ramsay, Collector 5 ooo
" 3 experts judging crops ,. 161706
^335 2 06 Balance in Treasurer s hands for 1846 6 19 06
476 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Statement of monies disbursed and received for and on account of the
Ottawa District Agricultural Society for the year of our Lord 1848, viz. :
Dr.
To amount in Treasurer s hands since last year i$ 1 6 03
" received from Provincial Government 250 o oo
" " of subscription Russell Society 25 o oo
" " Prescott Society 63 10 oo
354 6 03 Cr.
By amount paid Widow Cozen s balance due her late husband as Secretary
2 10 oo
" paid premiums Prescott Society 175
f( " experts viewing crops 21 o oo
" " " plowing match 81500
" " " collection, including subscription 7 10 oo
" " " the Treasurer 81500
" " expenses drawing money \ 55, postage 6s 8d I 1 1 08
" paid " Life at Springs " for advertising .................. 3 *4
" < " Secretary, including subscription .................... 81500
Russell Society ............... , ................... 100 o oo
337 10 it Balance on hand carried to year 1849
............................... J 6 15 04
Prescott now has a flourishing Agricultural Society; an Agricultural
hall was erected in 1874. The Society s grounds, at that time, comprised
but two acres; in 1887, the quantity was increased to nine acres, at an
expense of $1625, and a fine new hall was built.
In 1874 only five classes of articles were exhibited in the Ladies
Department ;
coverlets, woollen counterpanes,two pairs wool mitts, two pairs wool
socks, and woollen shawl. In 1894 forty-five classes of articles
were exhibited, and in the other fifteen classes ijiere was also a
corresponding increase. In 1883 there were but 82 members, in 1894 there
were 236.
STATEMENT FOR 1894.
No. of entries, 1,594.
Amount paid out, over .................................. $3)
Erected a grand stand, cost ............................. 1,060
OFFICERS.
President. Dennis Hurley. i.tf Vice-President. E. A. Johnson. 2nd "
" John M. Barton.
Directors. Joseph Routhier, Thomas Dick, James Allison, Andrew Wood,
John Ryan, Duncan Campbell, James Cross, J. C. Mooney, and Jonathan Cross.
WM. FERGUSON,
Sec. -Treasurer,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 477
POINT FORTUNE.
Who has not heard of Point Fortune ? Nearly a century ago, it was the
most celebrated spot on the Ottawa, indeed, it seems to have been the
Castle Garden of the Ottawa Valley, the point to which all intending
settlers and travellers made their way before locating their lands or
visiting other localities in the new district of Eastern Ontario. We might
naturally expect to find here a place of some size and importance, but
it is doubtful if there are more inhabitants here than there were half a
century ago. It still remains little more than a hamlet. Two churches have
sprung up in recent years, which bespeak a moral growth ; but otherwise ,
it is Point Fortune still ; small, quiet, pretty indeed from its location,
and highly interesting from its associations with the past.
Although the village of Point Fortune which was incorporated in 1881,
is wholly
in the County of Vaudreuil, it is so closely united physically, socially
and morally with the County of Prescott, that we have thought proper
to embrace its history in these pages. We regard our reasons valid,
inasmuch as the western boundary of the corporation is the road between
Prescott and Vaudreuil ; quite a portion of the
village, so called, is in Prescott, and the two churches Methodist and
Presbyterian attended by the people of the entire section are in Prescott.
The corporation extends about two miles in length along the Ottawa,
and one and a half back from the same river.
The present Municipal Council is composed of the following gentlemen
: Mayor, John Middleton ; Councillors : E. Theorest, John Laroque,
A. Cousineau, J. William son, A. C. Robinson and George A. Barclay ;
Secretary-Treasurer, S. Cole.
JOHN MIDDLETON, the Mayor, was the first Secretary-Treasurer of the
munici- pality, .and after holding this position four or five years, he
was elected Councillor, and with the exception of one year, he has been on
the Board ever since. Mr. Mid dleton is one of those individuals found
occasionally in a community, whose general information and good judgment
render them good councillors on almost any subject one who can discuss
political questions, expound municipal law, reason clearly on theology,
make a good speech, or write a good article for the newspaper.
Mr. Middleton is a skillful mechanic and a practical farmer, and " besides
being a Slide Master on the Carillon Dam and Mayor ofPt. Fortune, he is
a Justice of the Peace, and agent for several insurance companies. He
is a son of the late James Middleton, of whom there is a sketch in the
history of St. Andrews he married Margaret, daughter of the late James
Pitcairn, zoth May, 1856 ; they have two sons and two daughters John,
the eldest son, married to Mary, eldest daughter of Mr.
Christopher Spratt, of East Hawkesbury, lives in a pleasant cottage in
this place. Though a carpenter by trade, he devotes much of his time
to farming ; Archibald, the second son, is an employee in McOuat & McRae
s foundry in Lachute ; the eldest daughter, Mary, is in Massachusetts ;
and the younger, Elizabeth, resides with her parents.
COL. WM. FORTUNE is the earliest settler at Point Fortune, of whom we
have any account, and the one from whom the place derived its name. It
is unfortunate that we know very little of his history ; indeed no one
in this section seemed to be aware of the fact, that there was more
than one individual here bearing this name, and supposed that he was
Col. Joseph Fortune, a surveyor. The following document, how ever, as
well as some others found among the papers of the late Judge Macdonnell,
establishes the fact, that the name of the original proprietor of land
at this place was Col. William Fortune.
47< r< ! HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
" His Excellency, the Right Honorable Lord Dorchester, in Council,
twenty-third
day of July, 1788, was pleased to order me to report a survey of one
thousand acres of land on the Ottawa River for Col. William Fortune. In
obedience to the above
order, I have caused to be surveyed, admeasured and laid out for
Col. William Fortune " Here the first page of this report abruptly
terminates ; the sheet on which it is printed having been torn in halves,
and the lower half lost. A portion of the report may be read on the
other side of the part of the sheet remaining. Joseph
Fortune was a son of Col. William Fortune, and we find his name mentioned
in official documents, first, in i8r4. At just what time he located here
we are unable to say, but a document before us shows that a mortgage
on lots Nos. i and 2, First Con. in East Hawkesbury, was granted by
William Fortune to Benaniah Gibb, i4th Sept ember, 1804.
Joseph Fortune was a surveyor, and became a prominent man in the
Ottawa District, serving as Clerk of the Peace for several years, and
Lieut.-Col. of Militia the latter office, as shown by official documents,
he held in 1814.
Conflicting accounts are given as to what finally became of him ;
while some claim that he died here, others say that he moved away. Both,
doubtless, are true; and the discrepancy in the statements disappears when
one learns that there were two colonels of the same name. It is certain
that one of them died at Point Fortune, and was buried near the present
building of James Pitcairn. Not many years after Mr. Pitcairn purchased
his property here, Mr. John Waddell of Hawkes bury, with one or two more,
came down and asked permission of Mr. Pitcairn to disinter and remove
the remains. Permission, of course, was granted. An elm of considerable
size had already grown on the grave, and the coffin was so much de
cayed that it broke in pieces on being disturbed. This incident proves
that, at least, one Col. Fortune died, and was buried at this place.
About this time an American named Barnum settled on the lot now occupied
by J. W. Crosby. A deed before us shows that a small piece of land was
sold by Richard Barnum to Joseph Fortune, 3131 October, 1807. Richard, a
son of Mr. Barnum, became quite an active business man in this section,
and during the forties and fifties was one of the prominent forwarders
on the Ottawa. Misfortune, how ever, soon followed ; his boats were sold
from necessity, and he died a poor man.
Col. Fortune sold another part of his estate to Jos. McMillan, a Nor
Wester. McMillan not many years later sold to James and John Pitcairn,
and returned to Perth, Scotland.
JOHN CAMERON from Lochaber, Scotland, was another pioneer, and he settled
where W. R. Hemsley now lives. He died here in 1874, about 90 years of
age. He had four sons and six daughters, of whom only one son and four
daughters are now living. None of the members of this old and respectable
family now remain here.
Mrs. Cameron and her two daughters, Margaret and Sarah, removed to
Arnprior not
many years ago. Hugh, the son, and another of the daughters also live
in Arnprior.
In 1813 appeared on the scene another man destined to eclipse the fame
of Col. Fortune, and to play an important part for many years in the
affairs of this part of Ontario. This was John Macdonnell, a Nor Wester,
who afterwards became Col. of the Prescott Militia and a Judge in the
Ottawa District. He and Col. Fortune, it seems, from documents still
in existence, did not live harmoniously as neighbors, being involved
in law suits, in which the means of both, to a greater or less degree,
were exhausted. A large and fine stone house bearing date 1817, now
owned and occupied by Major Williamson, and the most conspicuous object
in Pt. Fortune, stilj stands on the bank of the Ottawa a monument of
the Judge s enterprise and a memento of the fortunes that were often
quickly made by the early fur traders the North West.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
479
It was with great pleasure that we recently found in the possession
of Mr. J. W. Crosby, a large lot of papers comprising letters, legal
documents, etc., which were left by the Judge. Through the courtesy of
Mr. Crosby we were permitted to examine them. One of these bears the date
1773, and though portions have been lost and others defaced, there are
still enough left to show that the Macdonnell family were well educated,
and of good social status. The oldest document throwing lighten the public
career of Judge Macdonnell is one dated " Castle St. Louis, Que bec, 20th
June, 1788, signed by Lord Dorchester, appointing Macdonnell Ensign of
a company in the Battalion of Militia of Cornwall and Osnabruck." At what
time he entered the service of the N. W. Company we are unable to say, but
a letter to him from his father, dated at " New Scothouse" in Stormont,
1510 April, 1795, is addressed, "John Macdonnell, Red River, N. W.,
care of Mr. Cuthbert Grant, Grand Portage."
The first sentence of the letter shows that he was in the North West
the year previous to the date of the letter. " Your letter of the i8th
July, 1794, from Portage deL Outard, came duly to hand. 1 The following,
which he imparts as news to his son, seems peculiarly ancient in 1896 :
"A treaty of amity and commerce was agreed upon, last winter, between
Great Britain and the States of America, for the reason, it is affirmed,
that the upper posts and lines are to be delivered to the Americans,
on the 26th day of June, 1796. (Why not this year?) The French war to be
conti nued with the utmost vigor, as you will see by the King s speech
in the paper I send you."
Among the other papers referred to is a lengthy sketch of the Macdonnell
family, which goes back several centuries in Scottish History, and shows
that they were lineal descendants of the " Lords of the Isles." Much of
the sketch, evidently, is missing, hence, contains nothing regarding the
family, for two centuries past. From allusions made in certain letters,
we infer that the Judge s father was in the British service ; he wrote
a history of his life which was designed for publication, but the idea
was aban doned on account of the expense. One of his letters, written
to John in 1808, in formed him that he bequeathed him 1000 acres of land
in Lancaster.
A letter written to the Judge by his brother William J., from Boston,
271!! April, 1816, contains the following :
I have had a letter from Miles, just landed at New York from Liverpool;
he also forwarded to me, by a friend, the watch of our worthy grandfather,
who wore it when he fell in his country s cause at the memorable battle
of Culloden in 1745."
In 1812, Mr. Macdonnell received the following appointment :
" SIR GEORGE PREVOST, Baronet,
"Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Province of Lower Canada,
etc. "To JOHN MACDONNELL, Esquire,
" Reposing confidence in your loyalty, courage* and good conduct, do
by these present constitute and appoint you to be, during pleasure,
Captain in the Voyageurs,
etc."
The following letters from his sister Penelope and her husband, John
Berkie, who was for some years in the employ of the U. C. Government,
as clerk of the Legisla tive Assembly, are inserted on account of
their interesting contents and the description of an important event in
our National history. As the letter of his sister icfers to a narrow
escape of Mr. Macdonnell from the Yankees at St. Regis, we are led to
the conclusion that he had at that time left the North-West a conclusion
still further strengthened by the fact, that it was only a little after
the date of the letter he bought
480 . HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
his property at Point Fortune. It will be noticed by the one familiar
with the history of the war of 1812, that the letter refers to what
occurred in April, 1813, when the American Commodore Chauncey appeared
off Toronto with 14 armed vessels, h.iving sixteen hundred troops on
board a land force under General Pike co-oper
ating with this. The letter differs in one respect from the statement of
historians, for while it says that the General ordered fire to be s?t
to the magazine, they claim that he did nothing of the kind, and that
it was the act of an Artillery Sergeant, named Marshall, who set fire to
the powder magazine, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy :
YORK, 5th May, 1813. MY DEAR JOHN,
Early on the morning of the 271!! ultimo the enemy s fleet, consisting
of four teen sail, doubled Gibraltar Point under easy sail, and came
to anchor off the site of the old forl, Toronto. Everyone, you may be
sure, ran to prevent their landing ; but they sailed in, in spite of us,
though not without great loss on both sides. As I had no military command,
I volunteered with the Grenadiers of the 8th Regiment, and
had the mortification to see their gallant leader fall. Captain McNeil
was beloved by his men. About this time, the enemy were landing in
great numbers, and we were, ordered to make for the battery. As I did
not hear this order, I found myself sud denly with Major Givins at the
head of about a hundred Indians. He desired me not to advance nearer the
water, for fear of being made prisoner ; and, in an instant after ward,
everyone fled, the best way he could. I got -safe to the Government House!
Battery, and thought all was coming on well, when I heard a dreadful
explosion, and, then, cheers. But, alas ! it was the blowing up of about
thirty of our poor fellows, and. the enemy gaining possession of our
battery. From this moment, every heart was dismayed; the enemy were
rushing on ; the General ordered a retreat and fire to be set to the
magazine. This was the grandest, and, At the same time, the most awful
sight I have ever seen. The enemy acknowledge to have lost, at least,
250 killed and too wounded by the explosion. Our retreat continued,
and when we had arrived at Mr. Small s at the east end of the town,
the General with the troops
pushed on for Kingston, and left us all standing in the street, like
a parcel of sheep. The only thing then to be done was for the town to
capitulate, which was done. Then the business of plundering and burning
commenced, and did not cease until the evening of the ist inst., when they
all went on board of their vessels, where they yet remain at anchor in the
harbor. The number of troops they brought is said to be 4,065, exclusive
of marines and seamen. The force we had to oppose to them was about 450,
so that, although they have gained the day, they have nothing to brag
of ; they have lost more men than we had altogether. They have burnt
the Government House, the two block houses, one barrack for soldiers,
and other buildings. They have broken every door and window in the
Council Office, which was Elmsby House, and a schooner belonging to an
inhabitant of York, They have carried off the "Glou- cester," which was
undergoing repairs, and was to be converted into a transport, being too
old for a ship-of-war. The new ship on the stocks we burnt ourselves,
for, other wise, I dare say, they would have done it.
Donald behaved well as a Volunteer of the 49th Regiment, and I desired
him to follow the General. The poor fellow was blown down at the battery,
but, thank God, he was not hurt, save that his hands were scratched a
little. Mr. Wood, of this place, was thrown on top of him, but neither was
he hurt. 1 am sorry to add, that poor Mr. Donald McLean was killed. This
will be shocking news for Mrs. Reid, but I shall
leave the management of bringing it to her knowledge to you. Thank God,
I escaped unhurt, although a rifle ball struck and passed through the
upper part of the cape of
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 481
my coat under my ear. I enclose you a paper, which you may publish in the
Mont real Gazette, if you think proper. It will show that we act like
Britons, although the enemy is near, and might crush us to atoms. The
American commander-in-chief, Pike, is killed; General Dearborn now
commands.
I remain, always.
Your affectionate brother,
JOHN BE^KIE.
On the same sheet is the following letter from his sister, Mrs. Berkie :
MY DEAR JOHN,
I am told you are low spirited since you were surprised by the Yankees
at St. Regis ; but ] think it was a providential surprise for you to
save your life, for, had not that been the case, I am convinced you would
not have suffered yourself to be taken alive. We all have reason to be
thankful to Providence, for never did I pass so awful a day as the 2yth
of April, with my two poor fellows in the heat of the battle. I never
prayed more fervently, or said that beautiful psalm (" He that dwells
in the help of the Highest shall abide in the protection of the God of
Heaven, etc." ) more devoutly, since my father s death, than I did that
day. It is a beautiful psalm, and He who strengthens the weak gave me more
strength and fortitude than all the other females of York put together;
for I kept my Castle, when all the rest fled; and it was well for us I
did so, our little property was saved by that means. Every house they
found deserted was completely sacked. We have lost a few things, which
were carried off before our faces ; but, as we expected to lose all,
we think ourselves well off. Will you believe it ? I had the temerity to
frighten, and even to threaten, some of the enemy, though they had the
place and me in their power. Poor William Swan was one of their majors,
and behaved by no means like an enemy ; he came without leave, and staid
a night with us. I believe that through him we were treated with civility
by their officers. Should he fall into our hands, I hope it will not
be forgotten of him. They so overloaded their vessels with the spirits
of this place, that I am told they have thrown quantities of pork and
flour into the lake. I really attribute this visit to the vengeance of
heaven on this place, for quantities of stores, farming utensils, etc.,
sent from England in the time of General Simeon, were allowed to remain in
the King s stores, and nothing of them did they ever get. Now, our enemies
have them, to do with them as they please. I think we deserve all we have
got. Keep up your spirits, my dear John, for God seems to be on our side.
Your affectionate sister,
PENELOPE BERKIE.
It is unpleasant to learn from other letters that the loyal couple who
wrote the above letters died under melancholy circumstances in Cornwall,
a number of years later. Mr. Berkie had reached an advanced age, and
another individual with more
influence with the Government than himself coveted his position. He was
requested to resign, and did so, never again entering the office.
Like many of the Nor -Westers, Judge Macdonnell took a wife from the
women of the North-West. Though it was generally said that he married
a squaw, his wife, Madeline Poitras, was half French, and is said, by
those who knew her, to have been a^ handsome, good and sensible woman,
though her manner was regarded as peculiar. From the way in which the
Judge speaks of her in letters to his relatives and friends, it is evident
that he cherished much affection for her, and the following story shows
that he was pretty likely to resent any remark or action that savored of
disrespect towards her. On a certain occasion, not long after settling
in Pt. Fortune, he was one day in
482 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
the neighboring village of St. Andrews. Two men acquainted with him
chanced to be there at the same time, and having had their social
qualities enchanced by liberal potations, gave the Judge on meeting him
in a store a most cordial greeting. One of them, an Irishman, in the
exuberance of his spirits, exclaimed as he grasped him by the hand :
" It s a long time since I have seen ye s, Judge ; I m comin over soon
to see ye s and your squaw wife."
" I m glad to hear it," replied the Judge. " Come over, and I will show
you an Indian dance."
True to his promise, the man called on the Judge a few days later,
and remarked
on entering. " Well, Judge, I ve come to see that Indian dance." After
a few remarks the Judge retired to another, apartment, and in a short
time returned painted in a most hideous manner, and clothed in the
most approved style of an Indian warrior, with a tomahawk in his belt,
and a pitiless-looking scalping knife in his hand. He was very large,
and of muscular build, and said to be almost Herculean in strength.
Ere the visitor had time to comprehend the metamorphosis that had
occurred, he was seized by the nape of the neck, jerked from his chair,
and while frantically en deavoring to dodge the scalping knife that
flourished around his head, he was deafened with a volley of war whoops,
that would have curdled the blood of Sitting Bull.
Round and round the room he went, his feet, half the time, not touching
the floor ; his dread of the flourishingscalping knife, meanwhile, acting
as a counter- irritant to the pain caused by the grip on his neck. After
the Judge deemed him sufficiently enlight ened as to the nature of an
Indian dance, he thrust him down in his chair, with the remark, " There,
you have seen an Indian dance ; now, you may go." " And divlish glad
I was to go, too," said the Irishman, in relating the incident to an
acquaintance, shortly afterward. Another story is told which illustrates
the strength and humor of our subject. On a certain occasion when a few
friends were at his residence, looking at the numerous paintings and
engravings that embellished the walls, one man of dimin utive stature,
expressed his inability to see them as well as the taller men; where
upon the Judge seized him by the neck with one hand, and held his face
up to each of the pictures as he made the circuit of the room.
It is said that Capt McCargo, a Nor -Wester, who lived on Beech Ridge, St.
Andrews, was the only man in this section who was the superior of the
Judge in strength, and the only one whose muscular powers the Judge
regarded with any degree of awe. It is related that, one evening, a
number of roughs entered the brick hotel in Carillon, which building
is now owned by Mr. Barclay, and gave evidence of their intention to
begin a row. Scarcely had they committed the first overt act, when the
landlord threw open a door, and revealed to the rowdies, Capt McCargo
sitting composedly in an adjoining apartment. So well was he known,
that the roughs had only been made aware of his presence, when they
vacated the premises
in the shortest time possible.
It must not be supposed, however, from the above incidents, that Judge
Mac- donnell was wanting in the dignity expected from one holding the
magisterial office. It is generally conceded, that he was gentlemanly
and possessed a high sense of
honor. That he was arbitrary, as is shown by an incident on a succeeding
page, might have been owing to education rather than to a lack of humility
; indeed, along residence among the fur magnates of the North-West,
where those of inferior station were treated as slaves, would not lend
to lessen one s arbitrary proclivities. Stories of his generosity and
benevolence are fully corroborated by letters which came to him from
all directions friends, relatives and clergymen all vied with each other
in their pathetic appeals for help ; and so long as his money held out,
so long were their petitions granted.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 483
A letter before us, dated "St. Regis, 2ist May, 1822," and signed
"Alexander Macdonnell, Bishop of R " says:
" We have begun with great vigor at the Church. I wish it was as easy
for you lo accommodate with a loan of a few hundred pounds, as it was
when you gave me three hundred formerly. I am, however, wel) convinced
that the goodness of your
heart is not in the least diminished, and the ardor of your zeal in the
cause of religion continues to glow as warm as ever." The same letter
expresses deep sympathy for
the death of the Judge s son John, from hydrophobia, and speaks in
feeling terms of the misfortune of Judge Hamilton, no doubt alluding to
the death of his three children by drowning. He says: " I most sincerely
condole with poor Judge Hamilton from the
bottom of my heart ; a more distressing accident I do not recollect
of hearing in the whole course of my life." Another letter written by
his brother, William J. Mac- donnell, from Boston, 24th May, 1819,
urgently solicits the loan of $1000. We may congratulate ourselves on
the postal service of to-day, when we read in the same letter, It makes
me perspire to think I have to wait, at least, thirty days before I can
even hope to receive an answer to this."
This brother, William, though at that time otherwise employed, during
the early
years of the century, was clerk in the Customs Department at Boston. Miles
Mac donnell, though a well educated man, judging from his letters, and
possessed of much ambition, and a proud spirit, was often in financial
straits, hence under the necessity of soliciting frequent loans, varying
in amount from ^50 to ^300, from his brother John (Judge) Macdonnell. It
is worthy of note, that he was never refused, and that his intention to
pay was always good. In a letter dated Montreal, 5th October, 1819, to
the Judge, he says : " I ought to have given that money to you, to whom
1 am so much in debt, and under so many obligations besides pecuniary
ones. Although your delicacy has never allowed you to mention, or even
hint at this matter to me, my inability to make payment has occasioned
me great uneasiness. I always expected that by a sale of lands I might
be able to discharge my debt to you, but there is at present no more
prospect of that than there was the first day. But that your family may
not altogether lose the prospect of remuneration, it will perhaps be as
well that you take conveyance of some lands to cancel the debt, from
which I would like to be relieved." Our sympathy for this unfortunate
man becomes deeper, when we learn that less than a decade before, induced
by the promises of the Earl of Selkirk, he went to the North-West, with
every hope and prospect of wealth. He had taken great pains to educate
his children, and the expenses to which he had been put on this account
was one source of his financial embarrassment.
In a letter written from Cornwall, 26th May, 1808, and addressed, " John
Macdonnell, Fort William, N.W.Co.," he writes : " I have been under the
necessity of making use of your generous credit, and have drawn on you
for sixty pounds, to pay for the education of the girls. ... It gives
me, however, very great pleasure to learn that your beaver furs of last
year have sold well, and that you will reap hand some profits therefrom,
each share averaging about ^600."
The following is an extract from a letter written to Judge Macdonnell
by his uncle, Alexander Macdonnell, a priest, at Cornwall, but who
afterwards became Bishop. The letter was written from Montreal, 1 4th
June, 1811, while the writer was on a visit to that city : " I have had
letters from Miles, but not of recent date. Lord Selkiik had not then
declared what situation he had in view for him, and his son, Alexander
Cole, had not yet been appointed to a commission. I begin to entertain
strong apprehension that he will find himself much disappointed in the
sanguine hope placed in his Lordship, and think it would have been more
to his interest and credit to remain at home in Scothouse, and mind his
own affairs, than dance attendance on
484 8 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
the Eari of Selkirk, and reduce himself to the disagreeable dilemma of
either falling out with his Lordship the consequences of which would
probably be the most com plete disappointment of all his hopes, the
loss of his time, besides the loss his own affairs have sustained by
his absence or of entering, contrary to his own judgment and good sense,
into the fantastical schemes of his Lordship.
" Mr. McGillivray knows more of these schemes than I do, and I dare
say will satisfy you upon the subject, if you wish it. ... I have had
occasion to see your boys frequently since I came to this town ; they
are very well, and growing amazingly ; but I think you might keep them
in the country and in school, at one half the expense you are at there."
The reverend gentleman s estimate of the influence the Earl of Selkirk
had over
his nephew, Miles Macdonnell, is pretty clearly shown by the following
letter, written by the nephew himself some time previously :
" KINGSTON, Qth May, 1807. " MY DEAR BROTHER,
"I received your letter from Kingston, and one also from
Kaministiquia. Your walk and adventures from Jones s Creek I learned
from others, but it was long after wards.
" Shortly after your departure, I received a letter from the Earl of
Selkirk ; his Lordship was to be sent on a mission from the British
Government to that of the
United States, and requested me to meet him in the city of Washington. I
did not think it prudent to decline complying with so flattering a mark of
attention from so distinguished a personage, and lost no time in making
the necessary arrangements. Angus, our cousin, Maclon, took my farm on
shares. I took the children down to my father s, where they would have
the protection of friends and a little society. About the middle of
July I left Montreal, and soon gained the United States. After getting
to Albany, there were no accounts of his Lordship s arrival, so that
I passed some time in that city and in Schenectady and in Ballston. At
length, a communica tion from his agents at New York informed me that his
Lordship was daily expected to arrive there, and I immediately proceeded
to that city, and received a letter from himself, directing me to gain
all the information possible, on certain points, until his arrival ;
and, for this purpose, to visit the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore,
New York and Boston.
" I began my enquiries in New York, and was to go from there to Boston,
previous to going southward. I had taken passage on board a Rhode
Island packet
to proceed to Boston, and was within half an hour of sailing when I
received another letter from his Lordship, informing me that the mission
he had referred to in his former letters was not to take place then,
and that he was not coming out; therefore, he thought it unnecessary to
detain me longer from returning to Canada."
In the latter part of the same letter he says : ." I had a most friendly
letter from Selkirk last winter, in answer to my enclosures from New
York. His Lordship was
highly satisfied with my communications from the United States, and,
in a very feel ing manner, condoled with me for my domestic misfortune,"
the death of his wife.
Though numerous letters may have passed between the brothers during the
time elapsing between the date of the last and that below, the latter
is the only one in our possession.
" SAULT STE. MARIE, 3ist July, 1816. " MY DEAR BROTHER,
" I have got back this far, safe and sound, from the interior, but not
with the
glory and Iclat which my sanguine imagination and ardor in so just a
cause, had led me to anticipate in the outset. With all the exertion
and diligence used in the prose-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 485
cution of the voyage, A. N. McLeod and his experienced North-Westers
constantly
kept some days ahead of us, though he made frequent stops on the
route. There was nothing regular in fitting us out from the Lake of Two
Mountains, which my inex
perience in canoe travelling did not at the time perceive. Mons. Peltant,
my guide, has not shown himself so expeditious a voyageur as he is
reputed. I found the reverse to be the case, and have to suppose him
to have received a bribe from the enemy, by his manner of acting; he is
besides a rude brute, and was consequently dismissed from my table but
at a late period. Mr. McLeod took with him from Rainy Lake upwards of
twenty Indians to strike a blow at Red River collected as
many men as would follow along the route, by great promises of reward
in goods and the plunder of the colony. In short, a cruel massacre of
our people took place there about the igth of June, four days before
the arrival of Mr. McLeod, in which twenty- one of the colonists fell,
of whom were Mr. Semple, the Governor, Mr. McLean, Pombrain, Noland,
etc., and the flower of the men.
" It appears that Mr. Semple and his party had gone out to take possession
from Qu Appelle (for our worthy relative, Alexander McDonald, had seized
upon all the Hudson Bay Company s pernmican there), and fell into an
ambuscade prepared by the enemy. Where the slaughter took place, it is
said that Seraphin Lamar, Cuthbert Grant, Bostanais, Bonhomme, etc.,
were in the affair. Four or five were made prisoners, among whom were
Messrs. Pritchard and Bourke. Only one of the enemy was killed and
one wounded. The destruction and plunder of everything in the colony
immediately followed. The bulk of the people were driven off, and had gone
down Lake Winnipeg; I learned these particulars from different Indians.
Every thing of ours in Red River is destroyed, and all our people gone
from there. We must have surrendered to the enemy or have been murdered
like the others. The Indians that McLeod took with him from Rainy Lake
left him at Bae de la Riviere, and all the Indians we have seen appear
much displeased at what has taken place, by scanty supplies to us offish
and game.
" I was enabled to get back with my party to Fort William, and there
obtained what brought us to this place. All good men must execrate the
murderous system of the North-West Company, which must now, though too
late, cause their ruin."
To make the letter more intelligible, however, and to enable the reader to
obtain a correct view of the position in which Macdonnell was placed, we
shall endeavor to give a brief sketch of the great fur trading companies
which held sway in vast portions of British North America.
THE H.B. AND N.W. COMPANIES.*
The Hudson s Bay Company is a joint stock association formed for the pur
pose of importing into Great Britain the furs and skins which it obtains
chiefly by barter from the Indians of British North America. The trading
forts of the company are dotted over the immense region (excluding Canada
proper and Alaska) which is bounded east and west by the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, and north and south by the Arctic Ocean and the United
States. From these forts the furs are dispatched by boat or canoe to
York Fort on Hudson s Bay, whence they are shipped to England to be sold
by auction.
In the year 1670, Charles II granted a charter to Prince Rupert and
seventeen other noblemen and gentlemen, incorporating the " Governor
and Company of Adven
turers of England, trading into Hudson s Bay." The first settlements in
the country
*For some of the facts given above we are indebted to " Manitoba and
the Great North West " by John Macoun, M.A., F.L.S.
486 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
granted, which was to be known as Rupert s Land, were made at James Bay
and at Churchill and Hayes Rivers ; but it was long before there was
any advance into the interior. Although the commercial success of the
enterprise was from the first im mense, great losses were inflicted on
the company by the French, who sent several military expeditions against
the forts. After the cession of Canada to Great Britain in 1763, numbers
of fur traders spread over that country and into the north- western parts
of the continent, and began even to encroach on the Hudson Bay Company
s territories. These individual speculators, finally, in the winter of
1783-84, combined into the North-West Fur Company of Montreal. The fierce
competition which at once sprang up between the companies was marked by
features which sufficiently demonstrate the advantages of a monopoly
in commercial dealings with savages, even although it is the manifest
interest of the monopolists to retard the advance of civil ization toward
their hunting grounds. The Indians were demoralized, body and soul,
by the abundance of ardent spirits with which the rival traders sought
to attract them to themselves; the supply of furs threatened soon to
be exhausted by the indis criminate slaughter, even during the breeding
season of both male and female animals ; the worst passions of both whites
and Indians were inflamed to their fiercest, and costly destruction of
human life and property was the result. At last, in 1821, the companies,
mutually exhausted, amalgamated, obtaining a license to hold for twenty-
one years the monopoly of trade in the vast regions lying to the west
and north-west of the older company s grant. In 1838, the Hudson s Bay
Company acquired the sole rights for itself, and obtained a new license
also for twenty-one years. On the
expiry of this it was not renewed, and since 1859 the district has
been open to all, the Hudson Bay Company having no special advantages
beyond its tried and splendid organization. The licenses to trade did
not of course affect the original possessions of the company. These it
retained till 1869, when they were transferred to the British Government
for ^300,000 ($1,500,000), and in 1870, they were incorporated with
the Dominion of Canada. The company, which now trades entirely as a
private cor
poration, still retains one-twentieth of the entire grant together with
valuable blocks of land around the various forts, and these possessions
will, doubtless, as the country becomes opened up and colonized, yield
a considerable revenue at some future time.
Though it is impossible to give statistics showing the income from this
great industry through a period embracing two centuries, some idea of
the profits resulting therefrom, about half a century ago, may be gleaned
from a work entitled, " Notes of a 25 years service at the Hudson Bay."
The author says : " Ihis country (Hudson Bay) is divided into four
departments:
Northern, Southern, Montreal and Columbian.
" These departments are divided into a number of Districts, and these
again are
sub-divided into numerous establishments, forts, posts and outposts."
Speaking of the Northern Department, he says :
" The returns of the different posts being now received, we found them
to amount to ;i$,ooo, according to the tariff of last year 1843."
Of the Columbian District a large territory west of the Rocky Mountains
he says :
"On the 5th of May (about 1831 or 1832) Mr. Dease took his departure for
Fort Vancouver with the returns of his District, which might be valued
at ^11,000. The outfit, together with servants, wages and incidental
expenses, amounted to about ,3,000, leaving to the Company for this
District alone, a clear profit of ,8,000 (eight thousand pounds)."
Notwithstanding the fact that the profit of the fur trade is growing
smaller, owing
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 487
to the destruction of fur-bearing animals, the following table, taken
from the Year Book for 1890, shows that the trade is still of much size
and importance. The figures show the receipts of furs at the Hudson Bay
s warehouse in Montreal from the veal 1887 to ^90 inclusive :
KINDS OF FURS. NUMBER OF SKINS
1887 1888 1889 1890
ear ..... ............... i,399 1,528 2,037 1,900
22 8 8 22 > 74 18,78 2o?oo
.
FOX., ;; : I)00
# ,6ss 3,830 JSJ J3S
JJ ai ; ten 19,264 18,986 16,708
.,757 6,420
81,403 74,572 55,285 72,000
2,768 2,550 3,010 3,000
420 478 600
24 2! 27 30
16
Total HV57 133,714 109,386 130,346
.As stated above, the North-West Company was formed in the winter of
1781-84 A few years later, a large number of traders seceded from this,
and formed a new ompany called the X.Y. Company. In 1805, these two
united, forming one strone company. After the formation of this Company,
the troubles between it and thl Hudson Bay Company broke out into open
violence, and murder and robbery were of frequent occurrence. About this
time, Lord Selkirk visited Montreal, and having teamed that the lands
on the Red River were fertile and valuable, on his return to ngland,
he and Sir Alexander McKenzie decided to buy Hudson Bay stock, which
had fallen to one-fourth its former value. Soon afterward, Lord Selkirk
bought out >ir Alexander, and became owner of 40 percent, of the
H.B. stock. Through his Huence with the Governor and Committee of the
Company, they consented to sell him 116,000 square miles of territory,
on condition that he would plant a colony though it turned out that the
tract promised extended a long way into the United states The North-West
Co. denied the right of the Hudson Bay Co. to cede to Lord Selkirk,
territory of which they (the N.W. Co.) had long been in possession,
ind promptly declared their determination to resist his attempt to
dispossess them or olonize the land. Not only the N. W. Company, but
the Canadians were highly ensed at the cession made to his Lordship,
and were unanimously resolved to oppose it, even by force of arms. Lord
Selkirk, on the other hand, prepared to ry out his design, and, in the
spring of i8n, sent out in the H. B. Go s ships,
twenty-five families the first instalment of the colony. These and a large
number >1 emigrants, who came the next year, settled on Red River.
Among the papers of Judge Macdonnell we find the copy of an agreement
entered into between Lord Selkirk and Miles Macdonnell, which is as
follows
In the year 1811, the Earl of Selkirk and Miles Macdonnell, Esq., entered
into agreement, that the latter should proceed to Red River in the Hudson
Bay Com- my s territories, and there superintend the establishment of
a colony, to be founded by his Lordship upon the following terms, viz. :
That Miles Macdonnell and his family were to receive a grant of fifty
thou sand acres of land in the said colony.
2ndly. Shares in a joint stock company to be formed by his Lordship,
equiva lent to a subscription of ^200 sterling.
488 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
" 3rdly. A pecuniary salary of ^300 sterling, per annum, from the 2Qth
of May, 1811, as long as Mr. Macdonnell shall continue in the management
of the colony."
The following extract from a letter addressed by Lord Selkirk to John
(Judge) Macdonnell shows that his Lordship was anxious, also, to obtain
his services. A
portion of the letter being lost, we cannot give the date at which it
was written :
" Being of opinion that your local experience and personal influence may
be of material use to the colony in its present infant state, I shall
be happy to meet your
views in case you determine to settle on Red River by granting you
a township
of 10,000 acres, in a choice situation, gratuitously, without any other
conditions than that of establishing upon it six or eight families of
industrious settlers, of good character, not at present residing within
the limits of the Hudson Bay Company s Territories."
From historical records we learn that Miles MacdonnehV Lord Selkirk s
deputy, who had previously trained his men to the use of arms, issued
the following procla mation :
" DISTRICT OP ASSINIBOIA.
" To Mr. Duncan Cameron, acting for the North-West Company at the Forks
of Red River :
"Take notice that by the authority and on behalf of your landlord, the
Right Honorable Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, I do hereby warn you, and all
your associates of the North-West Company, to quit the post and premises
you now occupy, at the
Forks of Red River, within six calendar months from date hereof.
"Given under my hand at Red River Settlement, this twenty-first day of
Octo ber, 1814.
" (Signed) MILES MACDONNELL."
It will be observed that this proclamation was issued more than two years
before the letter of Macdonnell which described the massacre was written.
During all this time hostilities continued between the two companies. In
the spring of
1814, a quantity of provisions was taken from a fort of the North-West
Company, at the mouth of the Souris, for which a warrant was issued
against Macdonnell and Spencer, his sheriff. Spencer was arrested early
in the winter, and sent to Rainy Lake. On the approach of the spring of
1815, the settlers sought refuge in the North-West Company s Fort, taking
with them the cannon and ammunition of the Hudson Bay Company. The free
Canadians and half-breeds were now aroused, and Mr. Macdonnell quietly
surrendered himself a prisoner, and was brought in irons to Montreal. The
settlers now came in a body to Mr. Cameron, and asked to be taken
out of the country. In compliance with their request many of them were
brought to Little York (Toronto), and others went to Lake Winnipeg, to
leave the country by way of Hudson Bay. During the winter of 1814-15,
Lord Selkirk sent out two expeditions one under Mr. Robertson, the other
under Governor Semple. In order to force the
North-West Company either to acknowledge Lord Selkirk s supremacy or leave
the country, Fort Gibraltar was taken, i;th March, 1816, and Mr. Cameron
and his people were made prisoners. A fort at the mouth of the Pembina
was then taken, and everything in it confiscated for the use of Lord
Selkirk. An attack made on Fort Qu Appelle, however, was unsuccessful ;
Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, who had charge
of it, and large stores of provisions belonging to the North-West
Company, success fully defending it against the force in the employ
of Lord Selkirk. It was about this time that the massacre described in
MacdonnelPs letter occurred.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Fifty Indians and half-breeds were sent by the North West Company to
escort a supply of provisions from Fort Qu Appelle to Lake Winnipeg. They
had been ordered to keep at a distance, and out of sight of Fort Douglas,
where Governor
Semple resided but, by chance, he happened with a telescope to discover
them from a look-out on the top of the fort, and at once determined to
intercept them The
following is the substance of the Hudson Bay Company s account of
the affair
The Governor ordered twenty men to follow him, and they immediately
started meeting, as they proceeded, settlers running to the fort, and
crying in terror : Th Half-Breeds ! the Half-Breeds ! " Finding the
enemy more numerous than he had supposed the Governer called a halt,
and sent for a field-piece. This not arriving he ordered an advance,
and soon met the half-breeds on horseback, painted and dressed as
Indian warriors, and they surrounded the Governor s party in the form
of a semi-circle. Mr. Pritchard, one of Governor Semple s party, says
" A ma named Bouchier rode up to us, waving his hand and calling out,
What do you want " The Governor replied, What do you want ? Bouchier
replied, < We want our fort when the Governor said, Go to your fort
! I then saw the Governor take hold of Bouchier s gun, and in a moment a
discharge of fire-arms took place : but whether it began by our side or
by the enemy, it was impossible to distinguish. In a few moments almost
all our people were killed or wounded. Captain Rodgers, having fa en,
rose and came toward me, when not seeing one of our party that was not
killed or wounded, I called to him, For God s sake give yourself up
! He ran towards the enemy for that purpose, myself following him. He
raised his hands and in English and broken French called out for mercy; a
half-breed, son of Wm McKay, shot him through the head, and another ripped
open his belly with a knife while uttering most horrid imprecations.
Fortunately for me, a Canadian named Lavique joined his entreaties with
mine, and saved me from sharing the fate of my friend at that moment. No
quarter was given to any of the party except myself. The knife, the axe or
the ball put a period to the existence of the wounded; and such horrible
barbarities were practised on the bodies of the dead as characterize the
inhuman heart of the savage Mr Semple with his thigh broken, obtained
the promise of Mr. Grant, one of the chief men of the enemy, that he
should be conveyed to the fort. He was left for a few
moments in the care of a French Canadian, who told Mr. Pritchard that
an Indian
came up and shot Mr. Semple through the breast."
The North-West Company s account of the affair, corroborated by the
settlers fers materially from the above account, and shows that Governor
Semple s oartv were )t he aggressors, and fired the first shot. Only
one of the North- West Com pany s men was killed, and one wounded ;
while of the Hudson Bay men twenty-one
were killed and one wounded.
Macdonnell met Lord Selkirk at Lake. Superior, and reported the massacre
when his Lordship proceeded at once to Fort William, the head-quarters
of the North-West Company, seized the fort and everything in it, and
appropriated it to He also seized Fort Douglass, and reigned supreme at
Red River The th-\\ est Company appealed to Government, but with little
success, and both es continued their lawless warfare, each employing
the Indians to carry out their Lord Selkirk wishing to plant a colony,
and the North-West Company ermmed to oppose civilization to preserve
the fur trade and secure its profits
Miles wrote to his brother at Point Fortune from Montreal, December J6th
1017 :
"After my illegal arrest at Point Mearon, in the neighborhood of Fort
William s 1 2th August, I remained in the hands of the Philistines till
my arrival at Sand-
32
4QO HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
wich, November 6th, when I gave bail to answer the charges of which
I was accused by perjured witnesses of the North West Company. I took
passage at Detroit for Black Rock, and reached this place by the route
of Buffalo and Albany. # # # # The Earl of Selkirk left Red River in
September to go down the Mississippi and come
through the United States, but we have yet no account of his Lordship. He
had with him about 40 men and two field pieces; Col. Dickson and several
other gentlemen
were of the party.
" It was currently reported at Sault St. Marie, and Doummand s Island,
when I was there, that the North West Company had employed one of their
half-breed clerks to assassinate his Lordship on his way out between
Red River and Fort William ; but by taking the route by the Mississippi,
he has frustrated that black design."
Though living at Point Fortune during all these troubles, Judge Macdonnell
was not less interested than parties more actively engaged. He still had
considerable pecuniary interest in the fur trade, which was affected to
no small extent by the war waged between the rival companies. He was,
also, more than once required as a witness in the suits resulting from
their dissensions.
Miles Macdonnell wrote from Kingston, August 2oth, 1818: " Lord Selkirk
is desirous that you should attend at York, the Court of King s Bench,
which is to sit there the zoth October, to give evidence of certain
affairs respecting the North West Company, and he wishes me to ascertain
whether you will go voluntarily, or will
require a subpoena served on you, which you should have by all means and
more regularly than the former time that you might not have a pretence
for not appearing.
" To leave home in October will not be so detrimental to your domestic
affairs as it would be in spring. I trust, therefore, that we shall have
the pleasure of meeting al York and returning together."
The same letter affords us considerable additional interest, inasmuch
as it shows that Robert Gourley, who became so notorious in his labors
to refoim the Govern
ment of Upper Canada during the administration of Francis Gore and Sir
Peregrine Maitland, was in Prescott, and enlisted the support of Judge
Macdonnell and several others. "In a narrative Mr. Gourley has published
of his journey through the different districts of the Provinces, I observe
mention made of the nattering reception he had in the District of Ottawa,
from you, Mears, Donald, etc., and your engaging to furnish a sum of
money equal to that of any other District for carrying on affairs.
He was tried here at the assizes on the 151)1 instant, for a libel
against the Govern ment of this Province. The trial took up the whole
day it excited much interest
the court was consequently very crowded. Mr. Gourley pleaded his own
case addressed the jury at considerable length by reading a speech which
took up about half a quire of foolscap closely written -a composition
which showed him a man of knowledge and ability. Judge Campbell gave
him every latitude; the jury, after being out about an hour to consider
on their verdict, returned Not guilty, which was received by the people
with clamorous applause, and Mr. Gourley was conducted in triumph to his
lodging. A public dinner was given him on the following Monday (the trial
was on Saturday), at which were present between forty and fifty persons,
who kept it up till two in the morning, with noisy rejoicings. There
are no doubt abuses in the administration which require correction,
but I don t know whether
Gourley and his party will do much good. I wish him every success in
bringing about a reform where it is necessary, but I doubt if that is
altogether the object in view ; and till I can be better convinced of
his upright intentions I shall not be one of his followers.
" It is reported that Sir Peregrine Maitland keeps everybody at York at
a dis-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
tance ; he has taken up his quarters in the garrison. I expect Lord
Selkirk to arrive to-day ; the steamboat starts for York to-morrow,
and I take passage in it."
Lord Selkirk died in 1820, and Miles Macdonnell in 1828, at Pt. Fortune.
We learn from another document dated 3oth April, 1834, that the heirs
of Miles Macdonnell claimed that he never received remuneration for his
services to Lord
Selkirk, and the same document shows that Donald Eneas (son of Miles
Macdonnell) claimed from the " executors of the late Earl of Selkirk,"
eight years salary to 2Qth May, 1819, at ^300 per annum, and the interest
on each year s salary from the time it was due the whole amounting
(Halifax currency) to ^"3183 33. 8d.
To account of expenses to 5th Dec., 1818, as per statement
handed Mr. Gardner
....................................................... ^204 o 6
Sundry omissions
.............................................................. goo
Subsistence from 5th Dec., 1818, to 2gth Dec., 1819, 55 weeks ^ @ 523. 6d
...................................................................
I44 7 6
Five shares in a joint stock Co., as promised by his Lordship ....... 555
n z
50,000 acres of land in Red River Colony, or a, consideration for the
same, certainly worth is. per acre
............ ". .......................... 2500 o o
,6686 8 6
The claim was disputed, on the ground that Lord Selkirk must have paid
much or all of it before his death, although there was no proof of
payment ; but how the matter terminated, we have no means of showing.
The following letter shows that when reverses came, and the Judge was in
des pondency and embarrassment, his nephew, with true pride of family,
and no doubt
in remembrance of the Judge s kindness to his father, earnestly desired
to aid him!
" CORNWALL, 2gTH AUG., 1830. My dear Uncle,
" I should have replied to your letter of the 2oth inst. by return of
post, but the mail was closed previous to my receiving your letter.
:< I am sorry to see that you are so deeply involved to the house of
(we withhold the name), and also the pressing letter of the Trustees. In
these pressing times it is our duty to afford mutual aid to each other,
and in order to aid you as much as
possible, I will make over my claim upon the Earl of Selkirk for lands ;
I have been in expectation that the heir or heirs of his Lordship would
at some time do something for the family. Although I have numerous
difficulties to encounter in the present emergency, I am willing to do
whatever you desire."
The many improvements that the Judge made on this estate fully confirm
the statement found in a letter describing his property, when he was
desirous of selling it, many years after he had settled here. He says :
" I have laid out thousands of pounds in improvements on this land."
One of his earliest works was the construction of a canal several rods
in length with a lock to facilitate the passage of boats past the chute,
which, at that point, was a great obstruction to navigation. A stone grist
mill with one run of stone, and a wood saw mill, were also erected, which
did good service for a number of years ; but they fell into disuse. A
storehouse was erected on the bank of the river a little east of his
dwelling, the basement of which was open, so that boats could enter it ;
the cargoes were placed on a platform, two or three feet high, alongside
of which the boats drew up.
A large orchard occupied a field on the west side of the " Town Line
Road."
._,, HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
492
In connection with this orchard, an incident occuned which proved of
serious con- seauence to its proprietors. Boys, as well as men, had given
him no little annoyance hv the frequency with which they entered the
oichard and carried off the apples. John a son of the Judge, thinking
to frighten the thieves, fired into the orchard one
on hearing them, and, unfortunately, wounded the son of a neighbor.
That the affair caused no little excitement is evident, from a letter
written by Miles Macdonnell to the Judge from Montreal, i 5 th October,
1819. He says : " The unpleasant accident that befell your poor son, John,
has been reported m the most disastrous manner, as is always the case
;-I can easily judge of your feelings on the ccasion but Donald McDonald
tells me that the man is out of all danger, and that the damage cannot
be great. I would recommend that a compromise be made, bv all means with
the man who has been fired at, to prevent the matter going before a Court
of Justice ; no pains should be spared to bring about a reconciliation."
Tradition says that the young man s injuries were not serious, and that
he soon recovered, but that he was taken sick a year or more afterward,
and died. An effort was then made to show that his death was caused
by the wounds he received at the hands of Macdonnell, and a claim for
damages instituted ; but as the claim could not be established, the
subject was dropped.
The birthday of the Judge happened to fall on St. Andrew s day, which,
perhaps,
accounts for the fact that his birthday was always celebrated with a
good deal of Mat His friends several of whom had been his coadjutors in
the North West, always assembled at his house on these occasions, and
celebrated the event with all the festivity customary at that period,
and the hilarity to which they had been
accustomed in the North West.
It is a saying that has almost become a proverb, that the Ottawa freezes
over here on St Andrew s night. On one of these occasions, when the
festivities had been prolonged to the wee sma hours of morning, a number
of the guests among whom were Capt. McCargo, set out for their homes
on the north side of the embarking on a large scow. The ice was forming
rapidly on the river, and when they had reached the middle their further
progress was stayed. Here then they were without fire or shelter, and
exposed to an arctic temperature; their only hope of escape from freezing
was in constant movement fortunately there was a ftddler on board, and
the area of the scow being ample, they danced to the music f the fiddle
till daylight, when the strength of the ice permitted them, by the aid
of a board or two, which they had with them, to reach the shore.
There is much that appeals to our sympathy m a letter written by the
Judge a few years before his death, to his chief and most importunate
creditor. In this he speaks of his disappointments and misfortunes,
and expresses his decision to give up his home at Point Fortune, and to
retire to the Red River Settlement Sad indeed
would have been the contrast between his return to the North West, in
the infirmity of age and in poverty, with his circumstances a third of a
century before, when in the vigor of manhood, and elated with financial
success, he left that country and settled
at Point Fortune.
Since the above sketch of the Macdonnells was written, Mr Crosby has
sent us the following, which, among other things, explains the allusion
in Mrs. Lerkies let to her brother s escape at St. Regis :
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 493
POINT FORTUNE, 4th July, 1844. The Honorable A. N. Morin, etc. SIR,
I write you in reference to your offer in the public prints of undertaking
the agency of such persons as have claims on the Government for
scrips. Though not coming under that denomination, having received my
scrip as a captain in the Voyageur Corps years ago, I submit to your
consideration the underwritten statement of facts, to be put by you
into the shape required for presentation in the proper quarter ; hop
ing that His Excellency, the present Governor General, has superior
power to any representative of Majesty sent to govern, since the days
of Lord Durham. I have full confidence in your ability and zeal to bring
the affair in question to a proper issue, and hope to be reimbursed for
the money expended, upwards of thirty years ago, in the formation of
the Voyageur Corps, in kind, with interest out of the military chest,
and of being remunerated for my other losses, in any way His Excellency
may judge most expedient. Should the foregoing not be judged a sufficient
power of Attorney, I shall be ready to execute any other form which you
may send, to empower you to act in
the premises.
I remain, sir,
Your most obedient and humble servant.
JOHN MACDONELL, Captain late Voyageur Corps
STATEMENT OF FACTS.
I received my scrip as a Captain in the Voyageur Corps which was
commanded by the Honorable, the late Lieut.-Col. William McGillivray
which, although valued at ;i6o, I was obliged to cede to one of my
creditors for 60. In October, 1812,
I was ordered with my Company to the Indian village of St. Regis, and
on the third day after my arrival there, was attacked at four o clock
a.m. of the 23rd October, by five companies of New York State Militia,
mustering upwards of five to one against us. My ensign, Pierre Rottol,
Sergeant John McGillivray, Private Nicholas "Ponsport
were killed, several other privates wounded ; myself, Lieut. William Hall
(now of the Customs, Montreal), thirty-five non-commissioned officers and
men, with Capt. L. Montigny of the Indian Department, taken prisoners
and conveyed to Green Bush.
Every grade of officer in the Voyageur Corps in which I served, viz.,
Captains,
Majors and our worthy Lieut.-Col., volunteered to serve without pay. In
consequence, I, in common with the other Captains, incurred considerable
expense in the formation of the Corps, as the following statement will
show, as well in purse as in other pro perly, during my captivity and
absence from the Province ; all which I pocketed from a principle of
disinterested loyalty, being then in no dread of falling into want, and
a partner in the North-West Company of Fur Traders ; but, now, the case
is sadly changed for the worse, being in the seventy-sixth year of my
age, paralytic, ruptured, and, worst of all, in debt; a tenant at will,
my principal creditor having obliged me to give him a bill of sale of
my place. I had the honor of being appointed District Judge in a joint
commission with the late lamented George Hamilton of Hawkesbury Mills,
at the formation of the Ottawa District, in the session of 1816, which
office I resigned in October, 1825. And that for upwards of eighteen
years, I had the honor of commanding the ist Regiment of Prescott militia
as Colonel by commission dated ist April, 1822, until my resignation on
the nth day of June, 1840; the late George Hamilton being my Lieut.-Col.
494
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
That on looking over my North-West accounts current, I find the
underwritten items charged in my account while serving in the Voyageur
Corps, by commission dated 2nd day of October, 1812, the general order
for the formation of the Corps being previously published.
1812 1 2th Sept. To cash for travelling expenses, enrolling and recruiting
men ....... 10 o o
....... 10 o o
24th " " " ....... 500
" isth Oct. " ...... 25 5 o
" 29th To handed over to Major Clark, United States Army, Q. M. Gl. Dept.
at Green Bush, N. Y., claimed as public property ............... 14 5 o
1813 I2thjan. To repaid Genl. Lewis, Qr. M. Genl., United States Army,
for an
equal sum borrowed of him in Albany in last November ......... 23 o o
c< ipth Mar. Paid our Qr. Master, Jas. E. Campbell, for 18 pairs of
moccasins at
is. 8d., which I had given to Capt. D. Ducharme of Ind. Dept. at
La Forte .................................................... i 10 o
Lost by being Purser from St. Regis to Green Bush and back agan to
Laprairie, through the death of poor Capt. L. Montigny of the In
dian Department ............................................ 8 8 9
" 3rd Nov. Repaid the Hon. Lt.-Col. McGillivray, for my share of balance
on the
Voyageur Corps book ....................................... 18 3 2.V
Total cash disbursement ..................................... 117 15 il
LIST OF PROPERTY LOST AT ST. REGIS.
I Half stocked fowling piece, ball mould, cleaning rod, worm and turnkey,
powder horn, shot pouch, belt, etc., seven years my companion in the
wilds of the North
West country ; entered at
............ . .......... . ....................... l$ lo o
I Two-edged sword, belt, silver buckle ................... .
..................... 7 10 o
I Pair pocket pistols, ball mould, key, etc
....................................... 3 o o
I Spy glass and appurtenances
........................ . . .................. ..... 5 lo o
I Red silk sash
............................................................. 6 lo o
Tea and sugar boxes and contents, 308. ; large green blanket, 305. ;
two prayer books,
English and French, IDS .......... . ...... ........................ 3
10 o
Candlestick and snuffers, head and shoe brushes ........ v
....................... o lo o
Total loss at St. Regis ..................................... ^42 o o
List of my private property taken out of my trunk in Montreal, during
my absence from the Province. The empty trunk was discovered, with the
lock broken, in the garret of a house opposite to and facing the North
West buildings, which
was occupied by General De Rottenberg, and I suppose the domestics to
have taken the property.
(As the list is quite long and indistinct from age, we do not copy
it. The items are chiefly of clothing, toilet articles, swoid cane,
pocket books, etc., the whole valued at 21 iys. gd.) I certify the
foregoing to be a true statement.
JOHN MACDONNELL,
Capt* late Voyageur Corps. Point Fortune, 4th July, 1844.
Judge Macdonnell had four sons John, Godfrey, Palafox and Fingal, and
one daughter, Victoria Hortensia, who grew up.
John was bitten by a mad dog, and died in great agony. Palafox married
Miss Sarah Ann Crosby a daughter of the late John Crosby, and remained
on the home stead ; they had eleven children, of whom four sons and
three daughters are now
living. John, the eldest son, lives in Point Fortune ; Eneas, the second
son, who has been warden of the Penitentiary at Stony Mountain, Manitoba,
is now employed
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 495
in the Penitentiary at Kingston. Albert Crosby and Robert, the two
remaining sons, belong to the N. W. Mounted Police. Maud, one of the
daughters, married to George Wanless, grandson of the founder of Wanless
Academy, lives in Ottawa ; another of the daughters, married, lives at
Gatineau Point, and another in the States.
The following sketch of ARCHIBALD MCDONALD, with the accompanying story
of his daughter, properly belong to the history of St. Andrews Parish,
Argenteuil County, Que., but was not received in time to be inserted
therein :
" Two or three of the sons of Mr. McDonald were active men in Argenteuil
; John, one of them, organized Company No. i of the nth Battalion,
of which he became Captain. He died, and was succeeded by his brother,
Allan McDonald ; the latter
is now agent for the Indian Department in the North- West. Archibald,
civil engineer, was paymaster in the nth Battalion. The only two
surviving sons are Allan and Benjamin ; the latter is in the mining
business in Colorado. The following is the inscription on the monument
of Mr. McDonald, in the St. Andrews cemetery :
" SACRED To the Memory of
ARCHIBALD McDONALD, ESQ., J. P., Chief Factor of the Hudson Bay Company,
Born in Glencoe, Argyleshire, Scotland,
Died in Argenteuil, Lower Canada, I5th January, 1853,
Aged 62 years.
" A kind-hearted, good man, Mr. McDonald s loss will be felt by a large
circle of friends and acquaintances. A magistrate for the County, he was
always active, intel ligent and upright ; esteemed for the impartiality
of his conduct and the kindness of his manner. Amongst others of his
works, it may be said that he was the pioneer, or one of the pioneers, of
civilization in Oregon. In short, his life was one of much use fulness,
and death, which (it is hoped) found him prepared to meet its stroke,
has only removed him from earthly labors to receive a higher reward."
The author of the following story was awarded a prize by the Montreal
Witness:
A CANADIAN HEROINE.
The story I am about to relate is a true one. I do not think I am
exaggerating in calling the chief actress a heroine. She is certainly
more worthy of that appellation than the bundles of contradictions or
absurdities we often meet with in popular
novels.
About forty years ago, a gentleman named McDonald, who held a high
position in the famous Hudson Bay Company, purchased a large farm in the
County of Argenteuil, P.Q. This farm is situated on the Ottawa River,
in that district still called La Baie. At this point the river is
nearly two miles wide and dotted with small green islands, which give
the region a very picturesque appearance during the summer. It was
opposite these islands that Mr. McDonald erected the lovely cottage "
Glencoe," where visitors from city or country were always entertained
with true Highland hospitality.
His family consisted of eight sons and one daughter. When the latter
performed the brave act I am about to refer to, she was about fifteen
years of age, good- looking, and a general favorite among those who had
the pleasure of her acquaintance.
On the day of her adventure she was alone with a lady friend and the
servants. While sitting on the verandah, and watching some small boats
which looked like station ary black specks on the sunlit waters of the
bay, a sudden obscurity swept over the
496 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
lovely landscape, and the birds and all the living creatures around the
cottage sud denly became silent and anxious-looking, as they generally
do before an approaching storm. Before the boats reached the islands,
a storm, such as we seldom witness in this part of Canada, burst in all
its fury. A little skiff containing two boys, further from safety than
the others, was soon capsized. Miss McDonald, who had anxiously watched
it through her glass from the first, perceived that the poor boys were
clinging to the boat, in spite of the buffeting waves ; and taking a noble
resolution, she rushed to her skiff (a good one), slipped the painter from
the post, and rowed out to their rescue. The journey, nearly a mile in
length, was a perilous one, but being an exptrt sculler and very strong
for a girl of her age, she managed to reach them just as their strength
was becoming exhausted. The storm having abated to some extent, the return
was soon accomplished, I need not dwell on what followed. The brave lady
was shortly afterwards requested to accept a solid silver tea service as a
token of esteem and gratitude. A few years later she married Dr. Barnston,
a Montreal gentle man, who lived but one year after their marriage, and
" our heroine "died also shortly afterwards; and although a quarter of
a century has passed since she has been laid in the grave, her memory
is still fondly cherished by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance.
N.B. The above incidents were narrated to me by my grandfather, Donald
McLarty, whose farm adjoined "TheGlencoe Estate."
(Signed) GEORGIANNA OGDEN.
Written October, 1890.
JAMES MCCLINTOCK, from Ballymena, County of Antrim, Ireland, was one
of the worthy pioneers of Point Fortune, arriving here with his wife
and three children in 1818. He was a mason by trade, and was employed
on the house of Judge Mac- donnell, soon after his arrival ; but a few
years later, he purchased a farm, Lot 5, and Concession, and thenceforward
devoted his time to farming. He was born aist October, 1776, and died $th
April, 1856. Mrs. McClintock (Elizabeth Coulter), born 27th August, 1782,
died i4th March. 1861. They were married gth August, 1802. One of their
daughters, left in Ireland, married a Mr. Morrison, and after ward came
to Canada. Two children of Mr. and Mrs. McClintock, a son and daugh ter,
were born in this country; the latter died in childhood.
WILLIAM MCCLINTOCK, the son, born in Point Fortune, 8th January,
1821, remained on the homestead; he was married i3th February, 1849,
to Margaret, sister of P. Dunbar,Esq., the present Mayor of the
Seigniory of Argenteuil ; Miss Dunbar had previously been teaching at
Point Fortune. Mr. McClintock died, igth December, 1894. The following
obituary, copied from the Montreal Witness of aoth December, 1894,
expresses the sentiments of all who knew the deceased :
" Last night an old respected resident of Point Fortune passed away,
in the per
son of Mr. William McClintock. The deceased was one of the leading farmers
of the distiict, a prominent man in temperance and religious circles,
and for many years Superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School. His
death will be deeply felt by the community, as he was always active in
every good object."
Mrs. McClintock, equally respected, survives him. Their children are three
sons and two daughters. William, the eldest son, lives on the homestead ;
James G. is a lumber contractor in Michigan ; and George, the youngest,
is in California ; Eliza beth J., married to John Jackson, lives in
Lachute ; Catherine is married to George Barclay, of Point Fortune.
WILLIAM LAMB, with his family a wife and two children came from Roxbury-
shire, Scotland, and settled in Point Fortune, in 1831. At the age of
20 he learned
HISTORY OF PRFSCOTT. 497
the blacksmith trade, and followed it the remainder of his days. They
were fourteen weeks on the voyage. Owing to the cupidity of the parties
who had agreed to con
vey a large number of emigrants to this country, the commodious vessel
chartered for the purpose was not sent, but a smaller one, used to
convey coal from New Castle to Leith. Into this small, two-masted brig
more than 100 passengers were
crowded, and they suffered every species of discomfort before completing
the voyage, falling short of both water and provisions.
Mrs. Lamb (Catherine Gutterson) was the daughter of a weaver, who was
noted for his hostility to the liquor traffic, and Mrs. Lamb, who was the
youngest of his children, inherited all the paternal hatred of spirituous
liquors. When Mr. Lamb raised the frame of his house at Point Fortune,
no liquor was used on the occasion, and the incident was so contrary to
the custom of those days, that it caused no little comment. Mrs. Lamb
was the first agent for the Montreal Witness in this section
of the country. She would permit none of her children to read newspapers
that advertised liquors, nor were such papers permitted to remain in the
house. Both she and her husband were energetic, industrious people, and
their good sense and sterling piety enabled them to rear their children
so that they became useful and honored members of society. Mr. Lamb died
24th August, 1^55 ; Mrs. Lamb, 4th October, 1862. Besides Alexander
and Margaret, bora in Scotland, they had five sons and five daughters
that were born in this country. Of those now surviving, James lives in
Winnipeg, Man. ; Thomas is a merchant and Postmaster at St. Andrews, Que.,
and a Major of the Argenteuil Rangers ; Margaret resides in Montreal ;
and Mrs. (John) Pitcairn in Point Fortune.
Alexander, the eldest of the children, learned the trade of his father,
and has
always remained at Point Fortune. He was married 6th February, 1862,
to Eliza beth Wood of East Settlement, Argenteuil. In 1879, he bought
100 acres of land at this place, since which he has devoted his time
chiefly to farming. He has a good library, the use of which he evidently
has not neglected.
Mrs. Lamb died in March, 1875 ; they had one son and four daughters ;
the former, Wm. J., and his sister Annie G., live with their father ;
Elizabeth is a pro fessional nurse ; Catherine married to Robert Boa,
and Maggie, to William Beggs, both live in East Hawkesbury.
JOHN CROSBY from the County Down, Ireland, came to Philadelphia with his
wife and child, in 1817. After a year s residence there, they came to
Lachute; in their voyage thither, the boat in which they ascended the
Hudson was burnt in the night, and all their baggage was lost. Their
child, a girl eighteen months old, also caught cold from the exposure,
and died. They lived a few years in Lachute and St. Andrews, and then
came to Point Fortune, where Mr. Crosby for some time con ducted an
hotel, and was also in company with Mr. William Kirby in running a line
of stage coaches from this place to L Orignal. In 1836 he bought the
farm of 200 acres, now owned by his son John W., and afterwards another
hundred farther west which is now owned by Willard Cole. Mr. Crosby
died 315! March, 1867 ; Mrs. Crosby, 131!! June, 1864. They had three
sons and nine daughters, of whom two sons and four daughters grew up ;
only one of the former, John W., and two of the latter, Mrs. Cullen,
now residing in Point Fortune, and Mrs. Kempley, in Hull, are now living.
John W. has always remained on the homestead ; his dwelling, surrounded
by fine
maples, is beautifully located on the high land, half a mile from the
Ottawa, and com mands a delightful view of the river and the country and
mountains across it. Mr. Crosby is one of the most respected men of
this locality, and, had he not declined office, might always have held
public positions. He was the first Mayor of the
498 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
municipality, has been on the School Board several times, and has also
been its
Secretary-Treasurer a number of years. He has taken much interest in the
Vau- dreuil County Agricultural Society, and has received several prizes
on his farm. He was married ist December, 1868, to Beda, a daughter
of William Jameson who was shot in 1837, as related in the history of
Carillon. They have four sons and two daughters ; the elder daughter is
married to W. G. Brown, now living in Sweetsburg, Que.; Frank, the eldest
son, is a merchant in Ottawa ; James is clerk for Lonsdale, Reid & Co.,
wholesale merchants in Montreal; William H., Allen and Clara are at
home.
JAMES PITCAIRN, from Perthshire, Scotland, settled at Point Fortune
in 1843, and his descendants are worthy representatives of an honored
race. He bought 210 acres of land from Macmillan, as already stated,
which tract is now owned by his two sons, James and John Pitcairn, the
former occupying the house in which his father lived, and where he died
in April, 1850. Mrs. Pitcairn, his wife, died in Scotland in 1840. James
Pitcairn, jr., was married 3rd February, 1852, to Nancy
McFayden, and has only one daughter, Margaret, married to James
Middltton. John
Pitcairn was married 3Oth October, 1864, to Agnes Lamb ; they have three
sons, James, William and Robert, and three daughters Kate, Mary and
Annie. Of the four daughters of the late James Pitcairn, Mary married
John Barclay, Agnes mar
ried William Caution, Ellen married Robert McFayden, and Margaret,
John Middle-
ton. The eldest daughter, Mary Ross, and John Barclay were married
before leaving Scotland, and they came to Canada with her father
s family. Mr. Barclay was a pattern maker for calico printing ; after
living here a year he returned to Scotland. Fifteen years afterward
he returned to Canada, and after working leased farms for some time,
and living three years in Michigan, he bought the farm in Point Fortune
which is now owned and occupied by his son George. He died here 3rd
January, 1888. He left four sons John, James, David and George ; and
one daughter, Margaret. The latter lives here in a cosy cottage with her
mother. Another daughter of Mrs. Barclay, Agnes Ellen, married to Peter
Morrison, died in 1879 ; Mr. Morrison died in 1888. They left one boy,
Rowland C., now an advanced pupil in the Hawkes- bury High School. David
Barclay, now living in Point Fortune with his family, met with a sad
misfortune in his younger days, his sight being destroyed by the prema-
tuie explosion of a blast in an iron mine.
George, the youngest son of Mrs. Barclay, who has the homestead, a good
farm of 175 acres, is one of the prosperous fanners of this section. He
is a member of the present Board of Councillors, and has been Mayor.
At Point Fortune also lives THOMAS KING, whose great age and good memory
have enabled him to give us important facts connected with the history
of the place. He claims to have been born in 1798 ; but whether he has
reached the age of 98 or not, he is certainly very old. He was born at
Cote St. Madeleine, and came to Point Fortune when he was 15 years of age,
and when there were but six dwellings in the place. He remembers well the
North West canoes that came here sometimes as many as thirty of them at a
time, containing from 8 to 12 men each. They often remained over night and
gummed their canoes. Mr. King has spent his life in shanties and as pilot
; he was one of the pilots taking rafts down Lake St. Peter in 1839,
when the great storm arose in which so many men lost their lives. He
and a pilot, named Jerry Campbell, were each in charge of a raft. It
was night when they reached the lake, and Campbell shouted to King, and
asked him if he was going to cross; the latter replied that the weather
looked so threatening he preferred anchor ing among the islands. Campbell
determined, however, to go on, and King reluctantly followed. When they
were well out in the lake, a furious storm coming
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 499
on, King detached his anchor from its long cable and permitted the
cable to drag, which steadied the raft. The waves rose to great height,
and Campbell, seeing that he was in imminent danger, lashed himself to a
stake in a traverse ; but the waves dashed over him, and he was drowned,
as well as the entire crew of forty men, the raft being broken in pieces.
Mr. King thinks this fatality was a punishment meted out to Campbell
s men for their wickedness. He says that where they anchored the night
previous, some of them stole a fine pig from the premises of a pious,
wealthy gentleman (we re not sure, but think he was a priest) killed
and dressed it. In the morning they visited the gentleman, told him that
one of their men died the previous night, and asked him to come to the
raft and offer a prayer for the deceased. He complied with the request,
and then asked to see the corpse ; the request was declined, on the
ground that the flies were too numerous. The gentleman departed without
learning how he had been imposed upon, and " You see," said Mr. King,
" that every, one of the men who played that trick was drowned."
In the fall of 1787, SOLOMON COLE moved his family and household goods
with carts and two yoke of oxen, from Londonderry, Vermont, to Montreal,
and the following January came to St. Andrews, Que. About 3 years later,
he settled on Lot ii. ist Concession, in East Hawkesbury ; and after
a residence there of about 15 years, he moved to Chatham, and erected
a house on the site of the present Presbyterian manse. Here he lived
twenty years, and then moved to Buckingham, Que., where he died. He
had a family of seven sons and three daughters. Solo mon, the second
son, born in 1787, engaged in farming near Gushing, in connection with
which he -also served the community for forty years as blacksmith. He
was one of the brave defenders of his country during the war of 1812,
was at the battle of Chateauguay, after which, for some time, he was
stationed at York (Toronto) ; he was also a member of the St. Andrews
s Troop in the troubles of 1837. He was married to Isabella Heatlie,
of Chatham ; they had five sons and four daughters. Mr. Cole died at
Buckingham, i6th April, 1876, at the age of 87, while on a visit to his
brother Orris. For some time previous to his death, he and Mrs. Cole had
lived with their son, Willard. Mrs. Cole died August, 1876. Of the four
children now living, Thomas is in Dakota, Mark in Iowa, Jane, the wife
of D. Long, in Lansing, Mich.
Willard, the youngest, born in 1837, is one of the successful farmers of
East Hawkesbury, and is located on parts of Lots n and 12, ist Concession
a portion of which was formerly owned by his grandfather. He was married
in 1861, to Jane, daughter of the late James Bothwell, of Chatham. They
have four sons and three daughters, of whom James, Fred and Emma, the
wife of James Gorrie, are living at Lake Dolphin, in Manitoba. Elizabeth,
the wife of Geo. Crowther, lives in Mont real ; the three youngest are
at home.
Solomon, the eldest son, in 1881 entered the employ of Noxon
Bros. Mfg. Co. of Ingersoll, as commercial traveller ; and was thus
engaged travelling over Quebec and apart of Ontario for 13 years. In 1893,
he engaged in business in Point For
tune, where he still remains. He was married, in 1892, to a daughter of
John Williamson of Point Fortune. Mr. Cole is Secretary -Treasurer of
the Municipality, also of the Methodist Church here, of which botli he
and Mrs. Cole are active members.
Many years back in the history of Point Fortune, came Amable St. Denis,
who was destined through his own enterprise, and that of his descendants,
to act an important part in the history of the place. He built, or opened,
a public house
where N. Ladouceur is now conducting an hotel, and opened one also
at Carillon,
50O HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
ia the building which is now occupied by Mrs. Palliser. It was one of
his sons,
ALEXANDER ST. DENIS, who became a prominent and most successful business
man. He married Miss Taylor, a sister of the Rev. Lachlan Taylor, D.D.,
and opened a store where Mr. William Brown now trades, which he conducted
for many years with remarkable success. His fine brick residence is
conspicuous among the buildings of the village, and he held valuable
interests in real estate. He died in rSgr. His children were four sons
and three daughters, who were carefully educated; but the sons, with the
exception of Ernest, all died young. Mrs. St. Denis and her daughters,
two of whom are married, still survive. Ernest St. Denis succeeded his
father in the business, and was a popular merchant and Postmaster here
several years. He sold out to Mr. Brown in 1894, and has recently engaged
in business in Vankleek Hill.
WILLIAM BROWN & SONS, doubtless, have engaged as extensively in the
mer cantile business as any who have followed this line in this section
of country. Mr. Brown came from Ayrshire, Scotland, with his father
s family to Montreal in 1848; his father died there in 1867, qnd his
mother still resides in that city.
William Brown was married 8th May, 1862, to Elizabeth, daughter of the
late Andrew Gait, manufacturer of Montreal, and began business in the
city as book seller and stationer. In 1865, he came to Point Fortune,
and entered into partner ship with Thomas (now the Rev. Thomas) Everett,
of Montreal. In 1869 Mr. Brown purchased the entire business, and has
continued in it ever since. In 1894 he bought the stock of goods owned
by Mr. E. A. St. Denis, and the ist of January of that year formed a
co-paitnership with his two sons, Gait E. and John C., since which the
firm has been known as Brown & Sons. They carry a very large stock keep
everything except spirituous liquors and accept in payment for goods,
every kind of barter. Their business during the year 1895, in farmer s
produce and other lines, exceeded $60,000.
Mr. Brown spent seven years in the parish of Rigaud, where he was for
some time
a member of the School Board. In 1872 he was appointed a Justice of the
Peace for the District of Montreal, and in 1893 for Prescott and Russell,
the proximity of Point Fortune to the latter district rendering his
appointment a matter of much
public convenience ; his services as magistrate are often called in
requisition. He has five sons and one daughter ; his youngest son, Colin
Campbell, when 9 years of age, was accidentally drowned, by falling
out of a boat, in 1879. Of the sons now living, William, married to a
daughter of Mr. G. W. Crosby of this place, lives in Sweetsburg, Que.,
and is a Commercial Traveller for Lonsdale, Reid & Co. of Montreal ;
Walter A. is one of the firm of Gardner & Brown, general merchants,
Arnprior, Onr.; Gait E. was married to Mabel Johnson in September, 1890;
John C. is married to Rhoda, daughter of William Slory of Plantagenet
Mills ; Agnes Mary, the youngest child of Mr. Brown, is with her parents.
Another merchant of Point Fortune is ALFRED GOULET. His father, Geoffrey
Goulet, was born at St. Andrews, Que.; he lived in Ottawa a few years,
and then
settled in Wendover, where he has lived a quarter of a century ; Alfred,
the son, who was born at Wendover, graduated from the Ottawa Commercial
College in 1891, and, after serving as clerk in the mercantile business at
St. Isidore de Prescott, and at Pointe Fortune for a few years, in 1895
he opened a store at the latter place. He keeps a general assortment
of merchandise, and thus far has received encourage ment in his venture.
RICHARD HEMSLEY is proprietor of the old homestead of the late John
Cameron. He was born in Lincoln, England, came to Montreal in 1876,
and for some time was
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 50 1
successfully engaged in market gardening. He was married in 1878 to Miss
Leagie, of Beauharnois, and in the fall of 1882 he moved to Point Fortune,
and purchased the estate above mentioned, comprising 120 acres. He has
erected new buildings,
which are beautifully located amid stately maples, forming part of a
sugar orchard of 700 trees ; all standing plainly in view, on a gentle
slope toward the river, present a picture of rural beauty highly
impressive. Mr. Hemsley has been a member of the
School Board, and Municipal Council, several years, five of which he
was Mayor;
he is also a Justice of the Peace.
JAMES JOHNSON, of the County of Antrim, Ireland, came to Canada
when Sir John Johnson was interested in colonizing the seigniory of
Argenteuil. In former years, Sir John had known him in his native land,
and on his arrival in Canada, the Seignior offered him his choice of any
unoccupied land in Argenteuil. His selection was the lot where the Rouge
debouches into the North River at St. Andrews, and he lived there till
his death about 1863. He had six children, four sons and two daughters,
but only the sons survived him. John, the eldest son, who served in the
Rebellion of 1837, followed the trade of wheelwright, and his ingenuity
and skill created frequent demand for his services ; he died in Rockland
in 1876. He was twice married, first to Ellen Gibson ; they had one son
and four daughters ; one of
the latter deceased. His second marriage was to a Miss Haney of Montreal
issue, six sons and one daughter. The sons are in the States, and the
daughter is married to Gait Brown of Point Fortune.
James Johnson, the only son of the late John Johnson by his first
marriage, is successfully engaged in the lumber business at Sault
Ste. Marie. Matilda, the eldest daughter of the late John Johnson, was
married 25th May, 1854, to JOHN WIL LIAMSON, who came to this country
from the County of Monaghan, Ireland, in 1848. They live at Point
Fortune on a fine farm of 210 acres, sustaining a dairy of 30 cows, and
equipped with all the improved machinery requisite for successful farming.
Mr. Williamson is one of the respected and influential men of the place
; he has served many years on the School Board, and in the Municipal
Council, and is one
of the Councillors at present. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Williamson now
living are three sons, William, Arthur and John B., and two daughters,
Mrs. Cole of Point Fortune, and Mrs. McClintock, living in California. The
youngest son, John Bertie, is at home j the second son, Arthur, is
taking a Theological course at the Wesleyan University, Montreal, and
the eldest son,
CAPT. WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, is proprietor of the fine old dwelling of the
late Judge Macdonnell, of Point Fortune. He was married igth September,
1881, to Mary Ellen, daughter of the late Dr. Everett of East Hawkesbury,
who spent a long life in the practice of his profession in Prescott
County, and reared a lare family.
Mr. Williamson embarked in mercantile life at Point Fortune in 1881,
in which he continued till 1892, when he sold out and engaged in the
lumber business, which he still follows. During the time he was in trade
at this place, he was also manager four years of the St. Lawrence Lumber
Mills at Repentigny, employing, meanwhile, W. B. McArthur, an able and
experienced accountant, as manager of his store, in
1891, he was appointed Commissioner for taking affidavits, and in 1892,
a Justice of the Peace for Prescott and Russell.
Mr. Williamson is a gentleman of much energy, an active and efficient
officer, and he and Mrs. Williamson are active members of the Methodist
Church.
He has repaired and improved the old stone mansion, which was once the
resort of the magnates of the North-West, and it still remains a fitting
memento of the adventurous spirits and stirring events of early days in
the Valley of the Ottawa.
502 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The branch of the C.P.R., designed to connect Montreal with Ottawa, was
completed as far as Pt. Fortune in October, 1892. The railway station is
about half a mile from the village, and it is soon to be connected with
it by a sidewalk a work of much utility. Mr. John Middleton, the Mayor,
has recently solicited subscriptions from the citizens hereabout, with
good success, to defray the expenses of its construc tion. A passenger
train arrives and departs daily, and during the summer months
there are two trains on Saturdays.
J. STEPHEN LALONDE is the courteous and accommodating Station Agent here.
He was born 2Oth January, 1869, atCoteau Station, Soulanges County,
Que. In 1884 he entered Coteau Station on the Canada Atlantic, as
Asst. Station Agent, and a
year later went to Casselman as operator, and from that place to Beaver
Brook as agent. In 1889, ne engaged to the C.P.R. Co., and was operator
successively at Winchester, Green Valley and Vaudreuil ; being appointed
Station Agent at the latter place in January, 1891. On the completion
of the road to Point Fortune, he was appointed Agent here, and has
discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his employers and
the public. He was married in January, 1896, to Miss Poulin, daugh ter
of Mr. Frederick Poulin of Carillon.
The "JOHN" is so well known that it seems almost superfluous to say that
it is the ferry boat plying between Carillon and Point Fortune. Though
unique in style and antiquated in appearance, the " John " does loyal
service, and is always hailed with pleasure as soon as the ice leaves
the river.
The first ferry between these places was established by Mr. Schagel,
proprietor
of the hotel mentioned in the history of Carillon. Some years later a boat
pro pelled by horse power was placed on the river by A. E. Monmarquet.
Mr. John Kelly was proprietor of this for 15 years, and sold it to a
man named Poitras. The latter became proprietor of a steam ferry boat,
which for a few years had been unsuccessfully running opposition to his
horse-boat. ,
In 1884, JOHN LAROCQUE purchased the boat, which, renovated and repaired,
is the steamer " John."
WILLIAM GRAY, who is a native of Hudson, is a familiar and popular
figure in this section ; he has been engineer on the John " nine seasons,
and has served as engineer on the Ottawa boats thirty-eight years.
Longueuil.
This township is in the northern part of Prescott County, and is bounded
on the
north by the Ottawa, east by West Hawkesbury, south by Caledonia, and
west by Alfred. It was granted as a seigniory during the old French
regime to the Baron de Longueuil, and is the only seigniory ever granted
in Upper Canada. It was purchased by N. H. Treadwell for one thousand
guineas at 23^ Halifax currency, the receipt being dated, May, 1796,
and signed by Marie Lukin. In 1827, as shown below, a patent was granted
to C. P. Treadwell, " having done homage with uncovered head
on one knee, without spur or sword, having sworn fealty to His Majesty."
The following sketch of the Treadwell family has been prepared at our
request :
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
TREADWELL. Crest. Lion rampant, quadrant
THOMAS TREADWELL, father of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell
"as 7 rrrpr;n^!r
Ihomas 1 read well entered upon public service earlv h* . !, 11 ~,
&tatcs /
died medidnein paris -sn^^sa
^
New Y o V rk rn s avs S " a Tl; ( ,m his T Illtr , odl !f lio " "=
Natural History of the State of
ftg^a?*: cS3sjp?j^^i
for many years the only surviving member of that bodv " ^ WiC Re 0rd He
"" a ^
!ris : i-F^
., L.I. Ihis Provincial Congress met at the Court House in
e S s Phnade in the Continental
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Westchester county, but sat in Fishkill, November 8th, In 1778, he
was delegated to the Convention at Poughkeepsie, to deliberate on the
adoption of the Constitution of the United States. He was also appointed
during the same year Judge of Probate in the city of New York, which
office he held until Surrogates were appointed for each county. In 1791,
he was elected to represent Suffolk, King s and Queen s counties in the
Continental Congress then sitting in Philadelphia (to fill a vacancy
caused by the death of Dr. Townsend). In 1793, he was again elected to
represent these counties, which he continued to do until he removed to
Plattsburgh, New York. In 1804 he was elected Senator for the Northern
District, and in 1807 he was appointed Surrogate for Clinton county,
which office he filled until his death, which took place at Plattsburgh,
December 25111, 1831.
(See Sprague s Annals, and Histories of Long Island by Thompson, Prime,
Onderdonk, etc.)
We find the published list of names of twenty gentlemen who served for ten
years and upwards in the Assembly under the first two Constitutions. The
name^of Thomas Treadwell heads the list for fifteen years representing
Suffolk and Queen s ; the next in order, Abijah Gilbert, fourteen years
representing Westchester ; and so down the list.
Six miles from Plattsburgh was the homestead of Judge Treadwell. The
mansion stood a little back from the shore of Lake Champlain, on Bay
St. Amant, which is now Cumberland Bay, and this is formed by the
embracing arm of Cumberland Head a very attractive point for lovers of
picturesque scenery. In old times the lake was fringed with trembling
poplars, Balm of Gilead, and white birches," and the hospitality of the
" Bay " home was famous the country round. Judge Treadwell took forty
slaves with him to this home. Gradually they were manumitted, their old
master providing them with homes and farms, and they formed the colony
not far away, which is still known as "Richland."
Judge Treadwell s daughter, Hannah Phoenix, married Henry Davis,
President of Middlebury College, and for sixteen years President of
Hamilton College, at Clinton, N.Y. His daughter Ann was the first wife
of the Hon. Isaac Platt, of Plattsburgh, N.Y. His sons, Nathaniel Hazard
and Thomas, with two married daughters, Polly ! and Betsey, inherited
talents of a high order ; Judge Treadwell of Connecticut was his cousin ;
Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, son of Hon. Thomas Treadwell, civil en
gineer, land surveyor, pioneer, cultured gentleman, and Henry Davis, who
married his sister, Hannah Phoenix Treadwell, received their academical
training under Dr. Buell of Revolutionary memory, at Clinton Academy,
at East Hampton, Long Island. This was the first institution of the
kind chartered by the Regents of the State of New York, in 1787.
N. H. Treadwell was six feet two or three inches in height, of powerful
build, a man of broad views, of enthusiasm, outspeaking, with exuberant
physical vigor and buoyant spirits. He was a land surveyor ; he surveyed
large tracts in Northern New Yoik, for Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit
Smith, the philanthropist. He married Margaret, daughter of Judge Charles
Platt of Plattsburgh, N.Y., who with two brothers founded the place,
and gave it its name. Judge Platt was the first Judge of Clinton Co.,
N.Y., and held the first court in 1785. He married Caroline Adriance
at Hopewell (Fishkill) 1772. She was born in Holland, and was a very
handsome woman, even when old. She used to read her Dutch Bible.
In 1794, N. H. Treadwell removed to Canada, and the Seigniory of L
Orignal, which was his by purchase, was opened by him to emigrants. The
Seigniory of L Orignal stretched nine miles along the Ottawa River,
and ran six miles back, making fifty-four square miles of territory. The
Montreal Witness, June 6th, 1889,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Jt
good soil and water power, settled on the high lands The .f T O ^
was conveyed during the French reeime to ono f tL * A- sei nior y . of
L Ongnal
T T T^
rct,,riiS A t BL r P ^ ATT 7 READWELL > s n of Nathaniel Hazard
Treadwell in 182
33
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
506
schemes for the development of the country. The late Sheriff belonged
to an Ameri can family which emigrated a century ago from the vicinity
of Pittsburgh, N. Y.,an< which is now scattered along the banks of
the Ottawa River. He held the shrievalty of the united counties without
reproach for very many years.
" His ever busy pen advocated, and he was the pioneer in railway projects,
agricultural improvements and religious reforms. Nearly thirty-six of
the forty years that Sheriff Treadwell held a Government office was
under Queen Victoria.
It is said of him that he was the first Canadian who advocated a Pacific
In 1845 he be S an to talk of a railwa y from the Atlantic to the Pacinc
> saying that, "if it was done with British money it would be a most
important defense for Great Britain in guarding her East Indian Colonies
from the aggressions of Russia.
Sheriff Treadwell s sisters, Mrs. Ann M. T. Redfield, of Syracuse,
N.Y. ; Miss Caroline A. Treadwell, of L Orignal; and Mrs. Duncan
Dewar, of St. Andrews, P.Q., Canada all of whom are deceased were noble
women. Mrs. Ltetitia Platt Wales, of St Andrews, P.Q., Canada, is the only
surviving child of Nathaniel Hazard well and the only grandchild surviving
of the Hon. Thomas Treadwell, patriot and statesman of the Revolutionary
and "formative" period of the Government of the United States of America.
MARGARET TREADWELL SMITH,
(Great-grandchild of Hon. Thomas Treadwell.
755 Irving St., Syracuse, N. Y., 2oth Jan., 1894.
Only a faint conception is given in the above sketch, of the injustice
that was
done Mr Treadwell by the Government which at that time held sway. Like
many legal documents, the deed that placed him in possession of his new
purchase was
somewhat ambiguous, especially the description of the boundaries. The
property was to have a frontage of so many leagues on the Ottawa
River, and extend back, at right angles therefrom, an equal number of
leagues. Mr. Treadwell, deeming the description plain enough, completed
his survey correctly, as he supposed, but h
learned afterwards, as thousands more have learned, that the phraseology
of his
patent might be so construed as to permit an endless amount of trouble
and htigati
Opposite L Orignal there is a bend in the river ; Mr. Treadwell naturally
s veved the side lines of his land, so that they were at right angles to
the river as it ran past his estate. The functionaries of the Government,
however, claimed contract meant at right angles to the general course
of the river, hence insisted on new survey, which took much of his
best land, and gave him, instead, land thai low, marshy, and unfit
for cultivation. In vain did he protest; correspondent almost endless
ensued, and great expenses accrued in his vain efforts to get his wrongs
redressed. As a dernier ressort, he made a personal visit to Toronto,
believing th he were in the presence of the governmental dignitaries,
with his voluminous evid that he had not acted contrary to the spi it
of the writings conveyed to him by
Baron de Longueuil, they could not fail to listen, and yield to the
dictates of reasc and justice. But he had yet to learn that " might
over right " was the principle tna commanded the military oligarchy
that held absolute sovereignty in Toronto, report had preceded his
arrival at the seat of government that he was a Yanke< name at that
time regarded by the Government officials as a synonym for all that was
detestable. Messages reflecting on his loyalty, and representing him as an
unworthy citizen, had also been forwarded by his secret enemies. Where,
indeed, is the man ability and enterprise who does not excite the envy
of some craven spirit, who wil chuckle at his discomfiture ?
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Mr. Treadwell remained not only days, but weeks, in Toronto. Numberles<
were the appointments made to meet him ; he was always on the spot at the
appoint ed hour, but never did he meet the. parties by whose appointment
he had come Excuses the most frivolous were assigned as the cause of
the disappointment, and another meeting wouid be arranged, only again
to be disregarded
Though weary and disgusted by such conduct, he restrained his indignation
and
strove to extend his charitable feelings to the last point of leniency. It
is probable
too, that, wun his views of honor and dignity, he found it difficult to
attribute the
treatment ne received to deliberate wantonness. But humiliating as was
the conclu
sion, he was compelled to acknowledge to himself that he was being
deliberately
imposed upon, and that they had no idea of listening to a recital of
his wrongs, much
less of redressing them. We can readily imagine, therefore, with what
bitterness of
feeling he turned his back on Toronto and returned home. While on his
way thither
he met an old friend at an hotel, to whom he detailed the story of his
experience and
hen taking a large bundle of papers which related to the matter which
had called him
to the Capital, he threw them into the fire, and vowed that he would no
longer live
under a Government so despotic. Time, however, the great pacificator,
healed in a
great measure his wounded spirit, and he spent his last days in the
place where he
had seen so much trouble, and lived, too, to see his son a respected
and influential
subject of the Canadian Government.
. ,. O f ] J! S ,?ther children, who were all very intelligent,
and possessed marked individuality of character, Ann Maria
(Mrs. L. H. Redfield) was a woman of remark able ability, and
distinguished for her knowledge of natural science. Her text- book
Zoological Science, or Nature in Living Forms," is in general use in
educational
1 LI o llLU LIU L 1 o
The children of the late Charles Platt Treadwell and Helen Macdonnell,
his wife,
are :
(1) Mary .Susan- married 2 5 th October, 1885, to Matthew Williams Taylor,
assistant hbranan of McGill College, Montreal. Mr. Taylor is now deceased,
and Mrs. Taylors present residence is Montreal.
(2) Margaret Ann-married Thomas McMillan Kains, of St. Thomas, Ontario son
of Captain Kains of Grenville, 3 rd October, 1865. Issue, two children
: Man! McMillan and Charles Frederick. Mr. Kains deceased; Mrs. Kains
present residence, Montreal.
(3) Helen Isabella married Eden Philo Johnson, of L Orignal, in
1877. Issue living, Chauncey, Helen and Edith. Mrs. Johnson, deceased
(4) Grace Low married Rev. James Fraser, 2 3 rd September, 1874. Issue,
two chddren : James Macdonnell and Grace Badenoch. Present residence,
dishing,
Among the pioneers whose descendants were destined to play a prominent
part
the social moral and political history of Prescott, was a man named EDEN
<SON. In his youth he lived in New Hampshire, and, like many other
young men
that section, he espoused the cause of his country in the Revolutionary
struerie anc
was one of those who followed to Quebec the ill-starred Richard Montgomery
After
ose of that disastrous affair, Johnson became acquainted with and married
a Miss
bott the daughter of a captain in the British service. He lived for a
time in New
impshire, and then moved to Canada and settled in Hawkesbury, but not manv
years subsequently he broke through the ice on the Ottawa while chasing
a deer and
was drowned.
He left four children : three sons William, Chauncey, Eden Abbot, and
one aughter. Eden Abbot, the youngest son, being the first white child
born in Hawkes- iry, received as a reward for this honor a free grant
of land from Government
tjo8 HISTORY OF PRESCOTF.
The eldest son, William Johnson, engaged in farming in Hawkesbury,
but died at middle age. The following pen picture of two brothers of
this family was discovered by the writer in an old magazine entitled"
Earnest Christianity," which was published in 1875
" During Reader s ministry an influential family of brothers, large
men, lived in West Hawkesbury and Longueuil. Chauncey, the eldest,
was not converted till a good many years later ; but William, the next
in seniority, and his younger brother, Abbott, our present subject,
were the fruit of Reader s ministry. These two brothers were quite
dissimilar. Abbott was larger than the average man, but William was almost
gigantic. Abbott was constitutionally calm and moderate ; William was
vehe ment, ardent, and demonstrative. William s gifts and zeal were such
as to qualify him for the class- leader s, exhorter s, and local preacher
s offices, early in his religious life ; but Abbott more slowly grew up
into those things. The elder brother grew the faster, but the younger,
perhaps in the end, was the more matured Christian and preacher.
" In 1832 I was appointed as the colleague of the quaint but saintly John
Black to the Ottawa Ciicuit. He drove his family around by the Ccteau du
Lac and the Cote St. Charles in his wagon, and I rode across the country
from Moulinette to Vankleek Hill, on horseback. My first night s rest
on the circuit was at Captain McCann s, a member of William Johnson s
class at the Red School- house in West Hawkesbury. I laid over the next
day to rest my horse, and visited from house to house, escorted by the
Captain, whose conversation on the way was very spiritual. Among other
things he informed me that he and his leader, W. J., had covenanted
to meet each other in spirit three times a day, to pray for what they
called the second blessing, by which they meant the blessing of a new
heart. Among the many houses to which the Captain took me was that
of the leader, William Johnson, where, if I mistake not, I al.-,o
met his brother Abbott, who, at that time, was not an office bearer
in the church, at all. William was then beginning to fail in health,
consumption having evidently marked him for its own. His skin was pale ;
and his once ringing, mighty voice was hoarse and husky, and the flow of
his words was checked from his panting for breath. His soul seemed bound
up in his class and the religious interests of his neighborhood, and his
" Longing heart was all on fire. To be dissolved in love.
" The writer of the article, referring to Rev. G. T. Playter, says:
" That calm, judicially-minded man always spoke of the pious coterie
of Brother Abbott Johnson Sisters Clarke, Hunter and McAlpine, with
admiration bordering on enthusiasm. 1 may just say that, so far as my
recollection goes (and I often met with Brother A. Johnson at District
and Camp meetings, for he became Recording Steward of his circuit, as
well as Local Preacher), the first impulse of that work of holiness arose
from the perusal of the life of Hester Ann Rogers, a piece of religious
biography which has never been excelled.
" A word of contrast between William and Abbott as preachers, and I
will open the way for Brother Ilurlburt s letter. William was the more
gifted naturally Abbott was the better educated ; the former had a loud,
clear, ringing voice the latter a soft but impressive one ; William s
words flowed the faster Abbott s were the more pondered and weighty ;
William would awake the more sinners, but Abbott would, in the end,
promote the wider revival, by getting the church in a state to work for
God when he was absent.
" Now to the Rev. Mr. Hurlburt s letter ; he says of our subject :
Eden Abbott Johnson was the first white child born on that part of the
Ottawa ; the date I cannot tell. According to a statement of his own,
the early part of his religious life was not distinguished for anything
remarkable in the way of religious zeal and depth of personal piety.
" His brother William, who died before I went to the old Ottawa Circuit,
was a local preacher and class leader in his own neighborhood, and at
the time of his death the charge of the class devolved upon Abbott. But
his brother told him, that though his desires were good, and though
he was willing to be useful, yet he was not qualified for the duties
of such an office, and impressed upon him the necessity and duty of a
fuller consecration to God, and of seeking and enjoying a greater depth
of personal piety. This was the means of awakening him to a sense of
his duty and his need, and leading him to seek a greater fulness of
personal salvation. The above is the substance of the account which I
had from him. It was (I think) in 1835 that I became acquainted with
him. In a little wagon (as we called them in those days), with wife and
three children, I had performed a long and hard journey from Mr. Link s,
a few miles beyond Cornwall, to Brother Johnson s, three or four miles
the other side of Vankleek Hill. It was late at night when I reached
his house. The family was in bed horse completely jaded out self and
wife tired to death children tired, sleepy
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 509
indeed asleep cross and hungry. We aroused the family. In those good
old times, a Methodist family would rise at any time in the night to
receive, to make welcome and as comfortable as possible an itinerant
and family. Though so long ago, I remember the manner in which he
received us ; and, especially, his sympathy for the children repeating
several times now, this makes me sorry. He was ihen a widower. In the
autumn of this year (I think, in connection with our Quarterly Meet
ing), we commenced a four days meeting in the upper part of William
John-on s house, a two-story building ; Metcalfe was there. There were
three or four persons deeply awakened in the course of the services. My
recollection does not enable me to say there were any clear conversions ;
I think not. I was rather disposed to close the services ; but Brother
Johnson would not hear of that. His soul yearned for the conversion of
his neighbors. He travailed in deep anguish for the salvation of souls.
Before the meeting was dismissed, on Sabbath afternoon, he pressed
forward and addressed the con gregation in fervent exhortation, entreaty
and expostulation, and delivered from a soul glowing with incandescent
heat. I never heard that address exceeded. We did not close ; the meetings
were con tinued in the Red School House. There were not less than fifty
that professed conversion. This was the visible beginning of that great
revival not less than 400 professed conversion during that year. The
late Stephen Brownell was my colleague. He could endure any amount of
labor, and a more willing helper I never had a more agreeable brother I
could not wish. As you mentioned, Brother Johnson was my colleague the
second year. I returned at the end of the second year, about 70 persons
professing the blessing of entire sanctification. Brother Johnson was
greatly instrumental in promoting that work. He made a clear and distinct
profession of entire sanctification, and that, as a continuous experience
; and I fully believed that he enjoyed it. He understood what he said
on that subject, lie professed to enjoy constant communion with God,
and conscious answer to prayer. His power in prayer was remarkable ;
he possessed strong faith in God his fervency was such as I have seldom
heard. He seemed to pray with a conviction that he was not to be denied
; he persevered, until he felt that God had answered. In these little
gatherings which were held at Brother Clark s, under his pleadings with
God, for the outpouring of His spirit, the house seemed filled with the
Divine presence, and those present would be powerfully affected. The
same might be said of the prayers of others of that company, especially
of Mrs. McAlpine. His zeal for God and love for souls consumed him. A
penitent seeker of salvation seemed to draw out his whole soul in its
behalf, and he felt as if he could not give up pleading with God, till
the blessing of conscious pardon was obtained. The impression which his
spirit and the general tenor of his life made on the community around
was great, and its influence for good was felt in general through the
circuit. I have no recollection at the present of having overheard any
objection to his Christian character. The manner of his life seemed to
silence objections, and even suspicion -, and I would say the impression
was universal, that Abbott Johnson was a truly godly and deeply pious
man. The Rev. J. F. Playter published in the Guardian some account of
his Christian character, life and death. I doubt whether he was prepared
to appreciate such a man as Brother Johnson was, or fully to understand
him. I thought that the description did not do him full justice.
"The editor of the Earnest Christianity says : We have searched the
fyles of the Guardian, but can find no particulars of Mr. Johnson s
last days. His nephew, the Rev. Joshua H. Johnson, I think, informed
me, his death occurred at out the year 1839. So soon after his entire
sanctification did he reach the goal. But all who knew him testified that
he died as he lived supremely devoted to God and exulting in his great
salvation. His memory in the Ottawa country, to this hour, is fragrant
with the odor of sanctity. Recalling the character of this saintly man
has had a hallowing influence on the writer s heart ; and if the perusal
of what he and his friend Ilurlburthave written has the same effect on
the reader, which he sincerely prays, his end will be answered. May all
follow him as he followed Christ.
"JOHN CARROLL."
CHAUNCEY JOHNSON, the brother of the two so graphically portrayed in
the sketch
of Mr. Carroll, became very prominent in the social and political fabrics
of the County. He was one of the first Magistrates appointed for the
Ottawa District, was a member for Longueuil of the old District Council,
and Warden several years. He died in 1861 at the age of 69. He had
several sons, some of whom became pro minent in business, political or
professional life. One of these, Joshua H. Johnson, became one of the
leading ministers in the Methodist Church ; Eden Johnson, another of the
sons, was Captain of the first steamer that plied the Ottawa between
Grenville and Bylown ; Thomas Hall, a third son, was an influential
merchant in
L Orignal, and represented Prescott County in Parliament eight years,
and afterward
c IO HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate, and then became Assistant
Commissioner of
Crown Lands for Ontario. Alfred, another of these brothers, when young
went to Wisconsin, and became clerk of the Legislature of that State,
and was mice candidate for Congress, though unsuccessful. He afterward
was elected to the City Clerkship of Milwaukee, but died not long
subsequently.
Chauncey Johnson, jun., the fourth son, in order of age of this large
family, was prominently identified with the history of his native
County. He was a Justice . the Peace Municipal Councillor and Warden
of Prescott and Russell, and held the
position of Postmaster of L Orignal forty years. For some time previous
to his death, he was Crown Timber Agent. He was married 3 rd February,
1834, to Phila S Cushman, of Georgia, Vt. She was a lineal descendant
of Robert Cushman prom inent in early American history. Mr. Johnson died
i;th October, 1874, aged 63 ;
Mrs. Johnson died 3 oth October, 1888, aged 72. They had three sons and
daughter that arrived at maturity.
Eden Abbott Johnson, grandson of one of those described above, was t West
Hawkesbury ; he and a sister were the only children of his father by a
second marriage : their mother being the widow of George Huntmgton of
Compton Quebec In his youthful days, Mr. Johnson was employed as clerk
in a mercant house, after which he studied law and passed his first
examination. He had, however, received a first class certificate from
a Military School, and when the Fenian excite mem broke out in 1866, he
was offered the command of one of the companies of the 1 8th Battalion,
and left his law studies to accept it. Two companies of 65 men each were
organized in Prescott and Russell at this period, designed for active
service. They were first stationed at Cornwall, but afterward at Ottawa.
Mr. Johnson returned to L Orignal, and for some time was engaged with
muni cipal affairs, being clerk for several years of the Township of
Longueuil and the village of L Orignal. He also served as Township and
County Auditor, and six years as Reeve of L Orignal; he resigned in 1890,
to accept the County ( ship. He is chairman of the local School Board,
and for some time held the same
position in the High School Board, and in 1886 was Warden of the United
Counti of Prescott and Russell. He was married 8th November, 1868, to
Miss Laura Jean Workman, niece of the late William and Thomas Workman
of Montreal. H District Deputy Grand Master of Ottawa District No. 16,
G. R. C , and Koyal Arch Mason under the Grand Lodge of Ireland. St. John
s Lodge of Vankleek ] ill, of which Mr Johnson was Master, surrendered
its warrant, i8th December, 18 being the last in the Province of Ontario
to surrender its warrant and come und
the Grand Lodge of Canada.
Eden P. Johnson, the eldest son of Chauncey Johnson, jr., was an assistant
father s business, carried on the correspondence, and, at his father s
death suc< to different positions he had held. Besides these, he has
also been Official Assignee, and was appointed Police Magistrate in 1883,
andClerk of the Village Council in i >4, which position he still
occupies. He has been twice married first 4th October, i to Sarah J.,
daughter of the late John W. Marston, Esq. ; she died 2oth November,
1867, and he next married, 5 th September, 1877, Helen Isabel, third
daugh Sheriff Treadwell ; she died 2 3 rd January, 1889. By his first
marriage lie had one so and a daughter ; by the second two sons and two
daughters. t son, Alt
S. who won distinction for scholarship in Toronto University, of which
Institut
is a graduate, is now editor of the Encyclopedia of Current Literature
Review,?* lished in Buffalo, N.Y. He was formerly Fellow and Lecturer in
Toronto Umve and Cornell, and for three years was President of Denmark
College, Iowa.
The following is an obituary copied from The Prescott and Russell Adr
of April, 1890 :
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 511
" It is our sad duty to announce the demise, on Friday, the 2ist March
ult., of
LT.-COL. MURRAY of this place. The deceased was born in the County
of Antrim, Ireland, 5th May, 1792, and at the time of his death had
almost completed his gSth year. He emigrated to Canada in the year 1819,
arriving in Quebec on the 5th May his birthday of that year. His three
brothers preceded him to this country many
years. On his arrival in Canada the deceased took up his abode in this
vicinity, being one of the early pioneers of the Ottawa Vclley, where
he remained up to the time of his death.
" During the troubles of 1837, Col. Murray took an active part, under
the late Col. Kearns, in suppressing the Rebellion ; shortly afterward
was created Captain in the Canadian Militia, and in due time was further
promoted to the highest rank in the Canadian service a position he held
upward of twenty years. In the early
settlement of this section, he took part in many of the works which
at that time were almost gigantic in magnitude, such, for instance, as
the opening of public roads and building of bridges. it is said, too,
that the L Orignal wharf is a specimen of his handiwork. Of a genial
and hospitable disposition, no traveller or stranger
ever missed a night s lodging or went hungry from his door, and no
neighbor in trouble was without his sympathy or assistance. Through
life he was a staunch Episcopa lian, and in death he was consoled by a
firm belief in that happiness hereafter which is the consolation of all
Christians. Though afflicted for many years, he bore his sufferings with
resignation, and always had a kind and pleasant remark for those around
him. A remarkable circumstance in his old age was the sharpness of his
memory and the clearness of his intellect, equalling those of a man of
middle age. He leaves, to mourn his loss, two sons and four daughters ;
Mr. James Murray for several years was Reeve of this Municipality ; his
eldest son, T. C. Murray, formerly of Deux Rivieres, who also represented
his Municipality in the County Council; Eliza, the wife of G. Barton,
Esq., of L Orignal; Sarah M. A. Morrison, the eldest daughter, married
to G. Bangs, Esq., of N. W. T., and two unmarried who live with their
bro ther James on the homestead, where their late father was cared for
with the greatest tenderness during his long illness. In the deceased,
L Orignal loses one of the links which bound her to the past, and one
of her best citizens."
The homestead occupied by the son, Mr. James Murray, and his two sisters
is a beautiful farm in a high state of cultivation, and sustaining a
large stock. A good lime stone quarry on it has provided stone for many
of the buildings of this section.
Mrs. Murray, wife of the late Col. Murray, died 3rd March, 1884. The fol
lowing is an extract from her obituary published in The News, of March
4th, i884 :
" Mrs. Murray was noted during a long life for benevolence to neighbors
and strangers. There are many old residents of this County, who are
now approaching
the se-ar and yellow leaf, who will recollect in their childhood those
little acts of kindness by the deceased which made her residence the
much sought resort by many little ones. She was 78 years of age a woman
highly esteemed in life and mourned in death by all who had the pleasure
of her acquaintance. Her funeral obsequies took place on Thursday, and
were attended by a very large assemblage of the more respectable of the
surrounding country."
ELISHA CASS was one of the pioneers who came with Mr. Treadwell to
Longueuil, in 1798. He had formerly lived in New England, but being a
U. E. Loyalist he came to Canada, and finally settled in this seigniory
(on land now owned and occupied by Alexander Johnstone). He cleared up
the land, and lived here till his death, about 1850. He married Elizabeth
Story, sister to the wife of Col. Joseph Fortune. They had fourteen
children, of whom eleven four sons and seven ters grew up. Elizabeth,
the eldest daughter, married Donald McDonald,
512
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
represented Prescott and Russell in Parliament three terms.
Josiah Cass, the eldest son, was married 2 2nd December, 1829, to
Elizabeth Howes ; they had eleven children ten sons and one daughter ; but
two of the sons died in infancy. He settled on a part of the homestead,
which he cleared of its
forest; he died 23rd August, 1853, aged 57; Mrs. Cass died i5th August,
1894, aged 79.
Charles Avery, their youngest son, remained on the homestead; he
was married 6th July, 1875, to Mary, daughter of J. Cross, of West
Hawkesbury. He has added to his original farm, and now possesses 200
acres, with good buildings, a fine stock of cattle, an apple orchard
comprising three or four acres, and a large sugar orchard. His residence
is very pleasantly located, surrounded by trees and shrub bery. Mr. Cass
is one of the respected and influential citizens of this section, and,
besides having filled responsible municipal offices, he is Superintendent,
of the Methodist Sabbath-School at Cassburn. He has three children
sons living. Leslie, the eldest, has taken a course of instruction at
the Agricultural College at Gueiph, Out.; the other two sons are still
at home.
Mr. Cass has a brother, Andrew, living in Brainard, Minnesota, and
another one, James, in Seattle, Washington Ty., and a sister, Henrietta,
married to Rev. John Tozeland, in Gladstone, Manitoba,
THE HON. ALEXANDER GRANT was among the very early settlers on the Ottawa-
He was born in 1774, in Inverness Shire, Scotland, and came to America
in 1785;
with his father, John Grant, of Duldregan. His family was an old one,
closely allied to the Grants of Shewglie and Moy ; his mother was
Catherine Grant of Corriemonie, whose family charter dates back to 1509,
in the reign of James IV, and his grand mother was Jane Ogilvie, daughter
of Ogilvie of Kimpeenin Castle, and niece of the Earl of Seafield. While
still quite young Mr. Grant obtained a situation with the North-West Fur
Company, and for some years had charge of various trading posts they had
established. Believing, however, that greater profits could be realized,
he left the Company in 1805, purchased a tract of land since known as
L Orignal Point, and for a number of years traded with the Indians on
his own account.
In 1808, he married Jane McDonell, eldest daughter of Capt. Allan
McDonell, of the King s Royal Yorkers, who came to Canada after the
Revolution, and settled in Matilda, County of Dundas. At the time of
his arrival there were but few settlers in the country, and these much
scattered. L Orignal, where there was a mill and a few houses, was
called New Longueuil, but a number of years afterwards, the name was .
changed through the influence of Mr. Hotham, M.P., in compliment to
Mr. Grant. Like many other men of means and education who settled in
the country, he was interested in its moral and social advancement ;
he was anxious to witness the march of improvement and civilization,
and, to this end, contributed both influence and money. It was chiefly
through his exertions that the firft churches, Catholic and Presbyterian,
were erected at L Orignal.
In 1806, while on a hunting expedition with a few others, he discovered
the now
celebrated Caledonia Springs ; some of the party, on drinking the water,
became
greatly alarmed, fearing that it was poison.
Eor many years Mr. Grant commanded the ist Regiment of Prescott militia,
and in 1831, he was summoned to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada
by Sir John Colborne. He died in 1848, at the age of 75. He was a man
of generous impulses and kindly feeling, and many, at the time of his
decease, could speak of these qualities with gratitude. He had eight
children six daughters and two sons Marcella, married to Francis Hunter,
late of the Receiver General s Department,
died in 1848; Catherine, married to John Buchanan, son of Dr. Buchanan,
of the
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 513
49th Regiment, died in 1882 ; John, who was a Captain in the 5th
Battalion, during the Rebellion, died in 1848 ; Harriet, still living ;
Mary, married to Dr. Donnelly, of Windsor, Ont., son of Dr. Donnelly of
the Royal Navy, died in 1889; Jane died in 1855; Ellen, still living ;
Allan was a barrister, an M.A. and Gold Medallist of Toronto University ;
he was, also, Lieut. -Col. of the i8th Battalion of Prescott militia.
L Orignal.
This name is derived from the French, and signifies " the moose," an
animal formerly abounding in large numbers in this locality. The village
is located on
rising ground near the Ottawa, which here forms a beautiful and expansive
sheet of water three miles in breadth, known as L Orignal Bay. Viewed
from the opposite shore, or from the deck of a steamer plying the river,
L Orignal has a queenly appearance the spires of her churches and her
public buildings, standing promi nently in the range of vision, give to
the place an air of city-like magnificence. This idea of its size and
beauty is considerably modified by a nearer approach ; but
illusory as a distant view may have been, one cannot deny, on visiting
L Orignal, that it is a very pretty village. Like many other villages
which have neither import ant manufactories nor commercial facilities to
foster growth, its development has been very slow. In former years the
English-speaking population was largely in the majority, but at present
the French element forms at least one-half the entire number.
Being the chef lieu of the county, L Orignal has naturally been a place
of some
note and importance, but it was not until about 1825, that it possessed
many of the characteristics of a village. At that time the dwellings
numbered about a dozen ; there was one store, opened by a man named
Mclntyre, a tannery conducted by William Wait, and a public house by
John O Brian.
Previous to the erection of the Court House and Jail the school-house
had been used for court sittings, and a private house generally that of
the sheriff for the incarceration of prisoners. On the ist of March,
1824, Jacob Marston, jr., gave a deed of land, in trust, to George
Hamilton, Alex. Grant and Donald Macdonald for the erection of a Court
House and Jail. Though the building at that time erected answered all
the necessities of the period, considerable additions have since been
made to it, so that now it is quite an imposing structure. Besides this
building and the four churches, the following public buildings, which
are all brick, add much to the architectural appearance of L Orignal :
The Registry Office erected in 1875, the commodious High School building
erected in 1877, and the Masonic Temple in 1873. There are also three
hotels in the village large in size and respectable in appearance.
The few following paragraphs relating to the administration of justice
in early
days are copied verbatim from the old Court records the spelling being
given as
found therein. It will possibly surprise some of the good citizens of
L Orignal to learn that the following sentence was executed within the
limits of their corporation :
i" For felony The King vs. Andrew Carrier John Macdonnell, Esq.,
Chairman."
"Andrew Carrier being indicted for felony is put upon his tryal for taking
and carrying a quantity of flour out of the grist mill of Messrs. Hamilton
and Gibson, pleads not guilty. The evidence being examined, viz. :
Charles Lowe and Joachim
154 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Lacuier, the jury find a bill against the said Andrew Carrier, being
guilty of feloni ously taking and carrying away said flour.
" Ordered that the prisoner Andrew Carrier do pay all costs and expenses
accrued in consequence of the prosecution, since the committing the theft;
that the said Andrew Carrier shall receive thirty-nine lashes on his naked
back, to be inflicted as the law doth direct, at the hour of 12 o clock
in the day time of Wednesday, the 26th inst., and then to be discharged."
The records show that " For Larceny " "The prisoner J. B. Joannise" was
sentenced 25th September, 1828, to be imprisoned for ten days; on the last
day of which " he is to stand publicly exposed in the pillory, in front
of the gaol, between the hours of 12 and i o clock in the afternoon."
The first day of January in those good old days evidently offered as
much of a temptation to carousal as it does at present.
" THE KING vs. ANDREW LONG.
" John Westover deposed on oath, that, on the first day of January, 1816,
in the night time, between the hours of n and 10 o clock of the next
day, Alexander Long entered the house of him, the said John Westover,
contrary to his will, and did remain contrary to his desire, and did
hold and prevent him, the said J. Westover, from turning him out ;
and Artemissa Westover declares the said A. Long did as above
stated." The charge being given to the jury by the court, they retired
; the Court adjourned for one hour; the jury being returned do declair
their verdict as follows : that they consider the prisoner at the bar,
viz. : Alexander Long, Gilty. John Mac- donell, Esq., chairman, declairs
the sentance as follows :
" You, Alexander Long, for an assault on the house and person of John
West- over, you have been tried before a jury of your country, which
jury has found you guilty ; there have many aggravating circumstances
appeared before the Court, who recommend it to you, in future, to alter
your conduct towards John Westover and his family. They sentance you to
pay a fine to the King, to be applied as the law directs, of fifteen
pounds, to be paid to the Court or person by their appointment ; to
find security for your good behavior, and keeping the peace within the
District, to all His Majesty s liege and loyal subjects, for the space
of three years yourself in the penal sum of one hundred and fifty pounds
each, and to remain in the custody of the sheriff until the sentance
be fully complied with. The said Alexander Long is committed to gaol of
the Eastern District until the sentance be complied with."
It is to be hoped that the fine of ^"15, together with the payment of
the costs
of prosecution, was sufficient to induce A. Long to " alter his conduct
toward John Westover and family " as the Justice suggested.
" At a Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace holden in said
District, on the fourteenth day of January, 1817, at the school house
in the township of Lon- gueuil.
" CHAIRMAN PRESENT, GEO. HAMILTON.
to f Elijah Brown. f John Macdonald.
~=. | John Harwick. ^ | Alex. Grant.
| Martin McMichael. | Chauncey Johnson.
\ \ Philo Hall.
Q B. f I Joseph Kellogg.
7 I Peter F. Leroy. (^Thomas Mears.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 515
" GRAND JURY.
"Joseph Hall, Abraham Allen, E. Thomas, Asa Cook, Wm. Wait, Joseph
Jackson, Sylvanus Warren, Amasa Church, Calvin Hawes, Jeremiah Marston,
Omry Edy, Joshua Hall.
n p ET | T JURY.
" B. J. Frost (Foreman), Caleb Welden, Joseph Vallee, Jacob Marston, Alex.
Cameron, Robert Rose, Joseph Buck, Joseph P. Cass, Horran Kellogg,
Proctor Johnson, James Wills, Asa Bancroft, Thomas Hall.
Two executions of criminals have occurred in L Orignal, both in recent
years. Fred. W. Mann was hanged in the year 1883, for murder, an account
of which is given in the history of Little Rideau, E. Hawkesbury ;
and in 1893 Laroque was hanged here for the murder of two young girls
sisters in a neighboring township.
" CHURCHES.
" Examples of eminent sanctity connected with Canadian Methodism."
Abbott Johnson. " The early English-speaking settlers in the townships
and seigniories bordering on the noble Ottawa River, properly called by
the French,
Riviere Le Grande, from the Long Sault to the Lake of the Two
Mountains, were mostly of American origin and of Puritan antecedents. An
interesting people were they distinguished by intelligence, industry,
and hospitality. For some years after their first settlement in the
seigniory of Longueuil, townships of East and West Hawkesbury, seigniory
of Vaudreuil, townships of Grenville, Chatham, and the seigniory of
Argenteuil, their religious opportunities were small indeed. We have
reason to believe those isolated settlements were sometimes visited
by the Methodist preachers on the old Oswegatchie Circuit, who either
crossed the Glengarry country or coasted the noithern shore of the
St. Lawrence and the south-western shore of the Ottawa, before the
incoming of the present century ; but in the year 1800 they had an
appointment made to themselves by the New York Conference in the person
of Daniel Pickett, a native raised Canadian preacher. From that onwards
they received a preacher to themselves, till the tragical, lamented death
of Robert Hibbard, by drowning, in the fall of 1812, created a hiatus,
poorly filled up by Presiding Elder s supplies during the war ending
in 1815. At the conference of that year, no return was made for Ottawa,
although the membership had once stood as high as 117. We are sure that
at the date referred to (1815) the membership was small and a good deal
disorganized, and perhaps we should say demoralized.
" It was now, however, destined to rise again. The appointment by the
General Conference of that intensely devout young preacher, of two years
standing in the itineracy, Nathaniel Reeder, who himself deserves to be
enrolled among these instances of eminent sanctity, was a God-send to the
little societies and English- speaking settlements in that region, albeit
he was removed before the year was out, and another was sent on in the
person of Israel Chamberlayne. Mr. Reeder traversed the country from La
Chute to the Bay of Pancote, and from 1 Orignal to Cote St. Charles. He
seemed, whether in the house or on horseback, to be in a constant frame
of prayer and communion with God and heaven. His accoutre ments, as a
travelling preacher, his solemnity of manner, and a peculiarly unearthly
and etherial expression of countenance, Mr. Johnson himself informed me,
would arrest the attention of the passing travellers, and draw their eyes
after him as far as they could follow him. The next year the return for
the Circuit was the highest it had ever been, namely 153. There was a
revival all over the Circuit during the few months Reeder was there."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Table showing the names of the ministers and their assistants as well
as the state of the Church from 1841 to 1867:
1841 42
43
44
45 46
47 48
49 50 5 1 5 2 53 54 55 56 57 58
59 60 61 62
63 64
65 66
67
Number of Members.
V
1>
*
gl J*
6
Contingent Fund.
Educational Fund.
B
*-i
&
09
Geo. B. Butcher
$
$
$
$
George Beynon
223 206 265 280 252 218 179 192
215
218
207 216 1 80 140
122
143 15 139 99 119
95 130
135 135 135 M3
*
*
4.14 4.26
4-34 4-40 11.04 6.06 6.05 6.00 6.05 6.00 3.00
3-15 3.60 4.00
5.38 5.68
3-75 3.81
5.48 6.00
7.18
1. 00
7-03 7. 10
7.60
7.98
4.96 5.88
5.95 6.60
7-15 9.00
10.66 8.71
8.79 8.80 8.87 9.00 9. 10
9-79 6.78
10. 10
10.44 10.52 10.60 I3-50
0.50
George Beynon, James Elliott
James Hughes, Charles Taggart
4.50 3-50
3-75
I. 10
0.90
3-20
4.00
5.2-0
6 -73 6 -93 8.42 10.50 10.59
12. OO 12.00
T } Q*>
12.83
10.10 13.00
M-JS
10.00 11.00
14.50
15.00
2Q.OO
United with St. Andrews
Joseph Reynolds, Thomas Hanna
Joseph Reynolds, Erastus Ilurlburt. ....
James Greener, John Armstrong, 2nd ....
James Greener, Noble Armstrong
David C.Clappison, Richard M. Hammond.. David C. Clappison, Henry
McDowell
David C. Clappison, Silas Huntingdon.... ..
Wm. Morton, Robert Hobbs
Wm. Morton, Andrew Armstrong
Wm. Morton, James Roy
5.86 3.00
4.58
3- 2 7 2.50
2-53 2.90
4-5 2 6.26
4.99
I 5-05 5.08 7.00
Wm. Morton, Joseph Kilgour . ,
Richard M. Hammond, John D. Pugh
Richard M. Hammond, John D. Pugh
Edmund E. Sweet, Archelaus Doxee
Edmund E. Sweet, John Hyndman.
Wm. S. Blackstock, Samuel W. Messmore... Wm. M. Blackstock
Wm. S. Blackstock, Isaac Gold
Wm. D. Brown, Thomas G.Williams
Wm. D. Brown, Robert Bell
David Chalmers
David Chalmers, Daniel Connolly
The following list has been supplied by Mr. James Steele of Vankleek Hill:
68 Rev. David Chalmers , John C. Garrett.
69 Wm. S. McCullough Robert Lee.
70 " Geo. Kennedy Thomas Johnson.
71 " John Wilson John Tozeland.
72 Richd. Shier and
Arthur Whiteside.
Zion Church, E. Hawkesbury, erected in 1872.
73 Rev. John Burwash Rev. William S. Jamieson.
The Circuit divided in 1874, the East Hawkesbury section being detached-
Vankleek Hill Circuit. Point Fortune Circuit ,
Superintendent. Assistants.
74 Rev. William J. Joliffe Rev. Gorham A . Gifford .
yr (t It
76 " " < "
77 Rev. Edmund S. Shorey Rev. Edward H. Taylor.
78 n a
HISTORY OF PRESCO1T. 517
The Circuits were reunited in 1879 under the name of Vankleek Hill.
79 Rev. Jabez B. Keough ................... Revds.Geo. H. Davis and
Silas Huntingdon.
Mr. Keough died on this Circuit.
80 Rev. Samuel G. Phillips ................. Rev. Barry Pierce.
83 " John H . Stewart .................... Charles Redgrave.
84 " " .................... " Eber B . Gumming .
85 " .................... William A. Hanna.
86 " Robert T. Oliver ................... " "
87 " " .................... " Wesley Bick 6" N.Eastman, local preachers
.................... " George Mossop.
The new Vankleek Hill Church and Parsonage built in 1888.
89 Rev. William Philp ..................... Rev. Geo. Wain.
90 " " .................... " Richard Corrigan.
91 " ............. , ...... " Alfred J. Belton.
92 " John M. Tredrea ................... " " (E.Kelly).
93 " " .................. " William Cashmore, D. A. Lough 6->Calvert.
94 " " ................... " G; E. Bates, W. A. Patterson.
A modest church, very neat and pleasant in the interior, was erected
in 1894. It is usually well filled on the Sabbath.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. BY REV. JAMES BENNETT.
The people that have no history are sometimes said to be fortunate ;
this needs
some qualification. There may be untoward circumstances that have hindered
the recording of the history that has been already made. The following
sketch is an out line of the principal features; it is confessedly
meagte. Much of the material is scattered in the memories of persons
formerly connected with L Orignal, and in letters and other sources
not at command. The first trace of the congregation of Presbyterians is
found about 1822. In or about that year, the Rev. Mr. McLaurin, who was
a minister of the Church of Scotland, and had been settled in Lochiel,
received an appointment from the Government of Grammar School teacher
for the District of Ottawa. The school was here. At the same time he
held the pastorate
of Lochiel, Glengarry and L Orignal. He lived here until his death in
1833. He is buried at Cassburn. He was a man of scholastic and literary
attainments, a good
teacher, an excellent business man, and of genial disposition.
It was during his stay here that the present church edifice was built
in 1832. It was not finished, however, for want of funds for about four
years thereafter. Before that date the congregation worshipped in the
Grammar School of the district, and sometimes in the Court House. The
pulpit bible now in use was presented by the Ottawa Auxiliary Bible
Society to the Presbyterian congregation worshipping in the Court House,
L Orignal, in 1832.
The building is of stone, and very substantial. It reflects credit on
the generous and pious disposition of the original founders, and gives
evidence of the hopefulness of growth in the village and congregation
that time has not justified. It was 50 ft. by 45 ft. inside measure. These
proportions show that it was capable of being very
much lengthened and the proportions improved. This was the intention
of the founders, but the addition, so far, has not been needed. The
trustees of the property were the Hon. Alex. Grant, Wm. Wait, tanner of
the village of L Orignal, Charles Platt Treadwell, John W. Marston and
Peter Sterling, of the Township of Caledonia. These men and others were
most generous givers to the building. At that early date, worshippers
came from the east of Ottawa, and some from Caledonia.
c;i8 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The site and grounds, about three-quarters of an acre, were the gift
of Charles
P. Treadwell, for the purpose of erecting thereon a house of public
worship, and for burial ground, and to be forever so used and in
connection with the Established
Church of Scotland.
The ten years following the death of Mr. McLaurin area blank
at present. The writer believes it was in some way connected with
Plantagenet. On 5th June, 1844, Colin Gregor, a licentiate and teacher of
the Grammar School, was ordained and inducted into the pastoral charge
of L Orignal and Plantagenet. He had taught school for some time before
that date, and also preached. It was at this time that the Sunday
School is known to have been organized, but it is believed to have
been in existence earlier. It is to be observed that this settlement
coincides with " the disruption." Both these congregations, however,
L Orignal and Plantagenet, con tinued in connection with the Church of
Scotland. Mr. Gregor labored here with great acceptance until 1848, when
he was translated to Guelph. He continued there until 1857, when failing
health bade him seek a lighter charge. He returned to Plantagenet, and
died there in 1864. The distance between L Orignal and the Smith Church
in Plantagenet, where service was held, is 24 miles ; it will therefore
be seen the charge was not a sinecure.
From 1848 to 1852 the Rev. Andrew Bell was settled over the charges of
L Orignal and Plantagenet. He was the eldest son of the Rev. Wm. Bell,
of Perth, whose family were so eminent for intellectual ability both
in literature and science. The youngest son is at present alive, and
fills the office of Registrar of Queen s Uni versity, Kingston. Mr. Bell
studied in Arts and Theology at Glasgow University.
Stories are told of the battle with poverty during those days. To
increase the store, he wrote for the newspapers one series of letters was
afterwards published in book form "Letters for Intending Emigrants." It
brought the student some money and a little fame. He economized by being
his own cook, and let the fire die after the porridge was cooked. However,
he managed to cultivate letters, and also made the acquaintance of the
lady that ultimately became his partner in life.
He was an enthusiast in Geology. The boys of that time remember him,
among other things, by his sermons, one hour by the clock and by his
specimen-sack.
He died at L Orignal, in harness, in 1856; he was Clerk of the Synod of
the Church till the last. In that year (1856), the Rev. Wm. Johnstone
was appointed
to the charge of L Orignal alone. He remained here for four years,
when he was called to Arnprior as its first minister. From that date
the records of school and session are to be had for matter of history.
The session is composed of Rev. Wm. Johnstone, C. P. Treadwell and
James Wallace.
From a " return." Families reported are 45 ; Communicants, 33.
Ordinary Collections .- $36 40
For Ministers, Widows and Orphans 16 oo
For Synod Fund .... 4 oo
For French Mission Fund o oo
For Bursary Fund 5 oo
For all other special purposes 16 oo
$77 oo
Number attending School, 64. Number attending Bible Class, 13.
The answers to the following questions are worth transcribing in
full: "What are the other principal denominations ? Roman Catholic,
Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Wesleyans and Episcopal Methodists."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 519
Under the heading General Remarks, there is this spicy note : "
Evangelical religion in this part of the country is at a very low ebb
; what with sectarian divisions and their frequent explosions, to the
great scandal of the Church of Christ, and what with unfaithful pastors,
and consequently, the abounding of the godless and profane, many years,
perhaps a whole generation, shall have to pass away, before there will
be among the people, generally, anything like an interest taken in the
good cause ; while at the bottom of the whole, the agents of the man of
sin are busily employed scatter ing the seeds of atheism and infideaty."
The last return made by Mr. Johnstone gives " Families connected, 51 ;
Commu nicants, 37. The attendance at the forenoon service, 100; afternoon,
90." These
seem to give the high-watermark in connection with the statistics of
the congregation. It may be of some interest to compare with the present.
Mr. Johnstone left in March. 1860. Mr. Colin Gregor, then living at
Plantagenet, being moderator^rtf tern. On 8th August, 1860, as the result
of previous delibera tion, a petition was sent to Presbytery of Glengarry,
asking to be united with Hawkes- bury in one pastoral charge. There was
also a petition to the same effect from Hawkesbury Mills. Steps were
taken to effect the same, by asking authority of the Synod. And the first
meeting of the United Session of L Orignal and Hawkesbury was held in L
Orignal on 2nd December, 1860, Rev. G D. Ferguson presiding, and Elders,
C. P. Treadwell, David Buchan, John Waddel and David Fairbairn.
The congregations worked harmoniously together until Mr. Fairlie s
translation,
when, because of the growth of Hawkesbury, it was considered better to
form sep
arate charges. The separation took place in 1889, an d the subsequent
history has justified the separation.
The Rev. Mr. Ferguson continued in charge of L Orignal and Hawkesbury
until his installation into the chair of English Literature and History
at Queen s College, Kingston. He worthily fills the chair of History at
this present time.
During his time the congregation prospered. The present beautiful church
at Hawkesbury was built, and the substantial Manse at L Orignal, both of
which were clear of debt, through his exertions. The vacancy caused by
Mr. Ferguson s removal was speedily filled, but all too briefly occupied
by Rev. \V. MacLennan.
Mr. MacLennan was ordained and inducted into the united charge of
L Orignal and Hawkesbury early in 1870. and died on 8th December,
1873. His memory is fragrant; the Session speaks thus: "Gentle and
generous in all the relations of
private life, he was much beloved and admired. Earnest and faithful in
his ministry, he ever sought by his life and teaching to lead to the
Saviour those placed under his pastoral care. The Session desire to bear
testimony to the marked success of his labors."
During this period, the initial steps for union of the various
Presbyterian churches in Canada were considered by the sessions and
congregations. Answers favorable to union were hearty and unanimous.
In 1874, the Rev. John Fairlie, recently from Scotland, became minister,
and continued over the double charge until ist June, 1888, when he
resigned, and was subsequently translated to Lansdowne in Kingston
Presbytery. By action of the Presbytery of Ottawa, on nth November,
1888, the two congregations were erected into two charges ; this was
done by petition of the congregations.
On the i gth February, 1889, Rev. Mr. Bennett, formerly of Cote des
Neiges, Montreal, was inducted into the charge of L Orignal. The
congregation though small is noted for liberality and public spirit;
missions are generously supported. The return of last year may be given
to compare with the earliest that we have. The families now are fewer,
though the communicants are more, and for missions there were given $152.
520
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
There is evidently an increased ability to give compared with 1857, and,
moreover, people are better trained to give. The Sunday School, to-day,
has upon the roll 64 names, just the same number that was returned at
the earlier date.
By inquiries respecting the history of Mr. Bennett, we have learned the
follow ing :
The REV. JAMES BENNETT was born in Scotland in 1850, and received his
early education at the public and grammar schools of Keith, Banffshire.
After being employed a while as clerk, he was induced to come to Canada by
seeing appeals for men for the ministry, and he arrived here in 1875. He
entered McGill University, where he completed the Arts course, and then
took a Theolo gical course at Queen s University, Kingston. In 1884,
he was called to Cote des Neiges Presbytery, Montreal, where he remained
about four years, and then resigned ; he was called to L Orignal in 1889.
Mr. Bennett preaches a clear, sound, practical sermon ; he presents
subjects for thought in a concise and forcible manner, and his future
biographer may well say : " His preaching much, but more his practice
wrought, A living sermon of the truths he taught."
He married Miss Agnes Phillips, daughter of Thomas Phillips, Outremont,
Montreal. From the earnestness with which Mrs. Bennett contributes to
the pro motion of every good work, she is reputed the ideal wife of
a minister.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The first priest to labor here was the Rev. J, H. Macdonough, who formed
a Church in 1836.
The present church edifice, which is a very large one, was built between
the years 1848 and 1850 by the Rev. A. N. Brassard ; the presbytery was
erected in 1869. The present incumbent, Rev. O. Berube", has made an
addition to the church building at an expense of $11,000. This is by far
the largest in membership of any church in L Orignal ; the communicants
number 900.
ANGLICAN CHURCH.
As this is connected with the Hawkesbury Mission, its history, which is
very brief, properly belongs with that of Hawkesbury.
Previous to about 1870, there had been no Church of England organization
at L Orignal. The Rev. E. P. Crawford, Rector of Trinity Church,
Hawkesbury, was the first to hold service here, an afternoon service
being held in the Court House. His successor, the Rev. Arthur Phillips,
continued these services till 1890, when through his efforts a Church
edifice was erected, and opened 6th January, 1892.
PROFESSIONAL MEN AND OFFICIALS.
JUDGE O BRIAN has long been a prominent figure in the Ottawa Valley. His
ancestors in the early part of this century resided on the Mohawk in
Johnstown,
New York. His grandfather met his death there by an accident, and, soon
after ward, his widow with her infant son, John O Brian, accompanied
her relatives to
Canada, and settled in Glengarry. When her son had grown up, he engaged in
lumbering and rafting, and, while at Quebec with a raft, he entered the
employ of the Hamilton Brothers of Hawkesbury, and, during the time thus
engaged, he was married to Ann McMartin, daughter of an U. E. Loyalist,
who had settled at L Orignal. After following the lumber business for
some time, he devoted his remaining days to farming ; he died in March,
1861. He had four sons and five daughters of these, Peter, the Judge,
and two daughters are the only ones now living.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Peter O Brian studied law at Ottawa, and practised for some years before
he was called to the Bar in 1857 ; he was called to the Bench in 1889. He
was married in 1848 to Hannah daughter of Robt. Brock of L Orignal. He
has had ten childre seven sons and three daughters.
Vy i |liai C - O Brian, his eldest son, is in the County Clerk s office
in Denver Colorado Peter, the fourth son is Civil Engineer and County
Surveyor in the same city; Robert Brock the second son, a graduate of
McGill, is a physician in Sn Francisco Cal. ; John the third, is on the
homestead farm in L Orignal - James the fifth, is a barrister m Toronto;
Colin G, has succeeded to his father s business as barrister in L Ongnal,
and is a law partner with W. S. Hall ; and Donald the youngest son,
is still at home.
J rr H ? H t l GGI ^ SON > the P^sent Registrar of the County of
Prescott, is a grand son of John Higginson who came to Hawkesbury from
Ireland in 1819, and died soon after his arrival ; he left one son and two
daughters. Thomas, the son, was employed as Bookkeeper for the Ham.lton
Bros., many years ; he married in 1831 Margery Brown daughter of the late
Capt. Brown of Hawkesbury. He was a Municipal Councillor for some years
of Hawkesbury Village after its incorporation in 1858 his confreres were
the Hon. John Hamilton, who was Reeve, Z. S. M. Hersey, Farquhar
Robertson and R. P. Pattee. Mr. Higginson, who is now 87 years of agef
is the only
John, the elder of these, was married in 1853, to Emma,* daughter of
the late ry Ahern of Vaudreuil. He was educated at the L Orignal Grammar
School Principal of which, at that time, was Colin Gregor, a gentleman
noted for his wholesome discipline and thorough scholarship. Mr. Higginson
was then employed as clerk for some time in Hawkesbury, after which he
devoted several years to the mercantile pursuit. In 1865 he was appointed
Registrar of Prescott County, and still ds the position, respected not
more for his conscientious discharge of official duties than tor his
integrity and intelligence as a citizen. He has two sons and two aughters
now living. Henry, the elder son, is a physician in Winnipeg: he gra
duated from McGill in 1881, and has since spent some time in different
hospital! in -ope. Charles M., the second son, received his degree, as
Veterinary Surgeon om McGill in i8yi, and is now located in Jackson, Mich.
The elder daughter is married to J. S. Robertson, a barrister of Ontario
The youngest, Elizabeth Winnifred, remains with her parents at L Ori-nal
The following sketch of Mr. Marston, which was contributed? was written
while he was alive. He died i;th October, 1880:
JOHNWuRTELE MARSTON, Treasurer of the United Counties of Prescott and for
the last quarter of a century, was born in L Orignal on the first day
of Lay, 1806, and has always been a resident of the place. His father,
Jacob Marston native of New Hampshire, followed his grandfather into
Canada, a little before
close of the last century, and visited the spot where L Orignal now stand
1796 coming here with Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, the proprietor of the
townshin id being, it is claimed, the first Anglo-Saxon to fell a tree
in this township- and two three years later, made a permanent settlement
here. The mother of our sublet lore her marriage, was Mary Cass, whose
father was a United Empire I ovalist fnr cn Ir - M 35 ston ^ceived an
ordinary English education ; clerked for some years bilas P. Huntmgton,
and m 1828 commenced the mercantile business for him^lf inmng it until
1851, with fair success. During a part of this period, he held
*Mrs. Higginson died in 1894.
34
522
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
office in the old Ottawa District. He became clerk of the District Court
and Regis trar of the Surrogate Court in 1846 ; Deputy Clerk of the Crown
in 1853 ; and, since 1855, has been Treasurer of the united counties of
Prescott and Russell. He has
proved a very faithful county officer, is a model accountant, and a man
of the highest integrity, and has the unlimited confidence and greatest
respect of the
people. Mr. Marston has had much concern for the educational and other
interests of his native village, and served for some time as Trustee of
the High School. He is an adherent of the Presbyterian church; has been a
trustee of the Canada Presbyte rian Church since it was organized in 1832,
and is the only one of the five charter trustees now living. He is most
emphatically the oldest landmark of L Orignal. Born and reared here,
the fourth season of his life already seemingly far spent, he has seen
the Ottawa Valley in this vicinity converted from a wilderness into
a well improved country, with all the marks of thrift as well as
civilization. He is a remarkably well preserved man, and a stranger would
hardly place his age as high as seventy. His life has been remarkably
exemplary, worthy of being copied by young men. In 1836, Mr. Marston
married Miss Mary Ann Davis of Milton, Vt., and she died in 1844, leaving
four children one son and three daughters. The son, John J. Marston,
M.D., has been assistant surgeon in the American Army since 1864; Sarah,
the eldest daughter, married Eden P. Johnson of L Orignal, and died
in 1867 ; Mary Adelia is the wife of John Millar, merchant, L Orignal;
and Caroline L. is the wife of Sturgis M. Johnson, of Almonte, Ontario.
On a road leading from L Orignal 10 Cassburn is a dwelling which,
from its tasteful construction and beautiful location, always arrests
the atte"tion of the travel ler ; this was erected by David Pattee,
who, for many years, was County Attorney for Prescott and Russell,
and was a gentleman highly esteemed. He was a son of Dr. David Pattee,
one of the pioneers of Hawkesbury, and for sometime had a law office at
Vankleek Hill ; he was, also, a Reeve of West Hawkesbury, but on being
appoint ed Attorney for the United Counties, he removed to L Orignal,
where he died several years ago. About the same time that he received
his appointment, he was married
to Joanna Chesser.
W. S. HALL is one of the rising young barristers of this County. His
father, Robert Hall, in 1849, when only fourteen years of age, came
with his mother and then others of her children from Enniskillen,
Fermanagh Co., Ireland, to this country. After coming here he spent
two or three years in the Eastern Townships, and then went to Montreal,
where he learned the tanner s trade. About the year 1858, he engaged
in the tanning business at Vankleek Hill, but, after a period of three
years, removed to L Orignal, where he has ever since followed the same
business. He has, however, taken much interest in local affairs, and
for a number of years has been a member of the Local Council and Reeve
of the village ; he was also Clerk of the
Division Court, but resigned. He was married in 1859 to Susan Bagsley,
of Hawkes bury ;they have one son and two daughters.
The son, William S., was articled in 1883, as student at law, to the firm
of O Brian & O Brian ; was admitted as solicitor in 1888, and called to
the Bar in 1889. On the promotion of the elder member of the firm to
the Bench, the name was changed to O Brian & Hall a firm that deservedly
enjoys the confidence of the public. Mr. Hall, though a young man, has
established a good reputation for legal acumen and judicious management
of his cases, and, altogether, his prospect is encouraging for success
in professional life. He was married in 1889 to Miss Flor ence Campbell,
daughter of R. G. Campbell, an old and well known resident of L Orignal.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A. CONSTANTINEAU is another young barrister who has won distinction He
wa< born in East Hawkesbury, educated at Rigaud College, and studied
law first with
Col. Butterfield, and then with O Brian & O Brian, of L Orignal ;
afterwards at
Cornwall in the office of Macdonald & Mackintosh; and, finally in the
Dffice of Macdonald, Mackintosh & McCrimmon, in Toronto. He was admitted
to practice in January, 1890, since which he has been in L Orianal He
has been connected with the most important criminal cases in Prescott
and Russell, in which he has won a reputation, as counsellor and advocate
that manv
older barristers might envy. He was counsel for the prisoner in the
celebrated Monette murder trial of 1890, the Laroque trial in 1891, and
the Lafleur trial for stabbing, at Clarence Creek, in 1894. Both city
and local papers have given graphic pen pictures of Mr. Constantineau,
in which his ability and eloquence have been
mentioned in eulogistic terms. In 1894 he conducted the Crown business
at the fall assizes, in Pembroke an honor seldom enjoyed by a lawyer
except a O C was married in June, 1891, to Alice McLoughlin, M.D., C.M.,
a graduate in medicine of Toronto University.
Among the various officials whose offices are in the Court House at L
Orignal JOHN FRASER is the popular County Treasurer and Deputy Clerk of
the Trowa Hi s father, Alexander Eraser, from Glenelg, Invernesshire,
Scotland, settled in Caledonia in 1817. He engaged in farming, which he
followed during his whole life he had nine children six sons and three
daughters. John, the second son, whose earlier
years were devoted to lumbering and farming, was married in 1875, to
Annie M Phillips, of Surrey County, Virginia. Mr. Eraser was appointed
Deputy-Sheriff of Prescott and Russell in 1874, since which he has
resided in L Orignal: he held that ofiice till 1880, when he became
County Treasurer.
In addition to those noticed above, we would not omit the genial Clerk
of the Peace, W. H. MAXWELL, who has for several years been a prominent
and successful
practitioner at the Bar of this District, and JOHN D. CAMERON, the highly
respected Mr. Cameron is a son of John Cameron, who came to Canada from
Locha- ber, Scotland. Before coming to L Orignal he was a merchant at
Caledonia Springs for eleven years, but, at the solicitation of a large
circle of friends, he accepted the position of jailor in this district,
and has discharged the duties of the office for twenty-two years to the
great satisfaction of the public.
WILLIAM WRIGHT, the present Postmaster of L Orignal, came from Armagh
{land, and landed in Montreal on the i2th July, 1847. He came to L
Orignal and opened a shoemaker s shop, in connection with which he has
kept a boot and shoe
store many years ; his father was drowned when he was only four years old
His grandfather, Thomas Wright, came to Canada about 1837, and settled
at Dresden Bothwell Co., Ontario, where many of his descendants still
reside. His grandfather Nathaniel Fulton, on the maternal side, fought
at Waterloo ; he was Sergeant and lost an arm there, for which he was
awarded a pension. In 1866, the subject of our sketch joined Company
No. 3 of Volunteers under Capt. Abbott Johnson, and was with them at
the various places to which they were ordered. He was promoted to the
rank of Sergeant-Major, and served nine years when he resigned He was
appointed Postmaster of L Orignal in November, 1874, and for the past
four years has been High Constable of Prescott and Russell ; he is a
member of the Presby terian Church. He has had seven children two sons
and five daughters, but one of the latter is deceased. William Thomas,
his elder son, lives in Hubbard City Texas Samuel Wesley, the second son,
who is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church has been Deputy-Sheriff several
years, and is Bailiff of the Division Court of L Orignal and Hawkesbury,
and also a Trustee of the Protestant Separate School. He was married
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
in September, 1884, to Addie, daughter of Andrew Buchan; he is one of the
genial and courteous officials always met in the Court House at L Orignal.
Among those esteemed for lives of honorable industry and usefulness,
few deserve more prominent notice than ROBERT HAMILTON.* He was born
in the County Antrim, Ireland, graduated at a Normal School in Dublin,
studied surveying, and, after teaching seven years, came to this country
in 1839. He first taught school in Hawkes- bury, and, after giving
seven years once more to this vocation, he passed his examin ation,
and devoted his time to the practice of surveying. He began in 1848,
since which he has surveyed Hagarty, Richards, Burns, Sherwood, Rolf,
Pattawawa, Buchanan and several other townships in this section of
country, besides doing much work in Prescott, Glengarry, etc. He has been
Secretary-Treasurer of the Village Council since 1882, and was formerly
a member of both the Public and High School Boards, and, for a while,
was Deputy-Sheriff, but resigned. While holding the latter position he
was clerk in the office of Sheriff Treadwell a warm friendship having
subsisted many years between the Sheriff and himself. In the midst of the
general feeling of patriotism that stirred the citizens of Prescott and
Russell in 1866, Mr. Hamilton was not indifferent or idle, but promptly
entered the ranks of Captain
Grant s Company as a volunteer. He was married before leaving Ireland, and
has had seven children all daughters but only four of them are now living.
MERCANTILE AND BUSINESS MEN.
REGINALD S. NEVE, second son of the late F. S. Neve, noticed in the
history of Gushing, Argenteuil county, has a commodious store, with
alar^eand valuable stock of Roods, on Main street. "Mr. Neve began
commercial life in Winnipeg in 1879. and during the succeeding eleven
years was employed as commercial traveller. He has
but recently commenced trade in L Orignal, but his genial manner and
reasonable
prices are already attracting customers from remote as well as adjacent
localities. He was married in 1876, to Annie E. Derby, of Chelsea, Que.
One ofthe most imposing and attractive mercantile establishments of
L Orignal is that of A. H. TOURANGEAU. Mr. Tourangeau was born at
St. Placide, and, after
leaving school, engaged as clerk to J. A. Paquin, of St. Eustache,
with whom he
remained eight years. He was highly commended by his employer for
his industry and faithfulness, and the feeling of friendship which
Mr. Paquin cherished for him was much enhanced by an incident that
occurred in 1890. Mr. Paquin s house and store were burnt, and his
child was in immediate danger of perishing in the flames, when she was
bravely rescued by Mr. Tourangeau, though at great risk and some injury
to himself. He feels profoundly grateful to Mr. Paquin, to whose good
instruction and example he attributes much of his own success. He was
married 22nd May, 1894, to Miss Goulet, of St. Eustache, by his brother,
Rev. Father Tourangeau, Superior of Lachire Novitiate. In April, 1894,
he opened a store in
L Orignal, but, finding it too small for his business, he exchanged it
for a fine brick store, lately occupied by F. X. Elie Gauthier. He has
a large and fine stock of
merchandise, and the cash system winch he has adopted seems to meet with
general approval, his trade extending into the surrounding parishes. He
is extremely popular with his customers, among whom the wish is often
expressed, that Mr. Tourangeau may long continue to trade in L Orignal.
F. X. ELIE GAUTHIER, a native of St. Rose, is a retired merchant of this
village. He engaged in mercantile life in St. Eustache, and continued
it five years, during
* Mr. Hamilton died early in 1895, after the above sketch was written.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
525
which time he was also Postmaster. He is a graduate of the Military
School at Quebec, and when he was at St. Eustache he became Lieutenant
of a Company of Volunteers, newly organized, which was commanded by
Capt. Alexander Venier. He was married 23rd November, 1869, to Juliet
Dunn, of St. Eustache, by the Rev. A. Guion, P.P., at which marriage
his military company was present, and celebrated it with military
honors. Mr. Gauthier came to L Orignal in 1876, and engaged in trade,
which he followed successfully till 1891, when he sold his business
and retired. He is a gentleman much respected in the community, and
one who possesses much affability and courtesy.
FREDERIC WINTERS, one of the merchants of L Orignal, is grandson of Dr.
Ebenezer Winters who in his youth fought in the American ranks at Bunker
Hill. He afterward settled in Vermont, from which State he removed with
his family to
Montebello, Que., some time between the years 1815 and l82 - He lived
there, and practised medicine, during the remainder of his life ; he had
four sons. Edward , the eldest son. married Hannah, daughter of Frederic
Seybold, a Prussian, who had been drafted into the French service, and
fought against the British at Waterloo. He afterward came to Canada,
and married Mary, daughter of Jacob Marston ; they
lived in Montreal, in which city their daughter Hannah was born. After
she had grown up and married Mr. Edward Winters, they settled on a farm
in the township
of Longueuil, and lived there till the death of Mr. Winters in November,
1875. They had one son, Frederic, and four daughters. Frederic, in his
youth, was clerk in Hawkesbury eight years, and he then bought 120 acres
of wild land in Longueuil, which he cleared up and sold about 1878. He
purchased another wild lot of 88 acres in this township, which he also
cleared, and at the time of his purchase, he engaged in the wood business,
which, to some extent, he still follows. In l8S8 he sold his land and
engaged in mercantile business in this village, and he has since bought
150 acres of land within the limits of the corporation, and erected a
good brick resi dence.^ He was married in November, 1867, to Onesime
Daigueau of Longueuil. Mr. Winters has led an active and useful life,
and is esteemed by his fellow- citizens, whom he has represented several
years in the Municipal Council. His only son Edward is his assistant in
the store.
JOHN MILLAR, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lachute, Que. When
about ten years of age, he came to L Orignal to live with his uncle,
Mr. Gavin Walker, who kept a general store there. On Mr. Walker s death,
Mr. Millar, then a young man, succeeded to the business. Possessed of
excellent business qualities, integrity, energy and good judgment he
soon increased the business, and the store was enlarged to the present
dimensions. The public soon perceived in him qualities to put to their
service. He was elected Reeve, first by the undivided Township of
Longueui], which he represented at the time of the incorporation of the
Village of L Orignal. After separation L Orignal elected him their Reeve,
first of an honorable roll. He also filled the office of Warden of the
United Counties of Prescott and Russell.
While not neglecting his business, he took an active and intelligent
interest in the affairs of our country. He acted well his part as a
citizen ; and is remembered as an earnest advocate of efficiency in our
school, and for the retaining of the High School. He was an adherent
of the Presbyterian Church, and liberally supported it. Benevolent by
nature, courteous in private life, and obliging and honorable in busi
ness, Mr. Millar enjoyed the esteem of all classes." His beneficence
was as generous as untrumpeted. In later years, Mr. Millar had acquired
a sufficient competence to permit the gratification of a desire to
travel. Accompanied by his wife and their friends, Mr. and Mrs. MacRae,
Scotland, the birthplace of his parents, was first
526 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
visited ; also England. Some months were spent very pleasantly in France
and in Italy. He died on the twelfth day of February, 1890, at the age
of 52, and was buried at Lachute in the family burying ground.
THE OTTAWA FORWARDING COMPANY. Officers : E. A. Hall, President ; Geo. A.
Harris, Vice-President ; J. H. Hall, Secy.-Treasurer ; W. J. Hall and
R. T. Holcomb, Directors, and the latter is also Book-keeper.
This-Company was formed in 1890. A line of boats was started under the
above name by Geo. A. Harris in 1884, on the dissolution of the Montreal &
Ottawa For
warding Company, which had been in existence many years. About the same
time that Harris started his boats, another line was started by the
Hall Brothers, all being freight boats. Both lines continued running
in opposition till 1890, when they amalgamated, and also engaged in
the passenger traffic. Their boats are the " Hall," " Harry Bates,"
"Welshman" and "Olive;" the latter runs from Montreal to Kingston via
the Ottawa and Rideau Canal.
A great quantity of freight is carried by this line, and the kindness
and courtesy displayed by the officers and employees of the boats towards
passengers always ren der their trips comfortable and pleasant.
E. A. HALL, the President of this Company, is a son of Edward Hall, who
came to this country from Enniskillen, Ireland, in May, 1844. In 1850,
he was married to Susan Mulholland. He learned the tanner s trade in
Montreal, and remained there
till 1860, when he came to L Orignal and engaged in the livery business,
which he followed for twenty years; he died in 1883. He had seven
children, but only three sons grew up. E. A. Hall, the eldest of these,
established a hay and grain market in L Orignal in 1877, the first of the
kind established in this village, and he still continues the business. In
1890 his two brothers joined in this enterprise, and at the same time
entered the Forwarding Company. Last year, 1893, they shipped 100,000
tons of hay to the States and England the greater quantity of it going
to England. Mr. E/A. Hall was married in November, 1874, to Miss Soulier
of L Orignal. He and his brothers are esteemed for their straightforward
dealing in business, and for their upright, Christian character.
Quite an extensive marble and granite business is conducted in this
village by two brothers, J. L. and N. BATES. Their father, Nathaniel
Bates, at the age of 16 came from Wexford County, Ireland, to Plantagenet,
about the year 1827. After living in that township a few years, he
removed to Grenville County, where he stil resides on his farm. He
was married in 1834 to Lydia Darlington from Ireland ; their children,
now living, are five sons and four daughters.
J. L., their fourth son, when quite young, learned the trade in Western
Ontario
of marble and granite cutting. In 1873, he entered into partnership with
J. ! Fulford of L Orignal, which partnership continued seven years,
when Mr. Bates bought out his partner, and conducted business alone till
1883, when its rapid increase induced him to admit Nathaniel Bates,
his brother, as partner. The distance from which they receive orders
has steadily increased, and orders now often come from sections beyond
Ottawa and from the West, as far as from Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat.
Their stone is obtained direct from the quarries, and some of the
finest work in the Province is performed in their shop. Recently they
executed an expensive monu ment of Scotch granite, in memory of the late
James McLauren, an extensive lumber dealer, and President of the Ottawa
Bank. The order for this was obtained by the Bates Brothers, though it
was a subject of competition by the best firms in Canada. At the present
they are finishing several monuments varying in price from $200 l $500 ;
they are importers and manufacturers of all the foreign granites, and
employ from 8 to 1 5 men.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 52?
J.L. Bates was married in 1876 to Julia Lighthall, granddaughter of the
late Capt. Lighthall. C. J. L., their eldest son, is now a student
in the Arts Course of McGill. Nathaniel Bates was married in 1883,
to Myrta Lighthall, a sister of Mrs. J. L. Bates. The brothers are
public-spirited, intelligent gentlemen, supporters of the Methodist
Church, and both families are welcome auxiliaries to the moral and social
element of L Orignal.
JAMES F. McEvov is prominent among the business men of this place. His
father, Mark McEvoy, was born in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and
was manager
of the Crebilly estate for Squire O Harra. After the latter s death
Mr. McEvoy was made Captain of the Constabulary force in that section
of Ireland, which honorable position he filled many years. He died in
this country at the age of 83; he had
always been possessed of good health and great determination.
The maiden name of Mr. James McEvoy s mother was Elizabeth Findley ;
her parents moved from Scotland to the County of Antrim, Ireland, and
the subject of our sketch was born there in 1836. He came to Canada at
the age of 18, starting
from Liverpool on a sailing vessel, which reached Quebec 6th September,
1854, after a very pleasant passage of five weeks and three days.
Mr. McKvoy says : " I came to Oxford, County of Leeds, Ont., in which town
ship I purchased 300 acres of land. My chief business from 185410 1877
was lum bering ; and during those 23 years, I underwent many hardships;
no one but he who followed the same business in those days can tell. I
began as a man before the mast, and rose step by step till I got to be
bush manager, at a good salary. In the year 1877, I married Miss Janet
G.llies, daughter of John and Mary Gillies of Carleton Place, Lanark
County, and the same year came to L Orignal. During the last seven teen
years 1 have been mostly employed with a giist mill and saw-mill."
Mr. McEvoy has been Chairman of the Public School Board several years, but
has declined Municipal offices. He has one son, John, and one daughter,
Mary McEvoy.
Robert R. McEvoy, the youngest of his father s family by his last
marriage, is an enterprising farmer in L Orignal. In his younger days
he engaged as a lumberman
to Gillies & McLaren, and worked for them on the Mississippi
five years. He then worked on the Coulonge, in the employ of the
Hon. A. B. Foster, but the latter sold his timber limits and mills at
Braeside near Arnprior to Gillies Brothers, and Mr. McEvoy remained
with them as their foreman till 1878 a period of five years. On leaving
their employ he received a very flattering testimonial for indus try,
faithfulness and probity. He came to L Orignal and engaged as foreman to
his brother, James F. McEvoy, and for ten years had the entire charge of
his mills, and through the experience thus acquired became a thoroughly
practical and efficient miller. Previous to this, he had bought the old
Treadwell farm, known as the " Mill Farm," comprising 150 acres, and to
this, since 1888, his time has been devoted, though he has also bought
100 acres in Hawkesbury. For several years he has been a member of the
Village Council, to which he was elected four times by accla mation;
and is also trustee of the High School. In the Masonic Fraternity he
has been Junior and Senior Warden of St. John s Lodge No. 159, under
the Grand Lodge of Dublin, Ireland. He was married in June, 1887, to
Catherine Baine of Carleton Place, niece of the late John Gillies. Her
parents came from Scotland,
but she was born in the township of Lanark.
A bakery has recently been opened in L Orignal by GEO. STILES, who came
from Headington Quarry, near Oxford, England, to Ottawa in 1883. He is
a baker by trade, and a few months after arriving in Ottawa he removed
to Thurso, Que., and opened a bakery. In 1893, giving up his business
in Thurso to his eldest son,
528 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Albert Stiles, he came to L Orignal, started in business, and is meeting
with good encouragement. Mr. Stiles is not one of those who devote
their whole time to secur ing temporal comforts ; he is a Christian,
a local preacher, and has given much of his life to Christian work. When
in England, he was a teacher in Sabbath School
and a Class Leader, and while in Thurso was Sabbath School
Superintendent. He has ten children four sons and six daughters ; one
of the latter, married to William Blackburn, lives in Port Moody, B.C.
William Banford came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Hawkesbury
in 1847, and engaged in farming. He was married iQth November, 1849,
to J ovce Hamilton, sister of Robert Hamilton, surveyor, and soon
afterward he accompanied his brother-in-law on a survey on Deep River,
above Pembroke, irj which he was employed two years. On his return,
he became foreman on the farm of Sheriff Treadwell, where he remained
twelve years, and after another equal interval on the " Lowe Farm,"
he bought in 1879, tne house and lot of 33 acres in the corporation,
where he still lives. He has been Municipal Councillor several years,
Assessor and Collector. He has five sons and four daughters, but only
three of his children live in this section.
WILLIAM J. SWAILS is a respected and enterprising artisan of this
village. His father, William Swails, came from England, and settled first
at Chateauguay, but some years later he removed to Cote des Neiges, and
after a residence there of several years he settled in Lachute, where
he died. He left but one child, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Swails
learned the builder s trade, and in 1888 bought a house and lot on Main
street, Lachute, which he still owns; and in 1889 moved to L Orignal,
and purchased the house and lot on King street, where he now lives.
He has taken many contracts for building in this place, where he has the
confidence and respect of the community, and has also done much work in
adjacent localities. He was married 2oth July, 1887,10 Kate Nichols,
daughter of William Nichols of St. Phillipps.
NEWSPAPERS.
As regards newspapers, L Orignal is in advance of the majority of
country villages two papers, The Advertiser and The Advocate, being
published here.
The former, Conservative in politics and much the older paper of
the two is published by WATSON LITTLE, who is both proprietor and
editor. Mr. Little came with his father s family to Montreal, from the
County of Monaghan, Ireland, in 1822. Two years later he went to By town,
and in May, 1830, when the regular publication of the Bytoum Gazette
commenced, he was installed manager of the mechanical department. He
remained in his position till the death of the proprietor Dr. Christie,
in 1845, an d then had charge of the office till 1847, when, in company
with another person, he purchased the paper. He retired shortly afterward,
however, went to Perth, and established the Constitutional, which he
conducted till the winter of 1849- 50, and then, at the solicitation
of the late Col. Vankoughnet and the late Alexander McLean, brother of
Chief Justice McLean, he removed to Cornwall, and re- established the
Cornwall Observer. He afterward changed the name to Advertiser, and pub
lished it till 1868, when he came to L Orignal and established a paper
with the same name. He has always been a Conservative in politics, and
was a staunch supporter of the late Sir John A. Macdonald, of whom he
was a personal friend. He has been connected with the Press of Canada
nearly sixty years all but ten of which have been devoted uninterruptedly
to publishing. In his early years he contributed much to the columns of
the Bytown Gazette; his articles, though anonymous, were
HISTORY OF PRF.SCOTT. 529
gladly inserted and were much appreciated by the public. The
Advertiser is an able supporter of its party principles, and has a large
circulation. Mr. Little was married in June, 1851, to Ann Jane Kennedy;
they have had eight children one son and seven daughters but the former
is deceased. The eldest daughter is married to Mr. George Furniss, son
of the late Albert Furniss, of Montreal. The second daughter is married
to Robt. Sullivan David, son of the late A. H. David, M.D., D.C.L., Dean
of the Medical Faculty of the University of Bishop s College, Montreal.
The third is married to M. C. Meservey, son of Major B. F. Meservey of
the U. S. Army. The fourth is wedded to Andrew Lowe of the firm of A
. Lowe, Son & Carter, the great Shipping Company of London, England.
The Prescott and Russell Advocate is a wide-awake, aggressive Liberal
paper, ably conducted by B. R. POULIN. Mr. Poulin was born at Montebello
; he learned the printer s trade in L Orignal, and was employed several
years on the L Orignal News. In 1878, he joined a party surveying the
route for the C. P. R., and was With it during the survey of the region
around Lake Superior. He returned to L Orignal in 1883, and during the
few subsequent years, was engaged here in mer
cantile business. In the spring of 1888 he left this, equipped a
printing office and began to publish The Advocate, which meeting
with general favor, he has ever since continued with increasing
encouragement. Mr. Poulin is a gentleman cf good judgment, wide and
liberal views ; he is a member of the Village Council and of the Board of
School Commissioners. He was formerly Clerk of the Council, but resigned
to give his time more fully to other business. He was married i*th May,
1884, to Winnifred Labelle of L Orignal.
Mr. Samuel J. Robinson, a young man from St. Andrews, who has spent the
last ten years in a printing office, is a valued assistant of Mr. Poulin.
As stated above, L Orignal has three hotels, one of which, the Ottawa
Hotel, is
conducted by J. B. Pharand dit Marcelin.
Mr. Pharand is a native of Soulanges, where he also was proprietor of a
public house several years. He afterward became a grain dealerbusiness
in which he embarked with a good capital ; but he lost much money in it,
and in May, 1886, he removed to L Orignal, and bought the hotel which
he still conducts, and of which his eldest son, George H. Pharand,
is manager. The Ottawa is a popular house, and is well patronized by
the travelling public; its rooms are large and neat ; the cuisine all
that reason can demand. Mr. Pharand wes married in 1862 to Rosalie St.
Denis of St. Clet.
The Ontario Hotel, a fine stone building, was erected in 1872 by A. Brant,
the present proprietor.
CASSBURN.
This place is located about three miles from L Orignal, in the Township
of Longueuil. It is merely a hamlet, but is one of the finest farming
sections in Eastern Ontario. The farms are all comparatively level,
well cultivated, and the substantial and attractive residences and good
outbuildings, together with the large stocks of cattle to be seen here,
show that farming has been conducted on systematic and in telligent
methods, and that the farmers are all in prosperous circumstances.
Sugar making is quite an industry, and sugar orchards are numerous which
contain from one thousand to three thousand trees.
A stone church (Methodist) was erected here about the year 1840, which,
having been repaired, is still used for a place of worship a good
congregation usually assemb ling on the Sabbath. Besides this church,
a school house and blacksmith shop, with
530
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
two or three dwellings, comprise all the buildings there are in the
immediate vicinity of the post office the remaining buildings of Cassburn
being the farmers residences scattered along the different roads radiating
from this modest hamlet.
Not distant from Cassburn is a settlement called the ALLEN SETTLEMENT
or neighborhood, from the number of that name living there. The locality
is said to be a prosperous one, and to be the dwelling place of a number
of thrifty farmers, but we have no historical data relating to it.
On the road leading from Cassburn to Vankleek Hill there are also a
number of fine farms both in Longueuil and West Hawkesbury. In the former
township is a lime-kiln owned by P. Paquette, which is kept in active
operation and supplies the surrounding locality with lime of superior
quality. Mr. 3 aquette has a fine young orchard from which he annually
sells several hundred bushels of apples.
About the same time that Mr. H. Treadwell first came to this country,
came also two other individuals, who became prominent in the history of
the new locality, and their descendants are still in the vanguard of
those sustaining its social and moral reputation : these two pioneers
were JACOB MARSTON and JOSIAH?. CASS. The
former settled on 200 acres of land at what is now known as Cassburn. and
the latter on 300 acres adjoining that of Mr. Marston.
Jacob Marston was born in Manchester, gth February, 1774 ; his father,
who had been a soldier in the Revolution, had settled in Montreal after
the war. Jacob was reared by his uncle, Peter Marston, residing in
Fairlee, Vt., but while still quite young he returned to Canada, and
settled in Longueuil. He had five children- four sons and one daughter. He
died 3rd September, 1873. aged 99 years and 7
months.
The following true stones will give a little idea of what Messrs. Marston
and Cass had to experience in the early years of their pioneer struggles.
In those days Point Fortune, twenty miles distant, was the place whence
all their supplies were obtained. There they procured their first seed
wheat, which
was borne on their backs through the woods the whole distance, and from
the grain which the seed produced a quantity was obtained and sown by
Col. Philemon
Wright-the first wheat sown on the site of the present city of Hull.
On another occasion, a grindstone, which they had purchased, was carried
in the
same manner from Point Fortune to Longueuil, and to their chagrin, after
enduring this physical hardship, it was found that the stone was so hard
as to be useless. It having been said that a stone becomes softer by
being buried a while in the ground, this stone, a number of years aftei
ward, was buried, with the hope that the correct ness of the statement
might be verified. But strange to relate, when the stone was sought
after a long interval, it could not be found. Search has been made for
it at various times by Mr. Richard Marston, grandson of the pioneer, and
present pro prietor of the ancestral estate, and though positive that he
knows the ^spot where the stone was buried, his search hitherto has proved
fruitless. The circumstance is productive of much speculation. Did the
gravity of the stone cause its des cent to regions beyond the reach of
mortal hands ? Or is it a verification of the belief of our forefathers,
that buried treasures are guarded by special police of the spirit land,
who preserve them from human touch, as they did the buried trea sures
of Captain Kidd and other freebooters of the olden time ?
JOSIAH CASS MARSTON, the fourth son of Jacob Marston, the pioneer,
married Hannah, daughter of Dr. David Pattee, an M.P.P. for the County
of Prescott, and
remained on the homestead. He was a man much respected in this locality a
staunch supporter of the Methodist Church, and, for many years, a School
Trustee ; Assessor and Collector in Longueuil. He died 25th December,
1892, injuries
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 531
which he received in falling from a step ladder being so serious that
he survived but 24 hours. He had two sons, Richard Henry, David Louis
Kossuth, and t\vo daughters. The homestead was divided between the
two sons.
Richard, in his youthful days, after completing part of the course at
McGill, began the study of Law, and was articled to his uncle, David
Pattee, Q.C., with
whom he remained three years ; he then spent two years in the office of
the present Judge O Brian. But several reasons induced him to give up
his legal studies and
devote his time to farming, which he did in 1870; and since that date
he has increased the size of his farm, till he now has 300 acies. He
was the first in this section to build a silo ; his ensilage is cut
by means of an engine ; his tin- roofed barn and other outbuildings,
constructed with a due regard to convenience ; his sugar orchard of
1,600 trees, fitted up with the most modern and improved utensils,
all afford proof that he is much interested in his vocation, and that
he is a practical and successful farmer. His commodious brick house is
pleasantly located at four corners, on elevated ground, and commands
an extensive view. In 1876, Mr. Marston engaged in trade in connection
with his agricultural labors, and continued the busi ness till 1892. A
post-office was established here in 1877, with the nameofCass- burn,
and he was appointed Postmaster a position that he still occupies. He has
also held several other responsible positions in this township. He
was Municipal Councillor of L Orign al, four years, after which he
was Reeve six, served three years as Municipal Engineer of Longueuil,
West Havvkesbury and L Orignal, and has since been Secretary-Treasurer
of School Section No. 3, in Longueuil. He was married to Julia Le Clair.
He is a prominent member of the Masonic Order, and has six times been
Master of St. John s Lodge, No. 159. His Lodge presented him with a
Past Master s apron, in acknowledgment of his services. In politics,
he is a confirmed Liberal, as his ancestors also were a relentless
political war having always existed between them and the Hamiltons,
who were leaders in this county of the Conservative party.
Mr. Marston has a walking stick cut on Navy Island by William Lyon
McKenzie. It was presented by McKenzieto a man named McNiel, on the
occasion of his going to address the electors of Haldimand, in which
County he was elected to Parliament by acclamation. McNiel, who was reared
by Mr. Josiah C- Marston, after ward conducted a hotel in Haldimand,
and it was while thus employed that he obtained the stick from McKenzie,
which, when an old man, he presented to Mr. Marston (Josiah C.). This
souvenir has on it a silver plate with the following : " 1838, Navy
Island. 7
The genealogy of the Marston family shows that its members have held
prominent places in both Church and State. Admiral Marston, of the United
States Navy in the American Rebellion, by commanding Captain Worden,
of the Monitor, to attack
the Merrimac instead of proceeding to Washington, as he had been directed,
is believed to have been the means of saving the Union.
JOSEPH PoMEROvCASS, who located on land adjoining that of Mr. Jacob
Marston, who had married his sister, was a brother of Elihu Cass,
mentioned in the history of L Orignal. The land on which he settled is now
owned and occupied by two of his grandsons, one of whom bears his name. He
was the first to fell a tree on this lot, and, during the century that has
elapsed since he came here, the land he purchased, which has remained in
the family, has never been encumbered by mortgage. Mr. Cass was a quiet,
retiring man averse to holding public office ; he died 3rd of
May, 1851. He was twice married ; his last wife, Sybil Jackson, dying
2ist June, 1878. By his first marriage he had four sons and six daughters;
by the last, one son and four daughters.
53 2 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Alfred, the son by his last marriage, was married 22nd April, 1842,
to Maria Cobb, and remained on the homestead. They had eleven children
three sons and eight daughters. Mr. Cass died 26th April, 1881. He was
an exemplary citizen and a loyal supporter of the Methodist Church.
Joseph P. Cass, his second son, was married rgth September, 1877, to
Florence Stephen of Longueuil, and settled on a part of the homestead of
300 acres, which was divided equally between him and his brother Allen. He
has erected a fine brick residence, which is very nicely furnished,
and his well cultivated farm, new and sub stantial farm buildings,
are evidence of material prosperity. He has all the modern agricultural
implements and a Halliday Standard Wind Mill, with which he draws water,
grinds grain, and saws wood. He has been a School Trustee for nine years,
and, like his father, is a devoted member of the Methodist Church. His
intelligence and public spirit command respect, and have secured him
popularity in thecom- munity where he dwells.
ROBERT STEELE is the proprietor, in this locality, of another fine farm,
with attractive and commodious buildings. His father, James Steele, came
from the County of Londonderry, Ireland, to Canada in 1826 or 1827. He
was then a young man, and was first employed in teaching school in the
township, of Lochiel, Glengarry. He then engaged to the Hamilton Lumber
Company of Hawkesbury Village, with whom he remained several years. He
was married in 1832 to Miss Elizabeth Orton, and, the same year, settled
on Lot 28, 3rd Concession of East Hawkesbury, where he lived till his
death, 8th June, 1883, aged 82. His companion, with whom he had lived
very happily many years, died 2ist October, 1873. They had twelve children
six of each sex of whom only three sons and three daughters
are now living all married, with the exception of one daughter,
Elizabeth. Mr. Steele was prominent in his locality, in both municipal
and religious affairs, being a liberal supporter of the Methodist Church,
not only in his own neighborhood, but in many other sections.
Robert, his second son, has devoted much of his time to religious work,
though he has been a most practical and successful farmer. He has been a
Local Preacher since he was quite young. Class Leader, and has engaged
actively in Sabbath School work. He purchased his present farm of 150
acres in 1864, and was married U2nd August, 1865, to Angelina Maria
Bancroft. Although he has been a Municipal Coun
cillor, he has been averse to accepting municipal offices, and resigned
the Coun- cillorship after a brief period. He was also School Trustee
for a while, but resigned the position and was re-elected. He is much
interested in agricultural matters, and his farm gives evidence that it
is under skillful and experienced management ; it sus tains 40 head of
cattle and 7 or 8 horses. He has bought three other farms adjacent to
his own, which are now in possession of three of his sons.
ASA B., second son of Robert Steele, was married i3th September, 1888,
to Sarah Davidson from Armagh, Ireland, and settled, at once, on a farm
of 200 acres adjacent to the homestead. This farm is pleasantly located,
and is noted for its grain and root producing qualities, especially corn
and potatoes.
Mr. Steele is very energetic, and has so improved his farm during the
few years that he has owned it, that its productiveness has greatly
increased. He has 45 head of cattle and 6 horses, and during the last
season (1894) he raised
30 pigs, 1,200 bushels of grain and 1,800 bushels of potatoes. He has
a fine orchard of apple trees, and by hiring a sugar orchard contiguous
to his own, he taps 3,600 trees.
It is proper to state that the farm owned by Asa B. Steele was formerly
owned by John Pattee, brother of David Pattee, mentioned in the history
of L Orignal; John
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
lived here many years, and his last days were spent here. On an
-adjoining farm
lived Dr. Moses Pattee, cousin to John Pattee s father. Dr. Moses Pattee
was a verv early settler at this place ; he came from the States, and
was the first physician to practice in Longueuil, and this practice
was successfully continued till his death. His only daughter, Polly,
married Abel Bancroft, who afterward conducted the doctor s estate,
and then came into possession of it.
:? GUSTAVUS^BARTON is one of the prominent citizens and successful farmers
of Cassburn. His fatherUliver Barton came to this country with his family
in 1832, and settled near Vankleek Hill, on a farm of 200 acres, which
until recently was owned by his son, John J. Barton. He lived there till
his death about the year 1875 ; he had five sons and three daughters
who arrived at maturity, and all settled in Pres- cott except one son,
who settled on the Gatineau.
Gustavus, the second son, engaged in lumbering in his younger years,
and passed through many of the hardships incident to this life ;
but possessing remark able physical vigor and determination, bravely
surmounted the difficulties, and saved considerable money from his
venture. He subsequently bought different valuable properties, from
the sale of which he realized considerable profit ; and in 1854 he pur
chased the farm where he now resides, and on which he erected a good
brick residence in 1862. He was married yth November, 1867, to Eliza Ann,
daughter of
James Murray, Esq. Mr. Barton was a loyal defender of his country
in the Rebel lion of 1837, and has since served his fellow-citizens
several years, as Municipal Councillor and School Trustee. Both he and
Mrs. Barton have the honor of belonging to ancient families of honorable
line ige. They have had four children one son and three daughters;
but the son is deceased. One of the daughters, married
to Oliver J. Graham, lives in West Hawkesbury.
HAWKESBURY MILLS.
INCORPORATED AS A TOWN IN JANUARY, 1896.
The above name, which is much older and more widely known than Hawkesbury
Village, is synonymous with the latter a name which has frequently
designated the place since its incorporation in 1859, For more than
four-score years Hawkesbury Mills has been a name associated with the
strongest hopes and highest expectations of countless people of almost
every grade of life, in numberless cities, towns and hamlets of this
continent, and in places beyond the sea. Bankers, capitalists and business
men of Canadian cities, as well as New York, Boston, and far off London,
Glasgow and Edinburgh, have in turn been elated or depressed by the
result of specul tions associated with Hawkesbury Mills. The name has
revived hope of aid in the humble cottage in England and in the yiens of
Scotland. It has yearly been the rallying cry of hundreds of laboring
men all along the river from the Metropolis to the Dominion Capital,
and for months nerved their arms in the wilds far ii]> the Rouge,
the Gat- ii and the Matawaw.i. While day and night, for nearly u century,
the mills have
been denuding the hill-sides, vales and plains of Canada, they havr
-adily been
building \i[> the town :md city, multiplying lurgrs, steamers and
palace cars, and at the same time feeding the hungry and clothing
the naked.
The growth of the greater part of the village, a-, well as much of the
piospcrity of adjacent districts, may be traced to the pecuniary benefit
of these mills, for not only successful farmers, but those engaged in
other business, received their first start in life from money earned
either by their ancestors or themselves in the employ of this
534
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
manufactory. -When farmers have carefully refrained from hiring more
than stern
necessity demanded, and employment in other pursuits has been difficult
to obtain, the mills have often proved a priceless blessing to hundreds
of men and boys, and scores of families have thus escaped the harassing,
humiliating visits of want.
Great, indeed, has been the mission of Hawkesbury Mills, and their
complete history would enter largely into that of numberless individuals
and enterprises in which fortunes have been made and sunk.
The founders of these mills were DR. DAVID PATTEE and THOMAS HEARS, the
latter being the one through whose enterprise was built at St. Andrews,
Que., the first paper mill in Canada. We are ignorant of the exact date of
the erection of the first mill at Hawkesbury, but it was doubtless about
1805, and its size and capacity, though considerable for that period,
would afford a striking contrast to the mills that are here to-day.
As the business was too extensive for the pecuniary means of the
proprietors, they sold, about 1808, to WILLIAM HAMILTON, who came from
Quebec. He, in company with his brothers all of whom came from Ireland
had for some time been engaged in Quebec, shipping lumber to Liverpool,
building steamers, etc., and they had failed. Soon after the mills were
purchased, George Hamilton, a brother of William, came, and they worked in
company, but only for a short time, comparative ly, when William returned
to Quebec and George remained at Hawkesbury. Robert, another brother,
through whom the funds for conducting their business was obtained,
resided at Liverpool. He died a few years later, and his death proved
most disastrous to the firm, and well-nigh ruined the enterprise in
which they had engaged on the banks of the Ottawa.
A better account of this affair probably cannot be given than the
following, which is copied from a little volume entitled, "Philip
Musgrave," which was published in 1846 by the Rev. Joseph, father of
the late Sir J. J. C. Abbott. We have taken the liberty to replace the
fictitious names which the author used by correct ones :
"Mr. Hamilton was one of my most respected and dearest friends. It
pleased that all-wise and over-ruling, but sometimes mysterious,
Providence, which ordereth all things in heaven and on earth, to visit
him with such a succession of misfortunes as have seldom or ever fallen
to the lot of a single individual since the days of the Patriarch
who was so sorely afflicted for the trial and triumph of his faith.
He was a lumber merchant in the most extensive acceptation of the
term. He had a saw- mill, one of the largest in the world ; it worked
nearly forty saws. He had also a corn- mill with I do not know how many
runs of stones in it. This, however, was only a concern of secondary
importance. He had a great number of men and horses and oxen constantly
employed. His establishment altogether formed quite a village, and his
outlay in repairs, wages, provisions and provender amounted to about
ten thou sand pounds a month. He was not alone, however, in this immense
business. He had two brothers, who were partners, if not equal sharers,
in the concern. One resided at Liverpool, in England, to receive and sell
the timber. This brother was connected with a bank there, from which
the concern, at its commencement, had obtained con siderable pecuniary
assistance, and which held a mortgage on the mills as its security.
The third brother lived at the port from whence their timber was shipped
; my friend himself managed the mills, and resided close to them with
his wife and family. The establishment, although comparatively new and
scarcely in full operation, had been very successful and was clearing
upward of fifteen hundred pounds a year.
" In the spring preceding this fatal summer, the ice was no sooner broken
up and navigation open than the ships began to arrive. One of the first
brought out letters from Liverpool, conveying to Mr. Hamilton the mournful
intelligence of his brother s
HISTORY OF PRESCOTJ . 535
death. Shortly afterwards he received a letter from the bank I have
alluded to,
informing him that the amount of the mortgage must be paid. As it had been
through his brother s instrumentality that the money had been borrowed,
this was to be anticipated ; it was nevertheless a heavy blow upon him,
and was ultimately product ive of ruinous consequences. Shortly after
this, so immediately indeed, that I might almost literally say, while
the messenger was yet speaking, another arrived to tell him that his
other brother was dead. They were all three strong and healthy men,
and the age of the eldest did not exceed fatty.
" Poor Hamilton ! Deeply as he felt, and sincerely as he deplored his
loss, great and overwhelming as were the difficulties consequent upon
it, still he did not despair. Althouuh thus left alone to contend
with them, and to manage in all its widely extend ed ramffications this
mighty concern, he was undaunted and hopeful. His mill- pond was full
of saw-logs, all carefully harbored there after having been floated down
the rivers from the back woods at an immense distance in the interior. On
this mass of timber all his hopes of future success were founded ; hopes,
alas ! which were doomed to end in disappointment and ruin.
" The river upon which his mills were placed rose to an unprecedented
height, and carried away his dam with all those valuable logs, amounting
to many thousands. A few nights after this sad disaster, his house took
fire and was burnt, with everything in it. The inmates barely escaped
with their lives ; nothing was saved, nothing
insured, and he was left a homeless bankrupt and a beggar. But his cup
of misery was not yet full.
" Mr. Hamilton had determined to take his family to the town where his
principal creditors resided, as he would have to be there himself,
perhaps for months, to settle with them and to wind up the affairs
of the estate. To remove his family was, at that period, an affair of
no small difficulty. There were no public means of conveyance then ;
although now, at the time I write, twenty years afterwards, five or
six steamers a day find sufficient employment. Mr. Hamilton procured a
large canoe from a friend, and engaged two French-Canadians to row them
down the river. They all embarked in it and glided swiftly and smoothly
along the surface of the lake. In this country all the large rivers,
as well as many of the smaller ones, consist of a chain of lakes, having
a narrow channel and a swift current, characteristically termed a rapid,
between them. The lake I here refer to is several miles in width.
"Away they went, all the little ones in high glee and uproarious
mirth. I could
almost fancy the other day, on passing the spot where they embarked,
that I could yet hear the echo of their merry laugh, as it rang through
the thick woods on shore. I saw them start, and twenty years have not
erased from my memory a single incident connected with their departure. I
could even yet repeat the simple chanson, which was sung to a lively
air by the two rowers; for the Canadian boatmen can hardly row without
singing, certainly not with equal spirit and energy. A little lower down
the river there are some very dangerous rapids. In getting into these,
one of the boat men, the poor fellow who came to my house, as I have
already mentioned, became frightened, and in his confusion suffered his
oar to be caught by the boiling surge. This in an instant overturned
their canoe ; the three helpless little ones were over whelmed in a
watery grave ; not, however, before the distressed father, who was an
excellent swimmer, had made the most extraordinary exertions to save
the youngest. The two oldest, with their mother, he lost sight of the
moment the canoe upset, and gave them up for lost, but the youngest,
a child about eighteen months old, he caught hold of, when a strong wave
broke over him, and somehow or other wrenched the child from his grasp,
and bore it some distance away from him. He again stretched out to save
his boy, and again succeeded in laying hold of him. By this time he had
HISTORY OK PRESCOTT.
been carried into the most violent part of the rapid torrent, down which,
in a state bordering upon insensibility, he was hurried with fearful
velocity. On reaching the comparatively smooth water at the foot of the
rapid he soon recovered his senses" but found to his dismay that he had
lost his child again hopelessly lost it now. On
looking round he could see nothing but the canoe. It had floated down
along with him, bottom upwards, with the two boatmen clinging to it. He
was now nearly exhausted, but on perceiving the canoe he roused his
sinking energies for one effort more, and succeeded in reaching it ;
he was soon afterwards safely landed, the sole survivor, as he supposed,
of his little family.
" When they reached the shore the first thought with the men was,
naturally, to
right the canoe. On turning it up, there, to his astonishment and joy,
was his poor wife underneath it, in a state of insensibility. She had,
doubtless, in the first moment of her fright, seized hold of one of the
thwarts, to which she had tenaciously clung, with a death-like grasp,
and was thus miraculously saved.
; A few mirutes sufficed to bring back suspended animation, and she was
soon, I
had almost said too soon, restored to a consciousness of the dreadful
loss she had sustained.
The sorrow and distress so acutely felt by the poor fellow, who came
to inform me of the sad event, were deeply shared, not only by myself,
but by the whole com munity. Dark and mysterious indeed are the dealings
of God in His providence with His people. and His ways are past finding
out. But we have a cheering assurance
to support us under every misfortune All things shall work together for
good to
them that love God. And so they did in this instance ; for my friend
Hamilton was afterwards blessed with as fine a family of children as I
ever saw. He has now been dead some years, but he succeeded before his
death in securing to his widow an ample income, and for her seven orphan
children as many thousands a year. This he accon-plished.. not from the
wreck of his fortune, or from his former prosperity, for nothing was
left, but from the credit of his name and the energy of his character.
Under the guidance of a gracious Providence, every undertaking he engaged
in was prosperous and profitable. The Lord gave him twice as much as he
had before, and blessed his latter end more than his beginning. "
The sad accident recorded above occurred in 1822, at which time it will be
seen, from the same account, the business here was one of much magnitude.
Mr. Hamilton spent his days here, and naturally became a man of great
influence. His culture commanded the respect of the more intelligent of
the com
munity, and his business and means which enabled him to give employment
to so large a number of men gave him a power in this district
which no other man possessed his authority for many years was almost
absolute. In military matters, as well as politically and socially, he
was chief. Notwithstanding his influence, and the homage paid to him on
all hands, he was modest, kind and prudent, never overstepped the duties
of his magisterial office, and always exercised his authority over others
kindly and judiciously. In politics he was strongly Conservative, and for
years he was regarded in this section as the champion of Conservative
principles. He died in 1839. On his monument in the St. Andrews
(Que.) cemetery, is the fol
lowing inscription :
" Sacred to the Memory of George Hamilton,
Who departed this life on the yth Jan., 1839, aged 58 years.
He was born at Sheephill, County of Meath, Ireland, but the last 23
years of his life were spent in the
District of Ottawa, U.C.,
Where he distinguished himself in the service of his country as an
upright Judge and an active Magistrate."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
In the relations of pi ivate life he was conspicuous as a man of sterling
integrity a most affectionate husband and parent, and a sincere and
generous friend His mortal disease was contracted in the zealous discharge
of his duties as Lieut - Col of Prescott Reserve Battalion in preparing
to repel the piratical invaders of ihe
I. ivJVIllL.C
Partners were admitted to the above concern at different periods, and
for about
20 years the firm was Hamilton & Lowe; subsequently, Hamilton & Thompson
About the year 1835, Mr Hamilton erected the large stone dwelling,
now owned by Mr Hiram Robinson, which building is known as Hamilton Hall
[he sons of Mr. Hamilton, born after the loss of those recorded above,
were John, William Robert George and Charles. The first became the Hon
John lamiiton he having heM a seat in the Senate for some time prior to
his death It
was he who erected the fine residence on the Island, now owned by
Mr. Cloran Mr
Hamilton expended large sums of money in ornamenting the Island, and
givin- to n so many characteristics of an O.d Country Park. He was the
last of the family
who lived at Hawkesbury William died young; George died in l857 ; Robert
now lives in Quebec ; and Charles is the present Bishop of Niagara.
The mills are located on an island formed by the Ottawa and one of
its branches
Ecarte, which signifies " Lost Channel," but which has been corrupted mp -
Sny Carty.," and is most usually spoken of is " The Sny " so S going to
The Sny, or working at "The Sny," are expressions which will fre quently
puzzle the stranger who visits Hawkesbury. It will be necessary to visit
the place to gam a correct idea of the amount of lumber manufactured
here. There are five mills, each of winch contains several gangs,
besides one or more circular saws Phe latest addition is a band saw the
superiority of which consists chiefly in the small quantity of the log
which it consumes, compared with other saws One passage through them of
the gang saw suffices to cut four logs into boards
Psotwithstanclingthe barges that are constantly being loaded with lumber
and the quantity transported by the railway and wagons, immense piles,
comprising millions of feet, may always be seen here, covering many
broad acres of ground
I he average amount of lumber manufactured by these mills is 700,000
ft daily and the number of men engaged-exclusive of those in the lumber
woods-is nco which includes jobbers in piling.
Strict discipline is established among ihe laborers, good order
prevails, and great kindness and courtesy are extended to visitors by
the intelligent, courteous officials MR. BROCK, who has been bookkeeper
for the concern many years ; Mr Ferguson his assistant, Mr. Sherman
and others.
MR. JOHN SHERMAN is Superintendent of the lumber yard and sales He w^ born
in Add.ngton, Ont., his father having settled there after coming to Canada
rom Belfast Ireland in 1849. He was married in 1877, to Agnes S ,
daughter of Dr. Charles Potts, of Belleville, and has been connected
with the Hawkesbury Lum ber Co. eight years.
The present Hawkesbury Lumber Company is composed of Messrs Hiram
Robinson, President; H. E. Egan, Managing Director; and R. L. Blackburn
secretary.
tf R. RoBiNsyN is a son of William Robinson, who came to Canada from the
mty of Antrim, Ireland, with his wife both then young in 1826. He settled
i a farm in West Hawkesbury, in the 4th Concession , which is now owned by
Mr croft, and, after a residence there of sixty years he sold, and removed
to the unty of Dundas, where he died in 1890,31 the home of his daughter,
Mrs. McKay the age of ninety-one. He had four sons and two daughters.
35
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
At the age of sixteen Hiram entered the employ of the Hamilton Brothers,
and
through faithful devotion to their interests, and by probity, his sphere
of usefulness
gradually extended, till he became manager of all their lumber camps
and business on
the Upper Ottawa and its tributaries. He remained with the firm till
the death of
the Hon- John Hamilton, in 1888, when he, in company with
Messrs. Blackburn,
Thistle and Egan, purchased the whole concern. Mr. Robinson cherishes
the kindest
memories of the Hamilton Brothers; indeed, his gratitude for their
kindness to him
in his youthful days has fostered a feeling towards them of almost filial
regard. In
summer he resides in the fine old stone mansion known as Hamilton
Hall; the
grounds around, the fine garden and fruit trees gaining no small share
of his attention.
Much of his life has been spent in Ottawa, where for twenty-eight years
he was
a member of the Public School Board twenty-two of which he was
chairman. He
is at present a Trustee of the Board of the Collegiate Institute. He
was married in
1855, to Clarissa J. Smith, of Ottawa.
William Robinson, a younger brother of Hiram, has a fine farm of too
acres, and
residence, in Hawkesbury, parts of Lots 9 and 10, in the 4th
Concession. He has
also 100 acres in another part of the same Concession.
After selling his property to the Hamilton Bros., Mr. Mears, who
seems to have possessed enough Yankee shrewdness to observe whatever
circumstances might be turned to his advantage, set his wits to work
to gain possession of another watei- power privilege. The one nature
had provided at Hawkesbury he had sold, but with a little mechanical
engineering, and a moderate outlay of money, he could secure another
water-power which would serve his purpose.
He had in his employ an American fiom Plattsburg, N.Y., Darwin Stevens
by name who was an experienced millwright, and possessed much mechanical
skill and
inventive genius, and on him the planning and execution of the new
work devolved.
About a mile above the Hamilton Mills, and on the same side of the
Ottawa, near the river, was a small pond, fed by an unfailing stream. By
constructing a dam across the outlet the pond was deepened and enlarged
sufficiently to provide an
abundant supply of water for the purpose desired. A canal was then dug
from the
pond to the point where the necessary fall was obtained, and then
Mr. Mears erected his second mill one which, enlarged and improved,
is now the property of the Hawkesbury Milling Co.
It will thus be seen that two canals were left as memorials of this
pioneer the
old, long-disused one at St. Andrews, which provided water-power for the
paper mill, and the one which still supplies power for the Hawkesbury
Mill Company.
Mr. Mears, besides erecting the first mill, also opened the first store
here, and built the first steamer which navigated the Ottawa. This steamer
was the ; Union, " which has already been noticed in the history of
Grenville. Mr. Mears seems to have tried very earnestly many different
methods of making money, but without success, and he died here after
his property had come into the possesion of the
Hon. Peter McGill of Montreal.
The latter added a distillery to the business he had purchased of Mears,
but which, happily, after a few years existence, had to disappear before
the march of intelligence and temperance.
Though numerous piles of lumber mar to some extent the beauty of one
portion of the village, the greater part of it is at once picturesque
and attractive its fine water front giving to it a charm in point of
scenery not possessed by inland villages. Opposite the upper part of
the village, the Ottawa expands into a bay two miles
or more in width, but only a few yards below, it contracts its borders,
forming
the upper end of the rapids known as the Long Sault. Several picturesque
islands
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 539
lie opposite the lower part of the village, between one or more of which,
and the mainland, the water rushes in wild confusion. Here, though the
Grenville shore seems scarcely a stone s throw distant, the rapidity
of the current forbids the crossing of boats save at a serious risk
of accident.
The smooth bay above is easily navigated, and affords passage to the
little steamer Glide of Capt. Lawlor which runs to Calumet.
The Main street, which is more than a mile and a half long, is wide
and pleasant, many of the buildings on either side being substantial
and attractive
McGiU street, running at right angles to it, is also a pretty street which
ascends gradually till it reaches a point overlooking the rest of the
village, and on this height too, are a number of attractive residences.
There are three hotels all on Main street and they are all large and
attractive
buildings; they are the Ottawa Hotel, Hawkesbury House, and Canada
Atlantic Hotel. The proprietor of the latter is Louis Taillon, who has
had long experience in the business, and the patronage accorded his
house by the travelling public is evidence of its able management. The
bank building on Main street is an imposing brick structure. A branch of
the Ottawa bank was established here, 7 th April 1892, and the building
was erected the same year.
On this street also is the commodious School building ; the first was
erected in 1872, but it has since received extensive additions, so that
the building at present with the grounds around it, form an attractive
feature of the village. The High
School and Model School are both taught in it, and the reputation which
they have achieved is, at once, a compliment to the intelligence and
liberality of the managers and the ability of the teachers. The teachers
are at present High School Princi-
P al> ^;, K A ! , Smel ! ie > E A -> Miss Agnes Higginson ;
Public School, Principal Joseph McCulloch, Miss Waddell. Miss Gwyn.
The station of the Canada Atlantic Railway is located about mid-way
between the
upper and lower ends of Main street. Two passenger trains from Robinson
arrive and depart daily, and the number of passengers, together with
the quantity of freight handled here, creates an amount of business much
more extensive than a stranger
would suppose.
D. W. TOMKINS is the faithful Station Agent here. He is a native of Kempt-
ville, Ont., where he remained till 1883, when, at the age of seventeen,
he went to Duck Lake, N.W.T., and participated in the fight there during
the Riel Rebellion Be served as scout during the campaign. In 1886 he
entered railway service at his old home, remaining there till 1888,
when he took a position as night operator at St Polycarpe Junction. Two
years later he went to Nashua, N.H., to work for the Boston & Maine R.R.,
where he remained until 1892, when he received his present
position at Hawkesbury. He was married in 1891 to Miss Edith Keating
of Kemptville.
JAMES W. CASEY, the intelligent Engineer on this branch, has been in
railway service twenty years, fifteen of which he has been employed on
the Canada Atlantic thirteen as an engineer. He was born in Pictou, N.S.,
and was married in February, 1885, to Christie Macdonald of Alexandria,
Glengarry Co., Ont. While devoted to his vocation, his leisure hours
are usually spent in the society of useful books.
JOHN McGiBBON, a son of Alexander McGibbon, one of the pioneers of Browns-
burg, Argenteuil Co., Que., was for many years in the employ of the
Hamilton Brothers, as millwright and foreman in their lumber mills. He
left but one son at his death, Jonn McGibbon, who also for some years,
held the same position in
the lumber mills his father had occupied. He left this position in
November, 1871
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
and became manager of the business of his uncle Albert Kimball a
broker in Hawkesbury- who died in 1891. Mr. McGibbon then retired. He
has a fine pleasant residence in the village, and also owns quite a
quantity of real estate here, as well as in the Township. He is one of
the influential citizens of the place, and for several years has been
chairman of the High School Board. He was married ist September, 1861,
to Phoebe, daughter of the late Samuel Brcck.
Among the early settlers whose lives were identified with this place
were two brothers CHARLES and Z. S. M. HERSEY from Leicester, Mass.
The former came here about 1819, the latter in 1830. Both were in
partnership in mercantile business for a number of years, and Charles
conducted a tannery for alone time. He never married, and died in
December, 1864.
Z. S. M. Hersey in 1836 married Caroline Cleveland, of Fort Covington,
N Y He became manager of the McGill estate here, and subsequently
purchased it,
and closed the distillery which had long been in operation, an action
reflecting great credit on himself, and one which, doubtless, contributed
much to the benefit of Hawkesbury. Mr. Hersey spent his remaining years
here, taking an active interest in both Municipal and School matters,
filling the office of Reeve and School Trustee. He died in April, 1869,
leaving three sons and four daughters.
F. C. Hersey, one of the foimer, lives in a fine stone dwelling on the
homestead, which is rendered more attractive by the stately trees wuh
which the grounds abound. It occupies the site of one which is said
to have been much larger than this, but which was destroyed by fire in
1876; the present one was erected in 1877. Mr. Hersey devoted some years
of his life to the mercantile pursuit, but is now en gaged in farming,
serving also as the Secretary of the School Board. He was mar
ried in 1873 to Miss McGibbon ; she died 20th July, 1889, and he was
next married, in October, 1891 , to Miss Boyd, daughter of James Boyd,
M.P. for Prescott.
The Higginsons, who have already been noticed, are largely identified with
the history of Hawkesbury Village, one or more of the four brothers having
lived here, as well as several of their descendants all prosecuting their
voca ions with the energy and rectitude characteristic of the family.
WILLIAM HIGGINSON. one of the four brotheis who arrived in 1819, though
he bought and settled on the farm in 1821 which is now owned and occupied
by his daughter Mis. Danvin Stevens, was for several years in the employ
of the Hamilton Brothers. Two of his sons, John W. and James G., have
spent the greater part of their lives here, contributing in no slight
degree to the business activity and SDcial advancement of the place.
John W., the second sen, is a contractor and builder, and the buildings
are not lew in the viilageand township of Hawkesbury that have been
erected under his supervision ; and notwithstanding the amount of work
which has almost con stantly demanded his time and attention, municipal
and educational affairs, as well as temperance, have alike claimed some
of his time and profited by his labors He was Reeve of the Village
eleven years, and also Warden of the united counties of Prescott and
Russell. While in the former position, he took active steps to have a
High School established, and it was through his instrumentality
that public interest was aroused, and the school building erected
in 1872. The Public and High School Boards were some time ago united
tinder the title of Education," and of this he has for several years
been Chairman. In tem perance work he has been equally energetic, and
filled for some time a responsible position in the organization of the
Sons of Temperance ; he is now a Justice of
the Peace. In 1865, he became Lieut, of Company No. 6, i8th Batt., and
served as Captain of the same Company during the time it was stationed
at Prescott. He was
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
"iT"^ ^ i 862 ? Mary A1Iison In I86 he P^chased the building he now owns
and which he made into a carpenter s shop and woollen mill. He enlarged
d now has a steam saw mill and a sash and door factory. The area covered
by his building, and the chimney, 103 feet high rising therefrom, are at
once noticeable and give evidence to the fact, that this is one of the
important manufacto ie of the Ibou? a dozen! 11 " 1 " 16 " Hl S inson
em P Io X s * 20 to 25 hands, and in winter
His brother, JAMES G HIGGI.VSO.V, who has been Postmaster of Hawkesbury
e f T7 yearS -f Ught SCh o1 a WhUe in his y uthful **y*> * then
devoted elf to the mercantile pursuit, in which he has been remarkably
successful. He is
a ndLeve m f T v-n ianage w f 10Cal affllirS and has lon S been a School
Trustee and Reeve of the Village He was married to Miss Mary McGibbon. He
has been longer in the mercantile business than any other merchant in
the place having followed it continuously 35 years. His dwelling, located
at the highest point in hS village, is one of the most attractive in it.
GEORGE HAMILTON HIGGINSON, a brother of the two named above, having earned
the carpenter s trade, went to Australia in 1856, where he remained till
1872 experiencing .like many others, the vicissitudes of fortune. He was
married in New Zealand, i 5 th November, 1860, to Amelia H. Taylor. He
lives on a farm in the outskirts of the village where, a few months since,
he suffered a serUs "s by the destruction of his dwelling by fire Owing
to his long absence from his native pLJ nrffc T A if^. f r Pbl.c affairs,
his time has been wholly devoted to his ttadi
and tarm. A Christian in faith and practice, however, he is always glad
to do any work that may contribute to the comfort and happiness of others.
WILLIAM LAWLOR came from Queen s County, Ireland, in 1834, and soon
H^i-ton r h^ ^ ^ aWk b ^ WhCre f r ^ f rt > - V6ars he was Onager
of the Hamilton lumber mills. He died in 1874, at the age of 68. He was
twice married
by the first marriage he had four sons and two daughters by the second,
one son
and one daughter. Richard, the eldest son, engaged in the lumber business,
and was for many years a prominent forwarder, and took an active part in
politics, being secretary a number of years of the Liberal Association
of Prescott County He was also Coroner of Prescott and Russell, and for
some time Clerk of the Division
.fJ e T waS 1 marned m lhe fal1 of l862 to Sarah daughter of
Z. S. M. Hersey H. W. Lawlor, a son of the above, is a well-known
barrister, who has an office near the paternal residence. He began the
study of law with John Maxwell, County Attorney, and was afterwards with
J. E. Farewell, Q.C., of Whitby Ont He era diated at Osgoode Hall in 1890,
and after practising a while in Toronto, was appointed solicitor for the
Montreal & Ottawa R. R. Co, and returned to Hawkes bury, where he has
since practised. He is Secretary of the Liberal Association of xrescott.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM LAWLOR, for years a popular and familiar figure in this
locality, is the third son of William Lawlor who came to Canada in iS%
4 In his
early years he learned the trade of machinist, and as such was in the
employ of the Hamilton Brothers fourteen years. In 1875 he purchased a
steamer, and since has
levoted his time to carrying passengers and freight between Calumet and
Hawkes bury. His boat the Glide," has done much business in this line,
through which medium the neat little steamer and her genial Captain have
become widely known The Captain takes an interest m the local affairs
of Hawkesbury and for several
years was a member of the High School Board. He lives in an attractive
cottage on Mam Street, his extensive front yard being finely ornamented
with trees He wa< married in 1872 to Miss C. M. Hersey.
542 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
WILLIAM EWING, M.D., one of the oldest medical practitioners of Prescott
County, came from Glasgow, Scotland, to Hawkesbury in 1834.
He took his degree at Glasgow University, and ever since his arrival in
this country his practice has embraced a large district on both sides
of the Ottawa. He was married in 1852 to Georgiana Mann ; they had one
son and three daughters.
The son. William Ewing, jr., studied medicine, and after graduating at
McGill University in 1873, prosecuted his profession with his father
until recently, when he succeeded to his entire practice. He was married
in 1880 to Louisa Dennis ; he has a fine office and residence at the
corner of Main and John Streets.
CHURCHES.
i
The first church edifice erected here was the Congregational, which was
built about 1843. ^ * s st *M standing, but owing to removals, deaths,
and other causes, the Congregational body here never a large one has
diminished in numbers so much that no attempt is made to sustain regular
preaching. The church is idle ; but it is still a reminder to the old
citizens of the eloquence of John B. Gough. This gentleman delivered
one of his stirring temperance lectures in it many years ago, and so
powerfully did he portray the effects of the liquor traffic that a man
conduct ing an hotel in the stone building at the junction of Main and
McGill Streets, resolved to change his vocation a resolution he soon
put into effect.
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION AT HAWKESBURY.
BY REV. W. M. TUFFTS, B.D.
The earliest mention we can at present find of a congregation at
Hawkesbury is in the year 1829. At that time the Rev. John McLaurin,
of Breadalbane, Scotland, was ordained and settled over the united
congregation of L Orignal and Hawkesbury. He had taught school in L
Orignal for several years before his ordination. While Mr. McLaurin was
the first settled minister, yet religious services must often have been
conducted here previous to 1829, since the place was first settled more
than twenty years before that date.
In 1833 Mr. McLaurin died, and the union between L Orignal and Hawkesbury
terminated for a time. Hawkesbury was attached to Chatham congregation
in the Presbytery of Montreal. Rev. Mr. Mair supplied this district
with religious ordin ances until shortly before his death in 1860. The
difficulties confronting these early settlers and their ministers alike,
it is hard for us to realize. No record can tell the sacrifices they
made for the faith. During the summer of 1858, the Rev. Mr. Rainnie was
stationed at Hawkesbury as a missionary to assist Mr. Mair.
On the 5th of June, 1860, the Synod met at Kingston, and resolved "that
Hawkesbury being geographically within the bounds of the Presbytery
of Glengarry, the congregation there be added to that Presbytery." The
Presbytery, acting on peti tions from both congregations, united for the
second time Hawkesbury and L Orignal, making them one pastoral charge
with a single session. The Rev. George Ferguson
was the first pastor of the reunited charge. Messrs. John Waddell and
David Fairbairn were the Elders from Hawkesbury. The congregation met
for worship in a school-house on the site of the present church. The
roof of this building having been blown off, it was repaired and fitted
up as a place of worship by the kindness of the Hamilton Bros.
In 1863, owing to the dismemberment of the Presbytery of Bathurst,
the congre gation of L Orignal and Hawkesbury was disjoined from the
Presbytery of Glengarry and added to that of Ottawa, where both have
since remained.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT, 543
Mr. Ferguson was appointed Professor of History and English Literature
in Queen s College m 1869. The congregation regretted his departure
very much, they were fortunate, however, in securing the services of
the Rev. W. MacLennan. a man of remarkable gifts and of great personal
worth. He was inducted in the spring of 1870. The present place of worship
was dedicated in January, 1871. Mr Mac Lennan died December 8th, 1873,
at the early age of twenty-nine years, deeply regretted by the whole
community and especially by the congregation he had served so well.
J V? J airhe was nwtacted in 1874, and continued as pastor for fourteen
years. Mr. Fairhe was deeply beloved, and when he left on November 6th,
r888 he
left many deeply attached friends. Steps were now taken to divide
the charge and to erect both Hawkesbury and L Orignal into separate
congregations. Hawkesbury had been receiving only one service a Sunday,
and it was felt that the time had now come to have the church opened for
worship every Sunday morning and evening Accordingly m 1889 the second
union between Hawkesbury and L Orignal was terminated. This latter union
had lasted for twenty-nine years.
Early in 1890 the Rev. VV. K. MacCulloch was inducted as pastor of
St. Paul s hurch, Hawkesbury. Mr. McCulloch was in very poor health,
and was thus com- pelted to resign his charge on June i5th, [891. His
successor was the Rev. W M lurfts, B.D., a native of Halifax, N.S.,
who was inducted i 4 th April, 1802 In 180* a beautiful manse was
erected by St. Paul s congregation at a cost of over three aousand
dollars. Semi-Jubilee services were conducted on 8th September i8qq
elebratmg the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of St. Paul
s Church.
ANGLICAN CHURCH. By REV. ARTHUR PHILLIPS.
To the left of McGill Street, as you leave the town, there stands on a
risin- eminence and surrounded by pine, maple and elm trees, the Anglican
Church of the Holy Trinity, forming, with its well-built stone rectory,
one of the most picturesque groups in the county. Its history extends
back to the year 1845, when the late Bishop Strachan, then Bishop of
Toronto, was induced by the correspondence of Mr. Thomas Higginson and
others to appoint a missionary to Hawkesbury Through the prompt efforts of
Mr. Higginson a site was also procured from the estate of the Hon. Peter
McGill, and the erection of a stone church at once proceeded with. In
connection with this, the earliest record found in the Parish Books is
an entry in the handwriting of the Rev. S. S. Strong, ol Bytown, to the
effect that "on August i6th, 1846, the Church of the Holy Trinity was
opened for Divine Service
: by him, and on the following Sunday the Rev. Francis Tremayne commenced
his " labors as first missionary appointed by the Lord Bishop of Toronto."
Erected in the plain, uninteresting style which then prevailed from stone
quar ried at the Ottawa river, this church became the centre of worship
for all the members of the Church of England residing in East and West
Hawkesbury, and, indeed, all
the surrounding townships of the County. Scarcely a decade had passed,
however,
when the wave of enthusiasm for church-building and restoration which
overspread the Anglican Communion, and has made the past century the
most memorable of the
Christian era, was felt at Hawkesbury, and architect s plans having
been procured from Messrs. Fuller and Jones, a series of changes and
improvements were com menced which, at length, culminated in the present
beautiful edifice.
The material of which it is built is blue and grey limestone, and it
consists of a nave, chancel, veslry, tower and spire, to which is now
being added, as a memorial of its semi-centennial and to complete the
design, a fine organ-chamber.
544 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Standing within the Church, beautiful stained windows are to be seen
on all sides, those in the chancel, tower and north and south of the
east end of the nave, commemorating George Hamilton, Esq., his son and
Mrs. John Hamilton respec tively. Here also it may be mentioned that
another is being executed by Messrs.
Spence & Sons of Montreal, under the instructions ol the
Messrs. Higginson, in memory of their father, mother and sister ;
while still another is to be placed in the organ-chamber in memory of
Mrs. Henry Stephens by the surviving members of her family.
The style of architecture maintained throughout the restored building is
early English or pointed, the windows bting all lancet-shaped. In the
chancel window three of these are grouped together in memory of George
Hamilton, Esq., who died 7th January. 1839, a "d ar e all the gift of his
sons, Robert, George and John. An early account states that this window
was copied from Salisbury Cathedral, and in it are represented scenes
from the earthly life of our Lord, beginning with His Birth and ending
with His Ascension. At the south-east end of the nave is another single
lancet, the subject of which is the " Raising of Lazarus." In the upper
part an angel is seen holding a scroll, on which are ihe words, "Come,
Lord Jesus," while under neath the centre medallion is introduced, " I
know that He will rise again." Exactly opposite this, on the north side
of the nave, another memorial window represents the " Raising of Jairus
daughter," over which is stained a dove, and underneath a white lily,
with the inscription, " Weep not ; she is not dead, but sleepeth." In
the west window, which is dual light, the life-giving miracles of our
Lord are completed by the representation of the " Resurrection " in one
lancet, and the " Raising of the Widow s Son " in the other. Between the
two, in a quatre-foil at the top, the eye rests on the sacred Emblem
of the Blessed Trinity; at the bottom, those of the Four Evangelists.
This truly beautiful window, as the inscription shows, was erected in
memory of a brother and sister, by members of the Hamilton family. All
these memorial windows are, therefore, the gifts of the Hami ton family
; all were designed in London, and executed by Messrs. Spence & Sons,
of Montreal, as well as the other stained glass windows wlr ch form
so beautiful a feature of this interesting church. Rich and varied in
pattern, all will compare very favorably with the windows to be generally
seen in churches of the Mother Land.
From the windows, the eye involuntarily turns to the lofty roof, spanned
by equil ateral arches champered and terminating in finely-cut stone
corbels. Its bays are filled with stained pme, diagonally arranged in
a very striking manner. We notice also that the chancel, nave and porch
are all roofed to correspond, though not all diagonally. In the centre
of the nave, opposite the entrance, stands a Caen stone font, massive,
and resting on an oak pedestal. Round the top of this there runs the
inscription, " Suffer little children to come unto me." A reference to
the parochial records shows it to have been imported from England in
the year 1857, at the expense of the Hon. John Hamilton.
The interior of the tower is at present occupied by one of Warren s
earliest and best organs, built by him in Montreal, and presented to
the church by the Hamilton family at a cost of $1,100. When the memorial
chamber is completed this will be
transferred irom its present position to the north side of the chancel
near the choir.
In the chancel we are shown a beautiful carved Bishop s chair, and
corresponding with it, just outside, an oak lectern, prayer desks
and clergy seats, all of which attract the attention of the visitor,
and show that liberal hands and hearts have made it their object to
render the House of God beautiful and helpful to devotion. Not the least
prominent of the internal arrangements which deserve t:> be mentioned,
is the brass altar-rail of high artistic merit and chaste design, and,
like so many other things, a gift
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 545
Perhaps there is no finer or heavier bell in the Ottawa Valley than
sounds from
the belfry of Trinity Church at the hours of service. It was cast by
Mears & Stain- banks of London. Its clear-ringing tenor voice is capable
of being heard 6 or 7
miles away if it were only in a loftier tower, with belfry raised above
the roof of the nave, and not so much inclosed as it is at present.
Connected with the other appointments of the church there is sometimes
shown to visitors a highly-artistic set of altar vessels and alms dishes
done in solid silver, and bearing the following inscription :
" In usum perpetuum S. S. TRINITATIS,
Ecdesias apud,
Hawkesburiensis, in Canada Ulteriori,
JOHANNE STRACHAN, S.T.P., LL.D.,
Episcopo Torontonensi,
JOHANNE GlLBERTO ARMSTRONG, A. B.
Ecclesise Rectore. JOHAXNE HAMILTON, ) ,. .
JOH. GUL. HlGGINSON, } A
Members of the congregation and employees of the firm of Hamilton Bros.,
all joined in making this a memorial to George Hamilton, Esq., who died
3ist May, 1859.
Standing outside the sacred edifice, the visitor is at once struck by
the fact that the intention has been to reproduce, as nearly as may be,
one of the pretty village churches so ofien to be seen in the English
County of Northampton. Grace and strength have been blended in happy
proportion, and, though the experienced eye
may here and there detect incongruities and defects, they are so trivial,
and capable of being remedied at small cost, that we involuntarily
say to ourselves, "here is an edifice capable of resisting the wear
and tear of time for many a generation, and an ornament that should be
preserved as representing in stone the piety and zeal of half a century,
till it has become one of the most interesting historic landmarks of the
Ottawa Valley. Tower and church alike are supported by deep, massive
buttresses finished with finely-cut grey limestone, a deep plinth of which
also runs entirely round the structure at it:; base and surrounds every
window, the arches being surmounted with costly hooded mouldings. The
west end is terminated in a massive tower ornamented at the top with
a tooth-moulding done in wood, from which rises to a further height of
some 30 feet, a Northampton spire, the whole being about 60 feet from
the base to the finial.
The important changes which have thus been traced were executed by
Mr. John W. Higginson, builder, from architectural plans furnished him by
Fuller & Jones, and also by Mr. Steele, of Montreal. As it stands to-day,
the beautiful little church has cost about $9,000, towards which not less
than $6,000 were contributed by mem bers of the Hamilton family. Nor did
their Christian liberality end there. From the very first the privilege
of having a clergyman of the Church of England in residence here has been
largely due to their Christian liberality. In 1846 the two brothers,
Robert and John, gave the first parsonage owned by the parish, a stone
house now in the possession of the Roman Catholic Church, and used as
a Presbytery. Through out the whole of its history, they contributed
one-half or more of the stipend, and since the dissolution of partnership
in their long-established business took place, this has assumed the form
of a permanent endowment of $5,600.
546 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Side by side with the church stands the fine stone rectory, built,
when it was decided to dispose of the original parsonage which had
been their gift, because of the convenience of having both together,
at a total cost of some $5,000, and in a style to correspond with the
church itself. This was completed in the year 1873, the builder being
Mr. John W. Higginson, who also furnished the design. It was paid for
with the proceeds of the sale of the abandoned parsonage together with
contributions from the parish, including $r,ooo from the Hamilton family.
Originally, the parish of Hawkesbury, as has already been stated, included
the County of Prescott, but in the year 1869 a division was effected,
and the two new parishes of Vankjeek Hill and Plantagenet were set off
from it, the former embracing the rear of the townships of East and West
Hawkesbury and Caledonia ; the latter, Alfred, North and South Plantagenet
and the west of Caledonia. At the time of the division Vankleek Hill had
one church, to which has since been added another at East Hawkesbury,
while to the one church which then existed at Alfred in the new mission
of Plantagenet, there have been added two others, one at Fenaghvale, now
the head quarters of the Mission, and one at Plantagenet. Both parishes
have also been furnish ed with fine, commodious parsonages.
In the year 1891, the withdrawal of the privilege of holding religious
services at the Court House at L Orignal forced upon the rector the
necessity of building a church to accommodate the members of the Church of
England at that end of the parish. It was completed at a cost of $1,300,
and used for Divine service for the first time on Christmas Day of that
year, which circumstance led to its being happily styled the Church of
the Nativity. A formal opening took place on the following festival of
the Epiphany, the venerable Archdeacon of Ottawa, then acting Bishop s
Commissary, officiating, when it was declared to be free of debt. It
has since been provided with all necessary furniture, and draws its
worshippers from twenty-four families now claiming its ministrations,
instead of the eleven with which it began. Its seating capacity is
about 100.
It will be seen from the various records connected with the parish
of Hawkesbury, that some of those now occupying the most exalted
positions in the Anglican Church in Canada have been identified with
it officially or by birth and residence during the first fifty years
of its existence. After the removal of the Rev. F. Tremayne in 1849 he
was succeeded by the Rev. J. T. Lewis, M.A., who, in the year 1854, was
appoint ed rector of St. Peter s, Brockville, then removed to Kingston,
and afterwards was elected in 1862 first Bishop of Ontario, which had
been set off from the great diocese of Toronto. At the time of writing he
is the ecclesiastical head of the Anglican com munion in this Province,
having been elected Metropolitan of Canada in the year 1893, at the first
meeting of the General Synod of the English Church in Canada, held at
Toronto. From 1854 to 1857 tne P ar sn was ul charge of the Rev. R. L.
Stephenson, who resigned it to become rector of Perth. He in turn was
succeeded at Hawkes bury by the Rev. J. G. Armstrong till 1869, when he
was preferred to the rectory of Prescott.
Before the appointment of his successor (the Rev. C. Daniell, till then
curate of St. John s, Montreal), as has already been stated in this
sketch, the parish of Hawkes bury was divided by the Venerable Archdeacon
Patton, and the parish of Vankleek
Hill entered upon a separate existence. With the year 1872 began the
incumbency of the Rev. E. P. Crawford, who three years later received
the appointment to the Church of the Holy Trinity, Brockville, then to
the Church of the Ascension, Hamil ton, and is now Rector of St. Luke s,
Halifax. With him were associated at Hawkes bury, the Rev. Arthur Jarvis,
now of Napanee, whose curacy included the new mission of Plantagenet, and
on the ist of May, 1873, they were joined by the present rector, who had
just been ordained to the curacy of Vankleek Hill, but for some time con-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 547
tinued to live at Hawkesbury. In the year 1875, on the resignation
of the Rev. E. P. Crawford, as Incumbent, the Rev. Arthur Phillips,
receiving the appointment, returned from Vankleek Hill, to which he had
removed on being admitted to priest s otders, and took up his residence
here. While in charge of Hawkesbury, many tempting offers have been made
to him, without, however, inducing him to sever his long-
established connection with it. On March i8th, when Bishop Hamilton
was elected
to the newly-created See of Ottawa, the Rev. Arthur Phillips received
the next highest vote. Bishop Hamilton, who had formerly filled the
offices of Clerical Secretary and Prolocutor of the Provincial Synod,
and in 1885 was elected first Bishop of Niagara, was born at Hawkesbury
62 years before his enthusiastic reception as first Bishop of Ottawa,
on the 30th of April, and installation on the day following. He is
the first Canadian Bishop to be translated from one See to another,
and was so chosen because of his pre-eminence among the Bishops in all
the qualifications which are deemed necessary to make an ideal Prelate,
and to fit him for the high honor of being the representative of His
Communion at the Capital of the Dominion.
Connected with the offices of Church-Warden, Lay-Delegate and other
functions, are to be seen in the Records of the Parish the names of some
of the best known
and most prominent residents in the community. Among the earliest are
found those of Messrs. William Kirby, Thomas Higginson, Christopher
Spratt, John VV. Higginson and J. G. Higginson. For nearly forty years
that of the late Honorable John Hamilton appears as Lay-Delegate or
Church-Warden, or both combined, and with him associated for nearly
an equal period, that of Mr. W. E. N. Byers. In the same office the
Honorable John Hamilton was, at his death, succeeded by Mr. Stuart Brock,
who also for nearly thirty years has been a prominent member of Trinity
Church, performing the duties of Secretary to the Vestry, Treasurer and
Church-Warden, and being foremost in every undertaking for the welfare and
development of the Parish. As People s Church-Warden he is one of the
Trustees of the Endowment Fund of the Parish. Indeed, it may be truly
said, that those who have been most con spicuous in the development
of the Municipality may be seen, from the Records of Trinity Church,
to have been so in everything that has concerned its past history, and,
as they have left their impress on all that has been accomplished in
laying the foundations of the town of Hawkesbury, so must their names
go down to posterity
honored and preserved as the pioneers and founders of church life and
work, and
be remembered by those noble tokens they have left behind them of what
wealth and zeal can do when sanctified by the grace of God. Many a
difficulty arose, as the Records attest, to discourage their efforts and
threaten them with disappoint ment and failure, but abundant proofs are
also everywhere visible of the sustaining power of Him who never more
clearly verified His promise, " Lo I am with you always even unto the
end of the age."
MANUFACTURES.
Besides the Mills of the Hawkesbury Lumber Company, and Mr. Higginson
s Mill and Factory, which have been mentioned, there is a Kindling Wood
Factory, Sash, Door, Blind and Lumber Factory of White & Beggs, McMahon
s Tin shop, the Roller Flour Mills of the Hawkesbury Milling Company,
the Morrison Woollen Factory, and the Steam Lumber Mill of the Cameron
Brothers.
The Kindling Wood Factory was started in 1893, by R. C. BATCHELDER &
Co., of Albany, New York. They purchase about 10,000 cords of wood,
annually, and employ forty hands.
548 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The Factory of White & Beggs was first opened in 1889, by THOMAS WHITE,
father of one of the present proprietors. His father s name was also
Thomas, and he came to Hawkesbury from England early in the thirties,
and for more than a quarter of a century subsequently was employed in
teaching, chiefly in Hawkes bury and Grenville. He is said to have been
a good teacher, a strict disciplinarian and a fine penman. He purchased
a farm some years after his arrival, on which he lived till his death,
1879. He also served for several years as Clerk of the Divi sion Court. He
left eight children four of each sex. Thomas, one of the sons, having
followed the carpenter and wheelwright trades about twenty years, in 1889
erected on the homestead where he lived, the Factory mentioned above. He
was married 2jrd September, 1874, to Nancy D. Graham, and died 22nd
March, 1891. lis son, William H. White, has since managed the business,
and recently admitted Mr. Beggs as partner. The firm constantly employ
experienced and skillful workmen. The tin shop and hardware store of
S. McMahon is on Main Street.
SOLOMON J. MCMAHON was born in St. Andrews, Que. Having learned the
trade of tinsmith, he came to Hawkesbury in 1860, opened a shop and plied
his :rade till his death, 24th November, 1894. He left one son and two
daughters; the son, Sinclair, succeeded his father in the business, and
besides manufacturing all kinds of tinware, roofing buildings, laying
pipes, etc., he keeps a variety of stoves and general hardware. His
devotion to business, and promptness and skill in execut ing orders,
have won the confidence and approval of the public.
THE HAWKESBURY MILLING Co. was organized in 1889, and is composed of
the following members, viz.: John Cameron, manager; Donald Cameron,
Peter Cameron, William Wyman, Malcolm McCuaig and Colin G. O Brian.
Their mill is the large stone one built by Thomas Mears, but which has
been enlarged and remodeled, and now contains the latest improvements
in machinery. It has eight pairs of rollers, and turns out 75 bbls. of
flour, daily.
This mill is in charge of J. P. SHAKPE, whose father, George Sharpe,
came to Montreal from Scotland about 1863, and settled in Hawkesbury in
1870, The latter was married 51)1 September, 1865, to Elizabeth McDonald
from Perthshire, Scotland, tie followed his trade of blacksmith, here,
till his death, ijth May, 1878; he left five sons and three daughters
J. P., the third son, learned the trade of miller from T. H. Wyman, the
former owner of the Hawkesbury Mill, and he has now been employed here
several years. He was married in November, 1894, to Miss J. A. Abernethy
from Scotland.
The Woollen Mill of J. B. MORRISON was started many years ago by his
father, as stated in the history of Brownsburg, Argenteuil County,
Que. The build ing had previously been used as an axe factory. The work
done here consists of cloth manufacturing and custom carding.
The steam saw mill of trie Cameron Brothers was erected in 1894 ; and
during the present year, 1895, it will cut into lumber 18,000 logs.
JOHN CAMERON with his family came from Lochaber, Scotland, to Canada,
in 1815. After living a short time at Cote du Midi and Cote St. Charles,
he settled in Hawkesbury on a lot of 200 acres, which is now owned by
Mr. Anderson, on which he lived till his death about 1840. He had three
sons and eight daughters.
Dugald, the eldest son, lived on one-half the homestead, the greater
part of his
but died at Vankleek Hill in 1894. He married Catherine McLaurin, who is
still living ; they had seven children, of whom three sons and two
daughters are still
ahve. John, the eldest, spent a few years of his majority on the
homestead, and
then bought a farm of 300 acres in Breadalbane, Glengarry County, which he
ented, and came to Hawkesbury in 1889. He and his brother Donald bought
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
549
1,224 acres of land in West Hawkesbury-6oo of which, well timbered, is
in prox imity to their steam saw mill. The farm also sustains a large
herd of cattle and twenty-five horses.
A bakery was opened here in 1888 by WRAY WILSON. He came to Canada
in 1881, from Lincolnshire, England, where he had learned the baker s
trade He spent a summer in Outremont, then came to Point Fortune, where
he spent five years in farming and one year in his present business. He
came to Hawkesburv i 1888, where he has a good dwelling and fine bakery
on Main Street He has good trade, and supplies a large portion of the
village and surrounding country with
UICclQ *
F. H. AUBREY is a carriage-maker of this place. He was born in St
Eustache in 1837, foon after which his father, of the same name, was
taken prisoner for the part he had taken in the Rebellion, and was not
released till he had spent nine
months with others in the Montreal Jail. Some years after the Rebellion,
the father settled in Hawkesbury, whence he removed to Montebello,
across the Ottawa where
he died about 1881. The son, F. H., learned his trade of carriage-making
m his youth, and followed it several years in Montebello; from which place
he lind r eldest son came in 1889, and started business in Hawkesbury.
MERCANTILE.
The number of fine stores on Main Street, with the large stocks of
goods con tamed therein, is ample proof that they secure the custom of
a large section of coun try. Among these establishments are those of
J. G. Higginson, in which the Post
ffice is kept ; Thomas Ross & Sons, Le Brocq & Le Fcavre, M. J. Costello
Tohr -ecours, Jr., J. A. D. Laundriault, Dennis Doyle, and the Drug
Store in charee of Mr. Montgomery.
The first two merchants mentioned above are noticed elsewhere in
connection with their respective families, which are among the oldest
and most prominent in the County. Both merchants carry a large stock of
goods, and from their long acquaint ance with the public of this locality,
enjoy no small share of their custom.
LE BROCQ and LE FEAVRE aie two young gentlemen, natives of the Island
of Jersey. Albert William Le Brocq has spent ten years in Canada, six
of which he was engaged in mercantile business, in the County of Gaspe ;
two in Saguenav in
mercantile and lumber business; and two in partnership with Mr. John P.
LeFeavre The latter was also engaged in mercantile business three years,
in his native Island and then came tc Montreal, where he was four yeais
in the employ of Messrs Hodgson, Sumner & Co., after which he came
to Hawkesbury.
I hese gentlemen succeeded Mr. Harbec, whose business they purchased, and
while they do a good business as general merchants, they made a specialty
of mil linery, and always keep a first class milliner in their employ.
M. J. COSTELLO, who is telegraph operator and clerk of the municipality
has - commodious and pleasant store, and has established a good trade. His
father Martin Costello, came from the County of Galway, Ireland, some time
in the forties and was married at L Orignal to Ann Jane Fulton. He died
in June, 1893 aged 71 leaving four sons and two daughters. The eldest
son, M. J., left home in May 1869, to enter the employ of the Hamilton
Brothers of Hawkesbury, as clerk and legraph operator, and resigned this
position to enter into partnership with W E
layes m the mercantile line, of which business, a few years subsequently,
he became sole proprietor.
55 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
JOHN LECOURS, JUN., opened a store herein 1876, and through tact and
industry has secured a good trade in a general assortment of dry goods
and groceries. His father John Lecours was born in Pt. Fortune, whence
he removed to another locality of Hawkesbury, where he still lives. He
married Olive, sister of Felix Hamelin of Lachute. John Lecours, jun.,
their son, born in this township in 1849, Was m ar- ried 2yth April,
1874, to Exilda Brasseau. In his younger days he was for some years
in the employ of the Hamilton Brothers, but left that to engage in his
present business, in which he has been quite successful, being now the
proprietor of a good brick store and dwelling.
J. A. D. LAUNDRIAULT has but recently joined the mercantile ranks, yet
his energy and courtesy seem likely to supply any disadvantage arising
from inex perience. His grandfather, Antoine Laundriault came to this
country from France
in 1813, joined the Vpltigeurs, and soon became sergeant. He subsequently
settled at L Orignal, where his son Theophile was born, and who, having
arrived at manhood, and married, settled in Alfred,~where he lived
for thirty-five years. His son, Joseph Albert Dolpheus, entered Rigaud
College in 1883, taking the ClassicaCand afterward the Commercial Course,
but before completing it the death of his father in 1886
necessitated his return home. He was employed on the homestead till 1893,
when he engaged in trade in this village, and was married i8th January,
1894, to Mary Lecours.
The well supplied branch Drug Store of Hugh Duncan of Vankleek Hill is
in charge of \V. R. MONTGOMERY. This gentleman was born at Lakefield,
Peterboro
County, Ont., and after a college course at Toronto was employed three
years in a dispensary at Belleville, and then in 1894 engaged in the
drug business at Hawkesbury.
DENNIS DOYLE is one of the old well-known merchants of the place;
he was born in Hawkesbury in 1842, and has been engaged successfully
in mercantile busi ness here thirty-four years, longer than any other
merchant in the village, with the exception of J. G. Higginson. R.obert
E. Hull has also been in trade here several years.
Three or four merchant tailors are doing a thriving business in this
village. WILLIAM PARKS has been engaged here at the tailors trade since
1847. Jn 1839 he
came from Kilwaughter, North of Ireland, to Vankleek Hill, where his
father, also a tailor, had settled a few years previous. William, the
son, learned his trade and finished his apprenticeship at St. Andrews,
Que., and after plying his trade five years in Montreal he settled in
Hawkesbury. He was married here pth September, 1848, to Susannah Evans
from Worcester, England. She was a Christian woman, and one to whom
many became attached on account of her kind and charitable acts, and
her death, 25th September, 1894, was deeply deplored by a large circle
of friends. Mr.
and Mrs. Parks had seven children, of whom four two of each sex are
now living.
William Leslie, the eldest son, has long been employed in the store of
J. G. Higgin son, where he also is Assistant Postmaster.
F. E. CHARRON was bom in St. Denis, on the Richelieu, in 1867, which
place has long been the home of his ancestors. He attended the Commercial
School of his native village, and remained on the homestead till he was
18, when he began to learn the tailors trade. He followed this six years
in Montreal and one at Vankleek Kill, when he went to New York and took a
course of instruction in cutting. Soon afterward, he opened a tailoring
establishment in Glengarry County, which he still carries on. He opened
one in Hawkesbury in March, 1895, in which he employs eight hands. He
has recently taken a partner A. Matte in his business at Alexandria,
where they employ nine hands.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
551
The only tonsorial artist in the village is ESDRAS PROULX. He was born
in Ottawa, began his apprenticeship with a barber at the age of 14,
and established his business in Hawkesbury in 1884, where he has since
remained. He has pleasant, well equipped rooms on Main Street, and enjoys
the patronage of a large circle of customers.
EVANDALE.
Near the lower part of the village, on a beautiful island in the Ottawa,
where art has emulaated nature in the production of those fairy scenes
which please, interest and enchant, is the home of H. J. CLORAN, formerly
that of the Hon. John Hamilton, which is called Evandale. The brick
building, stately in its proportions and grand in its architectural
design, can be seen only by a near approach, on account of the forest of
trees and shrubbery surrounding it. Space precludes a minute description
of the building and grounds it will suffice to say that they are the
realization of a rich, cultured, Old Country gentleman s dream of a
delightful, rural homestead.
It was purchased by its present proprietor, HENRY JOSEPH CLORAN, a few
years ago.
This gentleman, who is of Irish parentage, was born in Montreal in
1855, and was educated at Montreal College, in which he afterward held
a professorship ; he also spent three years in the celebrated College of
St. Sulpice in Paris, and travelled exten sively in Europe. After taking
a course of law at Laval and McGill Universities, at the latter of which
he graduated, with the degree of B.C.L., in 1882, he was editor of the
Montreal Post and True Witness till 1887. He then passed his examination
at the
Bar, and before three years was appointed Crown Prosecutor and Attorney
for the
city and district of Montreal an important appointment, which is seldom
bestowed on one who has not had long experience, and won distinction at
the Bar.
In 1887 he was the Liberal candidate for Montreal Centre, and in 1891
was sent by the Hon. Wilfrid Laurier to contest the County of Prescott,
but owing to the numerous candidates in the field, he withdrew at a late
moment. Mr. Laurier wrote as follows :
" I am anxious that our friend Cloran should receive the nomination for
Pres cott. We have no other Irish Catholic on our side who is able to
take an eminent position in the House. Do what you can in this direction."
Mr. Cloran has been president of the following societies, viz. : Press
Association of the Province of Quebec, Shamrock Lacrosse Club, Montreal
Branch of the Irish
National League, St. Patrick s Society, and the Catholic Young Men
s Society. He was one of the founders of the Trades and Labor Council,
a director of the Montreal Diocesan Colonization Society, a delegate to
the Irish National Convention at Chicago, in 1886, where he distinguished
himself by two eloquent speeches, and he was chairman of the organization
that received Parnell, Davitt and all the Irish leaders that visited
Canada from 1880 to 1890.
He was married in 1882 to Agnes, third daughter of Michael Donovan,
a lead ing Irish citizen of Montreal, and for years President of the
St. Patrick s Society, and of the Irish National League. Mr. Cloran
has recently become the candidate for Parliamentary honors in the
interests of the Patrons of Industry of Prescott County, and his views
and principles have already been delineated in able addresses delivered
with his characteristic eloquence.
55 2 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Among the fine farms on McGill Street is that of JOHN JOHNSTONE, who came
from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, to Canada, in 1842. He engaged in farming
near Montreal till 1858, when he came to Hawkesbury and purchased the
farm of 150 acres in the ist Range, on which he still lives, and which he
has spared no pains to make smoother and productive. He was married yth
July, 1858, to Jane Bremner, of Montreal. He has been one of the useful
public servants, having been a member of the School Board, a Municipal
Councillor, and Reeve. He has six children three sons
and three daughters now living.
Contiguous to this farm is the fine old homestead comprising 300 acres
of the
late Dr. David Paitee now owned and occupied by the widow of his son,
R. P. PATTEE. As stated in the history of Cassburn, Dr. Moses Pattee
settled at that place; his cousin, David, settled in Hawkesbury; he also
was called Doctor, though he never practised in this country. He settled
on this land about 1796, and besides showing his ability as a pioneer,
by clearing it of its primeval forest, he gave to his fellow-citizens
the impression that he was competent to represent their interests in
Parliament, and was elected in 1825. Beingan American he received the
votes of all, or nearly all, his fellow-countrymen, who at that time were
largely in the majo rity ; but, owing to the duplicity of the returning
officer, as recorded elsewhere, he did
not obtain his seat, till after considerable trouble and litigation. He
left three sons
John, David and Richard Philo ; the former settled at Cassburn ; David,
who became a prominent man in the county, died at his home in L Orignal ;
and Richard Philo remained on the homestead, where he died a few years
since his loss being much lamented, as he was a man highly esteemed. He
was married loth January, 1849, to Maria, a daughter of Peter Vankleek,
who still lives in their attractive brick residence, which, with the
farm on which it is located, contributes to the fair repu tation for
prosperity of Hawkesbury farmers.
The mother of Mr.-. Pattee, who is a daughter of Joseph P. Cass,
lives with her. She is past ninety years of age, and still retains,
to a remarkable degree, the intelli gence and vigor which have been her
characteristics through 1 ife.
Mr. and Mrs. Pattee had two sons and five daughters, but the only son
now living is Dr. Pattee, of Vankleek Hill. He studied medicine at
McGill University, from which institution he graduated in 1874, and was
married the same year, i5th September, to Sarah Amelia, only daughter
of Chauncey Johnson, of L Orignal. He first located in Plantagenet,
and remained there till 1891, when he removed to Vankleek Hill, where
he has an extensive and successful practice.
On a neighboring farm lives THOMAS TWEED HIGGINSON, third son of
William Higginson noticed on a preceding page. In his younger days,
he was a builder and contractor, but for twenty-five years has been
engaged in farming, to which he is an enthusiastic devotee. His farm of
175 acres gives many evidences of the energy and money expended on it,
and a fine grove or two, which he has caiefully preserved and fostered
for the comfort of his animals, are objects of much interest to him the
growth of many of the trees of which, he has watched and recorded for
years. But his new barn, which is built on a plan unique in this section,
is his chief object of interest, and one which affords a topic for much
discussion and speculation in the locality.
It is circular in form, 80 feet in diameter, and from the ground to the
top of its cupola it is 60 feet, and to the eaves 30. A circular silo,
20 feet in diameter and 45 feet in height, rises from the ground in the
centre, and around this, in the base ment, is space for a large stock
of cattle, with manger in front and driveway in rear.
Mr. Higginson keeps pace with every advance in agricultural science,
possesses all the latest improved farming implements, and spares no
pains in securing the best stock. He is a great reader, consequently,
besides agriculture, the subjects are not
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
few with which he is thoroughly conversant. He was active in the formation
of the i8th Battalion, and held the Captaincy of Company No. i, till
the company was dis banded; he received a first class certificate from
the Montreal Military School in 1867. He has long been a member of the
School Board, and is Assessor for the town corporation of Hawkesbury,
which position he has held since 1868. He has been twice married first
to Mary Allison, and after her death he was married, 2 9 th
December, 1869, to Maria, daughter of George Ov/ens, of Stonefield. His
eldest daughter, Maria, is a teacher in the High School of Hawkesbury,
and his second son is a pupil at the Model Farm at Ottawa.
GREEN LANE.
The above is the name of a road branching off from the one leading from
Hawkesbury Mills to Vankleek Hill, and it forms the western boundary of
the corporation. Though long known as Green Lane, recently, on account
of the num ber of Erasers who live on it, an effort has been made to
change the name to Eraser Street. The former name seems peculiarly
appropriate from the number of trees and quantity of shrubbery which
border the roadside on either hand, although no
one, knowing the families whose name it is proposed to give to the street,
will object to showing to them this simple tribute of respect.
Fine farms stretch back from this road on either side, the buildings
are all good, some of the dwellings imposing in size and architecture,
and altogether there is such an air of neatness and comfort about all
the homesteads here, that the stranger, while tempted to tarry as long
as possible, finds no little difficulty in deciding in which would most
like to remain.
Starting from the point where this lane branches off from the road
leading to Vankleek Hill, the first resident in the corporation is
Alexander, eldest son of ALEXANDER HUNTER. He has a farm of 120 acres,
Lot 8, Range 2, on which he has lived ten years. In his younger days he
travelled quite extensively in the Western States, and spent a year in
Wisconsin, with the view of finding a locality in which he would like
to locate, but found none he preferred to his native county, hence he
returned. He was married in July, 1890, to Emma Barton; he is a member
of the Hawkesbury Municipal Council.
On the opposite side of Green Lane, and neighbor to Mr. Hunter, lives,
in a good stone dwelling, JOHN ERASER, on the fine homestead where his
grandfather settled when he first came to Hawkesbury.
His name was John Eraser, and he came from Glenelg, Invernesshire,
Scotland, to Canada in 1815, remained a few months at Sorel, and in 1816
came to Hawkes bury, and settled, as stated above, on Lot 8, Range 3,
at that time forest land; and the only neighbors he had were Elijah Allen
and Sylvester Cobb, the latter living on the land now owned by Mr. John
Warren. Mr. Eraser spent his days here, dying in
December, 1862; he left six sons and three daughters. His second son,
Andrew, married a daughter of John Eraser, the well known writer of
Lachine, and spent his days on the homestead. His son, John Eraser,
the present proprietor of the home
stead, was married roth December, 1879, to Mary S. Campbell. He has
long served
as School Trustee and Municipal Councillor of West Hawkesbury.
ALEXANDER RODERICK was the eldest son of John Eraser, the pioneer,
mentioned above. He married Janet, sister of Farquhar Robertson, and
they had three sons and four daughters. Mr. Eraser died igth January,
1884; Mrs. Eraser, i2th May, the same year. Of their children, one son,
Alex. R., and two daughters, Mrs. William Robertson and Mrs. John Byers,
are the only ones now living.
36
554 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Alexander R. Eraser lives on a farm of 150 acres in the corporation,
and besides receiving the usual income from a good farm of this size,
he has engaged exten sively in fruit culture, and has one of the finest
orchards in Eastern Ontario, com prising about 1 200 trees, and he
intends planting several hundred more. His attrac tive fruit house is
30 ft. x 40 ft. in size, three stories, and finished with the wood in
its natural tint. Mr. Fraser is a member of the High School Board, has
been several years a member of the Municipal Council, and for fifteen
years on the Board of the Public School.
ALEXANDER W. FRASER, an uncle of A. R., the last one noticed, is the
fourth son of John Fraser, the pioneer, and lives in the corporation
contiguous to his
nephew, on a farm of 160 acres. His elder brothers had all received
good farms from fraternal kindness, and the only land remaining for
him was that on which he now lives, which was then entirely wooded,
low and wet. He gratefully accepted the legacy, however, and through
many years of hard labor in clearing and draining, he has made a good,
productive farm. He was married 3rd March, 1863, to Cathe rine Marion ;
they have two sons and three daughters now living one of the former,
Simon L. Fraser, is attending a Presbyterian College ; the other son,
David, lives on the homestead. Mr. Fraser, a typical Scotchman, with
a large heart, and the oldest man of this section, was the first child
born on Green Lane.
RICHARD D. BYERS, third son of Wm. Byers, noticed on a former page,
is another resident on this road who lives in the corporation. He was
married igth September, 1883, to Ellen Smith, and settled here on Lot 4,
Range 2, in 1890. He has nearly 100 acres, possesses a silo, and keeps 25
head of cattle and three horses. J- A. Byers, a brother of Richard D.,
is also one of the intelligent farmers on Green
Lane.
A fine homestead on this Lane within the corporation is that of
MRS. ROBERT SON, widow of WILLIAM ROBERTSON. Farquhar Robertson,
from Scotland, located on this, and here spent the rest of his life,
becoming a prominent man in the town ship. At first he was an active and
influential Liberal in politics, but from some cause he changed his views
and became equally active as a Conservative. He was a Jus tice of the
Peace and Reeve of the Village ; he died about 1875 J his children were
five sons and four daughters. William, one of the former, who remained
on the homestead, married Marion, a daughter of the late Alex. Roderick
Fraser. Like his father, Mr. Robertson became an influential man in
this locality and was highly esteemed. Few men ever took more pains to
accommodate others, or were more kind and hospitable to strangers. He
was Councillor and a member of the High School Board many years. His
sudden death, 2 2nd September, 1894, was a severe blow to his family
and deeply deplored by the entire community. The farm of Mrs. Robertson,
now managed by her eldest son, comprises nearly 200 acres in a good state
of cultivation, with an attractive brick residence and fine outbuildings.
West Hawkesbury.
Previous to 1844, the two townships now known as East and West Hawkesbury
formed but one Municipality, distinguished as Hawkesbury. West Hawkesbury
is bounded on the north by the Ottawa, east by East Hawkesbury, south
by Lochiel, and west by Longueuil and Caledonia.
The land generally is comparatively level, and though there are a
few hills, they are not of a character to impede cultivation, and
altogether the township is a fine one, giving evidence in every part of
an industrious and thrifty population. It is said that the soil here is
lighter than it is in East Hawkesbury ; in the latter town-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 555
ship they raise better crops, especially of hay, but in \vet seasons
this rule is reversed the crops of the Western township then being
more abundant.
It is very doubtful indeed, if another section equal in area to these
two townships can be found in Ontario which will surpass it in facilities
for what is termed mixtd farming.
That the municipal affairs of the township at the period of 1808 and 1809
were neither intricate nor extensive, we conclude from the following,
which is a verbatim et literatim copy of the business of the municipality
for the two years mentioned, as recorded by the Town Clerk. The reader
will be reminded by the spelling, that the advantages for education were
not what they are to-day :
" Town Meeting legally warned, and held at the House of John Wade, in
Hawkesbury, on the ;th December, 1808 the following Township men were
appoint ed : Path Masters Mr. Barnham, Alexander Cammering, Samuel Cobb,
James Connor, and Omry Eddy.
" Assesessors. Simeon Van Cleek Collector William Sherman Wardeans ;
Robert Morris, James Waddle.
" Pound Keepers. William Hately and Lamberton Allen, Attest, Sylvester
Cobb T. Clerk."
" Town Meeting legally warned and held at the house of John Wade in
the Town ship of Hawkesbury on the first monday in March, cD. 1809;
the following officers were Chosen (vu) : Sylvester Cobb, Township Clerk
Collector John Wade path- masters David Pattee, E. Bangs, Stephan Story,
Joseph Griffin.
" Pound Keepers. James Waddle Lamberton Allen Wardeans James Barron
Simeon Vn. Cleek Horned Cattle free commoners Lawfull fence 4? feet fence,
Deamed Lawfull Attest Sylvester Cobb, Township Clerk."
One of the most attractive residences and farms in \Vest Hawkesbury is
that of GEORGE MODE. His father, who bore the same name, was born in
Aberdeen, Scotland, about 1788. When eleven years old, he left home,
spent a year or two on the ocean, visited different European ports, and
was in one or two engagements, and about 1802, reached Quebec, from which
he came to Ontario, and two years later, engaged to the Hamilton Brothers
of Hawkesbury Mills, with whom he remained as foreman for 29 years. He was
married in 1821, to Johannah Waddell, sister of the late John Wad- dell
of Hawkesbury. He was the first foreman under whose charge logs were first
brought down the Rouge to the Hawkesbury Mills. An attempt to do this
was mads the year previous, in which Jamieson, the mill foreman, and
his whole gang
were drowned. While employed at the mills, it was his duty in winter,
to prospect for timber, and, in summer, to act as pilot for the
Company. During the time he was thus engaged, he purchased the homestead
in West Hawkesbury, on which his son George now lives, and of which he
soon cleared a small space. He then erected a
house, the boards for which were drawn by oxen on the crotch of a tree
from Hawkesbury Mills, at an expense for cartage alone of $6.00 per
thousand, and the nails for which cost 25c. per pound. He continued
to clear up and improve his farm, and erected on the rear part of it
a saw-mill on a small creek, where he sawed lumber for many years. He
died in 1872 ; he had nine children three sons and six daughters. James,
the eldest son, died in 1890 at the age of 63. George, the second son,
who resides with his family on the homestead, is one of the substantial
and influ ential farmers of the township.
556 HISTORY OF PRF.SCOTT.
JAMES D. NEWTON is one of the pioneers of Hawkesbury still surviving;
he lives in the vicinity ofVankleek Hill. He is a son of James Newton
who came from Weathersfield, Vt., early in this century, and settled in
the Eastern Townships. It is supposed he came to Vankleek Hill about
1807, as his eldest child was born here in )8o^ ; he bought a farm in
this section, which is now owned by John Bigans. He died about 1845,
while on a visit to his son, Joseph, who lived in Antwerp, N.Y. He had
ten children six sons and four daughters that grew up ; three of each
sex are still living, of whom James D., who is 76, is the youngest,
with the exception of one of his sisters. The subject of our sketch,
in his youthful days, after working out on a farm three years, entered
the lumber woods, wheie he was employed eleven years.
He was married 22nd July, 1847, to Elizabeth Mode ; she died i2th May,
1893. The same year of his marriage, he bought the farm of 100 acres
where he now lives, and from which he has made money to pay for three
other farms for his son?, and erect his present brick house and good
farm buildings. A number of years ago, he bought 100 acres of woodland
and pasture, which he still owns. He was a School Trustee
several years, and President of the Agricultural Society for twenty,
but resigned the latter office on account of his age. His children five
sons and three daughters
are all married. John, the third son, who lives on the homestead, was
married 2
June, 1887, to Christiana McLarin.
NEHEMIAH McCALLUM is the proprietor of one of the fine farms that is conti
guous to Vankleek Hill on the east. His grandfather, Malcolm McCallum,
from Scotland, as the name indicates, settled in East Hawkesbury on the
farm now owned by the widow of his son, Duncan, and lived there till
his death. He had five sons and one daughter. Malcolm, the eldest son,
bought 120 acres of Lot 19, 6th Range, on which he lived till his death
i3th October, 1894. He married Nancy Gartner of Lochiel ; they had four
sons and six daughters who lived till maturity. Nehemiah, the second
son, went to Colorado in April, 1866, and after spending four years in
different States and Territories, finally entered Arizona. In 1874, he
procured a ranch, and devoted himself to stock raising, at which he was
very successful. During his stay there he was elected to the Legislature,
and served one term of two years. In 1887 he leturned to West Hawkesbury,
and bought the farm of 125 acres or which he now lives. His good brick
house and entire surroundings ably sustain the reputation for prosperity
so long enjoyed by Hawkesbury farmers.
GILES S. LIGHTHALL, youngest son of Captain C. J. Lighthall, who was
so well known in the Valley of the Ottawa, was born in 1849, on tne ^
homestead, 6tt Concession, West Hawkesbury. He has always remained here,
and was marriec in 1871 to Isabella, daughter of Samuel Vogan, Esq., of
Riceville. They have six children two sons and four daughters all living
at home, with the exception of Abraham, the second son, who received his
diploma in 1894, and has since engaged in teaching. Mr. Lighthall has
taken an active part in municipal affairs, was one year in the Council,
and has been Deputy Reeve seven years ; he is one of the intel ligent,
enterprising farmers of the Township.
WILLIAM R. STEPHENS, son of Samuel Stephens, was born in St. Martin s,
Que., ist December, 1852 ; when he was about four years of age, his father
came to East Hawkesbury and bought a farm in the 5th Concession. William
remained at home until the year of his marriage, 1882 ; he was married
to Christina, daughter of Dugald McCallum of this place, and removed
to a farm in the 4th Concession. He remained here seven years and then
bought his present farm, which comprises 190 acres, and on which he has
made many improvements ; Mr. Stephen has a son and a daughter.
GEORGE NATHAN VOGAN is the eldest son of William Vogan, who came from
County Cavan, Ireland, married Dorothy Capron, and settled in Vankleek
Hill ; they had five sons and three daughters. George, born in 1850,
has always remained at
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
557
home; he was married in 1879 to Miss Alice E. Durant of Vankleek Hill,
and has three sons and four daughters, all living at home. Mr. Vogan
bought his present
farm in East Hawkesbury about 23 years ago ; in connection with farming
he also
engages in fine stock raising, and has dealt extensively in horses for
many years ; among other fine horses he owns " Chief" and "Lion," the
latter of which is valued at $1500.
DONALD MCKILLICAN was born in Invernesshire, Scotland, came to Canada in
the year 1829, and settled in Alexandria, Ont., where he worked at his
trade that of blacksmith for five years. Finding the place too rough to
be pleasant, however, on the advice of his friends he left it andcame to
Vankleek Hill, where he also wo.ked at his trade four or five years. He
then came to this place, and bought a farm in the 5th Concession, on which
he built a shop and followed his trade in connection with farm work. He
was married to Miss Margaret Robinson from Scotland, and had three sons
and two daughters, who are all living. Mr. McKillican died nth Nov ember,
1888, and Mrs. McKillican died in 1880. Donald, the eldest son, lives in
Wisconsin ; William is an Alderman and an influential citizen in
Victoria, B.C. ; Mary, married to Mr. Cameron, lives in Vankleek Hill,
and Margaret is married to James Stewart of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
James, the second son, born in 1831, learned the blacksmith trade with
his father, and worked in the shop some years ; he was for several years
engaged on the Canada Atlantic and North Shore Railroads as foreman
and blacksmith. Mr. McKillican has been twice married; the first time
to Miss Rose Anna Blair; they had five children, of whom two sons and
two daughters are living; the sons being in Oregon, and the daughters
at home. Mr. McKillican was married the second time, z8th August, 1878,
to Miss Persis Willis. The only child of this marriage died while
still young.
WILLIAM J. HOWES, eldest son of James Howes, was born in the Srigniory
of Longueuil, (;th July, 1855. His father came to West Hawkesbury when
William was
about two years of age ; when eighteen years old he went to Wisconsin,
and remained four years. On his return he worked at the carpenter s trade
for some time, and then engaged in cheese making, working one season
for Mr. C. McQuaig, and seven years for Mr. Solomon Grout. In April,
1893, he was married to Hattie, daughter of David Steeie of Vankleek
Hill. Mr. Howe s farm is in the 5th Concession. In 1891 he engaged
to run the " Golden Hill" cheese factory in East Hawkesbury for Mr.
S. Stevens, but two years later, a joint stock company of farmers in the
vicinity bought the latter out. Since then, Mr. Howt-s, ably assisted by
Mr. Henry Gates of Riceville, has managed the factory for the company,
giving them satisfaction and upholding his reputation as a cheese maker.
About two miles from Vankleek Hill, on the road leading from that place to
Longueuil, is a good farm and commodious stone house owned and occupied by
JOHN McCANN. His grandfather, Captain John McCann, came from Coot s Hill,
County of Cavan, Ireland, to this place about 1820, took up 150 acres of
land, and in 1826 erected the stone house mentioned above. Previous to
this he had been in the British service in India, and at the storming of
Seringpatam, Lieut. Metcalfe (after wards Governor General of Canada)
accidentally fell from the ramparts, and broke the leg of McCann whom
he struck in his fall. In consequence, McCann was invalided home, and
from the rank of Ensign which he then held he was promoted to a Lieut
enancy on half pay, and awarded a pension ; a further account of which
will be found in the history of Riceville ; he became Captain of Mi \\t\a
after coming to Canada. He was a very benevolent man, kind to the poor,
and in the office of Local Preacher no doubt did much good. A minister,
writing of Methodism in the Ottawa District, in those early days, thus
mentions Captain McCann :
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
" In 1832 I was appointed as the colleague of the quaint but saintly
John Black, to the Ottawa Circuit. He drove his family around by the
Coteau du Lac and the Cote St. Charles in his wagon, and I rode across
the country from Mou- linette to Vankleek Hill on horseback. My first
night s rest was at Capt. McCann s, a member of William Johnson s class,
at the Red School House in West Hawkesbury. I laid over the next day to
rest my horse, and visited from house to house, escorted by the Captain,
whose conversation on the way was very spiritual. .Among other things,
he infoimed me that he and his leader, W. Johnson, had covenanted to
meet each other in spirit three times a day, to pray for what they called
the second bless ing, by which he meant the blessing of a new heart . "
Captain McCann died suddenly in Toronto in 1837 ; ne was there en business
connected with land, when he fell in the street, and expired. He had
five sons and five daughters.
Robert, the fourth son, remained on the homestead, and married, 26th
December, 184 , Elizabeth Cross. He was a School Trustee of the Township
several years ; he died ayth August, 1894; Mrs. McCann died 241)1 August,
1879. hey had a large family of children of whom three sons and five
daughters are now living. John, the eldest, and Bertha, the youngest,
of the children, have always lived on the homestead. The farm is one
of the many good ones in this section, and sustains at the present,
thirty head of cattle and five horses.
ROBERT RFNNECK is the proprietor of a fine faim and imposing brick
residence on the road from Vankleek Hill to L Orignal. His father, Lodwick
Renneck, came from the County of Fermanagh, Ireland, to West Hawkesbury,
in 1832, and bought the farm of 88 acres which is now owned by his son,
Robert. He lived here till his death, J2th October, 1846 a Christian man
and a inembtr of the Methodist Church. He had seven children, but only
one son, Robert, and one daughter, Mrs. Hunter,
of Vankleek Hill, survived him. The former was married to Margaret,
daughter of
George Blayney of Hawkesbury. He joined the Volunteers in 1866, and
served through the Fenian campaign ; he has also served as School Trustee
several years, and as Assessor. He elected his present residence in 1884,
and has since added 40 acres of land to the homestead, now having 128
acres; he joined the Baptist Church in 1870.
WILLIAM \V. TWEED lives near Vankleek Hill, on a beautiful and productive
farm. He is a grandson of Thomas Tweed, who came from the County of
Antrim, Ireland, about 1820, and settled on a farm now owned by his
granddaughter, Mrs.
Robert Sproule, where he spent his remaining years. Mrs. Tweed, his wife,
died in 1870, aged 93 ; they had three sons and four daughters. Alexander
D. Tweed, one of the sons, who was four years old when his parents came
to Canada, was married in 1843 lo Maria, daughter of William Wait. He
bought a farm near the homestead, which is now owned by his own son,
Thomas. He was a man of influence in this section a Justice of the Peace
seveial years, and a Director of the Agricultural Society. He died in
November, 1882, aged 67; Mrs. Tweed died m J u y> I 893- They had
nine children five sons and four daughters, who, with the exception of
William and Thomas, living in this place, are settled in widely different
localities, Manitoba, the United States, and in Australia.
William W., the eldest son, was married nth April, 1867, to Ann Lough
of the Hill. After having a lease of his present farm of 150 acres for
six years, he pur chased it, paying for it entirely from the products
of the farm, and he has recently purchased fifty acres more more than
half of which is limbered with a fine growth of maple. Mr. Tweed does
not belong to the class of farmers who complain that
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. , -
. Dy
:< farming don t pay " He has brought his farm into a fine state of
cultivation erected a commodious and attractive as well as substantial
brick residence, and all his
buildings and improvements give evidence that his plans are well conceived
an executed with energy. He has a herd of 28 cows, his sugar orchard
comprises 1,500 maples; he has a cream separator, and a modem windmill
which punmsall the water required for the house and barn. Notwithstanding
the care and att ntio devoted to his farm and stock, Mr. Tweed cheerfully
gives f portion of hi* time to public affairs He has been a Municipal
Councillor many /ears is Secretary of the A-ankleek Hill Branch of the
Bible Society, a Trustee of the nL Sodist Church as he was of ihe old one,
and has been Circuit Steward for twenty-one years Mr. and Mrs. i weed have
two sons and four daughters living. Maria and Effie two of the daughters,
are engaged in teaching ; the former has taught four years Thomas H
another son of Alexander Tweed, who iives on the homestead ha remained
in W. Hawkesbury from his youth ; he was married in 1881 to Miss Scott
tughlers SCOU) f Winchesten The y have e son and three
WILLIAM DOUGLAS came from Northumberland, England, to Canada four years
after the batt e of Waterloo, and came to St. Andrews, sailing up the
Ottawa on a bateau He lived a few years in Lachute, and afterwards
in the Bay Settlement and in the Front of Chatham, buying a farm from
Mr. Stayner in the latter place H and Mrs. Douglas both died here, the
former being 71 at his death, and the latter aged 75 ; they had four
sons and two daughters. Of these, James lives in Arzentenil County,
and Margaret, married to William Scarborough, in the same County
John, the youngest, born in 1822, lived in Chatham from his childhood and
was married there in 1879 to Ann, daughter of William Nichols. In 1877
he sold i land in Chatham, and bought a farm in the 4 th Concession, in
this place He ha one son and one daughter; the latter, Maggie, married
to Charles C. Mooney lives in E. Hawkesbury, and the son, William,
is at home.
GEORGE BLAYNEY was bom in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1807, came to Canada
when about seventeen years of age, and first settled on the farm Lot
18 6th Concession, West Hawkesbury, now owned by his son John. He was
one of the irst settlers in this section, cleared up most of his farm,
and was the first man to Inve a cart through the woods to Caledonia
Flats. He was married 4 th January 1836, at Grenville, to Margaret,
daughter of the late John Hunter- they had four daughters and two sons,
of whom one of the former is deceased. Mr Blaynev died Oth January, 1854,
and Mrs. Blayney died 2ist January, i3 9 r. Of the children Margaret M.,
the youngest, married Robert Rennick; Susan, married to John Paton
lives in Dundas County ; Ann, ihe eldest, is the widow of John MoPhee,
and lives with her brother on the homestead. Cadwalader, the eldest son,
has two farms- one i the 2nd Concession, Caledonia, and the other in the 4
th Concession of West Hawkesbury, the latter being his place of residence.
John, the youngest, owns ihe homestead farm, which, like many others in
this section, is well cultivated. Mr. Blayney (John) went to Cornwall
and Prescott with the Volunteers in 1866.
JOHN WOOD, second son of James Wood, was born in St. Placide, January
18^ He accompanied his father s family to East Settlement, and remained
there until 26 years of age, at which time he went to Lachute Road for two
years. He was married in 1861 to Grace, daughter of the late James Wilson,
of East Settlement, and with his ^ went the same year to St. Canute,
County of Two Mountains, where he bought a farm. He remained for many
years on this farm, and in 1886 went to Breadal-
560 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
bane for a year ; he then purchased his present farm in the 6th
Concession from
Miss Sarah Mclnnes. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have five sons and four daughters ;
James, the eldest, is in Salt Lake City; Margaret, the eldest daughter,
married to Mr. E. Currier, lives in St. Canute ; Robina, the daughter,
is a teacher ; the two youngest sons, Albert and Edwin, are attending
school in Vankleek Hill ; John Henry, Ida and Elizabeth are at home ;
Thomas is in Vankleek Hill.
In a neighborhood about midway between Hawkesbury Mills and Vankleek Hill,
where the road is intersected by another, there settled in the first
years of this century some of the earliest pioneers of the township ;
they were Sylvester Cobb, Elijah Brown and others; and later still, came
William Higginson. A brief sketch is given of S. Cobb on a preceding page
; and records of tre township, copied elsewhere, show that he served as
Town Clerk of Hawkesbury as far back as 1808 and 1809. Elijah Brown came
from Massachusettes to this part of Canada, and married a daughter of
Abel Watters, one of the early pioneers of Longueuil, Prescott County,
and settled in the vicinity of London, Ont. About 1814 he exchanged
his land there with his brother-in-law, Truman Watters, for land in
Hawkesbury, Lot 9, 2nd Range, now owned by Mrs. Darwin Stevens, and
bought half of Lot 12, at present owned by William Byers, sen., all of
which was then in its primeval state. At his death, Mr. Brown left four
sons and two daughters, but only one of each sex is now living. George
Brown, the son, has spent his long life here, as an industrious farmer,
and he still has a good farm of 140 acres.
WILLIAM, one of the four Higginson Brothers, was married in Ireland to
Jane Tweed, and their wedding trip was the voyage to America, on which
they immediately started. In 1821 Mr. Higginson bought the land now owned
by his daughter, MRS. DARWIN STEVENS, and his home was here during the
remainder of his life. He had seven sons and five daughters. One of the
latter was married to Darwin Stevens,
28th August, 1861. Mr. Stevens was a son of Samuel Stevens, the millwright
and foreman of Thomas Mears. Darwin Stevens inherited all his father
s skill as a work man, and genius as an inventor; and was, moreover,
an able foreman, popular with his men, yet demanding implicit obedience
to his orders. He was for a long time
foreman in the Hawkesbury mill?, and much of the labor-saving machinery
still in use in them is the result of his inventive skill. He was
unfortunately drowned at the mills in 1888, by venturing into a dangerous
place, to save the property of his
employers, and into which he was too brave and generous to ordei any
of the men. His untimely death was regarded as a calamity to the whole
community. He left one son and four daughters. The son, Samuel D. Stevens,
now has the manage
ment of the farm, comprising five or six hundred acres, and sustaining a
large stock. The dwelling, hidden among shade and fruit trees, has both
the appearance and chatm of a model homestead a home where intelligence
and hospitality contri
bute to the delight of the sojouiner.
The two eldest daughters of Mrs. Stevens are married; the son and the
two youngest daughteis, Harriet M. and Ellen, are at home.
A road running south from this section leads to a settlement known as
Sand Hill, in which dwell several of the leading farmers of the township
indeed, all the farmers here may be said to be in a prosperous condition.
ALONZO BANGS is said to have been the first settler here, and his sons,
James,.
Charles and Eliphalet, are among the successful agriculturists.
Another old settler here is SAMUEL SIMPSON, brother of the late Robert
Simpson,
of St. Andrews, Que. He was for many years foreman for the
Hamilton Brothers ; two of his sons, Robert and Thomas, live on the
homestead. Thomas, unmarried, is a devoted disciple of Nimrod. and
has killed great quantities of game ; he has well- trained hounds,
and annually makes a visit to the hunting-grounds.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 561
About the year 1833 a man named Byers, from North Shields, England,
settled in the rear of Chatham, Que.; but he died not long subsequently
from cholera. A
son, WILLIAM E. H. BYERS, married Ellen, eldest daughter of William
Higginson, and settled at Sand Hill on a farm which now comprises
400 acres, and sustains a dairy of forty cows. Mr. Byers is one of
the influential men of the township, and has been Reeve and School
Trustee many years, and Secretary of the Dairy Association ; he was
also a Volunteer in 1837, an d was at Grand Brule during the height of
the excitement.
William H. Byers, one of his sons, who lives on a farm in this section,
was a member of the i8th Battalion fifteen years, and was a Sergeant in
Capt. Higginson s Company, and afterward Sergeant-major. He was foreman
on a farm in Ottawa County, of the Hamilton Brothers, for three years,
and has been largely interested in the manufacture of cheese, having
owned two factories and shares in others located in different parts of
the County. He was married in February, 1876, to Eliza Jane Reveler.
Among the fine farms of West Hawkesbury, which border Green Lane, are
those of WILLIAM W. HIGGINSON and ALEXANDER HUNTER, sen. Wm. \V. Higginson
is the eldest son of William Higginson, the pioneer of 1819, and a brother
of several of whom sketches are given elsewhere in these pages. He bought
a farm of 180 acres
in this locality in 1854, and since has added to it 160 acres ; its
thorough cultivation, large barn and commodious brick dwelling all bear
evidence to the industry of Mr. Higginson, and his careful and judicious
management. He was married to Margaret
Allison, 27th January, 1855; they had six children three of each sex. Mrs.
Higgin son died about twenty years ago, and two of the daughters, Clara
and Agnes R., still live with their father. The former was married
2ist March, 1894, to A. F. Gardner, who has had much experience as a
cheese-maker, and who scored 99^ points on his
cheese at the World s Fair in Chicago. Mr. Higginson is one of the
six brothers
who joined the Volunteers in 1866, to repel the piratical Fenians,
and he has always been equally ready to contribute to the support of
any worthy enterprise, public or private charity.
Alerander Hunter, sen., is a brother of John Hunter of whom a sketch is
given in the history of Vankleek Hill. His imposing bncic dwelling is
located on a level, well-cultivated farm of 120 acres, adjoining that of
Mr. Higginson, and he lias, besides, a wood lot in this neighborhood of
the same area. Mr. Hunter s success affords a good example of what one
may accomplish by faithful devotion to farming in Eastern Ontario.
JOHN C. POTTER is proprietor of a good brick-yard near Vankleek Hill. One
advantage that he possesses over many others engaged in brick-making is,
that the clay used for this purpose, and of which he has quite a tract
yet untouched, is mixed with the requisite amount of sand, thus saving the
labor and expense of procuring and mixing it. Commencing in a small way,
and with the simple, early means of grinding the clay, he has gradually
enlarged the business and introduced improved machinery, till his yard
has all the modern implements, steam engine, etc., by which brick of
most excellent quality and pattern are manufactured with dispatch. The
number turned out annually about 700,000 might easily be largely
increased, but
as Mr. Potter gives considerable attention to farming, he is not anxious
to manufac ture more than the local market demands.
Although now living in a most quiet retreat, engaged in peaceful
pursuits, Mr. Potter has had thrilling experiences, and worked where
human life was of little account. His father, John Potter, in his youth
learned the saddler s trade in the city of Dublin, Ireland, his native
land. He soon afterward enlisted in the British Service, was promoted,
and served till the discharge of his regiment, when he came to Canada,
562
HISTORY OK PRESCOTT.
and was in the employ of the Hamilton Brothers, of Hawkesbury Mills,
at irregular intervals for thirty years. He married Jane Wherry, from
the County of Antrim, Ireland, and settled on a farm now owned by his
son Robert at Vankleek Hill. They had six sons and three daughters ;
Mr. Potter died about 1876.
John C. 3 the third son, taught school for some time in his earlier
years, and then with the romantic visions incident to youthful days,
set out to win a fortune in a foreign clime. It was in 1865 he embarked
from New York for New Orleans, on the
steamer Republic "of the Cromwell Line, About a hundred miles off the
coast of Cape Hatteras they encountered a violent gale, which continued
with such force that the destruction of the steamer appearing inevitable,
a raft was constructed, which, with the boats, it was hoped would be
sufficient to hold all the passengers and crew till they were picked
up. The cowardly sailors, however, stealthily seized the raft and made
off with it, leaving the others to their fate ; but neither raft nor
crew were ever afterward seen. The passenger^ took to the boats on the
afternoon of Tuesday, and the one in which Mr. Potter, with a few others,
had hastily embark ed was picked up on the following Friday, and during
the whole time they had been out they had had neither food nor water,
from the want of which all had endured
excruciating sufferings, and the weaker ones died. Mr. Potter and some
of the other survivors returned after a few days to New York, hoping the
owners of the ill-fated " Republic" would compensate them in some degree
for the loss they had sus tained ; Mr. Potter having saved nothing but
the clothes he wore at the time of the disaster. The only thing the
Company would do, however, was to offer him a free
passage on another boat to New Orleans, an offer which he was disposed to
accept, inasmuch as his pride revolted at the thought of returning home
in his destitute condition. Arrived in New Orleans, his circumstances
compelled him to accept employment of a most laborious kind some
miles up the Mississippi, among a class of reckless men, many of whom
were Fenians, to whom a citizen of Canada was an object of unqualified
hatred. Brighter days, however, were in store for him, and returning to
Canada, he was married in June, 1866, to Nancy, daughter of Hugh Lough,
of Hawkesbury. They have had two sons and three daughters; one of the
former is deceased. The dwelling and farm of Mr. Potter, like the majority
of those in Hawkesbury, are valuable and attractive.
JOHN MOONEY, the eldest of the four brothers who came from County Antrim
to Canada, and the first to arrive in this country, remained only a
year on his first visit. He went back to Ireland, but returned in 1830,
and spent four or five years in lumbering on the Ottawa. In September,
1834, he bought from - - Hutchinson his farm in the 3rd Concession ; he
was married in 1836 to Miss Martha Miller, of Quebec. Mrs. Mooney died
23rd December, 1863, aged 56 ; Mr. Mooney, 23rd January, 1879, at the
age of 78. They had six children, of whom one son and three daughters
are now living. Sarah J., the eldest, married to John Bates, lives in
Argenteuil ; Mary A., the second, married to R. W. Bates, lives in the
State of
Washington ; Agnes, the third daughter, married to David Mulvena, lives
in Alpeiia, Mich. James A., the son, bom in 1846, has always remained at
home, with the exception of a few years spent in lumbering. In August,
1873, he was married to
Euphemia, daughter of David Ferris, of this place ; they have four sons
and two
daughters, all living at home. The four older children have all attended
the High School at Vankleek Hill. Mr. Mooney has a farm of 240 acres,
and keeps fifty head of cattle and eight horses. He has built two new
barns, and made many improve ments.
JAMES H. MILNER, second son of John Milner, was born in 1853 in this
place. At 14 years of age he commenced lumbering, and afterwards went
to the Eastern and
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 563
Middle States, spending about seven years in Massachusetts, New York and
Penn sylvania. At the end of that time he returned and commenced farming,
taking half his father s farm. In 1877 he was married to Anna Bella,
daughter of James Forbes of East Hawkesbury; of their three children,
but one son is now living. Mr. Milner was Deputy Reeve in i8>t,
and was nominated for Reeve, but was defeated by Mr. McLeod. He has
improved the appearance of his farm by erecting a fine brick house and
new outbuildings, and has also enlarged it by buying part of Lot No.
2 in the 3rd Concession.
JOHN HAYES was one of the early settlers of this place; his farm was
on Lot 7, 3rd Concession. He was married in 1828 to Laura, daughter of
Manson Kettle, one of the first settlers of Lachute. In those early days,
when Mr. and Mrs. Hayes wished to visit Vankleek Hill and Hawkesbury,
they found their way through the woods by means of blazed trees. They
had five children, of whom one is deceased. Mr. Hayes died of a cancer,
and three years later, his widow was married to John Milner, who came from
England when nine years of age, with his father, Thomas Milner. Mr. an-1
Mrs. Milner had two sons and two daughters, but only the two sons are
now living. Mr. Milner died in July, 1890, aged 70 years, but Mrs.
Milner still survives, and at 88 i> very active.
William A., their eldest son, born in March, 1848, has remained at
home, except
during a few winters spent in lumbering. In 1871 he was married to Kate,
daughter of James Forbe?, of East Hawkesbury ; they have two sons and one
daughter. In 1874 Mr. Milner took his father s farm in the 3rd Concession,
and has since bought forty acres of commons in the same concession.
HENRY.
Near the western limit of West Hawkesbury, on the road between L Orignal
and Vankleek Hill, is a Post-office established about 1864 with the name
Henry. The
first Postmaster was William Ditkson ; second, C. Hamelin ; third,
Henry McNally ; fourth and the present one is HARRISON CROSS, Ex-Reeve
of the Township.
His father, George Cross, came from the County of Cavan, Ireland, in
1815. Soon
after his arrival in Quebec he married Mary Ferguson from the County
of Monaghan, Ireland, and coming into the newly settled district on the
Ottawa, he took up 200 acres of land then covered with forest on which
his son Harrison now resides. He lived here till his death in 1869. and
became a man of influence in the commu nity having been a Justice of the
Peace many years. He was a member of one of the militia companies which
was on duty during the Rebellion of 1837. He had seven children five
sons and two daughters that grew up, and all settled in this section.
Harrison, the youngest of the sons, remained on the homestead, and was
married ist of January, 1857, to Rachel, daughter of Asa Bancroft of
West Hawkesbury. Mr. Cross is a gentleman much respected, and lakes an
active interest in all local affairs religious, sccial and political. He
is crier of the Courts held in L Orignal, has been a member ot two
Township Councils seventeen years, Reeve four, and served as School
Trustee fifteen years. He takes much interest in agricultural matters,
and has been salesman for the neighboring cheese factory six years.
A Lodge of the Patrons of Industry was organized here in 1893, which
now has fifty members, and of this Mr. Cross is President. During the
Fenian Raids he was sergeant in the Company of Capt. E. A. Johnson. The
number of his children at present living is one son and three daughters
two sons and one daughter deceased. His youngest daughter, Helma Ida,
and his son, Albert S., who was married 301)1 July, 1884, to Charlotte
A. Bangs of Sand Hill, reside with him on the homestead which s a fine
farm with good buildings.
5^4 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
VANKLEEK HILL.
The name, Vankleek Hill, more lengthy than euphonious, is not calculated
to suggest to the mind a place of much size or beauty Hill being
more sugges tive of a scattered hamlet than a compact and flourishing
village. The stranger, therefore, who has associated the name with a
bleak, wind-swept locality, where four corners have beguiled a few,
shrewd, money-loving individuals into the erection of a store or two,
an hotel, a carriage and blacksmith s shop, will naturally be much
surprised to find Vankleek. Hill a place containing one hundred and
sixteen brick buildings, a large number of stone and wood, and many of
them city-like in their proportions and magnificence. The site, too,
instead of being a hill, as generally under stood, abrupt in ascent and
limited in the area of its summit, is a plateau the ap proaches to which
are of long and gentle gradient. Besides the resemblance to a
city which there is in its imposing public buildings and business blocks,
another one exists in its two principal streets, which are wide, and
the buildings on either side compact in arrangement.
Speculation will naturally engage the mind of the philosophic stranger,
as to the causes that contributed to the growth of a village of such
wealth and magnitude in a spot, until recently remote from a railway,
or the great water courses which are so generally the main factors in
the production of important places ; but acquaintance with the country,
of which Vankleek Hill forms the centre, will set speculation at rest.
There probably is not in Ontario or Quebec a section of land better
adapted to dairying and mixed farming, than lies within a radius of
twenty miles of this village. This fact becoming well known in the
early years of its settlement, it was soon
occupied by a thrifty class of pioneers, who gradually developed
its resources and conveyed the products of their labors to the most
convenient market Vankleek Hill, where a few active men had invested
their capital in business. Moreover, the loca tion of the place was on
the line of travel between the two great rivers, the St. Lawrence and
Ottawa a circumstance which doubtless helped to facilitate its growth.
The place bears the name of its founder. Duchess County, N.Y., was the
home ot many who, refusing to cast in their lot with those who renounced
allegiance to the British sovereign, were designated as United Empire
Loyalists ; to which class belonged SIMFON VANKLEEK, who held a militia
commission signed by Lord Dorches ter. Following the British army to Nova
Scotia, he was employed by the Government as surveyor, for which he was
awarded a tract of land. Unlike many of the Old Coun try emigrants who,
on receiving a land grant, were so delighted that they took whatever
lay most convenient, without legard to its adaptability to cultivation,
he examined different localities with the view of finding land possessing
apparently the qualities desired. Ascending Mount Royal, when in Montreal,
to obtain an idea of the topography of the country, his attention was
attracted by a prominent peak of the Laurentian Chain in the County of
Argenteuil. Proceeding thither, he ascended it, and taking another survey,
he discoveied the range of high land on the southern side of the Ottawa ;
and, on a visit thereto, decided to locate his grant on the hill which
still bears his name. This was about the year 1786, and it is said that
he was the first setiler in the township of Hawkesbury. As soon as his
shanty was completed he brought to it his family, consisting of his wife,
daughter and son, Simeon, who was then a young man. The following facts
were taken from The Glengarrian, published iQth December, 1890:
"A few years later, he built a larger house, which wns long known as
the old Vankleek Tavern, and became an inn-keeper, in which business he
continued till his
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 565
death. At the first meeting of the Township of Havvkesbury, 1808, he was
appoint ed Assessor of the District, and his nearest neighbors, James
Connors and Wm. Sherman, respectively Pathmaster and Collector of taxes."
Mr. Vankleek died in his g8ih year at the residence of his son Barnabas
in the Township of Madoc. The following is an extract taken in 1878 from
the Historical Atlas of the County of Hastings, Ontario :
"Barnabas Vankleek was born in 1803, in the Township of Hawkesbury in
the County of Prescott, and is of Dutch descent. He came to Madoc in
1841, and cleared the farm on which he resides. He held a Captaincy in
the Hastings County Militia, and is a Justice of the Peace, in which
capacity he has always acted without favor or remuneration, and enjoys
the reputation of being the best read man of North Hastings. In politics
he is an active and staunch reformer. A respectable
old gentleman of 75 years, he commands the universal esteem of a wide
circle of
friends."
In 1819, Vankleek Hill possessed three houses, viz. : the Vankleek
House, then used as an inn ; John Glass Mclntosh s store, which stood on
the site of the present Town Hall, and at that time managed by a young
Scotchman, Neil Stewart ; and, the third was the house and store combined
of William Clarke, which occupied the site of the present residence of
Miss Mclnnes. The clerk of the store was Duncan McDonnell, father of
Mrs. Dr. Harkin.
Col. John Shields, who came here in 1826, says that at that time there
were only six dwellings on the Hill, of which the Vankleek House was
one. The site of this now forms a part of St. John Street, and it
stood between the sites of the pre sent Dominion House and the store
of Mr. McCallum ; it was destroyed by fire about 1850. The oldest wood
building in the place is that of Mrs. William Robert son ; the oldest
stone house, that of Peter Paquet, sr., which was built about 1826,
by Julius C. Blaisdell, a blacksmith.
At that time, a log school-house, which was used as a place of worship
by the Methodists, stood at the upper end of the street. In it, too,
the Rev. Mr. McKillican, an undenominational clergyman, held divine
services, which were attended by all creeds. The old kirk, the ruins
of which were lately torn down lo make way for the building of a new
manse, was built in 1827, and its first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Mclsaac
of Lochiel, who had charge of this Church as a branch or mis sion in
addition to his own parish.
. Up to 1843, the growth of the village had been slow, but at that time it
was greatly accelerated by the erection of a steam grist mill and carding
mill by William Bury. They were burnt about two years later and rebuilt,
but these were also destroyed by fire in 1882. A strange fatality seemed
to overshadow these mills, as they were also twice nearly destroyed by
the bursting of buhr stones.
A Post-Office was established about the year 1827, and Neil Stewart was
the first postmaster. His successors are as follows : Thomas Higginson,
Duncan McDonnell,
and Peter McLaurin, who was appointed in 1876, and still holds the
position. In the same year (1827) Simeon Vankleek died, aged 90. About
this time, also, an ashery was builtj by William Clark to utilize the
large quantity of ashes made in clearing the land. This stood at the
lower end of " Potter s swamp," about where Col. Higginson has given
land for the site of a new railway station.
To the chagrin of the loyal people of the Hill, the locality gained a
reputation in the trouble culminating in the Rebellion of 1837, tnat was
by no means enviable. Many of the inhabitants of this and surrounding
localities were Americans, and naturally cherished fond memories of
the Republic.
Charles Waters, who than represented Prescott in the Provincial
Parliament, was
566 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
an opponent of the Family Compact, and, if not an admirer of William
Lyon McKenzie, was, at least, thoroughly imbued with the principles he
advocated. Under his patronage, a society was formed here, and christened
" Young Men s Political Asso ciation of Vankleek Hill." Several meetings
were held, in which there were those who openly advocated the policy
of joining the " Patriots," but others, more cautious, though equally
anxious for the success of the " Patriots," advised delay advice which
the majority decided to follow. The delay no doubt was made with a view
of ascer taining which of the belligerent parties was the stronger, and
had the " Patriots " at this time gained any advantage which promised
final victory, there can be little doubt that the scenes enacted at a
later date at St. Eustache and Grand Brule would have disgraced the fair
heritage of loyal Simeon Vankleek. At this crisis, a hundred
stand of arms promised by Government were expected by the loyal militia
of Hawkes- bury for their special use. Two companies of the militia,
therefore, marched from Vankleek Hill to Kirk Hill, to guard the arms
which were supposed to arrive from Glengarry. They were doomed to
disappointment, however, as the arms did not arrive till a few days
later, when they were escorted through the Hill to Hawkesbury by a
company of cavalry.
Col. George Hamilton, with a company of Militia, searched the premises
of those
suspected of disloyal sentiments, but found nothing more dangerous
than the Consti tution of the Young Men s Political Association, which
was discovered in the house of Charles Waters ; it contained nothing,
however, decidedly treasonable in character.
In apology for many of those who joined the Society, it is said, that
they were
impelled to that course by the rartiality and favoritism of tnose who held
authority they knew not how to use. Jeremiah Harrigan, for instance, who
had long served as Captain of the Militia, and devoted much of his time
and attention to the service of Govern ment, was repeatedly overlooked
in the promotion of officials, until at last, in disgust, he resigned,
and, thenceforward, was regarded as one who would look upon a change of
Government with favor.
Since the above was written, a letter found among a number of other old
docu ments shows why Capt. Harrigan was not promoted ; there was one in
high military rank, and to whom Capt. Harrigan, no doubt, looked for
assistance, who could address a letter to headquarters recommending a
number of aspirants for promotion in preference to Capt. Harrigan. The
letter, in fact, gave a number of reasons why he should not be promoted,
all, doubtless, prompted by prejudice.
In 1857, through the influence of several leading citizens, a Mechanics
Institute was formed, and Thomas Higginson was president. It was well
patronized during the early years of its existence, and seemed to answer
well the purpose of its forma tion; but as time elapsed, flagging interest
finally subsided into total neglect, and the Mechanics Institute existed
only in name. It owned a good library, a part of which is still in
existence, but it has fallen into disuse.
About 1856, a destructive fire visited the village, which destroyed
among other
buildings the old Vankleek House, conducted at that time by Hiram
Johnson. The next year, Johnson built, on the site of the old one,
the present Dominion House, and again began keeping hotel.
In 1857 there were but six stores on the Hill and not a brick house on
Main Street. It was about this time that J. Boyd arrived, and bought
the land now occupied by the eastern portion of the town. He afterwards
divided the land into town lots, and, later on, started into business
as a general merchant.
The complete history of Varkleek Hill will be found in the following
individual
sketches of churches, mercantile and manufacturing firms, public
buildings and pro fessions, all of which combined form one of the largest,
most wealthy and attractive places bearing the name of Village in the
Dominion :
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 567
One of the largest and finest mercantile establishments of Vankleek Hill
is that of JOHN R. MCLAURIN. He is a grandson of Donald R. McLaurin,
who came from Perthshire, Scotland, to Breadalbane in Lochiel in 1815,
and settled on a farm of 250 acres, which is now owned by his nephew,
Donald McLaurin. He had nine children four sons and five daughters. John,
the third son, married Mary, daughter of John Cameron of East Hawkesbury,
and remained on the homestead. They had seven sons and three daughters;
Mr. McLaurin died in 1888.
John R., the eldest son, went to California in 1859, where he spent two
and a half years chiefly in San Francisco. He returned, and engaged two
years in the cattle trade, and then, in 1865, erected a store at Vankleek
Hill, and began trade. His business was extensive and prosperous, but in
March, 1893, his entire establishment was destroyed by fire. His energy,
however, which has been one of his prominent
characteristics, soon caused the erection of his present fine and
commodious store on the site of the old one. It is 80 by 30 feet in size,
and, including basement, three stories in height, plate glass front snd
counters, and altogether it is an imposing building. His stock of goods
is large, and embraces every variety. Mr. McLaurin
has been very successful financially, and the means vouchsafed him are not
withheld from the encouragement of a deserving object. He is Treasurer of
the Baptist Church in this place, and he subscribed largely towards the
erection of the Church building. He has long been a Trustee of the High
School, and for ten years was Chairman of the Board. He is President
of the Electric Light Company, was for several years a Director of
the Montreal & Ottawa Railway, and took an active part in securing the
Central Counties Railway, now in process of construction. In politics
he is a Liberal. He has been twice married : first, 2ylh March, 1871,
to Miss Caro line McCann of West Hawkesbury ; she died in August, 1883,
and he was married 27th November, 1884,10 Miss Chisholm of Skye.
The mercantile firm of McCuAic, CHENEY & Co. is an old, well-established
firm that does an extensive business.
The business was started in 1864, by Malcolm McCuaig, a native of
Lochiel, Glengarry, where his ancestors settled in the early part of
this century. He has been very successsful in business, and has been
identified with every important local improvement since his arrival;
his funds having paid for the erection of several of the finest buildings
in the village. Though he retired from the firm six or seven years ago,
he still takes much interest in the prosperity of the place, and is
never reluctant to encourage whatever promises to promote its moral,
physical or social advancement.
ARTHUR N. CHENEY, one of the partners in the firm, is a grandson of
Clark K. Cheney, one of the pioneers of Vankleek Hill. He came from the
State of New York about the year 1813, and soon after his arrival here,
was drafted into the
British service, but by procuring a substitute was permitted to remain. He
was a cooper by trade, though he cleared much land here, and it is
said his house was the second erected on the Hill, and that it stood
on what is now High Street, very near the site of the present house
of Mrs. Potter. About the year 1816, he was married to Luna Orton. He
died i6th May, 18 [o, at the age of 54, leaving seven sons and four
daughters. Nelson, the eldest son, bought a farm in 1841, of too acres Lot
31, Range 3, in East Hawkesbury. He was married ist January, 1846,10
Ernily McXally of West Hawkesbury. He has always declined public office,
with the ex ception of that of School Trustee, in which he has served
different times. Though well advanced in years, his well preserved body
and clear intellect show the result of an industrious and moral life. He
has four sons and five daughters.
Arthur N., his youngest, engaged as clerk for Mr. Malcolm McCuaig at
the age
568 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
of 21, and after a period of seven years was admitted partner to the
business, and still remains. He also formed a co-partnership with Flora,
the sister of Mr. McCuaig, loth January, 1881. Mr. Cheney has been an
Elder in the Presbyterian Church ever since he was 21, and Leader of
the choir.
Another well established and popular merchant is WILLTAM H. MCKENZIE. His
father, Hugh McKenzie, came from Rothshire, Scotland, to Montreal in
1842, re mained there a year or two, and then came to Vankleek Hill,
where he followed his trade of carpenter till his death, about 1858. He
had four children sons who grew up.
The family, after Mr. McKenzie s death, returned to Montreal, where
Wm. H., the third son, was employed by A. A. Ayer & Co., for eight
years as storeman. He was married, 7th June, 1869, to Mary Ann Donovan
of Lochiel ; he returned to Vankleek Hill in 1875, and entered into
partnership in the mercantile line with
Donald McLeod,the firm being known as McLeod & McKenzie, which continued
fourteen years, when Mr. McKenzie bought out his partner. Since
1889 he nas been alone with his two sons, William M. and Hugh R., as
assistants. He has been a Trustee of the High School several years, is
one of the financial managers of the Presbyterian Church, Secretary of
the Order of Foresters, and one of the Directors of the Electric Light
Company. He owns the store which he occupies, which is always conducted
with due regard to neatness and good order ; his stock of merchandise is
large, and the fact that one can always find here any article desired,
combined with the fact that Mr. McKenzie is a gentleman with whom one
likes to trade, is sufficient to secure him abundant patronage.
Among so many fine establishments, with intelligent, genial proprietors,
it is difficult to give to each his respective merits.
The NORTHCOTT BROTHERS have a central location on Main St., and do a
large business. Their father, William Northcott, came to the Hill from
Devonshire, England, in 1854, and about two years later, married Kate,
daughter of Colin C.
Campbell, of Lochiel. He has followed farming, and about 1874 he bought
the farm near this village, where he now lives, and has taken quite an
active part in the affairs of the township, having served as Municipal
Councillor, Assessor, Collector, and as Crop Viewer of the Agricultural
Society. He has four sons and five daughters. The two youngest sons, John
and Charles, have followed mercantile business several years, and in 1892
they entered into partnership and opened their present store. Charles
taught school two years, and subsequently attended the Business College
at Belleville, from which he graduated in 1884. One of his brothers and
three of his sisters have also had experience in teaching. One of the
brothers is an Elder of the Presbyterian Church. This firm has a very
large stock of general merchandise, and having a thorough knowledge
of their business and the advantage of a large acquaintance with their
patrons, their prospect is most encouraging.
There is probably not a more attractive building on Main Street than
the drug store of HUGH DUNCAN. He is a grandson of one of the pioneers
who settled in Lanark, Ont., on a farm which is now owned by his son
James. The latter has a family of eight sons and three daughters. Hugh,
the fifth son, served an apprentice ship with M. Patterson, druggist,
of Almonte, Ont., spent some time in the Drug
store of Bower & Son, Perth, and then took a course in the Ontario College
of Pharmacy, from which he graduated in 1892. He was then manager of the
drug store, in Perth, of Drs. A. E. and F. Hanna, after which he spent
a season with the Astrom Brothers, druggists, of Alexandria, of whom he
purchased their drug store in Vankleek Hill. This building is brick,
three stories in height, and adds much to the architectural beauty of
the village. Besides a full stock of drugs and patent
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 569
medicines, Mr. Duncan has for sale a rich lot of silverware, school books
and station ery, and is Agent for the Goold Bicycle Co. of Brantford. He
also has a branch store in the village of East Hawkesbury, under the
management of Mr. Montgomery, druggist, which is always supplied with
a good stock of drugs and patent medicines. Mr. Duncan is a Christian
young gentleman, and devotes a portion of his time to
Christian work.
One of the prominent merchants of Vankleek Hill in the past, and one of
the roost prominent and popular men of the County, was NEIL STEWART. His
mother, Mrs. Roderick Stewart, carne to Canada from the Isle of Skye,
with her family, in 1816, and settled in Lancaster ; she had six sons
and four daughters.
William, the youngest, was for some time a Member of Parliament for the
city of Ottawa. Neil, the third son, came to the Hill in 1825, as clerk
for John Glass Mclntosh, to whose business as merchant he subsequently
succeeded. He was the first Postmaster appointed for this place, and for
years served as Justice of the Peace, and was also County Treasurer. He
was very active in the organization of the Militia, and was in time
rewarded with the rank of Lieut. -Colonel. In 1844, he
accepted the nomination to the office of Representative in the Provincial
Parliament of the Counties of Prescott and Russell, and was elected by
acclamation. On receipt of the news of his election, the Governor-General
wrote an address to the electors of ihe Counties, congratulating them
on the wisdom of their choice. He was married
1 5th March, 1828, to Alice McCann, who died i5th December,
1834. Mr. Stewart died 8th May, 1881; he was a fine, military-looking man,
highly esteemed for his integrity. He had four children one son and three
daughters the former died in 1872. Of the latter, one is Mrs. McCuaig,
of this village; another Mrs. Hugh McLennan, of Montreal, and the third,
Mrs. Gavin Walker.
The HURLEY BROTHERS are the only merchants in this place who make a
specialty of men s furnishings, boots, shoes, hats and caps. Their
grandfather,
Dennis Hurley, came to East Hawkesbury from the County of Cork, Ireland,
about 1832. Some years later, during which he was employed in farming,
he bought the farm, Lot 35, 5th Range, which is now owned and occupied
by his son Dennis, on which he lived until his death, about 1882. He
had eight children four of each sex. Cornelius, the second son, was
married about 1867, to Margaret McNeill, of East
Hawkesbury, and settled on a farm adjoining the homestead, where he
still lives, and for several years has discharged the duties of School
Trustee. He has five sons and an equal number of daughters ; the second
and third sons, Hugh J. and Corne
lius, are the ones in trade at Vankleek Hill. Hugh first served an
apprenticeship at mercantile business, and then, after a year and a
half in the service of the Hochelaga Bank at this place, he formed
a co-partnership with his brother, and opened their present store in
1893. Their business is done on a cash system, and, as they carry a
good stock, are active young men, and quite popular in the community,
their success seems assured.
J. E. BLANCHARD, merchant tailor, has a flourishing establishment on
Main Street. He was born in St. Marline, Chateauguay County. He learned
the tailor s
trade, and has, ever since, followed it in his native village, in Boston,
New York and Vankleek Hill, to which place he came in 1885. His hands,
good judgment and energy comprised his entire capital when he set out
for himself, and his successful business is sufficient evidence that
these different branches of capital have contri buted faithfully to his
success. He keeps a large variety of tweeds and cloths of all kinds, and
constantly employs a dozen hands. While in his business he is particular
to respect the slightest wish of his customers ; he is also careful to
practise the courtesy characteristic of his race.
37
57
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A fine structure is that of P. S. PAQUET, on Main Street. Mr. Paquet began
mercantile life as clerk, and, after an apprenticeship of nine years,
entered his present store in 1883, the year of its construction. The
entire building is 92 feet in length, and the main part, which is of
brick, is 30 ft. x 40 ft. and three stories. Mr. Paquet is not the least
of the merchants whose geniality is calculated to produce customers,
hence, his business, which is done on nearly a cash system, vies with
others in
prosperity. He deals quite largely in grain and farm produce, and is an
agent for the C. P. Railway.
The new brick store of E. Z. LABROSSE, on High Street, in point
of architectural beauty is certainly equal, if not superior, to any
other in the village. Mr. Labrosse is a native of the place, has been
financially successful, and has contributed to the growth of the village
by the erection of several respectable buildings.
Another important mercantile establishment on High Street is that of
JOHN S. MclNTOSH, successor to an old and well known business, that of
the late J. Robert son.
At the junction of High with Main Street is the attractive brick store
of MR. McCALLUM confined to tin and hardware.
A Bakery and Confectionery shop is conducted here by the Wood Bros., sons
of James Wood, of Geneva, Argenteuil County, Que. Robert Wood learned
his trade with John Hope, of Lachute, and then followed it in Smith s
Falls, Perth and Toronto, Ont. He was married in the latter city. ig\.h
September, 1889, to Josephine McKiterick, and in 1892, in company with his
younger brother, Oliver, opened a Bakery and Confectionery shop at the
Hill on Main Street. The business of this firm is in a very prosperous
condition, extending not only throughout the village, but to Caledonia
Springs and all the country adjacent.
A beautiful building is the Hochelaga Bank, of which W. N. PAMBRUN is
the manager. Mr. Pambrun is the grandson of Andre Dominique Pambrun,
who emigiated from France to this country during the French Revolution,
and became the Agent of Mr. de Lotbiniere, Seignior of Vaudreuil, Rigaud
and Beauharnois, and lived and died in the Seigniorial Manor House at
Vaudreuil; he had three sons and four daughters. Pierre Chrysologue,
one of the former, was one of the Chateauguay heroes, and he settled
in Washington Territory. William, the father of the subject of our
sketch, was a miller by trade, and married Delima Daoust, a young lady
of Glengarry. Their son, W. N. Pambrun, was born in Peverill in August,
1853, and was educated at Rigaud College, taking a full collegiate
course. He studied law
under Bastien, Notary at Vaudreuil, and was subsequently Deputy
Prothonotary at
St. Hyacinthe, Que., where he married Emma Leopoldine Brunei. After
being in the service of the Merchants Bank of Canada, and engaged in
mercantile business
a while, he went to New York, and for six years was Cashier of the Mutual
District Telegraph Company. He returned to Canada in 1892, and entered
the service of the Hochelaga Bank, and became manager of the Vankleek
Hill branch of that institu tion, ist May, 1894.
Mr. Pambrun is a gentleman of much public spirit, as well as affability
and courtesy, and his interest in the prosperity of the Village was
manifest in his recent organization of the Business Men s Committee,
which resulted in the delineation of the resources and aspect of the
place by the Toronto Globe.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The different religious denominations are well represented in this
village, and the church edifices are of good size, and very respectable
in appearance. The following sketch of the Presbyterian church the oldest
one on the Hill is taken from the Ontario Review of October 2 8th, 1894:
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
571
" The Presbyterians form by far the largest congregation in this
section, and among the members are many of the most influential people
of the neighborhood. The congregation was organized in the year 1825,
and shortly after, they built a stone church, which has long since
disappeared. The first settled pastor was the Rev.
John McLaren, who also supplied and administered to the spiritual wants of
the whole surrounding country, going north to L Orignal, and across the
Ottawa River to Lachute, and as far south as Williamstown. Mr. McLaren
was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Mclsaac. who continued in the pastorate
until the disruption in 1843. The congregation of Vankleek Hill joined
the Free Church, and continued to worship in the old church, but were
without a pastor until 1846, when the Rev. Dr. McGillivray was settled,
and remained until 1848. He was followed by Rev. Alex. Cameron from 1850
to 1852, and the Rev. D. Cameron from 1853 to 1857. The Rev. Peter Currie
was inducted as pastor in 1857, and it was during his pastorate that the
present church was built, which will have to be soon replaced by
a much larger one, as it is altogether too small to accommodate the
congregation comfortably on ordinary Sabbaths, while on communion Sabbaths
or special occasions, it will not begin to hold them, forcing many to
absent themselves. As the congregation is now entirely free from debt,
a much larger building is projected, and a splendid site alongside of
the new manse has been secured. With their well-known liberality and
increased prosperity, a building worthy of the people and the cause,
and an ornament to the town, may be confidently looked for. Mr. Currie
was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Grant in 1870, who was succeeded by Rev. John
Ferguson in 1879, who remained until 1886. The Rev. D. McEachern was
pastor from 1888 to 1891, and was succeeded by the present pastor,
Rev. John McLeod, in October, 1892. The improvement in the congregation
since his induction has been very marked, and his labor specially blessed
in an increased interest among the young people and the
Sabbath school. Mr. McLeod takes a lively interest in the material affairs
of the town, and is foremost in any effort for promoting its welfare,
and by his quiet, unassuming, but resolute course has carried more than
one worthy project to a successful issue. In the pulpit his oratory
is not of the flowery style that tickles the ear, but rather of the
plain, matter-of-fact talk that appeals directly to the better nature,
and compels a closer study of the subject and continued thought on the
part of the hearers."
ANGLICAN CHURCH.
The first Church of England clergyman who labored in West Hawkesbury
was the Rev. Francis Tremayne, who came in 1846. A church edifice had
been erected the year previous by the united efforts of the people. He
remained but a few years, and was succeeded by the Rev. John Travers
Lewis the present Bishop of Ontario.
During his incumbency the erection of the present church at Vankleek Hill
was com menced, in 1853, and completed two or three years later. Mr. Lewis
was succeeded by Rev. R. L. Stephenson, who since has been a long time
Rector of Perth. Rev. John G. Armstrong was his successor, and during
the period of his ministrations, the parish, which up to that time had
embraced West Hawkesbury, Vankleek Hill ,
and an occasional service at Caledonia Springs, was divided, and afterward
included Vankleek Hill, East Hawkesbury and Caledonia Flats. The latter,
however, has since been connected with Plantagenet.
Rev. H. Coleman followed Mr. Armstrong first, after the division of the
parish and he in turn was succeeded by Rev. E. P. Crawford, assisted by
Arthur Jarvis and Arthur Phillips the present incumbent of the Hawkesbury
Church. The Rev.
572
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Charles Daniell next became pastor of the Hawkesbury Church, and
Rev. Arthur Phillips of the church at Vankleek Hill. The following have
succeeded Mr. Phillips at the Hill : Revs. W. Muckstone, Jos. Elliott,
W. J. Halowell, and T. H. LLOYD, M.A. Mr. Lloyd is the youngest son
of Rev. T. Lloyd, formerly of England, but now Rector of Kensington,
P.E.I. He was born in 1860, at Milford Haven, in the southern part
of Wales ; and his school education was received in England. He came
to Canada in 1^85, entered Bishop s College at Lennoxville, Que., in
1886, and took the degree of B.A. in 1890. Then accepting the offer
of a mastership in Bishop s College, he held the position four years,
and resigned to take Holy Orders. In 1895 he received the degree of
M.A. , by the Archbishop of Ontario, in Kingston Cathe dral, tyth June,
1894, and was appointed Rector of Vankleek Hill, and took charge of the
parish on the lyth of August following. He was married to Agnes Lima,
eldest daughter of Walter G. Murray, Esq., of Ferncliffe, Massawippi,
Que. The fact that the important Rectorship of Vankleek Hill has been
assigned to a clergyman so young as Mr. Lloyd is a sufficient encomium
on his character and ability.
METHODIST CHURCH.
The first Methodist Church on the Hill was built in 1865, during the
pastorate of the Rev. William D. Brown. The late Hugh Stewart was very
active in procuring its erection, and was a liberal subscriber. The
following gentlemen, also, contributed libeially towards defraying the
expense: the late James Gibson, Robert McWatters, John Sample and James
Steele ; others helped freely, as far as their means would permit.
The old church was brick, and was pulled down and removed to a better site
in 1888; the parsonage and shed were removed at the same time. The site
was obtained and the church erected at an estimated cost of $6,000. The
church and parsonage are brick, neat in architectural appearance, and
very pleasantly located on High Street. Like most Methodist congregations,
the people are active and fully alive to the work in hand.
Trustees of the new Methodist Church are : W. W. Tweed, Circuit Steward
; Albert G. Cheney, S.S. Superintendent ; Noah Durant, Henry E. Cheney,
A. F. Arnold, David Steele, Leonard Bertrand, Robert McWatters.
The following is a list of tiie principal subscribers towards the fund
for building the new Church :
B. B. Dunning $100
W.W. Tweed , 100
James Gibson TOO
Albert G. Cheney 100
Leonard Bertrand 100
H. C. Cheney and )
Valentine Smith J 7
Levi G. Bancroft 50
Joshua Bancroft 50
Mis. Eliza Bancroft 50
A. F.Arnold 50
Alvah Durant 50
H. C. Hamelin 25
Samuel W. McCann. 25
Samuel Stevens $ 25
James Downing 25
Albert J. Cross 25
Noah Durant 25
William Sproule 25
Mrs. Keough 25
David A. Steele . 26
Robert McWatters 25
Rev. R. F.Oliver 26
Robert Sproule 20
Nathan McCann 20
Mrs. C. Bond. ro
Robert Taylor 10
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 573
BAPTIST CHURCH. BY REV. JAMES McEwEN.
The Vankleek Hill Baptist Church is an offshoot of the old Breadalbane
Church._ Somewhere in the fifties several members of the growing families
of the McLaurins and Maclntoshs moved to the Hill. Their object was to
enter into busi
ness. Prospects were promising, and they were not disappointed. As
far back as the year 1843, the Rev. John McLaurin and family moved
here from South Gower, and besides looking after his business,
he preached the Gospel quite frequently. During these years and
those following, the Revds. Wm. Fraser and W. K. Anderson, pastors of
Breadalbane Church, preached occasionally on the Hill and in surrounding
points. Rev. Mr. Anderson took a leading part in the great revival of
1876, the
meetings being held in the Congregational and Presbyterian churches.
The number of Baptists steadily increased. In the year 1881 they united
in extending an invitation to student R..G. Boville, then a young man,
a member of the Baptist Church in Ottawa, now the pastor of the First
Baptist Church in Hamilton, to come and labor among them during his
summer vacation. Mr. Boville labored incessantly and successfully. By
the fall of the year the little band were encouraged to consider the
question of building a chapel.
September 2ist, 1881, is the date of the first recorded business meeting
of Baptists on the Hill. The following are the names of those present
: J. S. McKenzie, Archie McLaurin, A. McPhail, Jas. R. McLaurin,
John R. McLaurin, Jas. Day, P. R. McLaurin, Wm. D. McLaurin and
R. G. Boville. At this meeting three impor tant steps were taken : i.A
subscription list was opened, and headed with a subscrip tion of $1,000.00
by John R. McLaurin. 2. It was decided that no work would be undertaken
until $2,300.00 were subscribed. 3. A committee was appointed to solicit
subscriptions until the amount was obtained. A work so earnestly begun
was soon pushed on to a successful end. A suitable corner lot near the
heart of the town and fronting Main Street was purchased. And in the
following year, 1882, a beau
tiful brick building with basement of coursed rock-faced stone was
erected and opened soon after free from debt.
On 28th December, 1883, under the direction of Rev. D. McDiarmid, pastor
of Breadalbane Church, the little band were organized into a Church, and
on i6th Janu ary, 1884, they were recognized by a council as a regular
Baptist Church. Mr. McDiarmid continued in his pastoral care over them,
giving them an afternoon service weekly.
In the year 1887, Pastor McDiarmid resigned, and the churches united
again in a
call to Rev. Mr. Stewart. At the close of his second year Mr. Stewart
resigned and returned to his native Scotland.
The following summer, in the year 1890, student G. M. Leehy, of McMaster
College, Toronto, was called to labor on this field, while student
Jas. Cross took charge of the work in Breadalbane. Both churches received
much blessing through
the labors of these earnest young men.
PASTORATE OF REV. JAS. MCWEN.
Having had a summer s experience of the advantages to a church of a
pastor s whole time, the Hill Church believed the time had arrived when
it was best to secure a pastor for themselves. Accordingly they applied
for and obtained aid from the Home Mission fund, and extended a call
to the Rev. Jas. McEwen of Port Perry, to become their pastor. The call
was accepted, and Mr. McEwen entered upon the
574 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
work of the field in January, 1891. -Since that date the Church has
made steady
progress. The membership has doubled within four years, and is thoroughly
organ
ized for aggressive work. Materially, also, improvements have been
made. Sub stantial and commodious horse sheds have been built at a cost
of $300. The base
ment of the church has been fitted up and furnished, and the whole
building lighted with electricity. Altogether it is now the neatest
and best equipped church building on the Hill. The income of the church
for all purposes now averages $1,200 per annum. About one-third of this
amount is spent on denominational enterprises at
home and abroad. Besides, Missionary work is carried on at outlying
stations at
Hawkesbury, Dempsey and Riceville.
The Rev. James McEwen, who recently resigned the pastorate of the Baptist
Church here, was born in Lanark County in 1852. His parents came from
Perthshire, Scotland, in early life. His mother, Janet McCallum, was
the daughter of Mr. McCallum, who settled in Dalesville on the farm now
owned by the family of the late Rev. J. King, and afterward removed to
Lanark County, Ont. The McEwen family also lived in Lanark, and there the
parents of Rev. James McEwen were married, and spent several years. When
he was but two years old, they removed to Bruce County, which then was
comparatively a wilderness. Before he was seventeen, he began teaching
in a public school, and was thus employed nearly six years. He then
entered College at Woodstock, where he graduated in 1879 > an( ^
ne tnen pursued his theological course at the Toronto Baptist College,
graduating therefrom in 1882 ; and in 1894 he received the degree of
B.A. His first pastorate was Brantford, where he labored six years,
including two in which he had the pastoral oversight of the congregation,
when pursuing his Theological course. His second charge was Port Perry,
where he remained over four years, and then, in 1890, he accepted the
pastor ate at Vankleek Hill.
Mr. McEwen s sermons are always scriptural, plain but vigorous, and
often eloquent from the earnestness with which his sound reasoning,
forcible illustrations and strong appeals are presented. No stronger
proof of his fitness for the ministry could be given than the fact,
that wherever he has labored, tlv: church has more than
doubled its membership and enjoyed a season of prosperity. He has two
brothers in^the ministry, two sisters who are married to ministers. His
eldest brother in the ministry, Rev. J. P. McEwen, is now Superintendent
of Home Missions for Ontario
and Quebec.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The Roman Catholic Church, which has just been enlarged and improved,
at an outlay of several thousand dollars, was completed in 1877,
when Mgr. Routhier, the present Vicar-General of the archdiocese of
Ottawa, was the parish priest at L Orignal and had charge of this
Mission. Rev. R. G. Foley, who came in 1878, was the first priest
stationed here ; his first baptism occurred 4th of August, 1878. The Rev.
Philip Brady succeded Father Foley in 1886, and he was succeeded by
the present
priest, REV. P. DUSERRE, in 1892.
The Church building is of stone, large and very imposing in
appearance. The commodious prcsbytere, located near it, is also of stone,
and its architectural appear ance, as well as the grounds around it,
are objects of attraction.
The Convent, however, in point of beauty, excels all the other buildings
in this part of the Village. It was erected in 1886, by the Sisters of
St. Mary from Lock- port, N.Y. There are now eight Sisters connected
with the institution four of whom are French and the others of the
English-speaking nationalities. They now have in charge about 250
pupils. Special attention is given to music, the teacher in charge of
this department being one of high ability.
HISTORY OK PRESCOTT.
575
The Roman Catholic congregation greatly outnumbers any other in the Hill ;
the number of communicants connected with the Church is said to be 900.
A Congregational Church was erected here about 1862, which was the second
edifice built on the Hill. Owing to the small number of its supporters,
however, regular services were never long continued in it, and for many
years it has not been used as a church. After having been used for a
variety of purposes it has lately been sold to a private individual.
SCHOOLS.
Vankleek Hill has long been noted for the excellency of its schools. A
Gram mar School was opened some time in the forties, in a stone building
that occupied the site of the Grand Central Hotel ; it continued in
successful operation many years.
In 1876, the Town Hall was erected, in which the Model and Public Schools
have long been conducted. The Public School has four departments ;
average attend ance 200. The Principal is Mr. Edward T. Hoidge ;
Assistants. Miss T. Gray, Miss A. Cheney and Miss K. Mclnnes.
The High School building, which was erected in 1890, is 60 feet x 34
feet in size with a wing about 37 feet x 32 feet; height two stories
above the basement, and it has the Smead Dowd system of heating and
ventilation. There is a good library and a fair stock of apparatus
connected with this institution, as well as a Literary Society and
Reading Room.
Staff of Teachers.
Thomas Jamieson Principal.
Miss Saul English.
Mr. L. Might Commercial and Scientific.
Mr. R. Sheriff Modern Languages.
Mr. Jamieson graduated at Cobourg, Out., in 1888; he has taught about
twelve years, during which he has gained the reputation of a successful
and popular teacher.
PROFESSIONAL.
Previous to 1843, there was no medical practitioner on the Hill, but
in that year, Dr. Sterling, from Caledonia, took up his residence
here, and lived here until his death in April, 1859. Three years
previous to his demise, Dr. O Nei! arrived, but he remained only two
years. Dr. Desjardins, who came about 1861, was here only two years ;
Dr. Seger, who arrived in 1863, was here three years.
DR. JAMES MC!NTOSH, who took his degree in 1859, and had been practising
a few years in Martintown, came to the Hill about 1866, and practised
till his death, 8th February, 1891. DR. DONALD MC!NTOSH, his brother,
graduated from McGill in 1870, and the same year located at the Hill,
where he still remains in the enjoy ment of a good practice and much
popularity as a citizen. A little more than a year ago, he opened a neat
drug store beside his residence on Main street.
DR. A. R. METCALFE, who graduated at Toronto University in 1881, is
another of the medical men of the Hill.
Besides these, there are also Dr. Pattee and Dr. McKinnon, of whom
sketches are given, as well as one of the late Dr. Harkin.
HUGH D. MCKINNON, M.D., has been a practitioner in this County for
more than twenty years. His grandfather, Duncan McKinnon, came from
Inverness-shire,
Scotland, in 1804, and settled on a farm in Glengarry, where he spent
his remaining years. Duncan, his youngest son, married Margaret McMillan
of Glengarry, and
57$ HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
remained on the homestead. They had five sons and four daughters ;
Mr. McKin- non died about 1876.
Hugh D., the third son, studied medicine at Toronto University, and
graduated in 1863. He settled first at St. Eugene, but after remaining
there five or six years, he carne to Vankleek Hill, where he has long
had a successful practice. He was also at one time Inspector of Schools
for Kast Hawkesiniry, and for six years was a partner in the mercantile
firm of McLaurin & Co. He was married in April, 1867, to Bessie, daughter
of William Jamieson of Carillon, Que. She died in 1895.
They had two sons, Fred and Edward, and one daughter. The former is a
gra duate of McGill. Edward is clerk in the store of his uncle in the
village, and the daughter is at home.
WM. HARKIN, M.D., C.M., M.P.P. Dr. Harkin was born at West Hawkesbury
in 1831, and was of Irish descent; his parents having emigrated from
Ireland in
the year 1829. He received his early education in the Public School and
in the L Orignal and Vankleek Hill High Schools. Having qualified as a
teacher, he taught school for several years, and subsequently entering
McGill College, Montreal, gra duated from that institution in 1858,
with the degree of M.D., C.M. Settling at
Vankleek Hill, he soon acquired a large practice in both his native
County of Pres- cott and in the neighboring County of Glengarry. During
the excitement incident
of the "Trent affair," when the Volunteer movement received its first
great impulse, he took an active interest in the organization of the
County Battalion (the i8th Battalion of Active Militia) of which he was
appointed Surgeon, a position which he held up to the time of his death
in 1881. He accompanied the Battalion to the front when ordered out for
service during the various Fenian Raids.
Honored with the Reeve-ship of West Hawkesbury, he sat for several years
as its Representative in the Counties Council of the United Counties of
Prescott and Russell. He always took a keen interest in the improvement
of both the Public and High Schools, and as a member of the High School
Board for many years, did much
for the advancement of the cause of education.
In politics, Dr. Harkin was a Conservative, and a waim admirer of the
late Sir John A. Macdonald ; and in the numerous political contests in
which he participated, did yeoman s service for the party to which he had
given his allegiance. Accepting, in 1875, the nomination of his party as
Representative for Prescott in the Legislative Assembly, he was returned
by a substantial majority. Again seeking the suffrages of the electors,
lie was re-elected at the General Elections held in 1879. Though en
joying a wide popularity with all creeds and classes in his native County,
his success at the polls was, nevertheless, in a great measure due to his
natural tact and ready faculty for organization. During the session of
1881, while in his accustomed seat in the Legislative Assembly Chamber,
at Toronto, he was stricken with apoplexy, and died within a few hours
after the attack, regretted alike by political friend and foe.
E. S. HOWES, dentist, who has an office on Main Street, is a grandson
of Joseph
Howes, who came from Devonshire, England, to L Orignal, in 1834. Soon
after ward he purchased and settled on the farm in the Seigniory, which
is now owned by his son, Joseph Howes. He died there at the age of 85 ;
he had three sons and five daughters. Samuel, one of the sons, married,
in 1860, Leonora, daughter of Robert Marston, and settled on the farm in
Longueuil, a few miles from the homestead, where he still lives. He takes
an interest in all local affairs, and has been Municipal Councillor and
School Trustee many years; he has three sons and four daughters living.
E. S., the eldest son, studied dentistry, and was articled in 1888 to Dr.
Hanna,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 577
of Kemptville, Ont. He graduated in 1891 at Toronto, and ever since has
been practising at Vankleek Hill, in the enjoyment of public confidence
and respect.
Another dentist practising on the Hill is EDWARD FITZPATRICK. His father,
George Fitzpa trick, was born in 1826 near Enniskillen, Ireland, and
came to Canada in 1836, and is a farmer now living in West Hawkesbury
; he was one of the loyal Volunteers of the i8th Battalion during the
Fenian Raid of 1866.
Edward, the son, born in 1872, after receiving his education served his
time as
dental student in Ottawa, and received the degree of L.D.S. from
the Royal College of Dental Surgeons in April, 1895 ; an ^ in June
following, the degree of D.D.S. was conferred on him by Toronto
University. Mr. Fitzpatrick has succeeded to the practice of Mr. Howe,
who has recently removed to Chicago, and he also has an office in
Hawkesbury Village where he practises on certain days of each month.
FRED. W. THISTLEWAITE is a young gentleman of this village who has
now an honorable position at the Bar. His great grandfather, Dr. Robert
Thistlewaite, came from Lancaster, England, to Vankleek Hill, about 1810,
and his remaining years,
which terminated about 1825, were spent here in the successful practice
of his pro fession. He had two sons and four daughters; his elder son,
Robert Morris, settled on a farm near the village, where he died about
1858; he had three sons and two
daughters. Robert, his eldest son, in his youthful days spent a few years
successfully in Australia, in the height of the gold fever, and on his
return, about 1857, he bought a farm of 200 acres, on which a considerable
portion of the village is now located. He was married i-jth March, 1858,
to Jean Mode. Mr. Thistlewaite resides in a commodious stone residence
on Main Street, his means affording that method of farming which renders
it at once a success and delight. He has refrained from taking an active
part in local public affairs, though he has been Trustee of the Public
Schools for many years. He has one son and four daughters.
Fred W., the son, on beginning the study of Law, was articled to the
present Judge O Brian; he then studied at Ottawa with Scott, McTavish
and McCracken ; he completed his course at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, and
was admitted to the Bar in May, i88s|. After the death of Judge Daniel he
was appointed Local Master of the High Court at L Orignal in 1887, Dllt
resigned after holding the position two years. He was commissioned as
Notary Public in June, 1888, and appointed Police Magistrate for Vankleek
Hill in 1890 ; he is also Solicitor for the Hochelaga Bank. While his
ability has secured for him many marks of public confidence and esteem,
his genial qualities are a passport to popular favor. He was married
25th October, 1893,10
Florence, daughter of Judge O Brian, of L Ongnal.
HOTELS.
The Hill has four first-class public houses : St. Lawrence Hall,
Commercial House, Grand Central and Dominion House.
BERNARD KELLY is proprietor of the St. Lawrence Hall. The subject of this
sketch first saw the light at Ste. Marthe, County of Vaudreuil, Que.,
in 1840, whither his parents had emigrated from the County Monaghan,
Ireland, in the year 1830. His early education was obtained at the
district school. In 1856 he removed to the neighborhood of St. Eugene,
Prescott County, Ont., where he followed the occupa
tion of farmer for some fifteen years, filling, also, at different
periods, during those years, with satisfaction to the public and credit
to himself, the positions of Tax Collector, Bailiff and Constable. In
1871, disposing of his farm, he removed to
Vankleek Hill, and purchased the property known as the Commercial
Hotel. This
HISTORY OP PRESCOTT.
hotel he conducted with remarkable success up to the year 1882, when it
passed by purchase into other hands, and Mr. Kelly became the proprietor
of his present well known stand, the St. Lawrence Hall. In this stand
he has since remained continu
ously, and he enjoys the distinction of being the oldest established
hotel proprietor in the village, it now being nearly twenty-five years
since he embarked in business.
In politics Mr. Kelly is a staunch Liberal, and is to-day regarded as
one of the ablest of that party s workers in the county. For the past
twenty-five years he has taken a prominent fart in the various political
contests which have occurred in the county, and has acquired an enviable
reputation as a " hustling" canvasser.
When, several years ago, the " Scott Act " was submitted to a vote in
Prescott and Russell, he was active in the establishment of the Licensed
Victuallers Associa tion (of which he is still secretary).
For the past eight years, Mr. Kelly, with several other gentlemen, has
been extensively interested in mining properties, some of which are
proving to be quite valuable, and at present there is every prospect
that their investments will yield them a satisfactoiy return.
Courteous, genial and obliging, Mr. Kelly is highly esteemed by his
fellow- citizens, and by the thousands of guests whom his hospitable roof
has sheltered since he first came to Vankleek Hill ; he is regarded as
a model Boniface.
The Commercial House on High Street, which is one of the popular and
well- conducted hotels on the Hill, is owned by GEORGE Co.vs TAN TINE
vir, who was born at Bellp Riviere, Que. On the paternal side he is of
Spanish descent.
His father, Benjamin Constamineau, settled in Point Fortune about 1840. In
or near 1859,116 sold his farm there and removed to St. Eugene, where he
still resides on his farm. He has had five sons and one daughter, of whom
one son is deceased. George, the third son, spent his youthful days in
the States; he was married about 1864 to Josephine King. She died in 1879,
and a few years later, he married Mary Finn, of Si. Eugene. Un returning
from the States he bought a farm in St. Eugene, but sold it three years
afterwards, opened a store, and for the next fifteen years devoted himself
wholly to trade. He next tried his success in the Western States, where
he remained four years; he returned to Vankleek Hill in 1890, and bought
his present hotel. Mr. Constantineau s son is a Barrister in L Orignal.
MANUFACTORIES.
The Iron Foundry of Routhier & Sons, with their new brick sales-rooms
and various other buildings, occupying a large area of ground, is a
prominent feature of the industries of Vankleek Hill.
Major Felix Routhier, ex-M.P., the senior member of the firm, was born
in St. Placide, County of Two Mountains. He learned the blacksmith
trade in his youth,
and thus, no doubt, began the development of that ambition for business,
which has placed him at the head of one of the extensive manufacturing
firms of the country. He was married oth July, 1849, to Angelique Lemay
dit Delorme. During his resi dence in St. Placide, he was Mayor of the
Municipality, twelve years, and Chairman of the School Board, fifteen
years ; and he earned the title of Major by years of active service in
the Militia, having joined the Regiment of the Two Mountains District
at its organization. In 1870, he removed to Vankleek Hill, and bought
the business of P. Martin who came from St. Placide, and had started a
foundry here a year pre vious. In October, 1873, the foundry was destroyed
by fire, but a new one was at once erected, and steam power soon afterward
supplanted horse power, which, up to that time, had been the motor.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 579
In 1878, Mr. Routhier, who is a Conservative of the old school, was
elected to the House of Commons by the County of Prescott, and retained
his seat till 1882. He has ten children four sons and six daughters now
living. F. L. Joseph and C. J.
Louis are the sons belonging to the firm known as F. Routhier &
Sons. C. J. Louis Routhier was married i8th June, 1882, to Augusta
Sloan. Mary Malvina, one of his sisters, was married 6th June, 1873,
to F. X. Bertrand, a merchant located on the corner of High and Mill
streets in this village.
In the machine shop of the firm, are three iron lathes ; one bull lathe
for large pulleys and wheel, up to 8 feet in diameter ; one bed lathe for
shafting, up to 16 feet; one for cutting screws and turning small work;
a milling machine, upright
drill, emery stone and a full set of tools for steam pipe fitting. The
shop is also sup plied with blast sand moulding, boxes and patterns by
w..vh gears and pulleys for saw mills, and castings for all sorts of
purposes are readily turned out.
Their large wood shop is equally well supplied with a variety of the most
im proved machinery, besides which they have a general blacksmith shop.
The Vankleek Hill Manufacturing Company is another flout hhing industry,
which was established in 1883 by Cheney, Dunning & Co. In 1890 it was
established as a limited joint stock company with Malcolm McCuaig as
President; William McAdam, Secretary-Treasurer ; and Albert G. Cheney,
Manager. They manufacture all kinds of sash, doors, blinds, mouldings,
and house finishings, making a specialty of turning and scroll work. They
have an excellent saw mill, and manufacture the chief part of their
lumber. They buy annually a great many logs, ship large quantities of
lumber, and give employment to a large number of hands.
The Phcenix Roller Mills of W. C. Sylvester & Sons is one of the best
equipped manufactories of the County. The building is of stone, 80 x 50
feet in size, three stories, and a most attractive building.
Mr. Sylvester was born in Fort Covington, N.Y., and in the early part of
his life was a contractor, taking several large jobs on the Cornwall
Canal and other places. He learned the millwright trade, and was
employed in the erection of mills in different places in Canada till
1888, when he came to Vankleek Hill and erected his present grist mill,
and the following year added his woollen mill. The following is taken
from the Toronto Globe of *6th October, 1894 :
" The Roller Mill has a capacity of 75 barrels per day; the business done
tasks its capacity to the utmost. Besides the roller process for flour,
they have three run for feed and provender; they also manufacture a very
pure grade of corn meal. They handle all kinds of meals, cracked wheat,
bran and several grades of flour.
" They have two sets of cards, and buy immense quantities of wool, for
which they exchange tweeds and blankets. They manufacture considerable
quantities of homespun hand-wove tweeds for tourists.
" Mr. Sylvester s three sons, W. F., J. S. and M. A., take the active
management of the several departments of the work, and are making a
great success of it. They all take more or less interest in municipal
affairs, and. like the rest of the citizens of the town, have great
faith in its future on account of the prosperous farming com munity on
all sides of it."
The Carriage Works of N. Matte is a prominent industry of the Hill. Mr.
Matte came to this place from Plantagenet about 1877, and his success
affords another striking example of what pei severance and tact,
backed by intelligence, can accomplish. Beginning without capital,
he has gradually built up a business which, for extent and reputation,
is second to none in this part of Ontario. His carriages,
580 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
which are of the latest style and best workmanship, are not only well
known and in use in this Province, but in various parts of Quebec,
especially in Montreal.
One of the most successful business firms on the Hill is that of the
DURANT BROTHERS, "wholesale and retail manufacturers of pumps, washing
machines, wheel
barrows, step and section ladders, clothes bars, towel rollers,
churns, etc., and are agents for all the different implements used
in agriculture."
The main building of their factory is 28 ft. x 60 ft. with three flats,
and it has an extension 20 ft. by 60 ft. They are about engaging
extensively in the manufacture of furniture.
The members of this firm Noah and Alvah Durant were born in Dundas County
; the former taught school some time in his younger days, but in 1875,
with his brother, engaged in business as pump manufacturers at this
place. They were
followed hither by their parents, who lived long enough to see their sons
well estab lished in a business which has been constantly increasing
from the day of its incep tion. So great has been the demand for their
manufactures, that they are gradually working out of the retail portion
of their trade. Besides the articles mentioned above, they make wagons,
tumbrel carts, cutters and sleighs of all kinds, and solicit orders for
boring wells either in clay or rock; they are also agents for sewing
machines, organs, pianos and windmills ; of the latter they have erected
several fine ones in this section. One of the additions they have made
to their business, recently, is that of custom grinding, a three roller
feed mill. They are proprietors of considerable real estate here, and
the erection of several of the dwellings on High Street is owing to
their enterprise. The Durant Brothers are young men of great courtesy,
and their past success and present popularity are an earnest of a most
prosperous future.
P. T. SOUCIER, Jeweller and Photographer, has done a successful business
here since 1863. He was born in Milton, Shefford County, Que, ; learned
the Watch maker s and Jeweller s trade in St. Hyacinthe, and then followed
it in Watertown, N.Y. ; after which, in 1857, lie moved to Cornwall. He
next began work on his own account, and after about six years spent in
Lancaster and Metcalfe, he came to the Hill. He was married in 1865 to
Mary Carrier. In 1880 he added Photography to his business as Jeweller,
and for eight years his place of business has also been here, the central
telephone office. Mr. Soucier, besides his shop, has a good residence,
and takes an interest in all the affairs of the place ; he has been a
Trustee of the High School a number of years.
NEWSPAPERS,
From the Glengarrian of igth December, 1890 :
" The first and only newspaper published (up to that time) was started
in 1857,
and edited by the Hon. Rupert Wells, son of Sheriff J. P. Wells. It
was a weekly sheet, and devoted to the interests of the Reform Party,
of which it became the local organ. Its editor was a man of great
ability as a journalist and politician, and for many years was speaker
of the Ontario Legislature ; but, after the first year, he was forced to
neglect the paper for more pressing business, and during the second year,
The Economist, as this journal was called, ceased publication, and was
never revived. During its short existence it contained many excellent
articles, and, no doubt, had business allowed him, the Hon. Rupert would
have developed his little sheet into a gocd local paper."
In the latter part of the year 1893, the publication of The Review wai
commenced by S. I. Jones, but his death soon afterwards came near putting
an end to the enter-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 581
prise. In September, of 1894, however, L. W. Shannon, a young man of
energy and determination, believing the opening for a paper to be a
good one, purchased the plant, and has ever since issued Lhe Review,
which is constantly improving and increasing in popularity.
Among those who settled at Vankleek Hill none became more prominent than
THOMAS HIGGINSON, the youngest of four brothers already mentioned, who
came to Havvkesbury in 1819. A little volume of poems recently published,
which he wrote at different periods of his life, shows him to have been
a man of much genius, imagin ation and pure morality. The name Higginson
is not a very common one, but naturally * becoming more numerous as
time rolls on. The earliest we have any record of is the Rev. Francis
Higginson, who held one of the five parish churches in the County of
Leicester, England, but owing to some disagreement with his Bishop
he was deprived of his pulpit, being popular however with the people,
he held services outside of the Church for a time. He was called the
good Mr. Higginson. The Massachusetts Colonization & Trading Company,
hearing of Mr. Higginson s case, made a contract with him, and sent him
out to Salem, Mass., the contract stipulating that he was to have two
men servants, one to hunt for him, and the other to wait on him, and
his wife to have a woman servant to wait on her, and other conditions
set forth in the contract. As the ship was leaving the English coast in
1629, he called the crew and passengers on the deck, and all kneeling he
said : "We will not say as the Puiitans were wont to say, farewell Rome,
farewell Babylon, but we will say farewell dear England, farewell the
Church of God in England, and all Christian friends there."
The ship was wrecked, and they came near all perishing, and in the
excitement Mr. Higginson ordained his eldest son, John, who was
then 21 years of age, so that he might succeed him and carry out the
contract. Mr. Higginson died in 1630, and was succeeded by his son, The
Stately John," as he was called in later years, who died in 1708, aged
93, and was a minister 72 years. A year after the Rev. Francis died,
his widow and large family, except John, returned to England. It is
not known what became of the other sons ; but in 1695, N. Higginson was
Governor of Madras, and in 1688, a branch of the Higginson family went
to the North of Ireland, and in 1817, George Higginson came to Canada,
and was followed by his brothers, John, William and Thomas in 1819,
who all settled in Hawkesbury.
Thomas Higginson was married to Nancy Park, 24th April, 1819, in the
Parish of Kilwaughten by the Rev. I. Lediie, sailed from Belfast on the
ist of May following, and arrived at Quebec i4th June. He first settled
in West Hawkesbury, where his
eldest son, John, was born 3oth April, 1820, but he soon removed to
North Plan-
tagenet, and settled on a farm, where his son William was born 15111
January, 1822. His stay in Plantagenet was comparatively brief, as
he returned to Hawkesbury, and in 1829 made a permanent settlement
at Vankleek Hill, and for many years was a prominent figure in all
the important social and political movements of the County. He was
Superintendent of Schools for Prescott and Russell, many years, Agent for
the Bank of Upper Canada for the transmission of the proceeds of sales
of public lands, a member of the County Council, and Lieut.-Col. of
the Regimental Division of Prescott up to the close of his life. He
died 22nd January, 1884, aged 90 years 13 days; he had twelve children,
of whom seven sons and four daughters grew up.
Of these, William and Elenryare the only ones who remained in this
section, and
both now live together on the homestead. The former has been a prominent
man in
582 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
the township, and still takes a lively interest in public matters and
local im provements.
On leaving school at the age of 16, he entered the employ of
Messrs. Hamilton & Lowe, 3ist May, 1838 ; was with them at Hawkesbury
Mills till 1841, when he was transferred to their office in New Liverpool
near Quebec, and remained there 44 years ; but his long service did not
prevent his taking an active part in the affairs of his native County. He
was appointed Capt. of the first Company of the i8th Batt. of
Prescott Volunteer Militia about 1861, commissioned Major 24th July,
1863, and Lieut.-Col. 1 5th February, 1867. He has also been Reeve of
Hawkesbury several times, and would doubtless still hold the office,
had he not positively declined to serve longer. We give a copy of the
unique Indenture which the Col. had to sign
on entering the service of Messrs. Hamilton & Lowe:
" This Indenture Witnesseth : that William Higginson of the to.vnship
of Hawkesbury, District of Ottawa and Province of Upper Canada, aged
seventeen years, doth by these presents put himself, by and with the
consent of his Father, Thomas Higginson, Sen., of the Township aforesaid,
apprentice to Messrs. Hamilton and Lowe of the Hawkesbury Mills, in the
township and Province before men tioned, Merchants and Lumber dealers,
and to serve them after the manner of an apprentice from the first day of
June, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Nine, until the full period
of his becoming of the age of twenty-one years, which will be on the
I5th day of January, Eighteen Hun dred and Forty-Three next ensuing ;
to be fully complete and ended, during which time, the said appren tice,
his said Masters faithfully shall serve, their secrets keep, their lawful
commands every where gladly do. He shall do no damage to his said Masters,
nor see it to be done by others, but to the best of his power shall hinder
them or forthwith give warning to his said Master of the same. He shall
not waste the goods of his said Masters, or give or lend them unlawfully
to any. He shall not contract Matrimony within the said penod. Hurt
to his said Masters he shall not do, cause or pro cure to be done by
others. He shall not play at cards, dice, tables, or any unlawful games,
whereby his said Masters may have loss of, or with their goods during said
Term, without license from his said Masters ; he shall neither buy nor
sell on his account, he shall not haunt nor use Taverns or Playhouses,
nor absent himself from his Master s service, day or night, unlawfully ;
but in all things, as an honest and faithful apprentice, he shall behave
himself towards his said Masters, or either of them, or all of them,
during the said term ; and the said Hamilton and Lowe on their part
promise to have the said William Higginson instructed in their business,
and to find Board and Washing for the said William Higginson during
the said term as before mentioned ; with the following salary annually
(provided he always demeans himself according to the spirit and meaning
of this Indenture) namely : Fifteen pounds for the first two years :
Twenty pounds for the Third year ; and Twenty-five for the remainder of
the period, as mentioned in the Indenture. And for the true performance
of all and every of the coven ants and agreements, either of the parties
bindeth hiimelf to the other by these present. In witness whereof, the
paities above named to these indentures interchangeably have put their
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, One Thousand Eight Hundred
and Thirty-Nine."
Witnesses Present :
WILLIAM COFFIN \ THOMAS HIGGINSON, SEN.
THOS. HIGGINSON / WILLIAM HIGGINSON.
When in New Liverpool in 1878, the Col. sent the following address to
Lord Beaconsfield, congratulating him on his cotip d ttat by which the
Suez Canal was secured to England : " To THE RIGHT HONORABLE, THE EARL
op BEACONSFIELD,
" Prime Minister of England. " May it please your Lordship,
" The undersigned Canadians, who have taken a deep interest in the Eastern
question, and especially the action of the British Government in the
matter, deem it a duty to express to you their admiration of the manly
course pursued by you as leader of the government, in the face of an un
reasonable opposition. It must b? gratifying to yourself, and is a great
pleasure to us, to see that your wise plans and precautionary measures
have resulted in a most triumphant settlement of the difficulty. It may
well be asked, what position would England occupy to-day, in the sight of
Europe, had not you been the controller of her destinies for the time ?
Opposition from your political opponents was to be expected, but to be
deserted by some of your friends and colleagues, at a critical time,
was a trial which you bravely met and surmounted, and you stand, to-day,
COLONEL HIGGIXSOK.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. eg-*
confessedly, the foremost man in Europe. Those of your colleagues
who fought the battle with you may well be proud of the result, and
especially, your friend, Lord Salisbury, who so ably assisted at the
Congress.
"That you may long continue to be the prime man of the state, and the
trusted friend and Her Most Gracious Majesty, is the prayer of all
loyal Canadians."
"GOD SAVE THE QUEEN." "NEW LIVERPOOL, igth July, 1878." The following
is the reply ;
" Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, to the Earl of Dufferin.
" DOWNING STREET, icth August, 1878 " Canada, 235,
" MY LORD,
",I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch, No. 202,
of the 26th of July transmitting an address to the Earl of Beaconsfield
from some of the inhabitants of New Liverpool expressing their admiration
of his public service. The address was duly forwarded to the Earl of
Beaconsfield, and I have now the honor to transmit to you a copy of his
Lordship s reply I request that you will cause Colonel Higginson to be
informed of its contents, in order that he may communicate the same to
the persons who signed the address.
" I have, etc.,
"M. E. HICKS BEACH." " 10 DOWNING STREET, i3th August, 1878. " SIR,
" Lord Beaconsfield has received with pleasure the address forwarded to
him by some of the inhabitants of New Liverpool, and in thanking them
for the attention which they have paid to Lord Salisbury and himself,
he requests that you will, through the proper channel, convey to them
his sincere appreciation of their sympathy and his gratitude for their
support.
" The Secretary of State "1 < I have, etc.
Colonial Department." / ALGERNON TURNER,"
Col. Higginson was in command of the Volunteers at Cornwall from 6th
March to ist May, 1866, when he had to leave for his duties at New
Liverpool. Knowing
that the Volunteers were not in time to meet the enemy, he watched the
proceed ings in Parliament closely, to see what action, if any, would
be taken in the matter. Nothing had been done during the session,
and on Monday, at noon, he received a
copy of the Qjiebec Chronicle, in which it was announced that prorogation
would take place on the following Wednesday. He immediately addressed
the following note to the Hon. John Hamilton, Senator :
NEW LIVERPOOL. HONORABLE JOHN HAMILTON, Ottawa.
DEAR SIR,
Do not let the session end without urging upon the Minister of Militia
and Adjutant General the necessity of having at least loo.ooo of the
best description of breech-loading and oft-repeating rifles with plenty
of ammunition, stored in the Province before the close of navigation
England is in no danger of invasion, but we are in danger; therefore,
let our wants be supplied first, and the British Army a ftewards.
Yours truly,
WM. HIGGINSON.
The note was just in time to remind the authorities of duty neglected,
and the sum of $250,000 was placed in the estimates for Militia and
Defence. The Colonel wrcte acknowledging the appropriation of $250,000,
but regretted that it was not for double that amount, on the principle
that "prevention is better than cure." He wrote " Let us not be asked
to meet the enemy with an inferior weapon in our hands, for we with
the Enfield, and they with breech-loaders they would have a decided
advantage."
584 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The Colonel took an active part in having the electric light introduced
into the village, and has invested considerable capital in the enterprise
; he has also taken much interest in ihe promotion of schools, and made
no little effort to have the High School equipped with a telescope and a
good supply of philosophical apparatus. He has a great liking for the
study of astronomy, and has given much of his leisure to it since his
retirement from public life. The stone wind-mill erected by his father,
never having proved a success, the Colonel has added another story to
its height, and
placed in it a telescope, thus making it not only an astronomical
observatory, but a place from which visitors can obtain an extensive
view of the surrounding country. The Colonel claims to have discovered
that the Belts of Jupiter are nothing more nor less than shadows cast
by his satellites, and supports his theory by reasoning that has been
endorsed by many prominent scholars.
Another of those who saw the village in its infancy, and still survives
to describe the various stages of its growth, is COL. JOHN SHIELDS,
a son of Andrew Shields, who came from the County of Cavan, Ireland,
to West Hawkesbury in 1821. The father lived in this township till his
death in October, 1870, and during the Rebellion of 1837 was one of the
Home Guards. He had five children four sons and one daughter ; two sons
and the daughter settled in this section, and are still living.
John, the second son, has been an active man in the township, and
enjoys the respect which his life of usefulness and sobriety has
earned. He became Captain of Company No. 2 of the Prescott Militia at its
organization, was promoted to the rank of Major in October, 1866, and to
Lieut. -Col. in 1872. He has been Municipal Clerk since 1858, Clerk of
the Division Court since 1869, Justice of the Peace and Commissioner for
taking affidavits for Prescott and Russell about twenty years. For an
equal period, he was Secretary-Treasurer of Prescott Agricultural Society,
and for twenty-five years Secretary-Treasurer of a Branch Agricultural
Society which included East and West Hawkesbury and l.ongueuil, and
which was discontinued in
1894. He is agent for the Royal Fire & Life Insurance Company of England,
as well as for several other Companies, and Secretary-Treasurer of a
Branch of the
Mutual Loan Investment, and does much business in the way of conveyancing.
Previous to 1862 he followed farming, but from that period to 1875,
was employ ed as Book-keeper for James Boyd, merchant. Old records Of
agricultural matters
show that the Colonel was not one of the kid-gloved fanners who,
seated in the shade of a friendly tree, expatiated on the delight of
agricultural life, but that he entered into the work with the spirit and
energy displayed by a successful, practical farmer. In a plowing match
of 1845, ne drew the fifth prize. 15 shillings; in 1846 and 1847, the
first prize, 2, each year; in 1848, the last time he was a competitor,
the fifth prize, 15 shillings.
He has been twice married; by the first marriage he has one son and two
daughters living, and the same by the second marriage.
WILLIAM FERGUSON* is another of the pioneers of the Hill. His father,
who bore the same name, came from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, to Quebec,
in 1836, and a
few months later to Caledonia Springs, and to Vankleek Hill on the 8th of
May, 1842. He was an architect and contractor, and was employed at his
vocation here and in all the surrounding localities. He erected buildings
for Lemuel Gushing of Chatham, Owens of Stonefield, built the Victoria
Mills at Thurso, and performed a large amount of work in Buckingham
for George W. Eaton and others. He died at the residence of his son,
Dr. James Ferguson, in Cumberland, in October, 1884. He had ten children
five of each sex all of whom are living, with the exception of a girl, who
*Mr. Ferguson died in the winter of 1895.
^*-
I
c oi.oM-:i. SIIIKI.HS.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 585
died in childhood. William, the eldest of the children, was married in
1859 to Jessie Jamieson, who died 24th February, 1872, and he was again
married 8th May, 1873,
o Isabella Ramsay, daughter of Col. John Ramsay, High Constable of
the County of Prescott. Mr. Ferguson was a contractor several years,
and in 1859 engaged in mercantile life, which he followed eight years,
after which he was for some time man ager of the Hochelaga Bank. For a
decade he has been Secretary-Treasurer of the
County Agricultural Society, and agent for agricultural implements,
chiefly those of Frost & Wood, Smith s Falls, Ont.
Mr. Ferguson says that the following are the only four persons living at
the Hill who were here at the time of his arrival, 1842 : Mrs. Malcolm
McCuaig, Mrs. Dr.
Harkin, Mrs. William McCrae and Mrs. John Roberts. He has had three
sons, the eldest of whom is deceased ; the other two live in Seattle,
Washington.
The father of Mrs. Ferguson, Col. John Ramsay, was born in Fermanagh
County, Ireland, in 1783, and was in military service there in 1798. He
came o this country in 1821, and bought the farm in the township of
Longueuil which is now owned by his grandson, John Ramsay McCann. He
wielded much influence, and was connected with public affairs all his
life, serving as Coroner, Assessor, Collector and High Constable during
a period of forty years. He took an active part in the formation of the
Militia Companies, and received the rank of Captain, afterwards being
promoted to that of Lieutenant-Colonel ; he was a warm friend of Judge
Ham ilton. He died 1 6th June, 1878, at the great age of 95 years and
7 months; his
sight was so good that, notwithstanding his advanced years, he was never
obliged to use spectacles. He had eight children, only four of whom
daughters grew up ; Mrs. Ferguson is the only one of them still living.
LEONARD BERTRAND is a lineal descendant of a French soldier, who came
with troops from France to Canada in 1740. His father. Leon Bertrand, was
born in St. Andrews about 1805 ; the latter was married i8th January,
1836, at Rigaud, to Veronique Poireau De Bellefeuille. They removed to
Fort Covington, N.Y., in 1842, but returned in the fall of 1843, ano
^ bought a farm in East Hawkesbury, where he died nth January, 1881,
at the age of 76 ; he had six sons and five daughters.
Leonard, the eldest son, was born at St. Guillaume, Rigaud, learned the
carriage- maker s trade, also that of millwright, and opened a shop in
East Hawkesbury in
1865, which he conducted till 1880, and moved to the Hill in 1883. He
was married 6th November, 1867, to Sarah Murray, of Stardale, Ont. The
year previous, he joined Company No. 4, of the nth Battalion, commanded
by Captain Ogden ; served till 1869, when he was appointed Lieutenant
of Company No. 7 of the Regi
mental Division of Prescott, and was appointed Captain 23rd December,
1870, and
still holds his commission. He has been a Trustee of the Public and
Model Schools, and is Recording Secretary of the Methodist Church of
this village, and for some years has had charge of the Bible Class ;
he is always ready to perform Christian work. Financially, he has been
very successful, and owns quite a quantity of real estate and several
houses in the village.
JAMES STEELE, of whose father and brother a sketch is given in the history
of Cassbum, is now a citizen of the Hill ; but he spent a large portion,
of his life in East Hawkesbury, Owing to impaired health, he entered the
general agency busi ness, and, in 1871, became agent for the Agricultural
Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany of Canada (now London Mutual), and has worked up a large business. He
has also been agent for the Western and Citizens insurance Companies
of Canada,
the Alliance and Sun Companies of London, England, and several others. In
1875 he purchased of his father 75 acres of the homestead, on which he
erected a fine
38
,j86 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
brick house with commodious outbuildings, and planted an orchard of
200 apple trees, which is now one of the most productive orchards in
Prescott. He also made many other valuable improvements on his farm at
an expense of nearly $3,000.
Mr. Steele was married 20th June, 1877, by the Rev. Wm. J. Joliffe, to
Elvira Lovina Carkner, fifth daughter of the late William Carkner, of the
Hill. After spend ing about two years at Vankleek Hill, he returned to
the farm in May, 1880. A new post office having been opened in February,
1885, with the name Stardale, he was appointed Postmaster, and the same
year he opened a general store, which he
conducted successfully for nine years. In January, 1894, having leased
his farm, he purchased a fine house and lot at the Hill, and once
more removed hither. Mr. Steele has been a Director of the County of
Prescott Agricultural Society, and also of the Society of East and West
Hawkesbury and Longueuil for many years ; vice- president of Prescott
Farmers Institute, School Trustee, etc., etc. In early life he united
with the Methodist Church, and has ever since been one of its active and
liberal supporters. He has been Recording Steward of the Vankleek Hill
Circuit for nearly ten years, Trustee of Zion and Point Fortune Churches,
Sunday-School
Superintendent, Local Preacher, and President of the Y. M, C. A. of
this village. He has always been an active worker in the cause of
Temperance, as well as in all moral and social reforms. In politics he
is a consistent Liberal, and Vice-President of the County of Prescott
Reform Association. Besides his many other works of public utility he has
contributed many valuable articles to the newspapers and periodicals of
the country. He has had six children five sons and one daughter, all of
whom are now living, and the three eldest are attending the High School
of the Hill.
JOHN HUNTER is a gentleman who, after having served many years in life
s waifare, sought a well merited rest in this village. His father,
John Hunter, came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Longueuil, in
1825. Two years later he purchased the west half of Lot 19, 6th Range,
in West Hawkesbury, which is now owned by his son Hugh. He afterwards
bought 200 acres more adjoining it, and spent his life there, being one
of the active, loyal militia in the troubles of 1837, an d subsequently
a Municipal Councillor several years; he died 2ist November, 1865 ;
Mrs. Hunter died i3th March, 1875. They had four sons and five daughters,
of whom the former and four of the latter grew up.
John, the second son, married, 4th June, 1866, Eliza Renneck. He followed
lumbering several years, having bought a lot of forest land and built, a
saw mill in Caledonia, Lot i, 2nd Concession, which was located near his
father s farm in Hawkesbury. His lumbering operations and saw mill were
a source of no little profit to him, and enabled him to save money. He
has also spent a number of years in farming, and still owns 350 acres of
land ; nor has he been permitted to devote his time wholly to his own
work, having served twenty years as Municipal Councillor in Caledonia,
during which time he was also Reeve. /In the fall of 1892 he bought a
lot and partially completed house on Derby Ave., in this village. He
completed the house, and now has one of the most attractive residences
in the corporation ; his farm, a few miles from Vankleek Hill, with its
imposing brick dwelling and cjm-
modious outbuildings, is one of the finest in the county.
CAPT. WILLIAM OGDEN is another respected citizen who has lately sought
a home at the Hill, after many years of toil. He is a grandson of James
Ogden who
came from London, England, to Quebec, about 1798, with his brother, Judge
Ogden, who was quite prominent in this country for a number of years,
but who finally returned to England. James Ogden was a merchant tailor,
and plied his vocation in Quebec some years, and then came to St. Andrews,
Argenteuil County,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 587
Que., and bought the farm on the River Rouge, which is now owned by
Donald McEwen, and died there about 1828 ; he had four sons and two
daughters. Joseph the youngest son, married about 1826, Susan, eldest
daughter of William LeRoy and, after living on the homestead four years,
sold it and removed to East Hawkes- bury, and bought the farm which is
now owned by his grandson. George Ogden. He lived there till his death,
9 th November, 1886; he had four sons and" two daughters.
William, the eldest son, bought a farm of ico acres near the homestead,
on which he settled and lived for thirty years, after spending a decade
in lumbering. He then sold, and bought another small property in East
Hawkesbury, and engaged in
cheese manufacturing, which he still follows. He was married in 1854
to Ann Kidd Grout, daughter of Solomon Grout the first settler in that
section of Hawkesbury. She died loth March, 1883, and he married a second
time, 27th July 1886 Christiana McNab, of West Hawkesbury. Mr. Ogden
was much interested in the organization of the military companies during
the Fenian Raids, and was elected
Lieutenant of Company No. 4, i8th Battalion, by ballot of its members,
and not long afterwards, was promoted to the rank of Captain. He was
School Trustee in East Hawkesbury several years, and has long been a
Justice of the Peace. He now
resides in his pleasant brick dwelling on Derby Avenue.
One of the attractive private residences on Main Street is that of
WILLIAM McADAM, who is connected with several different societies on
the Hill and with important business concerns. His father, John McAdam,
came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to East Hawkesbury, in 1844. He
followed the trade of shoe maker, and was Postmaster, also, from 1866
to 187 r. He now resides with his son, William ; his companion having
died i6th November, 1886. He has two sons and two daughters now living.
William, the eldest son, after attending the school at East Hawkesbury
and the Grammar School at the Hill, spent several years previous to 1869
as clerk at Cale donia Springs, Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill. Since that
date he has resided permanently at the Hill, and has been in the employ
of Mr. McCuaig, as Bookkeeper, 23 years. He is now a partner in the
Vankleek Hill Manufacturing Company, and is also Secretary, Stockholder
and Director of the Electric Light Company. He is Treasurer of the
financial department of the Presbyterian Church, and has been Treasurer
of the Township of West Hawkesbury since July, 1881. He was married 26th
January, 1874, to Miss Hattie McCuaig, sister of Malcolm McCuaig, Esq. Mr.
McAdam is a gentleman of industrious habits and most genial nature.
DONALD McLEOD, son of John McLeod, a pioneer of Glengarry County, was
born in Lochiel, in 1849. I 1 lg 66 he came to this place, and entered the
employ of Malcolm McCuaig, with whom he remained five years. He then went
to Alexandria, Glengarry County, and engaged in the dry goods business for
two years, subse quently returning to Vankleek Hill, and opening a dry
goods store in partnership with W. H. McKenzie, the firm being known as
McLeod & McKenzie. At the end of thirteen years he sold out his interest
to Mr. McKenzie, and built a granary on the Canada Atlantic Railroad,
and does an extensive business. Mr. McLeod has taken an active part in
municipal affairs; he was elected Reeve of West Hawkesbury in
1889, an d served for three years, at the end of which time he
resigned. He was
re-elected January ist, 1895, an d still holds the office.
On January i7th, 1888, he was married to Frances, daughter of Robert
Thistle- waite, Esq., of this place ; they have two sons and one daughter.
588 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
DONALD MC!NNES, from Glenelg, Scotland, came to West Hawkesbury in 1815,
and settled on half of Lot 16, Range 6, and followed farming till his
death in 1851. He was married in 1826 to Margaret McRae, who died in 1849,
leaving five sons and four daughters.
Alexander, the youngest son, has followed blacksmithing at the Hill,
where he is one of the esteemed and influential citizens. He was married
24th June, 1871, to Mary, daughter of John Stewart ; they have five sons
and one daughter. Mr. Mclnnes has been Secretary of the High School
Board and an Elder of the Presby terian Church several years.
Donald, his eldest son, for six years has been cashier in the Hochelaga
Bank at
this place ; another son, who recently graduated at Queen s College,
Toronto, is studying Law in Ottawa, and a third son is still in the same
institution, taking a five years course for the degree of M.A.
EAST HAWKESBURY.
-
This Township is bounded north by the Ottawa, east by the County of
Vaudreuil r
south by Glengarry, and west by West Hawkesbury.
It is one of the finest townships in Ontario ; the section bordering
the Ottawa a mile or more in depth, while possessing fine scenery and
many well improved and
productive farms, is yet inferior as an agricultural district to the
Concessions which lie in the rear of it, which are truly park-like in
appearance ; and the buildings gener ally seem those of retired gentlemen
of wealth, rather than those of farmers.
CHUTE AU BLONDEAU.
About five miles west of Point Fortune, on an elevation overlooking the
noble Ottawa, is a little village bearing the above name, the broad view
of the surrounding country which its location commands making it one of
the most pleasant places on the river.
Chute au Blondeau has a fine Roman Catholic church, a post-office,
two stores, two hotels, and a shop or two, besides several dwellings.
A Roman Catholic chapel was built here in 1861, by the Rev. Mr. Collins,
P.P., of St. Eugene. He held service monthly till eight years ago, since
which there has been weekly service. The present church was erected
in 1892, by the Rev. Father Towner. It is a fine brick structure,
100 feet by 45 feet, with a commo dious vestry. The present incumbent
is the Rev. Mr. LeClaire.
The first school ever opened in this section was a private one,
started about 1830 by two early settlers, Mr. Wyman and Mr. Kirby. The
school-house occupied the site of the present store of Mr. Belanger. It
continued only five or six years, and was supported by a few families. A
better system of schools was soon inaugu
rated.
Before the construction of the Carillon dam, there was quite a liitle
fall, or chute, in the river at this point, and near it, on a diminutive
cape, dwelt, about a century ago, a man named Blondeau. It is said that
he was accidentally drowned here, near his own cabin. The chute naturally
soon became designated by lumber men as that of Blondeau, and though it
is now buried from view beneath the waters, the name given to the locality
is a lasting memorial of the ill-starred Frenchman who here lost his life.
This seems to have been a favorite resort of Indians, and they often
landed here years after the first white settlers came as many as forty
or fifty canoes filled with.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 589
red men sometimes stopping here when on their way to join the fur traders
of the North-West
Mr. John Kirby, now residing here, has several Indian relics found here
stone axes, gouges, arrow-heads, etc. When Mr. Kirby s father was digging,
preparatory to laying the foundation of his house, he also unearthed
a quantity of human bones evidence that the Indians had here buried
their dead.
Among other things which contributed to render this place one of
considerable celebrity, was its excellent fishing grounds, many varieties
offish shad especially being caught here in large numbers . During the
decade following the year 1845, as many as 1,200 fish were sometimes
caught in a single day, and though they rapidly decreased from that
time, 400 were often caught in a day during the two or three years which
preceded the building of the dam.
The location here of Mr. Kirby s hotel, in which courts and public
meetings of different kinds were often held, and the many lumbermen who
flocked hither in con sequence of Mr. Kirby s connection with the lumber
business, together with the patronage secured by his connection with the
stage line, all combined to make this a stirring place in years long past.
DANIEL B. WVMAN was doubtless the first permanent settler in this
locality, having located in Lot 17 and half of Lot 18, ist Range, in
1804. He was born in
Brookfield, Mass., in 1765, and was married in Wells, Vermont, to Sarah
BeaYdsley in 1788, and removed to Hawkesbury, Canada, in 1804. The land
he purchased, as well as some adjacent to it, was owned by a Miss Blake
in Quebec. Squatters who had occupied it had rendered themselves so
obnoxious to the other settlers,
from their thievish propensities, that a party from Chatham, on the
opposite shore of the Ottawa, crossed over one night, quickly demolished
their cabin, and compelled them to seek " fresh fields and pastures new."
Mr. Wyman was a millwright, and soon after coming here, he built a
grist-mill and saw-mill on land contiguous to his own, which is now
owned by Henry Hughes.
These mills were in operation many years, and the saw-mill was rebuilt,
but the
water-power was destroyed by the erection of the Carillon dam. Mr. Wyman
built mills in other sections of the country, and once met with a serious
loss by the break ing up of a raft of timber which he was taking down
the St. Lawrence to use in the construction of a large mill. He lived
in Hawkesbury till his death, 4th October, 1848, and his descendants
are among the most respected people of the township. He had one son and
five daughters. Hiram B., the son, who was born in Wells, Ver mont, i6th
December, 1797, remained on the homestead, and became a man of influence
in this section, and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. He was
married in 1831 to Jane Melancey Ellis, and died in 1883. They had four
sons and four daughters.
Daniel B., the eldest of the sons, was married i5th September, 1858, to
Emma, daughter of William Kirby. The next year they settled on a farm of
100 acres adjacent to the homestead, to which Mr. Wyman has since added,
till he now has 270 acres a fine, well-stocked farm. In 1885 he built
an attractive brick residence, and all his buildings and surroundings
show that hisyeais of toil have not been expended in vain. He has been a
Justice of the Peace about 14 years, but has declined all other public
offices.
Chauncey, his eldest son, who was married in 1890 to Ethel J. Inglis,
lives on the homestead ; the two youngest sons of Mr. Wyman, Hiram and
Daniel, are taking a course at McGill ; two of his daughters are married.
William, the youngest of the family of the late Hiram B. Wyman, remained
on the homestead, which, with additions he has made, is now a large farm,
and which,
590 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
like his brother Daniel s farm, has been rendered attractive and
productive through many years of industrious labor. Mr. Wyman was married
i$th September, 1880, to
Clarissa, daughter of Hugh Lough.
The two brothers erected a cheese factory contiguous to their farms,
about ten years since, which receives the patronage of many of the
farmers of this section.
Adjacent to the brothers, in a very pretty cottage most pleasantly
situated, lives their brother-in-law, ROBERT LEE, who was married to
Hattie, third daughter of Hiram B. Wyman, 2ist November, 1877. Mr. Lee
was born near Ottawa, and is now agent for sewing machines, musical
instruments, and a variety of agricultural implements.
A mile or more east of the little village of Chute au Blondeau stands
a dilapidated stone house, quite spacious, and which, it is said, is
lower by a story than it was when erected. Evidently it was once quite
a respectable building, but like most ancient dwellings long unoccupied,
it has the reputation of having been haunted. It was
built early in this century by a prominent merchant of Montreal a
Mr. Platt who
had purchased a tract of land, comprising three or four hundred
acres. Subse quently he was in England on business, and when in an
umbrella factory in Birming ham, he met a young girl named Jane Smith,
employed there, to whom he* took a fancy. He asked her it she would not
like to go to America, and assured her that if she would go with him he
would treat her with paternal kindness.
Having but little idea of what going to America meant, and thinking
she could return in a few days if so inclined, she replied that she
would like much to go, but would first have to get the consent of her
parents, and besides, she had a sister employed in the same factory,
whom she felt she could not leave. Mr. Platt assured her that he would
be pleased to take her sister also, and he left with the understanding
that the girls should consult their parents and report their decision
to him on his return a day or two later. Accordingly, the parents were
consulted ; their consent was given, and soon after, the daughters bade
them farewell. A long stretch of level road enabled them, after the
coach was some distance away, to look back and see
their parents on the gallery of their cottage, waving handkerchiefs a
last farewell ; they never met again. The thirteen weeks voyage following
expanded the girls ideas regarding a trip to America.
At this time Mr. Platt had in his employ a young man named William Kirby,
between whom and Miss Jane Smith an attachment sprang up, and three or
four years later they were united in marriage. Subsequently, Mr. Platt
sent the young couple to his farm in Hawkesbury, where they lived a
few years in the stone house above mentioned, and then bought Lot 22,
ist Concession, and erected a house of
their own ; they removed to this in 1824. For many years Mr. Kirby
conducted this as a public house ; he also was a Justice of the Peace.
About the year 1830, he and Monmarquet, of Carillon, started a line
of stage coaches between Point Fortune and L Orignal. In the winter
Mr. Kirby also con ducted a line between Montreal and Ottawa. For the
first few years wagons were used, and then the proprietors purchased
several fine coaches in Albany, N.Y., which added much to the dignity of
the line, and comfort of the passengers. As the lumber business was then
in the height of its prosperity, a great many lumbermen stopped here,
and their custom, together with that of travellers passing through,
rendered the hotel business very profitable.
Mr. Kirby had stable room for eighty horses, and it happened not
infrequently that the entire room was occupied.
He died in 1873, but Mrs. Kirby survived till November, 1894, dying at the
great age of 100 years and u months, and her memory and mental faculties
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 591
remained unimpaired till about a year prior to her death. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Kirby were striking examples of the determined, hardy and
industrious emigrants from the Old Country, who opened up these townships.
Mr. Kirby was from Yorkshire, England honest, sensitive, and quick to
resent any imputation against himself of dishonor.
He and Judge McDonell, of Point Fortune, had long been friends, but on
a certain occasion Mr. Kirby, feeling that the Judge had insulted him,
retaliated with a blow. Friends interfered, and they were separated. It
was some days afterward, however, before Mr. Kirby, through the
intercession of friends, would consent to apologize. Shortly afterward
the Judge, who held the chief office in the militia, came up to Kirby
s Hotel attired in uniform, to attend the drill of his men.
While he was standing in the yard, one of the friends of both men came
from the door, arm in arm with Kirby.
" Well, Judge," said the friend, " Kirby is here and willing to
apologize."
" On your knees, Kirby ! " said the Judge, " I ll never accept your
apology otherwise ;" and he emphasized the words by a sweep of his sword.
" I ll see you first ! I kneel to no one but my Maker;" fiercely replied
Kirby, in whom the arbitrary mandate had roused all his former anger. One
word brought on another, till, instead of making the intended apology,
Kirby again rushed towards the Judge, and was only prevented from striking
him by the active interfer ence of friends. Not long afterwards the Judge
was taken sick and sent for Kirby, who, before leaving, kindly loaned
him $400, of which sum the Judge was then much in need. The Judge soon
afterward died, but it is just to say that before his death, he made
arrangements by which the debt was honorably paid.
Mr. Kirby, like most of the old pioneers, was fond of a practical joke.
When living on the Platt farm, Mrs. Kirby had in her employ a servant,
a French
girl, named Rosy, to whom she was much attached. Rosy had a sweetheart
named Joannise, and when the two were married, Mrs. Kirby presented Rosy
with a half-
dozen silver spoons, on which the bride s name was engraved.
Squire Le Roy, who had been some years in the country, and who had settled
on a lot adjoining Mr. Kirby s, was the only one in this section empowered
to marry, and he was called to officiate on this occasion. After their
marriage the happy
couple repaired to their humble dwelling three or four miles distant,
and for a short time their domestic happiness seemed unalloyed. But
in a few weeks discord began to disturb the serenity of their lives ;
more serious trouble ensued, and after wisely discussing the matter,
and finding that permanent peace was not likely to establish itself
between them, they decided to have the nuptial knot untied. Accordingly,
the following morning, Joannise visited Mr. Kirby, laid the matter before
him, and asked if he did not think Squire Le Roy would, for a reasonable
sum, undo the work he had recently performed. Mr. Kirby, unwilling to
lose an opportunity for a little sport, replied in the affirmative,
and suggested that they should together call on the Squire, and get his
opinion. The latter, after hearing the iale of Joannise, and his ques tion
as to whether he would unmarry him or not, gravely replied that he would.
" How much you will ax? " was the next question propounded.
"Oh," said the Squire, "I suppose it ought to be worth a quart of rum"
an article commonly used for traffic in those days.
Joannise gladly accepted the terms, and on the following morning
appeared with his wife before the Squiie. We are ignorant of the ceremony
performed on the occasion, but at its close, Joannise and the hapless
Rosy, evidently believing that they were legally divorced, gave emphasis
to the belief by walking homeward with stately dignity on opposite sides
of the road. Having arrived at their cottage, they
592 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
proceeded to make a division of their personal property, in which they
were to share equally. All went well until they came to the silver
spoons, which Rosy claimed as her own. The divorced husband objected,
averring that this was contrary to the agreement, by which he was fully
entitled to one-half of the spoons. After consider able altercation,
Rosy yielded to his wishes, and three of the coveted articles came into
his possession. After the division was made they bade each other an
affectionate farewell, kissed and embraced, but before the completion
of the last act, a feeling of contrition suddenly possessed their
hearts their arms refused to untwine from each other tears and humble
confessions of hasty tempers and harsh words followed, and ere they
parted, pardon for past errors had mutually been granted, and they had
vowed to be re-married. In the afternoon of the same day, therefore,
in which their marriage knot had been severed, they trudged back three
miles to Squire Le Roy ; Joannise presented him with another quart of
rum, and soon afterward they started arm in arm for home again; and
tradition asserts that, like the hero and the heroine of the modern
romance, they lived happily together ever afterward.
Justice to the memory of Mrs. Kirby demands that we should record
her dis approval of her husband s encouragement of this affair. She
sternly reproved him and the Squire for carrying on the farce, instead of
instructing these ignorant people as to the true character and solemnity
of the marriage rite.
Mr. and Mrs. Kirby had eight children, of whom three sons and three
daughters grew up. William S., the eldest son, was long connected with
the Customs Depart
ment at Ottawa.
Thomas H., the youngest son, is Treasurer of the city of Ottawa.
John M., the second son, has always remained on the homestead consisting
of 300 acres on which he keeps an average of 65 head of cattle, besides
horses.
He was married i5th September, 1^58, to Caroline Wyman, who died in
February, 1888. She was an estimable woman, possessed of great amiability,
and her loss was deplored not only by her own family, but by a large
circle of friends.
Their eldest daughter, Jane Elizabeth, married James Connors, son of P.
Connors, of Little Rideau, and lives at St. Ignace, Michigan.
Emma, the second daughter, was married 4th March, 1891, to John W. Ross ;
she died 25th February, 1892.
Russell, the eldest son, resides at Braeside, Ont. ; Wyman, the second
son, lives in Seattle, Washington. Three sons, John M., Daniel B.,
and Hiram H., and one daughter, Caroline May, are still at home.
Mr. Kirby is one of the influential farmers of Hawkesbury, and has been
a Municipal Councillor 14 years, half of which period he has been Deputy
Reeve ; he has also been a School Trustee 39 years ; he is now Warden
of the united counties of Prescott and Russell.
In his younger days he carried the mail for many years, and engaged
to some extent in the lumber business. He also conducted the hotel for
some time after his father retired from the business, but gave it up,
Mrs. Kirby being strongly
opposed to the selling of spirituous liquors. Another business which he
followed a long time was the conveying of raftsmen from the foot of the
Long Sault to Hawkes bury. This was before steam tugs were employed
to tow the rafts, and they were all broughfdown the rapids. A raft
was usually composed of seventy-two cribs of logs ; and fourteen men
thirteen and a pilot were employed to bring six cribs, called a " band,"
down the Long Sault, and they were required to make three trips a day. As
soon as one " band " was brought down, Mr. Kirby took the fourteen men,
drove rapidly with them to Hawkesbury, seven miles, and returned in time
to meet them again at the foot of the Long Sault; and this he did till
the three trips were accomplished ;
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 593
he also provided the men with dinner. Mr. Kirby often alludes to the
quietude of his premises compared with the hurly-burly of forty years
ago. It has already been stated that his father had a contract for
carrying the mail from Montreal to Ottawa. Mr. Kirby, senior, himself
drove the stage between Hawkesbury and Montreal, and
for some time he crossed the Ottawa at Carillon, and went down via St.
Eustache. About 1848 he began to drive to Vaudreuil, and crossed thence
to St. Ann s.
A man who had long carried the mail, and owned a line of stage coaches,
between
Montreal and Toronto, found himself suddenly deprived of his income by
boats which were placed on the St. Liwrence. He was then compelled to use
his horses and coaches in other places, and among the opposition lines
he stirted one between Point For tune and L Orignal. It was during the
existence of this line that business, especially travel, was most brisk
in this locality. Mr. Kirby says that he cfcen saw a dozen stage coaches
at his father s door.
This gentleman relates a singular and rather amusing incident which
occurred during his experience in the lumber business :
O.ie day, a large, rustic young fellow, 16 or 17 years old, came to him
when he
was forming a raft up the Ottawa, and asked for employment. His i^ms
we shall call Ben, and he came from one of the townships in the rear
of Argenteuil, from which locality had come also two or three others
Scotchmen who were working for Mr. Kirby. Requiring no more help,
he declined to employ Ben, but at his earnest en
treaty changed his mind and set the boy at work.
One of his employees at the time was an Indian who was decidedly bibulous
in his habits. Strange to relate, Ben became attached to the Indian,
and soon fell into his habits. Mr. Kirby reproved and advised the young
fellow, and suggested
to the Scotchmen who were from the same locality, that they should use
their influence with Ben to induce him to abstain from the use of liquor,
and carefully save his wages to take to his father, of whom he was the
only child.
" O let him alone," was the response. " Never fear, he ll learn better
by and by than to make a fool of himself ; " and so things went on a
few days longer, when the two chums returned late one night, half drunk,
as usual, from their evening potations. Very near the cabin on the raft
where Mr. Kirby was sleeping, there was an open
space several feet square. The night was dark, and Ben and the Indian,
stealing
quietly along so as to escape discovery, walked straight* into the open
space, and at once sank in the deep water. The Indian, after floundering
about, swam to one side, and succeeded in getting on the raft. He then
listened for some evidence of the location of his companion, believing
that he could not swim, but in vain. He called to him two or three times,
but no response was returned ; all was silence and darkness. The young man
was at the bottom of the river, and fear seized the Indian that he might
be censured, and perhaps held accountable for his death, and he decided
to flee. But no ! he might yet be saved; animated by this thought,
he rapped vigorously on the slide window of the cabin, and informed
Mr. Kirby in start ling accents that Ben was drowning. Directing the
Indian to rouse the other men, Mr. Kirby, as soon as possible, was out
with a lantern to assist in the search,
which was prosecuted during the remainder of the night. In the morning,
the raft was removed, and moored in another place, so that every part
of the river there
about might be thoroughly dragged. At the same time, a messenger was
dispatched
on foot, to carry the sad tidings to the father of the lost boy. As the
distance was twenty-five or thirty miles, the father did not arrive till
the following day, and then he could do nothing but bemoan his loss. After
learning all the particulars of the terrible accident, and examining
the scene of its occurrence, he set out to visit a farmer named Fraser,
who lived a few miles back on the Ontario side of the Ottawa,
594 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
in a neighborhood where he had himself formerly resided. On entering
the house of Fraser, he found the family sitting down to dinner, and
the first person on whom his eyes rested was his lost son. His joy and
astonishment may be better imagined than described. After his own story
had been told to the surprised family, the sequel was unfolded by his boy.
On finding himself in the river, the latter s first efforts naturally
were to get out, which he did with little difficulty. Believing, however,
that the Indian was drowned, and that he would be regarded as the chief
cause of his death, he imme
diately plunged into the river, swam to the opposite shore, and made
his way to
Fraser s, where he engaged in work, and until his father s arrival he
had never men tioned the circumstances which had led him hither.
The father and son returned together to the raft, and it is perhaps
needless to
add that the latter s unexpected reappearance among the men, and his
strange sur vival, was the topic of conversation for many a day. It is
said the Indian seldom or never laughs, but Mr. Kirby affirms that the
way this Indian laughed, when he learned of Ben s flight, from fear that
he was drowned, was enough to force a smile on the face of a tomb-stone.
JOHN GIBSON, the oldest person residing in this vicinity, was born
near Belfast, Ireland, and came to Canada in 1828. He Jived about two
years in Lachtite, Que., and in 1830, or 1831, removed to Hawkesbury,
and settled on Lot 15, Range 4. From that he removed to the ist Range,
and nearly forty years ago settled on the Platt property described
above. This property was entailed, but Mr. Gibson held
it in charge till it was his by possession, yet he generously abandoned
all claim, and purchased 100 acres of it from the rightful heir, and on
this he still resides.
He also has his reminiscences of pioneer life. About the year 1836,
when he lived in the 4th Range, there was a season of great destitution
among the settlers, arising chiefly from late frosts in the spring. One
morning, after his family had consumed for breakfast every mouthful of
food in the house, he went to St. Andrews, across the Ottawa, purchased
56 Ibs. of flour, which he took on his back in a bag, and started on his
return. Night and a heavy storm came on soon after he left Point Fortune,
and he sought shelter in an old vacant house, near the present dwelling
of Mr. Lamb. Taking his bag of flour for a pillow, he slept soundly,
and the next morning resumed his journey ; but before reaching home he
was obliged to supply three of his destitute neighbors with flour enough
for break fast. Mr. Gibson, however, outlived those days of hardship,
and is now in posses sion of a fine farm. He has been a member of the
County and Township Councils ;
was Deputy Reeve, and for some years served as Coroner for Prescott and
Russell ; in politics he has always been an active Liberal. He has had
nine children three sons and six daughters.
JOHN HODGSON, a respected farmer of this section, has spent nearly
his whole life in this country. He came here with his father, Matthew
Hodgson, in 1818, from Thorn ton, ^Yorkshire, England. When quite young,
he was apprenticed to Samuel Orr of Lachute, Que., to learn the trade of
shoemaker, and he lived in that town till he settled in Hawkesbury. About
1860, he bought the west half of Lot u, ist Range in East Hawkesbury, on
which he still resides, and to which he has added 75 acres. He was married
28th May, 1844,10 Esther Reveler; they have two sons and four daughters.
Mr. Hodgson has been School Trustee and Assessor several years.
About 1830, JAMES GRAY, from Roxburghshire, Scotland, came to this
locality with ten children seven sons and three daughters four of the
former being married.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 595
John, one of the sons, bought here 500 acres of land, on a part of which
two of his own sons, James and William, now live, both actively engaged
in their res pective vocations, the former as carpenter and builder,
the latter as farmer. Their father, John Gray, had six sons and four
daughters two of the latter are deceased.
Alexander, the fifth son, learned the blacksmith trade, and was married
soon afterward, in the fall of 1871, to Hannah M. Hodgson. He erected a
carriage and blacksmith shop, and through unflagging industry and energy,
has built up a good business. He manufactures carriages of all kinds,
which are noted for their neat ness, cheapness and durability.
OVILA BELANGER, whose neat new dwelling has a most commanding view
up and down the Ottawa and of the County ot Argemeuil. was born in
St. Andrews, Que. His father, Joseph Belanger, moved from St. Andrews,
to St. Eugene about 1865, and after conducting a hotel there for two
years, he came to Chute au Blon- deau, purchased a farm, and opened a
hotel which he managed till his death in 1874 ; he left six sons and two
daughters. Ovila, the eldest son, then took charge of the farm and hotel,
but sold the latter in four years, and devoted himself to farmino- He
was married ;th January, 1884, to Alzire Duas ; she died 3rd April, 1893,
and he was again married 29th May, 1894, to Emily Clement. Mr. Belanger
has been School Trustee for six years, and a member of the Municipal
Council for two years. He is very popular with his fellow-citizens,
and was elected Councillor by almost their unanimous vote. It is worthy
of note that, although he and his five brothers were reared in a hotel,
not one of them smokes or uses spirituous liquors.
DAVID MCALLISTER, who has a good sized store here, in which he keeps
a lar^e stock of general merchandise, is the youngest son of the late
William McAllister noticed in the history of Brownsburg, Argenteuil Co.,
Que. In 1872, when a young man, he sought employment in the West, and
spent twelve years in California, Arizona and Mexico. On his return in
1884, he entered mercantile life in the store here, where his brother
James had traded for some years. The same year he was married, xoth
December, to Elmina, daughter of D. B. Wyman. The genial manner and
upright dealing of Mr. McAllister have secured him a large circle of
customers.
His brother, James McAllister, who has spent twenty-three years in mercan
tile life, still resides in this place. A post office was established here
in 1869, and he was appointed Postmaster a position he still holds. He
was married in 1868 to Janet Gray; she died in 1890; and he was next
married to Edith, daughter of Geo. Bradford, of Gushing, Argenteuil Co.,
Que. Mr. McAllister has been a member of the School Board eight years.
JOHN R. NENDICK is the proprietor of a fine little farm of 70 acres,
located at
this place. His father, William Nendick, came from Yorkshire, England,
to Hawkes- bury, in 1850, with his wife and six children. After living
on rented farms a few years, he bought one in the 2nd Concession of this
township, which he sold not many years later, and went to Iowa.
John R., his eldest son, was in the employ of Mr. John Kirby, six years ;
he was married 2ist June, 1870, to Mary Filion, and he bought his present
farm in 1885.
JOHN LITTLE, from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, came to Canada in 1825. He
was a stonemason, and was employed in L Orignal and Hawkesbury during
the re mainder of his life, which terminated at the house of his son,
John, at Little Rideau. He left three sons and four daughters.
John, the third son, learned the mason and stonecutter s trade, and
has followed it upward of forty years. In 1863, he bought a farm of 100
acres here, and has
596 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
erected on it a good brick house besides commodious outbuildings. He
was mar ried to Jane Goudie on November loth, 1845, and last fall they
enjoyed the celebra tion of their golden wedding, at which a large number
of guests from both sides of the Ottawa were present. They have eight
sons and three daughters living.
Thomas A., the eldest son, left the farm in 1868, and went to California,
where, zyth January, 1875, he married Mrs. Laura Miller of Stockton,
in that State. The following year he returned to this place and settled
near his father s farm, on the Cook farm of of 200 acres, where he still
resides. He is one of the enterprising farmers of Hawkesbury, keeps
50 head of cattle and 35 cows ; has a silo, with good farm buildings,
and if industry is a guarantee of success, Mr. Little s financial pios-
perity is assured.
It seems strange to relate that in this pleasant farm dwelling,
surrounded with
trees and shrubbery, in a remarkably quiet and moral community, should
have oc curred, but a few years since, one of the most atrocious murders
ever perpetrated in the Province.
Ruggles Cook, the former proprietor of this farm, had for some months
employed a well-educated English emigrant, named Fred. Mann, scarcely
more than 20 years
of age.
Early one morning in January, 1882, Mann, who for some reason seemed
to have conceived a sudden and violent hatred of the whole family,
followed Mr. Cook to the barn and cruelly murdered him with an axe. He
then returned, and his next victims were Mrs. Cook and her daughter Emma ;
both being found in the top of a
granary near the kitchen, evidently strangled. George and William Cook
were still in bed when Mann approached and struck the former on the
head with the axe, killing him instanily. William awakened jumped from
the bed and grappled with the murderer, but not before he had received
a cruel blow with the axe on the hip ;
and, in the scuffle, Mann succeeded in hitting him again with the axe
on thejeg. These wounds were of so serious a nature, that they resulted
in the death of the young man, in Lachute, Que., about a year later. This
all occurred in a bedroom
in the kitchen chamber, and the noise created, attracting the notice
of two daughters of Mr. Cook, they looked from a window in the rear of
the front building, and saw the deadly struggle; their brother at that
moment having Mann by the throat. The latter descried the girls at the
same time, and leaving his victim, he rushed down stairs just in time
to meet them hastening to their brother s aid. Both parties sud denly
stopped. " What in the world are you doing ? " exclaimed one of the
sisters, as they met.
Without replying Mann stared at her fora moment with a dazed expression,
then turned and fled. He succeeded in gaining the woods and crossed the
Ottawa, but was arrested the next day at St. Hermas, Que. He was hanged
for the crime a few
months later at L Orignal. Much sympathy was felt for the young criminal,
from the fact that he seemed to realize the enormity of his deed, evinced
due contrition for it, and acknowledged the sentence just which condemned
him to death. It was
the opinion of medical men that he had an abnormally large brain, and
at no dis
tant day must have become insane. A most pathetic address written in
verse to his mother, just before his execution, showed that he was a
good scholar, and possessed of much talent. In this farewell address, he
bewailed his folly and wickedness in disregarding his mother s Christian
advice and instructions, and humbly acknow ledged that it was the neglect
of her instruction and example that had led to his fear ful doom.
The first settler on the land where the above murder occurred, was a
man named Barren, whose descendants are numerous in this section of
country. He was
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 597
found dead in his sleigh on the ice of the Ottawa, having died from
meat lodged in his throat. Mrs. Barren was a woman of great energy ;
on one occasion, she rode
on horseback the whole distance to Toronto, to obtain the patent for
their land. The feat will be regarded as remarkable, when we remember
that there were few or no
bridges, and that the way was marked in many places only by blazed trees.
LITTLE RIDEAU.
The above is the name of a hamlet on the Ottawa, five miles below
Hawkesbury Mills, and about two miles west of Chute au Blondeau.
A man named Grant, of Montreal, was doubtless the earliest proprietor
of land here, having obtained 240 acres, and 400 or 500 at Chute au
Blondeau. He sent a
Scotchman named John Goudie here to look after this property, who bought
the land at Little Rideau, and in 1844 so ^ it to Patrick Connors.
JAMES Ross, whose descendants are among the most prominent, active and
intel ligent of the citizens of Hawkesbury, purchased 500 acres of land
at this point in January, 1840. He was a stonecutter by trade, and came
from Scotland, arriving at Greece s Point in April, 1829. His family
consisted of his wife, a son and two daughters. He found employment on
the canal locks then being constructed, and after living at Greece s
Point till March, 1835, removed to Cornwall, where he was also employed
on canal locks four years. He then returned to his farm at Little
Rideau, where he died i4th December, 1843. Mrs. Ross survived till i2th
Novem ber, 1877. They had nine children, four sons and five daughters,
of whom only two sons and three daughters are now living.
Thomas, the eldest son, opened a store on the homestead, which he
conducted for twenty years.
A Post-office was established here in 1853, and he was appointed
Postmaster, a position he held till 1874, when he resigned, and his
brother Robert became his suc cessor. After leaving the store, Thomas
engaged in farming a while, and then, in company with his sons, opened
a store at Hawkesbury Village, where they are doing a large and thriving
business.
Mr. Ross is agentleman of great enterprise, and has engaged largely in the
build ing of cheese factories in different localities, on both sides of
the Ottawa. This year 1895 the factories he has in operation will number
twenty. Last year, the cheese manufactured from 16 factories amounted
to 863.233 Ibs. ; the first factory was started at E. Hawkesbury in 1881.
Robert, the third son of the late James Ross, has always remained on the
home stead, successfully engaged in farming. In 1855, he erected a fine
stone house,
which was enlarged in 1880. Mr. Ross keeps an average of 80 head of
cattle, and from 40 to 60 cows. The entire estate shows the result of
judicious and intelli gent management.
Many have admired the fine blocks of stone used in the construction
of the locks in the Carillon canal; they were quarried on the farm of
Mr. Ross. The quarry was discovered by his father, but it was not opened
till a few years subsequent to his decease. It contains an unlimited
amount of stone, and has already supplied much for building purposes,
but it is not likely to prove very profitable to its proprietor, till
there are better facilities for transportation.
A lime kiln was aho opened on this farm, on the shore of the Ottawa,
many years ago, and is still used, but only to supply the wants of those
in its immediate vicinity.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
598
Mr Ross and his two sisters, Isabella and Charlotte, comprise the family
a family whose knowledge of ancient as well as modern literature shows
that their
library has not been neglected. They have many Indian relics found on
the premises, and these together with a tradition which has been handed
down from an aged squaw, who used sometimes to call at Mr. Goudie s whose
family lived here, many decades ago leads to the belief that this is the
identical spot where Daulac made his heroic stand It is said that this
squaw, who came here occasionally with others of her tribe, pointed out
a place now on the farm of Mr. Ross, which her tribe claimed was the
site of a terrible fight between the French and Iroquois.
Mary, the eldest of the children of James Ross, was married in July, 1843,
to Tames Watson who came to this section from Renfrewshire, Scotland,
in 1840. He was a carpenter by trade, and after their marriage he and
his wife spent a few years in Kingston, and then returned to Little
Rideau, where Mr. Watson engaged m farming ; he died at this place in
1890. His widow resides in Hawkesbury Village, wh-re she has a lot and
dwelling. Her two sons, James and John R., since 1880, have been engaged
in mercantile business at Little Rideau, where, in 1888, they
erected a fine brick store, of which John R. is now proprietor ; his
brother having opened another store in the vicinity. The latter was
married to Margaret Morrison.
As stated above, PATRICK CONNORS purchased a farm here in 1844. His
father, whose name he bears, come from the County of Longford, Ireland, to
this country, in 1825. He spent a year or two in Montreal, and then came
to Chatham, Que., and was employed on the Chute au Blondeau locks. After
the completion of the canal he settled in East Hawkesbury, where he
died ; he had two sons and one daughter. Patrick, the youngest of the
children, and the only one now living, is the only one who remained in
Hawskesbury. He was married in 1844 to Catherine Goudie, and they had
six children three of each sex of whom William, the young-
est son, lives on the homestead. The farm of Mr. Connors shows that he
has not been wanting in energy and industry, though he has found time
to serve his fellow- citizens as Municipal Councillor, School Trustee
and Deputy-Reeve.
GREGORY CONWAY, with two brothers, John and Andrew, came from Ireland
in 1845. Gregory married Miss Goudie, and is now proprietor of a fine
estate in
the 31 d Concession. His brothers have also been very successful ; John,
besides owning a fine farm with valuable buildings, where he lives,
has land in different parts
of the township.
Gregory, a son of Gregory Conway, mentioned above, is an energetic
and prosperous young farmer residing here ; he married Miss Brennan,
a daughter of James Brennan, another successful farmer living in the
2nd Concession of this town ship.
HAMILTON GOTJRLEY from Tyrone County, Ireland, came to Chute au Blondeau
in 1849. He lived on rented farms till 1872, when he purchased one
at Little Rideau, on which he lived till his death, 9 th October,
1882. Mrs. Gourley died gih November, 1893 ; they left six sons and
two daughters.
Samuel, the eldest son, was married 3oth October, 1866, to Margaret
Cameron ; she died i3th November, 1882, and he was next married in 1884
to Eliza Johnson,
who died 5th January, 1894. About 1865, he bought 100 acres of Lot 35,
2nd Con cession, of which no part had then been cleared, but with the
industry and hardihood characteristic of early pioneers, he has cleared
75 acres, and elected thereon com fortable buildings.
John Gourley, his brother, who for several years successfully followed
the black smith trade, has a fine farm of 100 acres, and a good brick
dwelling at Little Rideau.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 599
A cheese factory which was erected at this place by Thomas Ross, in 1881,
is at
present in charge of W. A. SHOREY and his wife, Nancy Vart, to whom he
was married i2th July, 1893; they are from Thurlow, Hastings County,
Ont. Mr. Shorey has been engaged in cheese-making ten years, and is
highly commended for his skill in this one of the greatest of Canadian
industries.
A ride along the Ottawa on either side is always sufficiently pleasant,
no matter in what county, but that from Point Fortune to Hawkesbury
Mills is peculiarly so to an agriculturist, on account of the many good
farms along the wayside; and especially is this true of the latter part
of the route, from Little Rideau to the Mills. Among many that might
be mentioned are the homesteads of William Lovell, Alex ander Craig,
Hugh Lough, Thomas Higginson, the Cameron Brothers, etc.
MR. WILLIAM LOVELL,* now an octogenarian, is a son of ROBERT LOVELL,
who came to Montreal from Cork, Ireland, in 1820, and lived in that city
till his death, in 1849. He had ten children five of each sex. Annie,
the eldest of these, married
Thomas Evans.
John, the eldest son, who died in Montreal, in 1893, became the
distinguished publisher and proprietor of one of the largest publishing
houses in Canada, which is now under the management of his son,
R. K. Lovell. Loyalty was one of the many noble traits which endeared
the late John Lovel! to his fellow-citizens. In his youth, with three
brothers, he took an active part in suppressing the Rebellion of 1837-38!
and it was he who cut down the " Cap of Liberty " at St. Charles, and
presented it to Sir John Colborne ; he also was in all the engagements
of the Rebellion.
William Lovell at that time was a member of Company No. 4 Rifles,
commanded by Capt. Blackwood. He had been employed on the Gazette,
of whom Huti Ramsay was one of the proprietors, and, at the direction
of Mr. Ramsay, he set, one Sabbath, the type for the bill proclaiming
Martial Law the first and only type he ever set on the Lord s day,
though he worked at the printer s trade nearly fifty years.
In 1852 he purchased 400 acres of land in Hawkesbury, on which but little
improvement had been made, and of which he still retains his present well-
cultivated farm of 130 acres. He was married in 1839 to Eliza Hamilton,
from Cork; their son, John G., remains with them on the homestead.
ALEXANDER CRAIG, from North Aberdeenshire, Scotland, came to Chatham,
Que., in June, 1883. After occupying rented farms a few years, he
purchased in Marcl^ 1894, Io8 acres of Lot T 3 !st Range, in Hawkesbury,
in the cultivation of which he is assisted by his eldest son, James. His
eldest daughter, Maggie, is married to James Graham, engineer in the
mill of the Hawkesbury Milling Company ; his second son, John, is in
Buttc City, Montana, and Robert, another son, is employed on the Canada
Atlantic Railroad at Hawkesbury.
HUGH LOUGH came to Hawkesbury from the North of Ireland, and was married
soon afterwards, iyth Juiy, 1819, to the widow of John Lough. He was
employed by the Hamilton Brothers from 1819 to 1860; and not many years
after his arrival he bought about 400 acres of land, which is now owned
and occupied by his daughter
Mrs. Fraser. Mr. Lough died i4th February, 1871 ; Mrs. Lough, 2ist July,
1876 they had five children one son and two daughters are now living.
Hugh, the second son, was married ist February, 1854, to fane Kirby and
remained on the homestead till April, 1884, when he sold it, and bought
the farm of i^acres, where he now lives, and on which he has erected
fine buildings.
* Mr. Lovell died in April, 1896.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. OOO
j CONWAY, born in 1818, came to Canada from County Cayan, Inland in
VVhen hJtanded in Quebec he had only $5.00. The first work he did m this
Iton Brothers After working for them four years he bought
sss^
FSi^^
NTvalHs first wfe having died in March, 1853, Mr. Conway sr was married
the fenZwta w to Mary, daughter of Thomas McCafferty ; they had eight
children-five
onsl^thre daughters -one of each sex is deceased ; the others, with
the except^
nf MaSlda the wife of James McCoy, of Argenteuil County, and Patrick who
is in Neva live in this county. Mrs. Conway died November, 1874, and Mr
Conway wasmar r d t he third tinJin September, 1880, to Isabella Kairns
daughter ot Robert Bairns by this marriage he had three children-one
son, who died in childhood and two daughters Mr. Conway was deprived of
the advantages of education yet by nILver & ance and industry, he has
accumulated property which compares favorably wkh Iny in the county. He
has fine new buildings and 300 acres of and which 1 e
manages with the help of his son. He has given a good education to all
his chil
THOMAS W. CONWAY, fourth son of Mr. John Conway by his second marriage, ,
born October 8th 1869. When 20 years of age he entered Rigaud College, and
ss
-
Concession 7 He owns a fine brick residence, and is one of the
enterprising farmers
EW CONWAY, born in 1824, came to Canada with his mother and brother,
from CoumJ -Deny, Ireland, in 1844 He first engaged to work for Henry
A lei, in
Cakdon a for $3 oo per month; he then worked as cook in a lumber shanty,
and
ubsequentl engaged to the Hamiltons. After settling on his farm, Lot 23,
in the
nd Conce sior h? took teams to the lumber wood, for a number of years. He
married in iT/5, to Ann, daughter of John Harkin, of West Hawkesbury ;
they had
seve sons an^ two daughter!, of whom five sons and "ft^^K*
&^hSd^
Sing his diploma in ^92, and Henry, are in Michigan Margaret A. f m
arned to
Tn-nP* Tinns lives in this place. Mrs. Conway died March 6th, 1893.
m M. Conway from a small beginning, has risen to be one of the leading
farmers of the township f he has a fine farm of 200 acres, a good brick
residence, and al. children have received a good education.
JAMES KENNEDY, born in County Cavan, Ireland, was a soldier in the Engl
army and came to Canada with the Royal Staff Corps, and worked on the
< caS He was married in Montreal, to Miss Mary McDonald, and Awards
went to work for Hamilton Bros., of Hawkesbury. He was drowned m j 1839,
leaving a widow and ten children, who lived on Lot 22, 2 nd Concession,
wn Mr. Kennedy had bought from Hamilton Bros.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 6or
Of the ten children, Jamts Kennedy, jr., is believed to be the only one
now living. He was a twin brother of Thomas; they were born in February
i 18^ Thomas, who was a blacksmith by trade, died in Erie, Pa., in !865.
The name TITLEY is of German extraction, and the first ancestor of this
family who came to Canada had been a soldier in the German army.
One of his descendants, JOHN BAPTISTE TITLEY, was born in Rigaud, in 1831.
He remained at home until 16 years of age, when he commenced lumbering,
continu
ing that business for several years. In 1857 he was married to Miss
Theresa Braseux of LOrignal; he then returned to his farm in the 2nd
Concession, which he had bought in 1854. Before his death he bought
50 acres more of the same lot. He died in 1873, at the age of 42,
leaving a widow, four sons and two daughters ; the children are all
living. Mrs. Titley continued to manage the farm, with the help of her
children, and bought 50 acres more; she died in 1889, aged 59 years.
Margaret, the eldest daughter, who is married, lives in Glengarry;
Mary L., also married, lives in this place. Theodule, the eldest son,
mimed, in 1894, .Miss Rosanna De Cire ; his two brothers, Solomon and
Adolphus, live on the homestead ; the three conducting the farm. Zodique,
the second son, who is married also lives in East Hawkesbury.
CHRISTOPHER SPRATT came from the North of Ireland, and settled in East
Hawkesbury on the farm now occupied by his son George. Joseph Spratt, the
second son was born in 1838, and has always remained in this place. In
1874 he bought his present farm, Lot 19, 3rd Concession. He was married
in 1864 to Miss Nancy Gibson, daughter of John Gibson, of Point Fortune ;
they have two sons and five
daughters. Mary, the eldest daughter, is married to John Middleton, of
Point Fortune; Elizabeth, the second daughter, is in Massachusetts; Ethel,
the third, is a teacher in Cypress River, Manitoba; and Christopher,
the eldest son, is also in Mani toba. The other children remain at home.
JAMES BEGGS was born in the County of Antrim, Ireland, 15111 October,
1823, and came to this country in 1841. He followed his trade that of
shoe-making in Vankleek Hill for several years, and while there was
converted and became a staunch supporter of the Methodist Church. He was
married in 1848 to Margaret Cowan, and afterwards came to this section
and bought 100 acres the east half of Lot 7, in the 2nd Range, on which
he lived till his death. When Mr. Beggs bought this Lot
it was wild land, and by great industry he cleared it, and also
bought 100 acres more before his death, which took place i8th October,
1874. Mrs. Beggs died i4th February, 1893 ; both left behind them the
memory of upright, Christian lives, whose influence was always for
good. Mr. Beggs acted as School Trustee for several years. They had
six sons and four daughters, of whom four sons and three daughters are
now living.
William Beggs, the third son, who remained on the homestead, was married
8th March, 1893, to Margaret, daughter of Alexander Lamb, of Point
Fortune, and has
one child. Mr. Beggs has a fine farm, which will be noted with pleasure
by any passing through this section, and is an earnest advocate of
temperance and all Christian work.
A few years after Mr. Beggs settled here, JOHN BOA settled on an adjacent
Lot; he lived here till his death in 1875 or l8 7 6 , and reared a
family of respected and industrious children. He left three sons and
five daughters, but only four of the latter are now living.
ROBERT BOA the eldest son, lives on the homestead ; he was married
in Decem ber, 1884, to Katie, daughter of Alexander Lamb of Point
Fortune. Mrs. Boa is
39
602 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
an active worker in the cause of temperance, and is President of the
W. C. T. U. of
Pt. Fortune. . . .
Simon, a brother of Robert Boa, lives on an adjoining farm ; he married
Lizzie,
a daughter of James Taylor of East Hawkesbury. Edward, another son of
the late John Boa, is in Buffalo, N.Y.
The respected family of the late Mr. John McPhaden live in this
section. The following obituary of Mr. McPhaden is taken from the Lachute
Watchman :
" Died aoth December, 1875. One more of the old landmarks has gone Mr.
John McPhaden. Pope says : " An honest man is the noblest work of God,"
and truly that may be said of him. He had always an open hand to the
poor and needy, and was always ready to help the deserving in any way
he could. His remains were interred on Wednesday, 22nd, at one o clock ;
service was held in St. Columba s
Church ; he struck the first blow in quarrying the stone used in the
erection of this church, and was a member of the building committee."
COQUERELLE is the name given to a locality between the 3rd and 4th Conces
sions of East Hawkesbury, distant about three and a half miles from the
town line. Among the first settlers in this place were the HARVEYS,
whose descendants of the third generation are still here; QUINTIN
McADAM, who lived in the east half of Lot 1 1 in the 3rd Concession,
a farm now owned by Mr. Doe ; ROBERT SMITH, sen., who still lives here,
at the age of 93, and his son Robert ; JOHN WILEY, who passed away some
time since, leaving a large family. Stephen and James, two of the sons,
both well-to-do farmers, live in this Concession ; the latter Has been
Reeve and Deputy- Reeve for several years ; John, another son, lives in
the 2nd Concession ; and the widow of Robert, another bi other, lives
with her family on the old homestead.
JOHN DOCKSTADTER, son of Simon Dockstadter, one of the early settlers
of River Rouge ; DAVID McCuLLOCH, who came with his family from Isle
aux Chats, Argenteuil County, in 1868; and MALCOLM McCALLUM, who still
lives here, werea so among the early settlers.
The small church here, called the Dempsey Chapel in memory of the Rev. J.
Dempsey, who first preached the Gospel in this settlement, was built
during the pas torate of the Rev. J. W. Manning, while he was stationed
at St. Andrews, Que. Previous to its erection, services had been held
in the school-house by Mr. Dempsey. The chapel when built was block,
but has since been brick-encased, and presents a very neat appearance;
it has a seating capacity of about 150. Besides the usual
services, Sunday School is also held here every Sabbath.
Among those who were active in establishing the church and contributed
towards its erection with work and money, were : James Taylor, Robert
Smith, jun., and John McDuff, sen. These formed the committee. The church
is built on land given by Robert Smith son.
JAMES TAYLOR, from Isle aux Chats, was married in that place in June,
1854, to Jane, daughter of James McCulloch, came to Hawkesbury the same
year, and bought
the east half of Lot 12, 3rd Concession. Seven children have been born
to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor two daughters and five sons, but two of the
latter died in childhood.
Robert, the eldest son, is a carpenter at Vankleek Hill ; John S.,
the second son, is farming in Breadalbane ; Joseph B., the youngest,
married, resides on the home stead. Margaret, the eldest daughter, widow
of James Beggs, lives in Breadalbane, Glengarry County, Ont.; Elizabeth,
married to Simon Boa, lives on the 2nd Conces sion of this township.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, having reaped the reward of their toil, are living
in retire ment in their fine brick residence, erected in 1888.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 603
JOHN C APRON, eldest son of John Capron, was born 3rd October, 1856. When
ii years of age he began carrying mail on horseback from Vankleek Hill
to Point
Fortune, his father having contracted for the work. He did this for
three years, summer and winter, often over very bad roads. Most of his
life he has been engaged in farming, though two winters were spent in
lumbering in the South Woods, Frank lin County, N.Y.; he has also dealt
in horses and cattle, in company with his father, helping to supply the
Montreal markets. In June, 1887, he was married to Livonia H., daughter
of Alexander Kingsbury; he then took the north half of a Lot in the 4th
Concession, built on it a brick residence and new outbuildings, and in
1888 came here to live. Mr. and Mrs. Capron have two children both sons.
AMEDEE LEROUX, son of C. Leroux, a prominent farmer of St. Placide,
who was Mayor of that place for over 20 years, was born in St. Placide
in 1841. When 12
years of age he commenced work as clerk in Beauharnois, Que., acting
in that capa city for some time there and in Montreal. After returning
home and working on his father s farm two years, he removed to his
present farm in the 3rd Concession. In 1862 he was married to Miss
M. Desjardins, of St. Andrews. About 1880 he went to Dakota, where he
remained seven years, acting most of the time as foreman on a large
farm ; since his return to this section he has, in connection with his
farming, been engaged extensively in cheese-making, owning six factories
three in Prescott and three in Argenteuil. Mrs. Leroux died in 1886,
leaving seven children two sons and five daughters ; the daughters,
who are all married, live in this County. The sons, Anselm and Wilfred,
have attended college at Grande Ligne, Que.
JOSEPH LADUKE, son of B. LaDuke, was born in Rigaud in 1830. When he was
sixteen years of age, his father came to East Hawkesbury and bought a
half- lot in the 3rd Concession. Joseph engaged in lumbering for several
years, and during the time bought a half-lot in the 3rd Concession,
to which he removed after his mar riage with Mary, daughter of Patrick
McDonald. His farm was at that time to a great extent wooded. He continued
lumbering fourteen winters after his marriage, but worked on his farm
during the summer, and afterwards bougjit the north half of Lot 22,
which gave him altogether 100 acres.
Mrs. LaDuke died i8th March, 1895, leaving four sons and four daughters,
who are all, with the exception of two, residents of this County. Edward,
one of the sons, is in Butte, Montana, and Elizabeth is also in the
United States ; Margaret, the eldest, and Sarah, the second daughter,
wife of Joseph Cheveriere, live at home ; Mary J., the fourth daughter,
is the wife of Mr. M. Moore, of Vankleek Hill. Patrick H., one of the
sons, is attending college in Rigaud, and John J. is learning the black
smith trade in Grenville.
Joseph, the son living here, was born ist June, 1860; he remained at home,
with the exception of a few winters spent in lumbering, until 1889, n
which year he went to Butte City, Montana. He remained there six years,
engaged in mining and
other occupations, and in February, 1895, returned and took his father
s farm.
Mr. LaDuke has a fine brick residence which he built about six years ago,
and his farm, in its high state of cultivation, bears evidence that much
toil has been expended on it.
DANIEL HOYSTED, son of Thomas Hoysted, was born in County Kildare,
Ireland, and came to this country with his father when about 9 years
of age. They first came to " The Sny," and Mr. Hoysted, sen., who was
a miller by trade, commenced work
for Hamilton and Low. Daniel, when about 18 years of age, entered the
employ of
the Hamiltons, on the River Rouge, and continued with them twenty years ;
during the last eight years of his service he was employed by this firm
as foreman on the
604 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
lower farm. While engaged with them he had bought his present farm in
the 3rd Concession. In 1864 he was married to Catherine, daughter of
the late Neil Ward
of this place, and the same year removed to his farm. Mr. and Mrs. Hoysted
have
had ten children, of whom eight daughters and one son are living ;
the eldest son died in childhood.
Mary, the eldest, wife of Peter Mclntee; Anna, the second, wife of Thomas
McCormack ;and Julia, the third daughter, wife of Edward St. Denis, all
live in this place ; the other children remain at home. Since coming to
his farm, Mr. Hoysted has erected a fine brick residence and several
other dwellings.
WILLIAM CUNNING came to Canada from Belfast, Ireland, about 1853, with
his wife and three sons. He was a cooper by trade, and after his arrival,
commenced
work for the Hamilton Brothers, remaining with them nine years. He then
bought a lot in the 3rd Concession, which is now occupied by his youngest
son, Robert.
After Mr. Cunning removed to this place, he continued to follow his
trade in con nection with farming until his death, which occurred in
July, 1877. Mrs. Cunning survives him, living with her son Robert on
the old homestead. The latter, who was born i4th March, 1856, always
remained at home, with the exception of one year spent in lumbering on
the Ottawa. He has managed the farm since 1875. In 1885 he was married
to Edith, daughter of James Mark, jun., of East Hawkesbury. They
have five children three sons and two daughters.
THOMAS HOYSTED came from County Kildare, Ireland, to New York City ;
thence he went to Boston, remained in the latter city about a year,
when he received word from his father, who had come to Canada some years
previously, to join him in this countiy. lie did so, coming to a farm
in East Hawkesbury, 3rd Concession, on which he has since remained. Two
years after his arrival in Hawkesbury he was married to Ellen Kinsela,
of the County Kildare, who had been an acquaintance in the Old Country,
and had recently arrived in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Hoysted have six children
one son and five daughters. Mary A., the eldest, married to James Mihvay,
lives in Harrington ; Ellen, the second daughter, widow of A. LeDuc,
Elizabeth, married to Stephen Wyley, and Kate, married to Andrew Allison,
jun., all live in East Hawkesbury. Julia, the youngest daughter, lives
at home, as does John, the son. The latter has spent a few winters in
lumbering, but with that exception has always remained here.
STARDALE.
The Post-office of this name was opened here a few years ago in the
residence of Mr. James Steele, who was appointed Postmaster. On his
removal to Vankleek Hill, he was succeeded by Mr. Proudfoot. Mr. Proudfoot
has been engaged in cheese- making in the factory here for the past six
seasons, four of which he worked for Messrs. LeRoy and Ogden ; the past
two seasons he has conducted the factory for
its patrons, who bought it from the previous owners. Mr. Proudfoot is
assisted by his brother R obert.
NELSON MARTIN BURWASH, second son of Nelson Burwash, was born 5th March,
1851, and has always remained at home. While quite young he joined No. 4
Com pany, 1 8th Battalion, and accompanied it to Cornwall and Prescott
in 1868. In 1873 he was married to Mary J., daughter of James Steele;
they lived in the 4th
Concession three years, at the end of which time he bought his
father-in-law s farm in the 3rd Concession. Mr. and Mrs. Burwash have
five sons and three daughters.
Wilfred Henry, the eldest son is in Manitoba ; James Nelson, the third
son, is attend-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
ing the Academy at Vankleek Hill, and the others are all at home. Mr
Burwash is
be su,
Alice the fourteen-year old daughter of Mr. John Ward, one evenin-
in Septem ber last, while going for the cows, saw some animal running
across the road S leads past the woods at this place. The dog which was
with her ran after i and chased it up a tree. Alice went to ,he foot of
the tree and watched the an ma some time, hop.ng S0 me of the men would
come in sight, but no one appearing^hTdedd^d that she must try some
other plan of obtaining help. Having some paper in her pocket, with a
pin she scratched on it these words :- Come down to the bush there is
a large beast in a tree." Giving this note to a little boy who was with
her and whc could not ta k plainly, she told him to run with it to the
house. He did Tand soon to Alice s relief, her brother William appeared,
who, on looking at he anima pro nounced it a lynx. He went back to the
ho.se and procured ag " n the you n/gTrl
remaining at her post dunng his absence, and on his return he shot helynx
w\kh pn>ved f to be a very large one -two feet high, and measuring
3 feet 3 inches from << tip
Jfr ^ AL V S ,/ C3me fr n r Roxbijr g hsh "e, Scotland, to Canada in
1828 with his wife and two children ; one of the latter died during the
voyage. He was a stone cutter and mason by trade, and also a draughtsman,
and drew plansTor canal locks He was first employed as foreman for McKay &
Redpath, contractors, oa the lock of the Rideau Canal at Ottawa. He then
went to Carillon, where he was also fore- man during the construction of
the lower locks in the canal. After the completion o this work, he came
to East Hawkesbury in February, ,833, and bought Lot 28 4 h Concession
Subsequently, he was foreman on the Corn will Canal and the locks
? 11 r S ? - iree thers t0ok a contract for the construction of Lock No
and all the culverts on the Beauharnois Canal. He was next Inspector of
Masonry on he Ogdensburg R R., and for the Government on the Richelieu
Canal locks He hen returned to the farm, and during the remainder of his
life took an active part in the affa.rs of the township, being a member of
the first Township Council and was also Reeve. He added lo his farm until
before his death he owned 400 acres He died in November 1863, aged 67,
and Mrs. Allison in December, 1887, aged 86 I hey left five children,
of whom two sons and two daughters are still living
Janet, the youngest, married to John W. Higginson, lives in West
Hawkesburv Agnes, married to John Kirkconnell, lives in Bruce County ;
Anlrew, the younger soV jives in in is plticc,
WILLIAM ALLISON, the elder son, lives on part of the homestead farm;
and has .iways remained in the place with the exception of a year
spent in school in Mon- al He is widely known through the County for
his public spirit. In i8?o he was elected Deputy-Reeve, and the year
following, Reeve, of the township, which latter :e he held for 21 years
in succession. In 1864 he was Warden of the County 3 has . bee J ustic
of the Peace since ,854, being the oldest holding thit office in the
County ; he has also been Clerk of the Court for the past 2 1 years His
marriage took place in 1847 to Miss Ann McCormack of East Hawkesbury -
they nave three sons and three daughters living.
(O,, .^R^ thC ^T \ VlU ,T u 6 SCOnd S n the eldest daughter, married to
Hurley, and the third daughter, married to William Mulling]! reside
in East
Hawkesbury. The second daughter is married to Daniel McCusker, of Alfred
; James,
606 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
the youngest son, who has always remained on the homestead, was married
in 1889
to Catherine, daughter of Cornelius Hurley ; they have one son and
two daughters.
JOSEPH KYLE was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, 1828. His father s
family, who were of Scotch origin, had removed to the North of Ireland
during the reign of James II. Mr. Kyle was educated in Ireland, and
was also married in that country to Martha Gallagher, the newly married
couple coming to Canada in 1853. The following year, Mr. Kyle commenced
teaching in East Hawkesbury, and for many years followed this profession,
receiving a pension from the Ontario Government in 1886, in recognition
of his long and valuable service. In 1872 he bought his present farm,
Lot 29, and Concession.
He has two daughters living in this country Mary, the eldest, married
to Robert
Dickson, lives in this place, and Martha, the second, lives at home ;
William John, the eldest son, is in the North-West.
The name MOONEY is very familiar in East Hawkesbury, and part of the 3rd
Con cession has always been known as the " Mooney Settlement." The first
of that name to come here were four brothers John, Samuel, Alexander
and Charles, sons of Alexander Mooney, who came from County Antrim,
Ireland ; their descendants are numerous in this section.
Many years ago, Mrs. Mooney gave to her son, Alexander, a coin that had
Alex ander Mconey s name engraven on it during the time of the Rebellion
in Ireland. This coin is now in possession of Alexander one of the
third generation of that name
who resides in Ottawa .
ALEXANDER MOONEY, from County Antrim, Ireland, came to Canada in 1831 ;
he was a shoemaker by trade, and worked at his trade for three years
in Hawkesbury
village. On November i6th, 1835, ie was married to Elizabeth Spratt, and
in 1837 moved to his farm in the 3rd Concession, which he had purchased
a few years pre
vious; he worked at his trade here in connection with farming, for a
number of years; he died i st January, 1887, at the age of 86. Mr. and
Mrs. Mooney had thirteen children, nine sons and four daughters, of whom
six sons and two daughters are now living. They all settled in this
County with the exception of Alexander, the eldest, who, retired from
business, is living in Ottawa, and John, the third son, who is farming
in Manitoba. Charles, the youngest, born in 1854, has always lived
at home. In 1888 he was married to Fanny, daughter of the late Edward
Sproule, of West Hawkesbury ; they have one son and two daughters. After
his father s death, Mr. Mooney took the farm, which is in a fine state
of cultivation, and is provided with all the improved farming implements.
Mrs. Mooney, sr., his mother, resides with him, and is quite active at
the age of 86.
GEORGE, fifth son of Alexander Mooney, was born October 2nd, 1850, in
E. Hawkesbury ; he remained at home until sixteen years of age, when
he engaged in lumbering, following this business for several winters,
and spending the summers at home. About 1874 he went to California,
where he remained some time, working at
machinery used in extracting gold and silver ore from the rock. Afte-r
visiting home, and returning to California and engaging in mining for
sometime, he came back to the farm he now owns in the 3rd Concession. He
was married i7th, March 1880, to Henrietta, daughter of Henry Vogan of
Riceville; they have two sons and one daughter. Since his marriage,
Mr. Mooney has built a fine brick residence and new outbuildings. He
spent the winter of 1887 traveling in California ; he has been
School Trustee.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 607
SAMUEL MOONEY was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1804. He learned
the stone-cutting trading in his native place, and worked at it for some
time before coming to Canada in 1830. On arriving in this country he
worked for a time on the Carillon and Grenville Canal, and also followed
his trade in Montreal, and helped build a lighthouse on the Island of
Anticosti. He was married in 1835 to Miss Mary Lough, whose native place
was also County Antrim. In 1837 tnev moved to the farm, Lot 30, of the
3rd Concession, which Mr. Mooney had bought a few years previous ; there
were only about 6 acres of the farm cleared at that time. Where the "
Monte" now runs, there was no road, but the 3rd Concession road was open.
Mr, and Mrs. Mooney had two sons and three daughters; Mary, the eldest,
married to Thomas Dandy, lives in Manitoba ; Jennie, the second, is the
wife of
Robert Rutherford of West Hawkesbury, and Nancy is married to Solomon
Grout; William (of whom a sketch has already been given) resides in this
place ; Samuel, the youngest, has always remained at home. Mr. Mooney
died 3rst March, 1890, aged, 86 ; Mrs. Mooney still survives, and at
the age of 86 is active, and retains her faculties to a remarkable degree.
CHARLES MOONEY, is the youngest of the four brothers whose father,
Alexander Mooney, came to this country in 183 r. He lived a few years
with his brother, Samuel, and spent some time in lumbering. He was
married in 1844, to May, daughter of James McNie of East Hawkesbury ;
they had seven children, five sons and two daughters, who are all living
Mr. Mooney purchased halves of three lots in the 3rd Concession. He
died March, 1891, aged 69, and Mrs. Mooney died in March, 1884, aged
62. Alexander, the eldest son, has spent most of his life in California,
and in different parts of the United States. John C., of whom a sketch
has already been given, lives here ; Samuel C , the third son, lives in
Vankleek Hill ; Charles C., the youngest, lives in this place ; Janet,
the eldest daughter, married to Mr. Ralph Leroy ; Mary,* the youngest,
lives on the homestead with her brother, James C., the fourth son,
who was born i8th September, 1864. He has always remained at home, and has
managed the farm, both before and since his father s death. In 1892 he
was married to Eliza, daughter of the late John Mclnnis of Vankleek
Hill. Mr. Mooney has always been a fancier of fine horse?, and has
exhibited a good many prize winners at Prescott and several other
Country Fairs.
WILLIAM McNiE, second son of James McNie, was born i4th March, 1853, on
the farm where he now resides. He remained at home until the age of 22,
when he
went to California foi eight years. While in that State, he acted as
foreman for Chas. F. Reed, of Sacramento County, who managed a farm
of 5000 acres. In 1883 Mr. McNie returned to this place and bought
his father s farm in the third Concession. He was married in 1886 to
Florence, daughter of Alexander Hunter, of W. Hawkes bury ; they have
three sons and one daughter.
Mr. McNie is an advanced farmer, has a fine herd of Ayrshire cattle,
and is making many improvements on his farm.
OLIVER ORTON, a U. E. Loyalist, was the first settler in this section,
coming here in 1826 from West Hawkesbury ; previous to his removal
to West Hawkesbury, he had lived in Lachute, Argenteuil Co. He was a
Christian man, and a class leader, and used frequently to lecture in
this vicinity and in West Hawkesbury.
His son, SAMUEL ORTON, was barn itth December, 1814, in East Hawkesbury,
and always remained at home. He was married i3th February, 1837, to
Clarissa, daughter of Timothy Pool of Lachute; they had eight children
three sons and five daughters. Two of the daughters are now deceased.
*Now deceased.
608 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
\
Charles, the eldest son, lives on Vankleek Hill ; William, the second
son, is in Montreal ; Hannah M. and Elizabeth A., the former married to
J. Rutherford, and
the latter to John Mooney, are both residents of this place ; Clarissa
A. V,, widow of Mr. Burgess, lives in New York State.
Mr. Samuel Orton died loth October, 1871, aged 57 ; Mrs. Orton survives
him, and is living, at the age of 82, with her son Levi. Mi. Orton, like
his father, was a Christian man, highly respected by all. He took an
active part in the affairs of the township, was Collector and Assessor,
and held several other offices.
Levi S., the third son, was born 4th April, 1842, and is owner of the
old home stead in the 3rd Concession. He was married in 1871 to Kate,
daughter of the late Ad.mi Murray ; they have seven sons and three
daughters, who are all at home, except the three eldest, Samuel J. and
Arthur L., who are in Manitoba, and Alta E., who is in Lowell, Mass.
JOHN MATTHEWS came from Radnorshire, Wales, to Canada in 1836 or 1837,
with six children. He first came to Carillon, remained there a short
time, and then moved to Centerville, buying, on the North River, the
farm now occupied by his third son, Samuel Harvey Matthews. Mr. Matthews,
the subject of our sketch, for
the sake of his health, went to Portland, Maine, in 1862, and remained
there till his death, which took place in 1853, at the age of 62.
John, the eldest son, was born in Beguilby Parish, Radnorshire, Wales,
on ist July, 1830. He was twice married first in 185810 Lucy, daughter
of Timothy Bristol of E. Hawkesbury. In February of 1860, he came to
this place, and bought a farm in the 3rd Concession from Mr. Bristol, his
father-in-law, who lived with him till his death. Mr, Matthews first wife,
who died in February, 1881, left one daughter. His second marriage took
place in 1882, to Sarah, daughter of William Nichols, of St. Phillippe ;
they have one son.
Mr. Matthews experienced a serious loss by fire in January of 1882,
his house with its entire contents being burnt ; he lost in this fiie a
library of over 600 volumes, among which were some very valuable books
; in one of these was a family record containing dates as far back as
1400. Mr. Matthews has since built a neat brick residence.
DAVID STEPHENS is a son of Ebenezer Stephens, who came from Vermont to
Argenteuil County, Que., in 1804, and settled in Upper Lachute. David,
who was the second son, was born therein 1816. He was at Grand Brule in
1837, at the time the church was burnt, and saw the bodies taken out. He
was married in 1839
to Caroline, daughter of Leroy Leavitt, one of the pioneers of Chatham
; they have had eight children, of whom two sons and two daughters are
now living.
Mr. Stephens came to this place (E. Hawkesbury) in 1842, and bought his
farm in the 3rd Concession, from Oliver Orton. Mrs. Stephens died here
in 1889, at the age of 68. Elise, the eldest daughter, married to Moses
Allen, lives in L Orignal ; David, the eldest son, a sketch of whom is
given, resides here ; Mary Ann, unmarried, lives on the homestead. Levi,
the second son, born in 1850, has always remained at Lome, and conducts
the farm ; he was married in 1879 to Margaret, daughter of James McNie ;
they have had six children, of whom one son and two daughters are
now living.
ROBERT RUTHERFORD came from .Glasgow, Scotland, with his wife, in 1830 or
1831,10 Montreal, and remained there for a year, Mr. Rutherford working
at his trade, which was that of mason and stonecutter; he then came to
East Hawkesbury, among the first settlers, and bought the farm in the
4th Concession, now occupied by his son James, and which at that time
was entirely covered with forest. After coming
HISTORY OF PRESCO1T. 609
here, he with his brother William went to Ottawa to assist in the
construction of the Rideau Canal Locks. Mr. Rutherford also worked at
his trade in this section in connection with farming for a good many
years. His death took place loth July, 1880, at the age of 83, and that
of Mrs. Rutherford in February, 1884, at the age of 84; they had seven
sons and two daughters.
James Rutherford, the fifth son, born nth June, 1841, began lumbering
when seventeen years of years, and followed this occupation about
eight years. In 1864 he was married to Hannah M., daughter of the late
Samuel Orion of East Hawesbury; they lived in West Hawkesbury (u here
Mr. Rutherford had bought a farm sometime
previous) until March, 1883, when they came here and bought the old
homestead from the widow of William Rutherford, his brother. Mr. and
Mrs. Rutherford have
eight children six sons and two daughters . Adelia M., the elder daughter,
is married to Adam Murray of this place ; Winetta E., the younger, is
a teacher ; Wilburn J., the second son, is in Manitoba, and the others
are all at home.
CHARLES C. MOONEY, youngest son of Charles Mooney, was born in 1866,
and remained at home until about 21, when he went to California, and
there spent some time. After his return he bought, in 1889, the farm,
Lot 34, 3rd Concession, which was owned by the late Charles Tweed. In
1890 he married Margaret Anna, daughter
of John Douglas of West Hawkesbury ; they have one child a daughter. In
1895, Mr. Mooney added to his farm by buying from Andrew Allison part
of the old Tweed homestead. He has always made a specialty of keeping
fine horses.
CORNELIUS HURLEY, second son of Dennis Hurley, was born in 1833, in East
Hawkesbury. In 1860 he went to California, where he remained five years,
engaged in mining and different occupations. Two years after his return,
he look the farm in the 4th Concession from his father, and has since
bought the west half of Lot 35 and also 50 acres of Lot 32 in the 4th
Concession. In 1867 he was married to Margaret, daughter of the late
Hugh McNeil of this place ; they have five sons and six daugh ters,
of whom several of the oldest received college training. Two of the
sons, Hugh and Cornelius, are merchants in Vankleek Hill; Catherine,
the eldest daughter, is married to James Allison of this place ; the
other children still remain at home.
MARTIN OGDEN, third son of Joseph Ogden, was born in East Hawkesbury in
1833. In 1^57 he started on a visit to the Western and Southern States,
and spent two winters in New Orleans, being in that city at the time
the inhabitants were being drafted during the American Rebellion. After
an absence of five years he returned to East Hawkesbury, taking up his
residence after his marriage on the farm he had bought before going to
the West. He was married in Si. Andrews in 1863 to Eliza
beth, daughter of Donald McLarty, who came to Sr. Andrews from Scotland,
and was a pilot on the Ottawa River for a number of years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ogden have seven children three sons and four daughters. John
Crosbie, the eldest, is in North Dakota ; Alma, the second daughter, is
a teacher. The others all remain at home. Georgie, the third daughter,
when thirteen years of age, received first prize from the Montreal
Witness for an original story " A Cana dian Heroine," published in the
history of Pt. Fortune.
Mr. Ogden was a member of the iSth Battalion, in his brother s (Captain
Ogden s) No. 4 Company, and was with this Company at Ottawa in 1866,
during the Fenian Raids.
ST. EUGENE.
St. Eugene, quite a noted locality and a fine farming section, is located
in the south-eastern part of the township. Besides stores and hotels,
which are hereafter noticed J. Fairfield has a steam saw-mill here,
which does a large business. Two similar mills have been burned, but,
phcenix like, another has arisen from their ashes.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A separate school was established in 1853, and is still in a flourishing
condition, having an attendance of about 140 pupils. The present teachers
are Joseph Proulx r son of Isidore Proulx, M.P., of Prescott, and Miss
Bertrand, assistant.
There is also a tannery here.
This place is more fully described in the following interesting history
of the
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
There is an old, old story in the Gospel about seed that fell on good and
bad ground, some of which never grew ; other seed died while maturing ;
and still other seed there was that falling on good soil, being well
cared for, grew up and gave forth fruit a hundred fold. Of the many
settlements the last half century has seen through out our country,
how many have failed to attain the size of moderate respectability !
How many others there are, that have been stunted in their growth by
evil influences or surroundings, and are to-day what they were twenty
years ago ! But there are
still other places that have grown into pleasant villages and hamlets,
which, blessed by God and Nature, are become a peaceful paradise that
delight the eye, and promise much for the civilization of the future. Such
an one as this, is St. Eugene, which, although it be but forty years
since it summoned public attention to itself, is to-day one of the most
flourishing villages in Eastern Ontario.
The story of St. Eugene commences with the primitive histoiy of Prescott
County. Back in the years when the woods grew wild, when roads were as yet
unmade, when crops were poor and scanty when nature in her untrammelled
wild- ness reigned supreme about her, then commences the story of the
settlement of St. Eugene.
Scattered throughout the country were some newly-settled families,
gathered into a struggling township and living after the rude manner of
all pioneers. Early in the year 1852, these settlers sent a petition to
the Rt. Rev.Mgr. Guigues, the Bishop, of Ottawa, requesting the services
of a priest who should care for their urgent spiritual Like a true father,
his Lordship heard the plaint of his needy children, and sent Fr. Bourassa
from L Orignal, who from time to time visited the infant settle ment,
ministering to their needs, temporal and spiritual. Over roads where
no vehi cle could comfortably pass, often through deep woods or across
bleak plains, came the good priest, undaunted by peril or hardship,
while he could pour balm upon sorely- tried hearts, or whisper words
of cheerful comfort to a discouraged one, or urge the workers on to
better deeds. All the while he neglected not their hungering souls,
but fed them with the Bread of Life.
The few families of his flock, whether French-Canadian, Scotch or Irish,
soon drew others of their varied nationalities to share with them their
hardship and volun tary exile. Indeed such hardships so heroically
borne, together with the care given by the priest, must have proved a
sure recommendation to settlers, for it is said the priest is, there
will the people be also. And so, though a barn served for : service
of Holy Mass in true pioneer fashion, the community flourished and ike
the mustard seed spoken of in Holy Writ, until in November, [854, Fr.
>urassa built a small chapel 60 x 30, which in appearance only could
be called a church. Henceforward the mission was attended more frequently
and at regular in
tervals, until about November, 1854, Fr. J. J. Collins succeeded
Fr. Bourassa and the first resident pastor. The times of his pastorate
were very severe, and the place under such trials must have seemed very
unpromising. But through all
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 6ll
the troubles and hardships (and they were well-nigh overwhelming), the
good Father struggled on working with those who worked, and healing the
hearts seared with the weights of hardship in a time when the farmers
had not crops sufficient for them selves.
Afterwards, when belter tidings came and the township increased in
numbers, the zealous pastor persuaded his good people to build better
accommodations. A new church 225 x 50 was commenced in 1863, but before
its completion in 1864, Fr. Col lins was transferred to Pakenham,
Ont., and was succeeded by Fr. Duhamel, who has since become Archbishop
of Ottawa.
Under Fr. Duhamel came the period of success and steady growth that
follows the painstaking period of all young settlements. From this on,
the parish grew steadily stronger and larger. The new pastor, by hard
work and dint of persevering labor saw the new church finisl-ed in 1868,
and dedicated by the late Mgr. Jos.
Eugene Guigues, first Bishop of Ottawa. Indeed the young pastor proved
a better
manager than his superiors had anticipated ; so that, immediately after
the dedica tion of the church, he was able to contract for the finishing
of the interior and the vestry with Jos. Archambault from L Assomption,
P.Q. Soon afterwards, however, he was chosen by Rome to succeed as Bishop
of Ottawa, Rt. Rev. Bishop Guigi es,
who died in February, 1874.
To succeed him as parish priest of St. Eugene, the Rev. Father Fabien
Towner was selected in October, 1874, by His Lordship, the new Bishop, and
was accord ingly transferred from Thuiso and St. Malachy mission. Previous
to his appointment to Thurso and St. Malachy Mission, where he was
parish priest for three years, Rev. Father F. Towner had assisted
for one year the Ven. Father J. J. Lynch, P.P., at Allu- mette Island,
when the parish work called him to missions in the Province of Quebec
as well as in Ontario, such as : Roecliff, Deux Rivieres, Des Joachim,
Point Alexander, Tiout Lake, Sheen Brough and other places.
Arriving at St. Eugene he found a large parish extending from the 3rd
Concession of East Hawkt-sbuiy to the gth Concession, called the " Grand
Chantier," and includ ing some 440 French, Irish and Scotch families. His
Lordship, Bishop Duhamel, while visiting here in 1882 on his pastoral
visit, realized that the church accommo dations were too small for the
congregation. Accordingly the 7th, 8th and Qth Con cessions were formed
into the new parish of St. Ann of Prescott. Father Towner,
acting on the instructions of the Rt. Fev. Bishop, with the assistance
of Rev. Vicar- General Routhier, in December, 1882, selected a lot on
the road of the 8th Con cession, upon which the new parish church was
commenced. September, 1884, saw Fr. Towner s zealous labors completed and
crowned with success. The new church was duly dedicated, and on the same
day a bell was blessed before the whole congre gation and many visitors
from the neighboring parishes. It was a grand gala day for St. Eugene,
and justly proud was the good pastor at thus witnessing the consumma
tion of his work.
In 1885 nis health demanded the aid of a fellow-priest, and Rev. Father C.
Drolet was sent to his assistance by the kind Bishop Duhamel. Father
Towner was
thus enabled to obtain a much-needed vacation, and accordingly he went
to Europe in April, 1885, returning in August, just before a fierce
conflagration took place, which threatened to destroy the whole village,
including the church. However, a
part of St. Eugene was spared, and to-day it stands strong and robust
in a glorious youth. And what a beautiful village it is ! Where before,
were woods untrammelled and unmaiked by houses, roads or fences to-day,
is the thriving hamlet with its
quaint, pretty houses skirting the road, and comfortable farms running
back to the woods, which must soon disappear before the onward progress
of the thrifty villagers.
6l2 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
And not only has St. Eugene become a successful village, but under her
zealous pastor, the Rev. Father Towner s care, sprang up the neighboring
parish of St. Joachim, in Chateau Blondeau, with its resident pastor,
like at St. Ann s. Where once was a poor mission attended by a
visiting missionary, there is now the fruitful parent St. Eugene and
the two off-shoots, St. Ann s and St. Joachim s, with three handsome
churches and a magnificent presbytery at St. Eugene, erected in 1888.
Surely a marvellous increase is this wonderful growth of St. Eugene. May
the good work continue ! And round about St. Eugene may there spring up
many missions to
crown and bless the efforts of her priests and people and all those who
love and honor the parish of St. Eugene.
The REV. FABIEN TOWNER was born in St. Johns, Que., educated in Montreal
College and at Ottawa, graduating in the latter city in 1865. He was
ordained 291)1 May, 1870, by Bishop Pinsonnault, in St. Joseph s Church,
Ottawa. His first appointment was at Allumette Island, as assistant
priest, and from that place he was called to Thurso by the late Bishop
Guigues. In 1874 he was translated to St. Eugene, where he has since
remained. The Rev. Mr. Towner is a gentleman of much ability, and commands
the respect not only of his parishioners, but of all who know him.
PATRICK KELLY was born in 1830 ; he lived in the 6th Concession, aid
engaged in farming until 1873, in which year he came here and engaged in
the hotel business, and in 1881 built the brick hotel he now occupies. He
has been bailiff since 1871, and Township Treasurer since 1875, and has
also been Licensed Auctioneer for the counties of Prescott and Russell for
the past 20 years. While managing his farm he also dealt in live stock
for some years. He was married in 1857, to Mary McManus, R-igaiid; they
had fourteen children, of whom six are now living. The eldest, Michael,
is a dealer in agricultural implements in this place ; one daughter is
married to S. Seguin, conductor on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and
the second daughter is a member of a Sisterhood in the United States. The
second son, Thomas, is a clerk with D. Jameson, merchant ofVankleek Hill;
Agnes, the third daughter, is a teacher, and lives at home ; and Alice,
the youngest, is still attending school.
SIMON LABROSSE, J.P., and ex-M.P., was born in St. Benoit in 1836, and
is a son of Pierre Labrosse who founded St. Eugene in 1853. Mr. Labrosse
was married
in 1861 to Miss Ethier, of St. Joseph, County of Two Mountains, and has
five sons and two daughters living. Isaie, the eldest son, is employed in
his father s store ; Eugene, the second, is a priest in Montreal ; Louis
J. is a dealer in hay and grain in this village, and :he two youngest
sons are still in college. The daughters remain at home. Mr. Labrosse
opened a store here in 1860, and has since done a large busi
ness. He was elected to Parliament in 1882 by the Conservatives, and
served the
people of his constituency for eight years; he has been a Councillor,
Deputy- Reeve, and Reeve of the Township of East Hawkesbury, and Warden
of the Counties of Prescott and Russell. After the establishment of the
Post-office here in 1862, Mr. Labrosse became Postmaster, and acted as
such for 18 years, resigning to attend
Parliament.
PAUL LABROSSE, a son of Pierre, and brother of Sim m Labrosse, was
educated in 3t. Andrews and St. Placide, but his home has been in
St. Eugene for many years, tie is County Auditor, and has been Treasurer,
Assessor and Clerk of the Township, Justice of the Peace and Commissioner
for the trial of small causes, and taking affi davits ; he is also
Secretary-Treasurer of the village school. Mr. Labrosse lives in one
of the finest houses in St. Eugene. He was married in 1865 to Miss Anna
Ethier, of St. Joseph, County of Two Mountains.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 613
WILLIAM MARK, sr., came from the North of Ireland about 1825, and bought
the farm where his son, William J., jr., was born, and now lives. The
latter, the subject of our present sketch, worked on the river and at
lumbering for 18 years; he was one of those employed on the first Carillon
canal. He afterward returned to St. Eugene, where he has since lived. In
1860 he was married to Miss Mary Ritchie, of East Hawkesbury. Mr. and
Mrs. Mark have had twelve children, of whom eight are now living.
JOSEPH A. BEDARD, M.D., is a son of Captain B. A. Bedard, of Rigaud;
he was born in that town, i2th June, i86r, and was educated in Rigaud
and Victoria Colleges. Dr. Bedard received his degree of M.D. in March,
1889, and commenced practicing in Curran, Ont., in October of the same
year, having obtained a license for this Province. He came to this place
in 1890, and has since remained, building up a large and successful
practice ; his patients are scattered over a territory of many square
miles. Dr. Bedard was married 2nd February, 1891, to Miss Alphonsine
Montsion, and has three sons.
PAUL RANGER was born in Rigaud in 1843. In his younger days he followed
lumbering on the Ottawa for 19 years, and afterward bought a farm in
his native
town. He then came to St. Eugene, kept a carriage shop here for 5 years,
and afterward bought the hotel where he now is. This is a fine large brick
building, known as The Windsor." Mr. Ranger was married in 1877; he has
no children, but has acted a kind father s part towards an adopted son,
educating him in Rigaud College. He has since obtained a position with
Ramsay & Son, of Montreal, and is succeeding in business.
Samuel O Reilly, son of Philip O Reilly, was born in 1860, and lived on a
farm until 17 years of age. He afterward spent some time in the States,
then returned to Canada, and attended a Business College in Belleville,
O.it. He came to this place in 1888, and opened a store in company with
his brother, John M., who died four
years later. Mr. O Reilly also spent several years as clerk in stores
here. In 1891 he opened the Balmoral hotel, where he still remains. He
was married in iSSg to
Miss McCall.
NAPOLEON LABROSSE, son of John Baptist Labrosse, was born in St. Hernvis,
2 2 nd March, 1865. He attended Rigaud College from 1880 to 1882,
and after wards engaged as clerk to I. Sauve, of St. Andrews, where he
remained three years. He then engaged as clerk for Mr. S. Labros?e in
the latter s store, and remained six years, giving entire satisfaction,
and making many friends. In Novem ber of 1890 he bought the old store of
A. Labrosse, and the next year put in a stock of general merchandise. In
1893 he built the fine brick store in which he is now doing business.
ARCHIBALD McKiN.voN came to this place in 1837, fr m the County of
Glen garry, and bought the farm now owned by Hilaire Villeneuve ; he
afterwards sold
this farm, and moved into the village. John McKinnon, his son, learned
the shoe
maker s trade, when 20 years of age, with John Parker, of St. Andrews;
after remain ing with the latter a year he came here and opened a shoe
shop, which he still cen- ducts. He was married in 1871, to Miss Anna
Forbes, of East Hawkesbury ; they have two sons and one daughter.
ALEXANDER KINGSBURY, son of the late Edward Kingsbury, farmer of River
Rouge, was born in that place in the year 1828. Ele left home at the age
of fifteen, and engaged in lumbering on the Ottawa, for Ephraim Barren,
for about two years; ht then went to Hamilton Bros, of Hawkesbury,
and remained with them twenty- eight years, serving most of the time as
foreman ; he also spent much time on the Gatineau.
6 14 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
While with the Hamilton Bros., Mr. Kingsbury bought his farm in the 4th
and 5th Concessions, which were then covered with forest. In 1867 he came
here to live, and built a house, which has since been replaced by a fine
large brick residence. His farm also has grown to be one of the finest
in this section, being in a high state of cultivation, and supporting
25 head of cattle and 4 or 5 horses. Mr. Kingsbury has been for many
years, and is still, a Councillor and School Trustee. He was married in
1867 to Margaret, daughter of Archibald Albright ; they have two sons
and three daughters ; Livonia, the eldest, is married to John Capron,
jun., and lives on a farm in the 4th Concession ; the other children
are all living at home.
GEORGE ALBRIGHT was born in the Bay settlement in 1812. He was married
in 1839 to Mary Burwash of River Rouge, and moving to that place,
remained 17 years ; he then came to East Hawkesbury, and bought a farm
in the 4th Concession which was covered with forest, and on it built
a log house. Mr. Albright served as Councillor and School Trustee ;
he died 26th August, 1881, aged 69. Mrs. Albright stiii survives,
and at the age of 73 is active. She lives with her third son, Charles,
on the old homestead, and has some interesting reminiscences of the Re
bellion of 1837. C* n one occasion, when a report reached River Rouge,
where she lived, that the Rebels were near, she and several other
women hid themselves one night behind hay-stacks. Great excitement was
caused another night, by a patriotic crowd from Glengarry,who came
armed with pitchforks and weapons of a like nature to exterminate
the Rebels. Mrs. Albright has four sons and three daughters living;
Stephen, the eldest son, lives in Fast Hawkesbury ; Albert, married,
is in Manitoba ; and George N., in Michigan ; Jane, the eldest daughter,
is married to William LeRoy ; Sarah, to Daniel Kingsbury of River Rouge ;
and Ann Lavinia, the youngest, re mains at home.
The third son, CHARLES, has always remained on the homestead. At the age
of 21 he bought his father s farm, and in 1892 added to it, so that he
now owns 200 acres. Like most of the farmers of this place, Mr. Albright
has a fine brick house, good outbuildings and all the modern farming
implements. He has served as School Trustee, and has been a member
of the i8th Battalion of Prescott for three years. He was married in
1879 to Emma E. Bancroft of Vankleek Hill. They have had five children,
of whom two daughters and one son are living.
STEPHEN, eldest son of George Albright, was born in 1843 ; he remained
at home until 21 years of age, when he engaged with Hamilton Brothers,
and remained with them eleven years, being foreman four years of that
time. He then spent two years in the Western States, and on his return
bought his present farm in the 5th Concession. He was married in 1877 to
Rachel, daughter of the late Christopher Spratt ; they have five daughters
and one son, all but one are at home and attend ing school. Mr. Albright
has been Warden of St. Paul s Church, and School Trustee. He also has
charge of ditches and water courses in the Township.
JOHN CAPRON, son of Nathan Capron, who came about 1812 from Keene, N.H.,
to Point Fortune, was born in the latter place in the year 1821. He
married Miss Beers of the same place, and settled here, engaging in
farming and trading, and
afterward keeping hotel. He died from cholera in 1834.
John, his son, when about a week old, was taken to Rigaud in a bateau,
and christened by a priest, as there was no Protestant minister in Point
Fortune at the time. Judge and Mrs. McDonell were his godfather and
godmother. When 12 years of age, he commenced working for Capt. Lighthall
for $6 per month and after ward went to work for Peter Beers on the
promise of a farm. After working for the latter 9 years, and obtaining
nothing, he proved an agieement for $10 per month, and
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 615
sued Mrs. Beers for $1000, but received only $100. He then went to
Kingston, and from that place to Ottawa and Aylrmr; in the latter place
he engaged as jockey,
his weight being only about 100 pounds at the time. While in this
vicinity, Mr.
Capron carried the mail from Lochaber to Ottawa, a distance of 30 miles,
often making the journey before taking breakfast ; in the winter he drove
a stage on the ice. He next located in Grenville, and carried the mail
for John Groves from that village to Papineau Seigniory, a distance
of 20 miles ; he then came to Vankleek Hill, and afterward bought his
present farm in the 4th Concession East Hawkesbury. At that time only
about three acres of the farm were cleared, snd the only building was
a little log shanty. He has remained 0:1 the farm ever since, with the
exception of four years passed in partnership with Peter O Brian in
carrying mail from L Orignal to Lancaster ; on returning to the farm
he also took a contract to carry the mail from Vankleek Hill to Point
Fortune, and attended to this business four years. Mr. Capron has a fine
farm of 200 acres, which is in a high state of cultivation ; he is a
good judge of horses, and has bought a good many for American as well as
Montreal markets. Schools were few and far between in his younger days ;
he commenced work at an early age, and for these reasons was deprived of
the advantages of an education, but his natural abilities fully supplied
this want. He was married 25th December, 1855, to Miss Anna M. Yale of
St. Andrews, daughter of Andrew Yale, ship builder of Montreal. They
have had four sons and two daughters ; one of the latter, the eldest,
died in childhood, but the others are all living. John, the eldest son,
is married, and lives in this place ; Horace is lumbering on the Ottawa ;
Theodore is married, and farming in Glen garry ; Amy, the daughter, is
married to Euclide Legault, living in Montreal; and George, the youngest,
remains at home.
BARB.
About 45 years ago a Post Office was established here under the name of
East Hawkesbury, in the house where James Gougeon now lives. The first
Postmaster was James Gamble, whose successors were John McAdam, Mrs. Louis
Grout and Michael Maneely. It was while the latter held the office that
its name was changed to Barb ; mails are distributed twice daily. Michael
Maneely was succeeded in 1886 a<= Postmaster by Mr. A. LeRoy.
There are two churches here Anglican and Methodist erected by the con
tribution of the surrounding inhabitants. Services are held in these
churches by clergymen of Vankleek Hill.
There is also a fine schoolhouse here, with a good attendance of pupils.
ALEXANDER A. LEROY, eighth son of William LeRoy, was born in 1845,
and learned the blacksmith trade when quite young with A. A. Beaton
of West Hawkesbury, and has followed this trade ever since. His shop
is built near his residence on the 5th Concession, which he bought in
1863. Mr. LeRoy has been School Trustee for the past eighteen years, and
is now Secretary-Treasurer of the School Board ; he has been a number of
the Board of Healt i for the past nine or ten years. He was appointed by
Government, in 1872, as Lieutenant in Company No. 7, Reserve Militia of
Prcscott. He was married in 1866 to Miss Emily Burwash, and has two sons;
the eldest, Samuel Martin, is an Engineer in Washington Terri
tory ; the other, Ralph Gilbert, works at the blacksmith trade with
his father.
NELSON,* son of Stephen Burwash, was born in 1809, in River Rouge
settlement- when 20 years of age he came to this place, and bought 100
acres of land half of Lot 22, 4th Concession, and a few years later,
purchased the remaining half, which
* Mr, Burwash is now deceased.
6l6 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
is now owned and occupied by his son Matthew. He had a saw mill for
forty years on Bimvash creek, but as the land became cleared, the creek
gradually dried up, and the mill became useless. Mr. Burwash also spent
about ten years on the Ottawa, running a boat between Carillon and
Montreal. He always took an active part in the military affairs of the
County, and held the rank of Major for a number of years ; he is Justice
of the Peace, and has been Councillor, Assessor and Collector for the
Township of East Hawkesbury. He was married in 1832 to Margaret Albright,
who died in December, 1892; they had nine children two of whom died &
in childhood; four daughters and three sons are still living. Jane,
the eldest, is living in Ottawa ; the eldest son. Stephen, married,
is in Manitoba ; Emily, the second daughter, married to A. A. LeRoy,
lives near the homestead ; Cecelia, married to John Ritchie, lives in
California ; and Lavinia, Mrs. John Baggs, is in Manitoba ; Nelson,
the second son, is married, and living in Stardale; and Matthew, the
youngest lives on the homestead ; he is married to Miss Faunie Hooker
of St. Andrews and has two sons and one daughter.
ANDREW ALLISON, eldest son of William Allison, was born 8th October, 1851
in Hawkesbury; with the exception of three winters spent in lumbering for
Hamilton Brothers, he remained at home until about 28 years of age. He
then bought the south half of a Lot in the 5th Concession, and about
ten years later, purchased 50 acres adjoining. He was married 7th May,
1882, to Catherine, daughter of Thomas Eioysted ; they have six children
living four sons and two daughters. Mr. Allison has been Councillor
for two years, and is Auditor of School District No. 8. He has a fine
residence and farm, supplied with all the modern agricultural implements ;
he keeps about 30 head of cattle and several horses.
JOHN C. MOONEY, second son of Charles Mooney, was born in 1848, and
re mained at home during his younger years, with the exception of
five winters spent in lumbering. He was married in 1876 to Abigail .,
daughter of the late Samuel Orton, and moved to his present farm in the
5th Concession ; he has three sons and two daughters. Mr. Mooney is a
School Trustee, but has always refused the office of Councillor; he was
a member of the iSth Battalion, and accompanied it to Corn wall in 1866.
ZACHARIAH McCallum, sen., came from the Highlands of Scotland to Point
Fortune, and engaged in farming. Zachariah, his third son, was born in
1844, and remained at home until 17, at which age he commenced lumbering
for Hamilton He remained with the firm 6 years at this time, and, later,
spent 16 years in the same business, most of the time as foreman. In
1872 he was married to Mary ten, daughter of the late Francis Harvey ;
they have three daughters ; Jennie, the eldest, is at home, and the two
younger at school. Mr. McCallum has built a brick esidence, new barns and
stables, and made many other improvements since pur chasing his present
farm, in 1870. He is one of those men who accomplish much by per sistent
industry. He and Mrs. McCallum are both members of the Baptist Church.
JAMES HURLEY, third son of Dennis Hurley, was born in 1840. When about
spent a year in Illinois, but liking Canada better he returned, and two
years sr, bought his present farm of 170 acres in the 5th Concession. He
has since pur- 1 100 acres in the 3rd Concession. He was married in
June, 1870, to Margaret, augnter of the late John Wylie ; they have
two sons and five daughters, all living Dennis Stephen, the eldest,
spent a year in Rigaud College, and Catherine b., the eldest daughter,
spent a year in the Gloucester Street Convent, Ottawa.
Turley was Treasurer of the township, and Councillor for four years,
and everal years was Civil Engineer for the township ; for the past
thirteen years he
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 617
has handled the money for Messrs. LeRoy and Ogden s cheese factories,
as well as several others; in 1893, the output of three factories being
$35,000, and in 1894, $43,000 from four. Mr. Hurley s residence is
beautifully situated on a high ridge; he has a fine orchard, and barns
containing all the latest machinery ; he keeps 40 head of cattle and
9 horses.
MICHAEL MANEELY was in the British service thirty-one years, eleven of
which were spent with the troops in the East and West Indies. He was in
India during the Mutiny, and was one of a Regiment of 1,700 men who left
England for India, of whom only two besides himself came back alive. His
rank in the army was that of
Recruiting Sergeant, and he was also Pay Sergeant of his Regiment. A
pension was granted to him until his death. He came to this County about
1863, and settled in East Hawkesbury, on the place now owned by John,
his son ; he was Postmaster here for a number of years, and Township
Treasurer and Clerk ; he also conducted an hotel and engaged in mercantile
business. His death took place in March, 1891, at the age of 88 years ;
his widow, who was Margaret Council, still survives him, and at the age of
75 is very active. Mr. and Mrs. Maneely had one son and five daughters;
one of the latter, Margaret, died at 18; the remaining daughters are
all married.
John C., the son, who was born in 1857, when sixteen years of age
commenced learning the carpenter and joiner s trade with John W. Higginson
of Hawkesbury,
and has since worked in different parts of the country in Manitoba and
in the Black Hills. He has also done fine work on many of the residences
of this section. He
was married loth January, 1885, to Miss Ellen E. McCormack, and is living
on the old homestead: they have one son and one daughter.
WILLIAM LERov, son of Archibald LeRoy, who came to this place from River
Rouge about 1846, was born here in 1847, anr ^ nas always remained on
the farm.
He was married in 1878, to Jane, daughter of George Albright ; they have
two sons and one daughter, all living at home. In 1878 the homestead farm
was divided, and William took part of it in the 4th Concession, and has
a fine brick house and new out-buildings. Mr. LeRoy has accomplished
a great deal by hard work, though his health is greatly impaired. He
was Treasurer of St. Paul s Church for a number of years ; he has taken
some interest in Military affairs, and entered the 1 8th Battalion when
sixteen years of age.
DANIEL J. LEROY, youngest son of Archibald LeRoy, was born in 1868,
and has always remained on the farm, with the exception of a year and
a half spent in Cali fornia. On his return from that State, he took
the westihalf of the farm. His father died in 1880, at the age of 62;
his mother, who was Miss Justina Augusta Sprecht, from Nassau, Germany,
died in 1876, aged 49. Mr. LeRoy is living on the old homestead with
his sister, Miss Christiana, the youngest daughter; both have taken an
active part in Church affairs, and Mr. LeRoy is Treasurer of St. Paul
s Church, which was built in 1884 on the site of the old Town Hall,
on the farm now owned by James Hurley.
WILLIAM A. MOONEY, son of Alexander Mooney, was born gth August, 1840,
in East Hawkesbury, and remained at home until 21 years of age. He then
spent two seasons in the lumber woods, next was a clerk in one of the
Gatineau shanties for Hamilton Brothers, and in 1864 he ascended the River
Rouge to take charge of a store and trade with the Indians. The following
year he took a trip across the Atlantic, spending a summer in Ireland
and Scotland. In 1866 he joined the Volun teers, and went with them to
Cornwall, as Private in the i8th Battalion ; on his return he engaged
as clerk for Hamilton Brothers, but in the fall went to California, and
40
618 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
remained in that Stale and in Nevada, employed in the mines as engineer
and in the assay office, until the spring of 1872. Shortly after
his return, he had a serious ill ness, caused by the poisonous fumes
inhaled in the assay office. In August, 1873, he was married to Miss
S. P. LeRoy ; they have two sons and five daughters ; Edith, the eldest
of the latter, is married to W. J. Parsons, of Hudson, Que. ; Gertie,
the second daughter, is telegraph operator in Vankleek Hill; Alice, the
third, is at home, and the other four are attending school. Mr. Mooney
came to the house where he is now living, on the 4th Concession, in 1879.
WILLIAM LEROY came from River Rouge about 1831, and bought the farm in
the 4th Concession, where his son Ralph, who was born in 1835, now h v
es. The latter,
MR. RALPH LEROY, is Reeve of the township of East Hawkesbury ; he has
been Councillor, a Director of the Agricultural Society for thirty years,
and was President of the same Society for two years. He has also been
Justice of the Peace during the past twenty years, Deputy Warden for the
Game and Fisheries since the County law was made concerning them, and
Director of the Farmers Institute of Prescott since it was organized;
for two years he was elected delegate to the Provincial Institute at
Toronto. He was married in 1871 to Janet, daughter of Charles Mooney of
this place; they have three daughters., all living at home. Mr. LeRoy
has, for the last twelve years, in partnership with Mr. Ogden, conducted
several cheese factories in the County. He is widely known and thoroughly
respected by all.
MARTIN, third son of William LeRoy, was born here in 1837 > ne nas
always lived at home, with the exception of one year spent in traveling
through Nevada and California, and is now located on the east half of
Lot 2 {, 4th Concession. He his been twice married: firsi, in 1860 to
Miss Simpson, of Vaudreuil, who died in 1864, leaving a daughter ; he
was married the second time in 1881 to Miss Mary LeRoy, of River Rouge,
by whom he has four daughters. Mr. LeRoy has served several terms as
School Trustee; he has taken an active part in the military affairs of
the County, and has held the commission of Captain in the i8th Battalion
Infantry. During the time of the Fenian raids, when Ensign of his Company,
he was called out and spent two months in Cornwall. He was afterwards
Captain of Company No. 4.
Mr. William LeRoy, his father, lived with him until his death in April,
1892, at the age of 86 years and 9 months. His wife, mother of Martin,
was Abigail, daughter of Solomon Grout, who came from Massachusetts. She
died in August, 1875, at the age of 66 years.
SOLOMON GROUT, sen., was the first settler in Barb ; he cut the road from
St. Eugene, built his house where the road now runs by Burwash Creek,
and just in front of the spot on which Mr. A. Le Roy s shop stands. His
wife used to say that she saw no woman during the first summer of their
residence here. His son. Solomon Grout, jun., was born in 1837, on
tne ^ arm where he now lives ; when about 20 years of age he went to
Minnesota, and from there travelled alone and on foot to Carson City,
making the journey in a lit tie over five months. The hardships which
he encountered, if related in detail, would fill a good-sized volume;
among the inter esting things he relates are, an account of seeing
Brigham Young and his wives when in Salt Lake City, and the fact that
there was but one house in Carson City when he first reached it. After
spending about eight years there he returned to this settle ment and
bought the farm of James Gamble. In 1865, he was married to Agnes,
daughter of Samuel Mooney, of East Hawkesbury ; they have three sons and
two .daughters living. The eldest son, Charles B., died at the age of 20
; William S. *s in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company at Winnipeg,
and the others are at home. In 1875 Mr. Grout came to the homestead,
and the year following built his
present fine brick residence.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 619
SAMUEL BURWASH, son of Thomas Btirwash, one of the first settlers here,
and brother of Rev. Adam Burwash, was born in 1854. He had charge of
the entire home farm until the spring of 1895, when he took 50 acres
on his own account ; he was married in 1892 to Miss Sophia Carkner,
of Winchester. The three daughters of Mr.Thomas Burwash live on the
homestead, and the farm is managed by their nephew, Norman Clark.
ARCHIBALD ALBRIGHT was born in the Bay Settlement, Argenteuil County,
in 1814 ; he married Miss Lavinia LeRoy of River Rouge, and commenced
farming in Beech Ridge. He afterwards came to this place and bought the
farm now owned by Le Duke ; it was entirely covered with forest at that
time, as Mr. Albright was one of the first settlers in the place. After
remaining here some years, he bought the farm of his father-in-law,
Henry LeRoy, and lived on it until his death, which occurred nth January,
1895, at the age of 80 years and 6 months. Mrs. Albright died 2ist
April, 1887 ; they left two sous and one daughter. Martin, the eldest,
married, and lived on a farm some years, after which he removed to Ottawa,
in which city he now lives; Margaret, the daughter, married to Alexander
Kingsbury, lives in this vicinity.
Henry, the second son, born 4th November, 1850, always remained on the
home stead, with the exception of a winter spent in lumbering. On 22nd
September, 1874, he was married to Anna, daughter of the late James
Steele ; they have two sons and two daughters. Mr. Albright was a member
of the i8th Battalion, and accompanied
it to Cornwall in 1866 ; he was two years a member of the Township
Council. He is now agent for David Maxwell & Sons (St. Mary s,
Ont.) farming implements; he keeps a large stock of cattle and horses.
WILLIAM S. MOONEY, eldest son of Samuel Mooney, was born in East Hawkes-
bury, 4th May, 1843 > ne remained at home until 23 years of age,
when he went to Portland, Maine, and engaged for a year in running an
excursion yacht to different islands on the coast. After returning he
spent several years on the farm, and about 1870, in partnership with
Mr. Solomon Grout, built a steam saw-mill on the 4th Con cession ; they
remained in partnership, in the mill for four years, after which Mr.
Mooney took it on his own account for the same length of time. He then
sold out to parties in St. Eugene, and in 1873 bought his present farm
in the 4th and 5th Concessions no acres. He was married 4th November,
1873, to Maria, daughter of James McNie ; they have two sons and two
daughters. Mr. Mooney was a member of the i8th Battalion for 21 years,
and during the last four of these was ist Lieutenant of No. 4 Company,
under Captain LeRoy ; he was with the Company in Ottawa, June, 1866. He
has been Township Councillor for three years, and two years Deputy Reeve ;
he has a fine brick and stone residence, surrounded by trees.
JAMES OGDEN is the second son of Joseph Ogden, who came to this section
from Argenteuil, being one of the first settlers. The subject of our
sketcli was born in 1829. He was married to Eliza Pennoyer, and had ten
children, of whom five sons
and two daughters are now living. Mr. Ogden died 3rd September, 1871,
at the age of 42; Mrs. Ogden married a second time, to Richard Gregor,
and is living in New Hampshire. Of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden s children all are
in the States, excepting Susanna, the second daughter, who is married to
James Turner, and lives in Cowans- ville, Que., and George P., the third
son, born gth November, r854, who is living on the old homestead. When
18 years of age he went to the Eastern Townships, where he remained
four years, working at the carpenter s trade, and also on the South
Eastern Railroad. He then returned to East Hawkesbury, and has remained
here ever since, with the exception of one winter spent in Michigan. In
1879 ue moved to the old homestead, and in iSSi was married to Abigail,
daughter of Martin LeRoy,
6 2 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
of East Hawkesbury ; they have three sons and three daughters. Mr. Ogden
lives in the stone house built by his grandfather, Joseph Ogden, in the
early days of his settlement here.
ARCHIBALD LEROY, seventh son of Martin LeRoy, was born in River Rouge r
Argenteuil County, 27th December, 1849. While living in his native place
he took an active part in the military affairs of Argenteuil. In 1866,
as Private in No. i Company, nth Battalion of the Argenteuil Rangers, he
accompanied them to Ottawa. He was then appointed Corporal and Sergeant,
and in 1868 attended the Montreal School of Military Instruction, and
obtained a Lieutenant s certificate. He was afterwards appointed Captain
of No. i Company, which office he held until he retired, retaining-his
rank. In December, 1880, he was married to Susan, daughter of Charles
McGregor, of River Rouge ; they have eight children living three sons
and five daughters two sons and one daughter died in childhood. In
1893 Mr. LeRoy came to this section, buying his present farm in the
51)1 Concession, and
adding one more to the families of LeRoys, who are well known and
respected in East Hawkesbury.
WILLIAM M. ALLISON, second son of William Allison, was born i6th August,
1856. He remained at home until 18 years of age, and after spending a
winter in
lumbering went to Montana, where he remained two and a half years. On
his return he attended Rigaud College for some time, and then bought the
farm in East Hawkesbury now owned by Mrs. William Sherman. In 1886 he
was married to Emma, daughter of the late Alexander Cameron, of Point
au Chene, Argenteuil County; they have five children four sons and one
daughter. Mr. Allison, who lives on Lot 32, has made many improvements
in the house and outbuildings, and also on the farm.
JAMES HAUGHTON came from County Wexford, Ireland, to Canada, in 1826;
after working in the lumber business about a year he engaged with the
Hamiltons, of Hawkesbury, and remained in their employ until 1854,
when he came to his farm in the 5th Concession, which he had bought
in 1832 from Barnabas Vankleek. While working for the Hamiltons he was
married to Mary McCormack; they had one son and one daughter, who are
both living. Mr. Haughton died 3rd May, 1883, at eighty-three years of
age, and Mrs. Haughton died iyth February, 1840, aged twenty- eight.
THOMAS HAUGHTON, their son, was born 3rd March, 1835, an d spent several
years of his youth at the house of his uncle, Michael McCormack ; in 1855
he came to the homestead, and has since remained here. On 28th February,
1865, he was married to Catherine, daughter of Dennis Hurley ; they have
two sons and one daughter. Mr. Haughton has a very pretty cottage and
fine bam ; his farm is in a fine state of cultivation.
MICHAEL McCoRMACK, sr., came from the County of Longford, Ireland,
and after his arrival in this place, he worked for Hamilton Brothers
several years. He died in 1847, ano ^ Mrs. McCormack died in 1839.
Michael McCormack, jr., came herein 1840, and commenced the management of
his farm on the 5th Concession; he was married in 1850 to Mary, daughter
of Thomas Wallace, of Caledonia. They had nine children, of whom three
sons and five daugh ters are still living. Mr. McCormack was accidentally
killed in October, 1866, by falling from a load of lumber. He was helping
at a " bee," which had been organized for the purpose of assisting a
man whose barns had been burnt; his death was instantaneous, as the load
passed over his body. Mrs. McCormack is still living, remaining on the
homestead with her son Thomas ; the latter married Miss Anna
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 62!
Hoysted, and has two children. Catherine, the eldest daughter, married
to Peter
Lefebvre, lives in West Hawkesbury ; William, the eldest son, unmarried,
is in Mexico ; Ellen E. is married to John Maneely, contractor and
builder, of this place ; Mary Ami, married to George D. Ryan, lives in
this county, as does also Margaret, married to Mr. E. Butler ; Charles,
unmarried, resides in Mexico ; and the youngest daughter, also unmarried,
is a trained nurse in Chicago.
DENNIS HURLEY came from Cork, Ireland, with his wife and one child,
about 1830. After remaining in Montreal a short time, he came to Point
Fortune, left his wife there, and walked to East Hawkesbury, where he
engaged to work a year for Joseph Ogden for ^15, and the use of an acre
of land. He then hired a farm, and
two years afterward bought the one now occupied by his son Dennis. Mr. and
Mrs.
Hurley had eight children, four of each sex, who are all
living. Mrs. Hurley died in February, 1874, at the age of eighty, and
her busband died in 1882, aged eighty-four. Mary, their eldest child,
married to Mr. Brennan, lives in Illinois ; John, the eldest son, a
blacksmith by trade, has been living in Sacramento City, California,
for the past forty years ; Cornelius, the second son, and James, both
reside in this place ; Ellen, married to E. Dady, lives in Glengarry;
Ann, wife of James Harkin, in West Hawkesbury ; and Catherine, wife of
Thomas Haughton, in this place.
Dennis, the third son, has always remained on the homestead. He was
married in 1869, to Agnes, daughter of William Allison; they have four
sons and two daugh ters. The two elder sons were educated at Rigaud
College and the University of Ottawa, and the eldest daughter in a
Convent in Ottawa.
Mr. Hurley has been a Director of the Prescott County Agricultural Society
for the past 25 years, and President for 2 years. He has also been Justice
of the Peace for 15 years. He has one of the finest barns in the county,
size 128 x 58, and 52 feet high ; a windmill pumps water for his slock,
which is of the finest ; he makes a specialty of breeding Ayrshires. He
has added to his farm until it now comprises 380 acres, and has erected
a fine brick house which would do credit to any large town.
Caledonia.
This township is bounded north by Longueuil, east by West Hawkesbury,
south by Kenyon, and west by Alfred and South Plantagenet. The land
is mostly low and flat, and there are marshes which embrace several
thousand acres ; but, as in other places, much of this land, which was
once regarded as worthless, has been
transformed, by clearing and drainage, into fine productive fields. One
marsh, how ever, on the west, and partially in Alfred, which contains
about 5,000 acres, it is impossible to reclaim in this manner there
being no soil nothing but moss as far as its depth has been explored.
In passing through Caledonia, one is surprised at the variety of aspects
which the township presents : a most beautiful farming section being
succeeded by a wide strip of marshy forest land, which is just emerging
from its primeval condition burn ing log-heaps, small clearings and
cabins, giving evidence that the section has but
622 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
recently been invaded by the pioneer. Anon, we come to another section,
which, from its orchards, broad fields, and good buildings, evidently
has been long settled, " The Ridge," which is mentioned in Plantagenet,
commences within about a mile of the eastern boundary of Caledonia,
and is sharply denned, running across the remain ing breadth of the
township and Plantagenet. It is a peculiar fact that the soil of the
Ridge is quite different from that of the low-land which borders it the
whole distance, and, consequently, the crops to which it is adapted are
quite as different in character.
The Ridge is famed for the quality and quantity of the potatoes it
produces ; Mr. Henry Blaney, not long since, raised 2,000 bushels from
a field of 20 acres.
The only two streams in Caledonia, Paxton s Creek and Caledonia Creek,
are small, yet in the spring of the year they become very formidable
in appearance, and are then of great service to lumbermen in conveying
their logs either to mills or to other points desired. Paxton s Creek
rises near the east side of the towhship, and flows westerly across it,
into the Nation, in South Plantagenet.
Caledonia Creek rises in Hawkesbury, flows westerly across Caledonia,
and unites with Paxton s Creek.
FENAGHVALE.
The above is the name substituted for that of Caledonia Flats the latter
being the name by which the locality had always been known, and which
was given to the Post-Office established here many years ago. This was
the place where John Chesser the first settler in Caledonia, and of whom
a sketch is given in the history of
Plantagenet Mills located about 1824. The Flats, which are bordered on
one side
by the Ridge, embrace a tract about a mile in length by half a mile in
width. The Flats are noted for the richness of the soil particularly
for the fine crops of oats produced 100 bushels to the acre not being
an unusual yield. This locality, too, is peculiarly interesting from a
geological point good evidence existing that the Flats once formed the bed
of a lake. Fields, which have been carefully cleared of roots, logs and
debris of every kind, are soon again encumbered with similar material,
which gradually comes to the surface, so that, in the course of a few
years, they have once more to be cleared. In September last (1895) the
writer saw a field of this description, containing many roots and logs,
which field, he was informed, had been entirely cleared three or four
times within the last two decades. It was in this sec- . tion that a large
stump, entirely beneath the surface, was unearthed a few years since,
and directly under its center were found the huge antlers of a moose.
It is said that Mr. Chesser was enticed to this spot by the rich growth
of pine
with which the Flats were covered ; but the cholera of 1832 put an end,
not only to his plans of extensive lumbering, but to his life, as well
as that of nearly all his fam ily. Guy Chesser, who lived here, had been
absent in some other part of the Pro
vince for some days. On returning home, he called at his neighbor, Mr.
Proudfoot s house, and remarked to Mrs. Proudfoot that he believed
he was going home to die. As he showed no indications of illness,
Mrs. Proudfoot laughed at his tears ; but three days afterward his
prediction was verified. His death was speedily followed by that of his
wife, his brother, Charles Chesser, and a man named Jos. Hubbard.
Mr. Chesser was soon followed to this section by JOHN STEPHENS and ROBERT
NICHOLSON; the former took up Lot 16, Concession 5 ; the latter Lot 21,
Conces sion 5. Among the pioneers who became prominently identified
with the history of the place, and whose descendants are still here,
were WILLIAM BRADLEY and JAMES
PROUDFOOT.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 62^
J
The former came from the North of Ireland in his youthful days, and after
find ing employment some years at Plantagenet Mills, he came to Caledonia
in 1836, and took up Lots 1 8 and 19, Concession 5. The following Obituary
is copied from The Advertiser (L Orignal) of August, 1891 :
" Caledonia and the County of Prescott have lost one of their best-known
and eldest residents, who died at his home in Caledonia on Thursday last,
having received,
a few days previous, hi? final stroke of paralysis Mr. Bradley, whose
education was very limited, was acknowl dged to be a man of superior
intellect and great natural ability. Since the establishment of Couniy
Councils up to some ten years ago, the deceased represented his township
as Reeve in that body, and filled the office of Warden of the united
Counties on more than one occasion. His judg
ment on the final result of long pending, complicated law matters was
equal to that of the first counsel of the land ; while his ever-ready
flashes of wit were proverbial. He was generous and hospitable, and his
house and bountiful table were ever at the command of the travelling
public and wayfarer. In figure, face, and intellect, Mr. Bradley was
the counterpart of Gladstone, which was often publicly remarked with
this difference that for his lack of the education of the latter, he was
compensated by the possession of brilliant wit. He died at the advanced
age of 83, and was buried at the Cemetery near his home, on Saturday
last, many of his old friends in L Orignal regretting that they did not
hear of his death or funeral in time to be present to pay the last sad
tribute of respect to one they had long known and esteemed so much."
Mr. Bradley was noted for his perseverance and determination he never
yielded when sure that his cause was one of equity, as long as a shadow
of hope remained. He knew that he was justly entitled to quite a sum
from his father s estate; but other claimants appeared, and his prospect
of obtaining anything seemed dubious. Heat once started for Ireland,
with the expressed determination not to return till he had secured
his rights. After a severe contest for two years in the courts, his
claims were established, and he returned to Canada in the enjoyment of
his legacy.
Mr. Bradley was twice married : first to Innocent Ellen Downing issue,
four sons and four daughters ; the second marriage was to Flora Cameron
issue, three
sons and one daughter.
Henry J., the eldest of the children by the first marriage, settled
on 100 acres near the homestead, and some time afterward bought 200
acres more. He married Mary Proudfoot ; they had three sons and three
daughters. Mrs. Bradley died 8th
March, 1879, and ie was next married igth September, 1892, to Christina
Dewar. The 100 acres which he received from his father contained no
buildings ; he has
erected fine ones, and by persevering industry has placed himself in
most comfort able circumstances. His farm is under thorough cultivation,
and besides keeping
ten horses, thirteen cows and a number of .sheep, he has raised in a
season 2,200 bushels of oats, 1,000 bushels of potatoes, 100 bushels
wheat, and 100 bushels corn. He has been School Trustee many years,
Justice of the Peace, and was Reeve of the Township till he resigned the
position. His two eldest sons are in Colorado, and two of his daughters
are teaching.
JAMES PROUDFOJT came from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, to Caledonia in 1831.
He was employed four years by Mr. John Chesser as manager of his farm,
after which, he purchased the claim of Alfred Chesser to too acres
of Government land, on which he lived till his death, 28th February,
1887. Mr. Proudfoot was a man of much natural ability ; he was a great
reader, and possessing a very retentive memory, was able to supply
information on almost any subject, distinctly remembering things which
others had forgotten. He preferred reading works devoted to physical
science,
624 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
and took great pleasure in the works of Hugh Miller. For about fifteen
years he
held the position of Postmaster at this place the second who filled
the office. He was Township Treasurer from the beginning of the present
Municipal System up to
time of his death, and during the earlier years of his residence here,
was School Trustee. He was blind during the last decade of his life,
and his business was all done by his son, James. He had seven children
five sons and two daughters.
James, his third son, remained on the homestead; he was
married in January, 1864, to Sarah Frances, daughter of William
Bradley. Mr. Proudfoot has been Township Treasurer for ten, and School
Trustee upward of twenty years. His father cleared up his farm and
erected a good house and out-buildings. The son has erected a large barn,
added 200 acres to the homestead, and owns 400 more in the Township,
and 100 in Plantagenet. His residence has been made very pleasant by
the planting of trees and shrubbery. He has eleven children eight sons
and three daughters.
In 1848, his father planted a small pine and a fir tree near the dwelling
; the
first is now two feet in diameter, and the latter a little less.
The first wheels in Caledonia were a pair of cart wheels brought to
this locality by a man named Davis ; Mr. Proudfoot purchased them,
and to the envy, no doubt,
of his neighbors, was the only man in this section for some time who
enjoyed the possession of these luxurious, but extravagant, articles ;
he is said to have been very proud of them.
JOHN GARRETT DOWNING is the present genial and intelligent Postmaster
of Fenaghvale. His grandfather, John Downing, came from the County of
Carlow, Ireland, to North Plantagenet about the year 1826, and settled on
the site of the present Village of Curran. A few years later he removed
to Caledonia, to Lot 21, Concession 5, on which he lived till his death
in 1840. He was twice married ; by the first marriage he had two sons,
and by the second, two sons and three daughters
The maiden name of one of his wives was Sarah Phillips ; the estate of
her ancestors in Ireland was called Fenaghvale, whence the name given
to the Post- Office at Caledonia Flats. After the death of Mr. Downing,
his widow, having received a legacy from her ancestral estate, purchased
quite a tract of land at
Fenaghvale, which was divided among their four children Philip and
Richard L. Downing, Mrs. William Bradley and Mrs. James Bradley (now
Mrs. Michael Molloy).
PHILIP DOWNING received Lot 18, Concession 5, on which he lived till
his death ; he married 5th October, 1842, Sophronia Kendall, who is
still living. He was a man of much public spirit and enterprise, and
was School Trustee, Assessor and Collector a long time, and Postmaster
sixteen years. He had three sons and five
daughters.
John G. remained on the homestead a fine farm, and a very pleasant,
home-like dwelling. Mr. Downing was married 8th December, 1870, to Maria
Downing; they have five sons and four daughters ; Philip, the eldest son,
is Principal of a Public School in Wisconsin.
RICHARD L., a brother of Philip Downing, had a farm of 250 acres
adjacent to that of his brother. There was but little of it cleared
when it came into his posses sion, and he cleared the greater part of
it. He was married in 1843, to Maria Bradley ; they had two sons and
four daughters. Mr. Downing was a member of the
Municipal Council many years, and Church Warden ; he died 4th December,
1882 ; Mrs. Downing died iyth November, 1884.
James Bradley Downing, the youngest son, remained on the homestead a fine
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 625
form with a neat brick residence, rendered attractive by an abundance
of trees and shrubbery. Mr. Downing was married 22nd September, 1879,
to Maria Sproule. He has been Church Warden many years, and was also a
member of the Local Coun cil till his resignation. Like his neighbors,
he is more interested in his farm than in public affairs ; keeps a large
stock, and raises good crops of hay and grain.
A Town Hall was erected at Fenaghvale in 1857. this being the chef-lieu
of the Township.
ST. PAUL S CHURCH.
Religious services have been held here many years, a school house being
first used for this purpose. Rev. Mr. Tremayne visited the place, and
held service when he was stationed at Hawkesbury, as did the Rev. (now
Bishop) J. T. Lewis. The church edifice, brick, 50 x 30 feet, was
commenced in 1874, by Rev. Arthur Phillips, the present incumbent of
Hawkesbury. Building Committee Philip Downing, who also collected the
funds, and otherwise took a very active part in forwarding the work ;
R. L. Downing, John Sproule, Henry Blaney, and William Bradley; the
build ing was completed in 1877.
Rev. W. J. Macklestone succeeded Mr. Phillips ; it was during his
incumbency of two years that the mission was taken from Hawkesbury and
united with Plantage- net. Rev. J. W. Fraser was the first minister
appointed to the new mission ; he left in November, 1880. C. C. Carson,
Lay Reader, followed, since which the following clergymen have been on the
mission : Rev. C. O. D. Bailey, Rev. C. C. Carson, Rev. F. W. Squier,
and the present incumbent, Rev. F. W. Ritchie, son of the late Chief
Justice Ritchie; he came in 1894. The church is supplied with an organ,
and a neat and commodious parsonage has been erected.
A few miles south-east of Fenaghvale, in a good farming district, lives
SIMON RENWICK. whose father, James Renwick, came from Dumfrieshire,
Scotland, to Cale
donia in 1832. He was employed some time by Mr. Chesser, and three or
four years after coming to the country he bought a farm of 100 acres near
Caledonia Flats ; this farm is now owned and oocupied by his eldest son,
James Renwick. He lived on it many years, and then exchanged it with his
son, James, for a farm at Fournier, to which place he removed, and died
therein 1891 ; he was a man of ability, and was Justice of the Peace
for many years. He had six sons and four daughters. Simon,
his third son, lived on the homestead till his marriage, 23rd July, 1868,
to Jessie Blaney. In 1876, he bought 150 acres of Lot 5, 6th Concession,
which at that time was covered with bushes and small trees, and so wet
that it was unfit for cultivation until it was thoroughly drained. Some
idea of Mr. Renwick s industry may be obtained from the fact that, in the
comparatively short period of nineteen years, he has erected comfortable
buildings, and cleared and drained 90 acres of his land, so that he keeps
a good stock of cattle and horses, and raises 1000 bushels of grain,
besides, in the meantime, rearing a family of thirteen children. He has
accomplished this without means, save what he has earned with his hands,
and we think he has
fairly proved that Scotch pluck and energy are not on the decline. He
has had seven sons and six daughters; one of the latter is deceased;
two daughters and one son are married.
CHARLES GATES, a respected citizen of this Township, has a good farm
between Fournier and Fenaghvale. He came with his father, James Gates,
when he was a small boy, from Massachusetts to the locality now known
as Fenaghvale. This was
in the year when the cholera had desolated so many of the homes in this
locality, and Mr. Gates distinctly recollects seeing the clothes that
were hanging out, after the
626 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
washing and cleaning of the dwellings which had been visited by this
terrible scourge. His father, who spent his remaining days here, had
two sons, Charles and Chauncey, and two daughters. Chauncey settled on
a farm beside that of Charles, and died here, leaving three sons and
four daughters children by a first marriage. Charles Gates has been
Bailiff here for forty years, School Trustee a long time, and Steward
of the Methodist Church. He has five sons and two daughters ; one son
is in Cali fornia, another in Duluth; the others are in Caledonia.
GEORGE BLANEY, from the County of Tyrone, Ireland, came to New York
city in 1830, in which city he married, 15111 April, 1831, Elizabeth
Ann McKee. The following year they went to New Brunswick, and settled at
Blaney Ridge, parish of Prince William. In 1839, they came to Caledonia,
and settled on Lot 14, 5th Concession, which is now owned by Henry and
John Woods. Mr. Blaney died here, i5th February, 1848; Mrs. Blaney died
nth January, 1870; they had two sons and two daughters. James H., the
eldest son, bought 200 acres, Lot 15, 5th
Concession, about the year 1861. There were only six acres of it cleared
at the
time, but Mr. Blaney with persevering industry has since cleared 140
acres, and so improved it, that he can keep 20 cows, several horses,
and this season (1895) has raised 2000 bushels of grain. He has been a
member of the Municipal Council and
a School Trustee for many years; he was married 2gth November, 1878,10
Ellen Downing; they have four sons and two daughters.
MICHAEL TERRY, from the parish of Grange Mouclar, Tipperary, Ireland, came
to L Orignal in 1843, with Jiis wife, three sons and four daughters. About
a year later, he came to Caledonia, and settled on 100 acres of Lot 18,
6th Concession. Mr. Terry died here many years ago, and Mrs. Terry died
at the home of one of her daughters in Templeton. Thomas, their eldest
son, always remained on the home stead, and has added to it 50 acres. He
was married nth July, 1847, to Mary Ann
Hickey; they have five sons and one daughter the latter and three of
the former
are married. Mr. Terry is a representative of that class of farmers
that always
succeed in their vocation ; his farm, a fine one, has been brought to
a state of cultivation which enables him to keep a good stock of cattle
and horses, besides raising yearly from loooto 1500 bushels of grain. He
has erected an attractive brick house and other buildings, and his home
gives evidence of taste, as well as thrift, in the proprietor. He has
been a Municipal Councillor, and for twenty years a School Trustee,
and Constable for Prescott and Russell. His son, Michael, who
was married 24th April, 1893, to Nellie Ryan, now has the management of
the homestead.
About two and a half miles in a north-easterly direction from Fenaghvale,
is a Post office called ROUTHIER ; Paul Cadieux being Postmaster, and
having a store here
there is also an hotel in the same building. The country around is a fine
farming section ; and a large cheese factory, built by Alfred Sicotte,
but now owned by J. B. Drebeau, manufactures the milk produced by the
many good dairies hereabout.
One of the quite early settlers in this section was HENRY Woods from
Ferma nagh County, Ireland, who located here in 1842. He purchased
200 acres, on which he lived till his death ; he left three sons and
two daughters. Two of the sons, Henry and John, each received one-half
the homestead, and have fine farms. John, who has served as Councillor
and School Trustee for some years, has added 100 acres to his original
faim. Mrs. William Ingram, a daughter of the late Mr. Henry Woods,
also lives in this section.
HISTORY OK PRESCOTT. 627
ST. AMOUR.
Two miles or more southward from Fenaghvale is a Post Office established
in 1885, with the above name. The section is one of the newly settled
districts men tioned on a former page, which crosses the Township between
Fenaghvale and the older and well settled southern part of Caledonia.
Quite a little village located on Paxton s Creek has recently sprung
up here, in which there are two stores, an hotel, a steam lumber and
provender mill (the latter owned by E. Legault), three or four shops
and several dwellings.
Mr. St. Amour is Postmaster, and proprietor of one of the stores ;
a mail arrives daily, conveyed by the stage running between Fournier
and Maxville.
From this place a road leads to the southern part of the Township, where
a section bordering on Kenyon is well improved; most of the farms being
fine ones, and the buildings commodious and attractive. The inhabitants
are all, or nearly all, Highlanders, either direct from Scotland or
the neighboring County of Glengarry. Among themselves, the Gaelic is
the language spoken ; while they are extremely kind and hospitable to
strangers, the latter may be sure that he has not the passport to their
affections unless he can speak with them in Gaelic.
DUNCAN McLEOD was a very early settler in the southwestern part of this
Township the first, it is claimed, in the immediate vicinity of the place
where he located, in the 8th and gth Concessions. His father, Alexander
McLeod, from Glen garry, Scotland, was one of the pioneers in Locheil,
Glengarry County, locating there as early, at least, as the year 1800. In
1845, Duncan McLeod, one of his sons, came to Caledonia, and took up 700
acres in the 8th and gth Concessions. He be came a man of prominence and
influence in the Township, serving several years in the Council and as
Magistrate; he also received a Commission of Lieutenant from
Sir John Coiborne, of a Regiment in Glengarry. He was born in 1805, and
died 3rd November, 1889. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary McLeod,
born in 1811, died 26th June, 1895, aged 84 ; they had four sons and
three daughters ; three of the sons, William, John and Neil, settled in
this section, and are influential, respected men in the Township.
Donald, another son, died in Kansas ; the daughters, married, live
in Glengarry.
Neil McLeod, the youngest son, received 200 acres of the homestead,
with the fine buildings thereon. He has been twice married: first to
Annie McMillan, who
died 22nd May, 1881 ; issue, one daughter and a son the latter died in
infancy ; his second marriage, 23rd September, 1884, was to Mary McLeod ;
issue, two daughters and one son the latter died in infancy. Mr. McLeod
has been a member of the School Board and Municipal Council several years.
John D., the second son of the late Duncan McLeod, is proprietor of a
fine farm
of 100 acres, and good buildings in this locality ; he was married izth
August, 1862, to Sarah, daughter of John Mclnnis, of West Hawkesbury.
WiHiam McLeod, brother of the two named above, received 200 acres of
the homestead ; he has long been one of the Municipal Councillors and
a School Trustee.
JOHN J. McCuAiGj who resides here, is one of the active and prominent men
of the Township, having served as Reeve several years, as School Trustee,
and in other local offices. His father, John McCuaig, from Lochiel,
was an early settler here, and took up 300 acres, though a portion of
it is marsh ; he died in 1891, at the age of 88 ; he had six sons and
two daughters. John J. remained on the homestead.
ARCHIBALD McLEOD, now 84 years of age, lives on Lot 6, in the gth
Concession* He came from Glengarry, Ont., and settled here in 1844,
taking up 50 acres, to which he subsequently added 100. He has four
sons and three daughters living; John A., one of the former, married,
now has the management of the homestead.
628 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
DUNCAN McCuAiG, who has a good farm here, is a son of Donald McCuaig,
who came from Lancaster, where he had lived many years, to this section,
in 1846. Mr. McCuaig believes that the first settler in the southern
part of Caledonia was Donald McKinnon, from Scotland, and that the next
was Roy McLeod, from Lochiel, Glen garry. The former has no descendants
here, but the latter has a son, Donald McLeod, still residing here.
LODVICK MORRISON, from Glenelg, Invernesshire, Scotland, settled in
Lochiel, Glengarry, in 1802. A year or two later he moved to Kenyon,
where he lived till his death. He had three sons and seven daughters,
of whom his son Roderick is the only one living. In 1863 the latter
settled in Caledonia, on Lot 5, Concession 8 ; he has cleared it, and
has a good farm with comfortable buildings. Mr. Morrison
has been twice married : first to Sarah Cameron, and next to Mary McCuaig,
who died 22nd April, 1890. He has three sons and four daughters; one of
the latter,
married, lives in Lochiel.
JOHN MACDONALD, from Glencoe, Scotland, came to Lancaster in 1817 ; thence
he removed to Alexandria, and in [820 to Caledonia, and bought 200 acres
a gore
of the 8th Concession. Later, he bought another 200 acres a gore of
the yth Concession. He had seven sons and five daughters; Ronald, the
fourth son, who lives on part of the homestead with his own son, Angus,
is the only one of his father s family residing in Frescott County. He
is now 78 years of age, and says that when his father came here, there
was no settler in Caledonia east of them, and the only ones west were
Donald McKinnon and Roderick McLeod. Mr. Macdonald has a fine farm
with attractive buildings ; he has been a member of the Local Council
and Assessor.
At the extreme south-east corner of Caledonia though located just on the
boundary of Lochiel, is a store and post-office, where the inhabitants
of this part of Caledonia do much of their trading, and obtain their
mail. The name of the office is McCrimmon, and the Postmaster is
N. D. McLeod, J. McRae also has a steam- mill here.
CALEDONIA SPRINGS.
These Springs are situated about midway between Montreal and Ottawa,
and a few miles from the Ottawa River; the property pertaining comprises
about 200 acres of land, well laid out in walks, lawns, etc.
It is interesting to note the changes which have taken place here since
the Hon. Alexander Grant, of L Origral, while beaver-hunting in this
vicinity about 1806, first discovered the peculiar qualities of the
waters. At that time, the only evidence that these springs had become
known to human beings was a beaten path leading through the forest, and
hieroglyphics on the adjacent trees the work of Indians. Later, a hut
was built upon the spot by a settler named Kellog, who had discovered
the medical properties of the springs, and turned his knowledge to
practical account by charging a small fee to the frequent visitors. In
1835 Mr - Lemuel Gushing bought the property, and erected an hotel ; he
was succeeded in ownership by William Parker, whose efforts to improve
the place resulted, among other advan tages, in better drainage, and a
large and growing reputation for the Springs. Mr. Parker was followed
by J. L. Wilkinson, and he by T. Crawford, who owned the property a number
of years. It was then purchased by Gushing and Shepard, who built a stone
hotel, which was afterwards burnt. This was rebuilt by Capt. Bowie and
Gouin, and subsequently became the property of the Grand Hotel Company.
The Grand Hotel (as it is now called) is a fine large building of much
architec
tural beauty, and is always thronged during the summer months.
HISTORY OF PKESCOTT. 629
The mineral springs are four in number saline, sulphur, gas and
intermittent and they have so salutary an effect thai they are resorted
to by hundreds of invalids each season.
There are two hotels besides the Grand, a Post-Office, Roman Catholic
church, and several stores.
JAMES CROSS was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1801. In 1886 he
came to Canada, and settled in Caledonia about the year 1828, on the
farm now owned by his son Jonathan Cross. He was married in 1829 to Ann,
daughter of the
late Mr. T. Holmes, of Alfred ; they had nine children, of whom four sons
and two daughters are now living. Mr. Cross took an active interest in
municipal affairs, being Councillor for a number of years, and Justice
of the Peace ; he was also Captain of the Militia, and took an active
part in the organization of the first Agri cultural Society of the
County. His death took place 2nd September. 1890, at the age of 89 ;
and that of Mrs. Cross in June, 1884.
Jonathan, the youngest of the family, was born 1 2th April, 1847. I n ^67
he went to the Military School in Toronto, and remained there during the
winter; he afterward went with the Volunteers to Cornwall. He was married
in 1882 to Mary J., daughter of the late Thomas Holmes, of Alfred ; they
have three sons and three daugh ters. Mr. Cross was elected Councillor in
1874, and held the office four years ; he has also been Chairman of the
Board of License Commissioners of Prescott. In 1890 he was elected Reeve
of Caledonia, which office he still holds; in 1893 he was Warden of the
United Councils of Prescott and Russell. He lias also been Justice of
the Peace for the past 20 years, being, at the time of his appointment,
the youngest holding that office in the county. In 1894 he was nominated
as the Representative of the Patrons of Industry of Russell County,
but was defeated by Mr. Alfred Evanturel. He has been President of the
Farmers Institute of the County of Prescott since its organization, and,
for several years, a Director of the Agricultural Society.
JOHN S. McDoUGALL was born in Glengarry County, Ont., in August, 1833.
In 1878 he was appointed Station Agent at Thurso, Que., on the North
Shore RoaJ
being the first to hold that position. He remained there five years,
and afterward spent the same length of time in Maxwell, Ont , managing
a general store. While in Maxwell, in 1886, he had the misfortune to
lose his left hand; it was injured when he was boarding a train, and
amputation became necessary. In 1888 he went to Vankleek Hill, and started
business as Life and Fire Insurance Agent, while Mrs. McDougall opened
a millinery store. Being a sufferer from erysipelas, Mr. McDougall came
to Caledonia Springs, where he has been completely restored to health. He
manages the Lake Cottage, which in the summer is crowded to its full
capacity; he also keeps a grocery and fancy store open during the summer
months. He has been twice married, the first time in 1859, and the
second in 1874, to Mary J., daughter of the late Alexander R.. McDonnell,
saddler, of Alexandria.
NORMAN W. KENNEDY, eldest son of the late Wm. Kennedy, of Stukely,
Shefford
County, Que., was born in that Township, and received his early education
in Waterloo Academy, under the principalship of C. Thomas. He was married
in 1880 to Miss Amanda J. Davis, of West Bolton ; they have two children
both daughters. In December of 1893, Mr. Kennedy came to this place,
where he has since resided, having charge of the Post-Office, and also
looking after the estate and hotel during the winter ; he is also agent
for the Bell Telephone Co. in this place.
DONALD MCMASTER, eldest son of Ronald McMaster, was born in 1859,
on tne farm where he now lives. In 1884 he took the Lake Cottage in
Caledonia Springs,
630 HISTORY OF PRESCOTM.
keeping it open seven summers. In 1891 he went to Vankleek Hill, and,
in partner ship with his brother, bought the Grand Central Hotel, which
the latter still manages. He remained there four years, and in 1895 took
the Victoria Cottage at Cale donia Springs for three years ; He had much
success during the past summer. He was married in 1895 to Miss McLeod,
daughter of the late Norman McLeod of Vankleek Hill.
EWEN McMASTER and his wife, Mary McMaster, both from Lochaber, Scotland
came to Canada in 1818, and first settled in Glengarry County, remaining
there two years. He came to Caledonia at the end of this time, and settled
on the farm now owned by his son John. The farm was entirely covered
with forest,, he being one of the first settlers in this section. Mr. and
Mrs. McMaster had eleven children, of whom three sons and four daughters
are now living. Mr. McMaster took an active part in the affairs of the
Township, holding nearly all the municipal offices. He was a man respected
by all who knew him, and his memory will always be venerated. He died
nth April, 1869, aged 80, and Mrs. McMaster died in 1863.
John, the youngest son, born gth May, 1838, always remained on the home
stead. He was married 6th July, 1869, to Mary, daughter of Angus Kennedy,
of Lochiel, Glengarry County; they have one son, Evven, who lives at
home. Mr. McMaster is a good farmer; he has served the Township as
Councillor.
JOHN McMASTER, a brother of Ewen, was also an early settler, coming here
in 1818. He was also active in the affairs of the Township during his
lifetime, acting as School Inspector, etc. He lived on the west half of
Lot 13, ist Concession, now owned by his grandson, Donald McMaster.
Alfred.
Alfred is bounded on the north by the Ottawa River, on the east
by Longueuil and Caledonia, and on the west by North and South
Plantagenet. In the south the
Township runs to a point enclosed by Caledonia on the east, and South
Plantagenet on the west. It fronts upon the Ottawa about ten miles,
and near this river is some what hilly, but in the greater part of the
Township the land is low.
The first settlers of whom we have any knowledge were Messrs. Holmes and
Pattee, who probably came here during the early years of the present
century and settled on Alfred Road. Among other pioneers were Thomas
and John Brady, and the families of Lightle, Tierney, McCaskill and
Holligan ; these settled farther towards the north of the Township,
near the locality now known as Bradyville. Alfred and Longueuil were
united for municipal purposes up to the year 1854, when the former was
detached, and Joseph McGovern was elected Reeve.
PARISH OF ST. THOMAS DE ALFRED ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Land for the buildings and cemetery, about eight acres, was given
by Elaire
.holette, and the present edifice was erected in 1878. Previous to this,
Mass had
been said by Rev. Father Bourassa, of Montebello, to which this parish
formerly
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 631
belonged. Mass was afterwards celebrated in the school-house by
Rev. Father LaVoie, who built the vestry and other parts of the present
church. Rev. Father
Prudhomme was rhen sent to take charge of the parish, and was the first
resident priest ; he continued the building of the church, finishing
the outside. His successor was Rev. Father Boucher, who remained until
1885, when lie sailed to England, entered a monastery, and died therein
1892. Rev. Father Laniel, from Aylmer, then took charge of the parish,
remaining until 1888, when he became ill, and died in the hospital
in Ottawa. After his death, Rev. Father Bedard, who had previously
acted as Curate, was appointed Parish Priest by Archbishop Duhamel,
roth August, 1889. Rev. Father Bedard was born in St. Raymond, County
of Portueuf, Que., in 1860 ; he was educated in Laval University and
in the College of Ottawa, taking his Theological course and^graduating
from the latter. In 1888 he accompanied Arch bishop Duhamel to Almonte,
officiating there at his first Mass, and shortly afterward came to this
parish. Since taking charge he has finished the interior of the church,
and built a fine brick presbytere ; the latter building was blessed by
Archbishop Duhamel, who celebrated Pontifical Mass here i5th August,
1895. There are 800 communicants belonging to the church ; the building
is a fine, large stone struc ture.
LAFAIVRE.
This little village is situated in the ist Concession of the Township
of Alfred, on the Ottawa. It has a population of about 200, nearly all
French from Quebec. It
contains three stores, two blacksmith shops, two hotels, a bakery and
a carriage shop. The surrounding country is also settled with French,
all owning good farms. The
first settler in Lafaivre was H. LAFAIVRE, who was born in 1838 in
St. Hernias,
County of Two Mountains ; he came to this place in 1848, and for six
years his was the only house here. He cleared the farm now owned by his
son. Mr. H. Lafaivre,
his eldest son, after his father s death worked eleven years at lumbering,
thus sup porting the family. He had only attended school eight months
when eight years of age, but while lumbering acquired a fair business
education in both English and
French, by studying during the evenings. Mr. Lafaivre has been Treasurer
of the
school since 1861 ; in 1872 he was elected Reeve of the Township, and,
with the
exception of four years, has since held the position ; he has been
Postmaster since 1873, in which year the Post-Office was established and
given his name. He has also kept a general store for many years, and deals
extensively in hay and grain ; all this is done in connection with his
farming. The large wharf here he built in 1879, and still owns. He was
married in 1866 to Arthemese Racicot, and has two sons and five daughters.
THOMAS BRADY came from County Cavan, Ireland, to Canada abo it 1830. His
first wife died in Ireland, leaving two sons and three daughters, who
accompanied him lo this country. On his arrival he first came to Alfred
and settled on a lot in the 3rd Concession the farm now owned by John
McCusker. He was married the second time in 1838 to Mrs. Beers, widow
of Elisha Beers ; the latter had been drowned in the Long Sault rapids,
and his widow was engaged in teaching befoie marrying Mr. Brady. By the
latter marriage there were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brady two sons and two
daughters Francis, Andrew, Mary and Anna. Mr. Brady took an active part in
the municipal affairs of Alfred, and was one of the first Councillors,
acting in that capacity and as Reeve for sixteen years. He was also
Coroner five years. He died in 1862, aged 83, and Mrs. Brady died in
February of 1887, at age of 81.
632 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Francis, the eldest son, born 28th February, 1841, in Alfred, was married
;th July, 1862, to Miss Catherine Tainsh ; they had one son and one
daughter, but the former lived only till seventeen years of age. The
daughter, Lilias, is married to Dr. . A. Smith. Mrs. Brady died 26th
May, 1895. In 1872 Mr. Brady bought his present farm, which is directly
opposite the Papineau residence, and has since made many improvements
on it and built a brick residence. In the river here is a small Island
called Mill Island, where Mr. Joseph McGovern had a large steam saw-mill
for a number of years ; this mill was burned.
, third son of A. Preseault, was born October, 1840, in St. Benoit,
County of Two Mountains, and came to Alfred with his father s family
when 10 years of age. When 19, he went to Sagmaw City, Michigan, where
he was em- loyed five years in the lumber business, and on his return
he spent some time on the Ottawa in the same business, taking his teams
with him. On 22iid August 1871 he was married to Miss O. Seguin, of West
Hawkesbury ; they have four sons and three daughters, all at home, with
the exception of Delphis who is attending college in Rigaud. In 1880,
Mr. Preseault bought his present farm in the 2nd Concession, and has
since purchased 150 acres more in the ist and 5th Concessions; he is an
enter prising farmer, and takes an active part in the public affairs,
having been Councillor and Deputy Reeve for 12 years. In ^92 he built,
and still conducts a cheese fac
tory on his farm.
JOHN CASHION was a U. E. Loyalist who resided in the Mohawk Valley, New
; on the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, he, with his wife,
walked to
Martmtown, Ont. He afterward joined the British Army, in which he held
a com
mission, and took part in the war of 1812, and was present at the battle
of Chrys
ler s Farm.
John, his youngest son, was born in 1807, and about 1823 came to Alfred
and commenced lumbering, he being one of the earliest settlers. He
endured all the
hardships incident to a pioneer s life, being obliged to carry his
provisions on his back >m . LOngnal, finding his way through the
forest by means of blazed trees. He :ontinuedto clear land for some
years before his marriage, which took place in 1837
to Mary Lammaman of England. Seven daughters and two sons were born
to them,
)f whom one of the latter died in childhood. The remaining son, James,
and the
urd daughter, Anna, are the only ones living in the county, the others
bein^ in the
tales and in Russell County. Mr. Cashion died in 1885, aged 78, and Mrs.
Cashion in 1890 at the age of 73.
James Cashion, the son, when about 18 years of age, went to the State
of New
York and learned the blacksmith trade. He spent ten years there and
in Saginaw
ity, Michigan. He now lives on the old homestead with his sister Anna;
he has
en engaged in lumbering on the Ottawa for a number of years in connection
with his farming. Mr. Cashion has a fine farm, on which he has made
many im
provements.
MICHAEL BROWNRIGG came from Kilkenny County, Ireland, to North Plarita-
et in 1826. JOHN R., his eldest son, was born in 1840, and at the age
of 17 began
chmg school. He taught three years in Plantagenet and Alfred, and
afterward
:ame Book-keeper ior Joseph McGovern, a mill owner on the Island ;
he remained
icven years. In 1870, he was married to Miss Catherine Murray of
Cumberland ;
they have four sons and ten daughters. Mr. McGovern s mill having
been burnt,
Brown ngg removed to his present farm which was one of the first
settled in
He has taken part in the Township s affairs, having been Township Clerk
13 years; in 1881, he was appointed to take the census of the south half
of Alfred.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 633
His children are all at home, except Anna who is in Montreal ; Catherine
E. is attend ing school in Plantagenet ; and John E., having completed
his education in Rigaud College, is now teaching school in St. Thomas
d Alfred.
SAMUEL PARISIEN early engaged in navigation on the Ottawa, commencing
work in 1848, when only 19, under Barnum on the " Pioneer." He remained
on this boat
four years, and then engaged as pilot on the " Britannia," Capt. Dickson,
and was here thirteen years, acting first as pilot and afterward as
Captain. Following this, he was for three years Captain and Pilot on
the Str. "Express," running between
Ottawa and Montreal, and for eleven years acted in the same capacity
on the Str. "Albert," of McNaughton& Company. This boat was burnt at
Carillon, and Captain Parisien then left the river, and has since devoted
himself to farming in this place. He has seven sons, two of whom have
also spent much time on the river The second son, who is his father s
namesake, followed navigation for 23 years, beginning when only 18 years
of age. During this time he was Pilot on the " J. R. Booth,"
and Captain on the "Dolphin" and several other boats. He retired from
the river
in 1894, and is now farming in Alfred on the old homestead.
THOMAS LYTLE came from County Carlow, Ireland, to Canada in 1826, and
first settled in Cornwall. He then came to Alfred in 1831, and settled
on the farm now owned by Charles Rivers. He died there in December,
1864, aged 104 years and n days. Mrs. Lytle also died on the same farm,
at the age of 84 ; six daughters and three sons were born to them ;
of the latter, only one survives.
James Lytle, the youngest son, was born in 1813 ; he commenced lumbering
at an early age, and was engaged in the business on the Ottawa nineteen
years ; he was married to Margaret, daughter of William Johnson, of
County Fermanagh, Ireland, and bought the farm which is now owned by
his son ; he afterward bought a lot in the 4th Concession. Mr. Lytle
died in October, 1891, aged 78, and Mrs. Lytle died 7th Octo ber, 1882,
aged 76. Their children were : Thomas J., born 1862, who manages the
homestead farm ; Margaret and Elizabeth, who are also on the farm ;
and Mary, married to Edward Holmes of Point Fortune.
JOHN H. SMITH, eldest son of Henry Smith, was born 25th February, 1867,
and always remained in this section, with the exception of one winter
spent in lumbering with his team on the Kip River and the Upper Ottawa. In
1892, he bought his present farm in the 4th Concession. He was married
2ist March, 1893, to Sarah, daughter of Isaac Allen of Longueuil ; they
have one son. Mr. Smith is one of the substantial farmers of Alfred ;
he possesses much enterprise, and has already made many improvements on
his farm.
CHARLES BLANEY came from County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1831, and settled
in West Hawkesbury.
Sproule Bianey, his fourth son, was born 4th December, 1837, in Caledonia
; at 16 years of age he commenced lumbering with Stephen Tucker of
Papineauville, remaining with him five years. During this time, when 18
years of age, Mr. Bianey bought his present farm in the 3rd Concession,
and had it entirely paid for when 21. He was married 9th May, 1866,
to Margaret, daughter of James McNiel, of Point du Chene, Argenteuil
County, and moved to his farm the same year. They have three sons and five
daughters, all living at home except Keziah, who is teaching school at
Caledonia, and Susan D., who is attending school in Vankleek Hill. Mr.
Bianey has made many improvements on his farm, and has added to it
by purchasing another half lot; he has been a member of the Municipal
Council at different times.
Mr. DANIEL McCusKER is one of those men who, by enterprise, industry
and keen intellect, have worked their way into the front rank of the
business men of the
634 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
County. He was born i5th February, 1843, on tne farm where he now lives ;
he is
the youngest son of James McCusker, who came from County Fermanagh,
Ireland, to Canada, and settled in Alfred about 1830. The latter died
April, 1886, aged 86. The subject of our present sketch has been twice
married ; his first wife was Mary, daughter of the late John Johnson of
Ottawa County, and the marriage took place in 1865. Mr. McCusker died
1 5th April, 1881, leaving two sons and two daughters ; two had died in
childhood. He was married the second time to Margaret, daughter of William
Allison of East Hawkesbury, in January, 1883, and by this marriage has
three sons and two daughters. He held the office of Reeve for three years,
during one of which he was Warden of the united Counties of Prescott and
Russell ; but owing to pressure of other business he declined all further
offers of municipal honors. In addition to his farming, Mr. McCusker is
one of the largest dealers in hay in this section of the country, handling
about 4,000 tons annually ; he buys on both sides of the Ottawa, has a
private side track on the C.P.R. at Gatineau, and at the present time,
ships about 7 cars daily. In 1892, 4,000 tons were shipped to one firm
alone Keeble Bros, of Peterborough, England. In 1894, Mr. McCusker took
a trip to Europe, visiting the birth place of his father in Ireland,
also England, Scotland, France and Belgium. His present residence,
a very fine one, built of cut stone was erected in 1880.
HUMPHREY HUGHES was born near Arklow, in the County of Wicklow, Ireland,
February yth, 1792; he was married in 1823 to Miss Mary Langrell,
of Carlow County, and they came to Canada the same year, settling on
the south side of George s Lake. Mr. Hughes was the fourth settler in
this county. He held every municipal office, after the village became
populated, except that of Treasurer; he was Assessor when the Township of
Alfred and North and South Plantagenet were united, also Superintendent of
Schools, Coroner, and Justice of the Peace. Mr. Hughes was a Christian
man, and was very active in helping to establish Methodism in George
s Lake Settlement. In 1829 he organized a Sunday-School in his own
house. He died 25th July, 1889, and Mrs. Hughes died October 4ih, 1871 ;
they had five sons and four daughters, of whom one son and two daughters
are deceased.
Abraham, the youngest son, was born nth July, 1865, on the farm where
he now lives, in the 2nd Concession of Alfred. He was married in 1871
to Mary Ann, daughter of Eli Robinson, of North Plantagenet : they have
five children living
three sons and two daughters ; one son died in childhood. They have
also an adopted son. Mr. Hughes has made many improvements on his farm,
erecting a fine brick residence and out-buildings. Like his father,
he has also been a strong supporter of the Methodist Church.
JOSEPH MARTINEAU was born in the County of Montcalm, Que., in 1840.
When ii years of age, he went with his father, who was a carpenter,
to Montreal, and remained there three years, afterwards coming to North
Plantagenet, where they lived the same length of time. They then came to
Alfred, and Mr. Martineau, sr., bought the farm now owned by the subject
of cur sketch. When Joseph was 16 years of age he commenced lumbering,
and continued in this business seven years. He afterwards spent 10 years
in New York, Michigan, and others of the United States. In 1882 he was
married to Miss A. Allard, of Curran ; they have five daughters and one
son, living. Mr. Martineau is a good farmer, and owns 200 acres of land
; he has built fine new barns for each lot. He has been Councillor,
and Justice of the Peace for the last twenty years.
HENRY SMITH was born in Papineauville in 1806. He was a pilot on the
Ottawa for many years, and died in 1879 > n s widow still survives
him in Papineau ville.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 635
Henry Smith, jr., his second son, was also born in his father s native
village, and at sixteen years of age commenced learning the blacksmith
s trade, which he followed six years. During the succeeding seven years
he was engaged in lumbering on the
Ottawa. In 1863 he was married to Mary, daughter of the late John
Sargent, one of the pioneers of Alfred, and the following year moved
to his present farm in the 4th Concession, which he bought from his
father-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two
sons and three daughters. Hannah, married to R. James, lives in Alfred
; Frances, the wife of John Remmick, lives in Caledonia ; a sketch of
John H. is given else where ; Josiah, and Mina, the youngest, remain
at home. Mr. Smith has all the modern farming implements, and has made
many improvements on his farm There is a large ledge of limestone on
this, from which Mr. Smith has taken and burnt a considerable amount of
lime. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both members of the Baptist
Church.
HOLMES SETTLEMENT.
JOHN A. HOLMES, second son of Thomas Holmes, was born xyth December, 1841,
in this Settlement, where he has always remained. In 1870 he bought his
piesent farm, opposite his father s, in the 5th Concession 1 . He was
married 26th Octo ber, 1876, to Margaret, daughter of Eli Robinson, of
North Plantagenet, and the same year moved to his farm, and built his
present brick residence. For several years previous to his marriage,
he lumbered extensively in this vicinity, clearing land and taking his
logs down the river to Hamilton s at Hawkesbury.
Mr. Holmes is an enterprising farmer, has all the modern farming imple
ments, and all the surroundings bespeak thrift and prosperity. He has
taken an active part in supporting the Episcopal Church at Alfred,
and has been Church Warden for two years. The hospitality of Mr. and
Mrs. Holmes is well known in this section. He always gives employment
to a number of men on his farm, and the worthy poor never turn from his
door empty-handed.
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes have four daughters and one son, all living at home.
Effie J., the second daughter, is organist in the Episcopal Church,
Alfred.
ALFRED VILLAGE.
The village of Alfred, in the Parish of St. Victor, is situated in
the centre of the Township, and contains a population of between four
and five hundred, entirely French. There are two churches, severs! fine
brick residences, six dry goods stores, one carriage and four blacksmith
s shops, three hotels, a tannery, and grist mill all of which have sprung
up during the last twenty-five years.
The present Church of England was built in 1860, on land deeded for its
site by
Mr. John Holmes. The Holmes brothers, Joseph Langrell, William Johnson,
John Sergeant and several others, assisted in its erection ; it is built
of sided timber, clap- boarded and painted, and presents a very neat
appearance. It is the only building dedicated to Protestant worship in the
Township of Alfred, and since its completion has never been unoccupied
on the Sabbath, except occasionally, when the services of a clergyman
could not be procured. Rev. Mr. Ritchie, of Ottawa, holds service in
the church every alternate Sabbath.
The Roman Catholic Church was built in 1874, by Rev. Father LaVoie ;
it|has 1,277 communicants from the 323 families of this faith belonging
in the Parish of St. Victor d Alfred, which Parish extends from Lot
26 of 3rd Concession to the end of the Township. Rev. Father Lombard,
the present parish priest, is now in Rome
636 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
with Archbishop Duhamel, and during his absence Rev. Father
J. A. Pelletier, from St. Lin de Laurentide, County of L Assomption,
has charge of the parish.
The people of Alfred support a Township Agricultural Society, which
was organ ized in 1890 through the efforts of Messrs. Evanturel,
L. P. Labrosse, F. Cadieuxand several others. The first exhibition
was held in 1891, in Alfred Village, and has since been held
annually. Mr. Evanturel was Delected First Honorary President, and
resigning in 1894, was succeeed by Father Lombard.
FRANCIS EUGENE ALFRED EVANTUREL, M.P.P., LL.B., was born in Quebec City,
in 1847. His father was Hon. F. Evanturel, at one time Minister of Agricul
ture of Canada. The subject of this sketch was educated at the Seminary,
Quebec, and Laval University, graduating with honors in 1870. In 1871
he was called to the Bar of Quebec, and practised in Quebec city for
two years. He then occupied a Government position in Ottawa until 1881,
when he again resumed his practice. His career in Prescott County has
been a phenomenal success. He ably edited L* Interprets for several
years, and succeeded in converting a doubtful, into a sound Reform
constituency. He was first returned M.P.P. for Prescott County in 1886,
and afterwards elected by acclamation. As a popular orator, Mr. Evanturel
has few equals in this country.
In June, 1873, ne was Carried to Miss Louisa Lee, granddaughter of Hon.
Judge Vanfelson, of the Superior Court, Montreal.
Mr. Evanturel accompanied Sir Oliver Mowat to the Interprovincial
Conference at Quebec in 1887, and spoke in fifteen counties during two
months, at the two last general elections.
LOUTS PHILIPPE LABROSSE, third son of P. Labrosse, was born ist August,
1847, in St. Eugene. He first entered the employ of his brother, Simon
Labrosse, of St. Eugene, as clerk, and remained there twelve years,
with the exception of one spent in California.
He was married 24th May, 1871, to Marie Emma, daughter of the late Edward
St. Denis, of St. Eugene ; the following year he bought the hotel now
owned by McMillan, in Vankleek Hill, and after conducting this two years,
sold out and returned to St. Eugene, remaining there a year. He afterward
kept a grocery store in Vankleek Hill for four years, which he sold to
E. Labrosse, and came to Alfred in September, 1880. He opened a general
dry goods store here, and bought 50 acres of land, which he cultivates
in addition to his other business. Mr. Labrosse has done a great deal
toward the advancement of this village ; he was elected Reeve of the
Township the year of his arrival, and held the office four years. In
1883 he was appointed Post master, which office he still holds. The
Post-office is in his store, which contains a large stock, and receives
an extensive patronage. In 1892 he erected his present brick residence,
which adds much to the appearance of the village.
Mr. and Mrs. Labrosse had ten children, of whom three sons and two
daughters are now living. The eldest son is taking a medical course
in Laval University ; the two younger are also in College in Montreal,
and the eldest daughter is a pupil in Mount St. Mary Convent in the same
city ; the youngest remains at home.
J. NAPOLEON BELANGER, eldest son of Magloire Belanger, was born in Rigaud
in 1849. When 17 years of age he commenced clerking in St. Andre Avellin,
but after a year lookup the teaching profession, and taught several years
in Ottawa, Hull, Montebello and other places. He also spent some time in
Michigan as Book keeper for his father, who is an extensive manufacturer
of lumbermen s tools in that State. In 1878 he came to this place, and
has since been engaged most of the time in teaching. He taught seven
years in the village of Alfred, and is now engaged
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 637
in District No. 6, a Separate school. In 1883 he was appointed
Commissioner for
taking affidavits in the High Court for the united counties of Prescott
and Russell, and in 1889 was appointed Justice of the Peace, which office
he still holds ; he was Clerk of the Township Council five years. As
may be seen by the above, Mr. Belanger is well posted in the Code of
Ontario, and his knowledge is frequently
called into requisition by parties desiring writings for conveyance of
property, deeds, etc. Mr. Belanger owns fifty acres of land near the
village, and ninety in St. Thomas. DR. A. A. GIBEAULT, the physician of
this village, was born in St. Jacques de L Achigan, County of Montcalm,
Que., in 1855. He studied fora time in L Assomp-
tion College, and in October, 1877, entered Victoria College, Montreal,
for the pur pose of studying medicine ; he graduated from the latter
institution in March, 1880, obtaining the degree of M.D., C.M., and
commenced practising in St. Jacques. He
remained in that place five years, and was married there to Miss Emma
Alain, of
Montreal, 4th February, 1882. In 1885 he came to Alfred, where he
practised on his Quebec license, but in 1890 had some trouble on this
account. Not to be dis
mayed, however, by this obstacle, he went before the Ontario Council,
obtained his license for this Province, and has since remained here,
meeting with much success in his profession.
P. QUESNEL came here from St. Eugene in 1871, and bought all the land
on the north side of what is now Main Street. At that time there were
only five buildings in the place. Mr. Quesnel kept store for fourteen
years, and was at one time Reeve. He now conducts the People s Hotel
of this place.
J. D. GRATTON, third son of Joseph Gratton, was born i7th January, 1875 ;
he attended the Model School in Plantagenet, and after graduating from it,
taught for three years in District No. 9, a Separate school. In 1895 he
took charge of District No. 10 in the village of Alfred, where he has
as assistant Miss Sauvie. He is also Clerk of the Township Council.
J. L. LAFRAMBOISE was born at St. Benoit, County of Two Mountains, i2ih
November, 1860. He first entered the dry goods store of D. A. P. Blair,
of St. Eustache, as clerk, and was afterward employed in the same
capacity for F. Eli Gauthier and John Miller, remaining with the latter
six years, in L Orignal. He was married in 1889 to Miss Z. Pharand, of L
Orignal, and the same year, came to Alfred and took his present hotel, the
Prescott House, a fine building. Mr. Laframboise is Local Agent for the
Bell Telephone Company, having the telephone in his hotel. He commenced
the first sidewalk here, building several rods at his own expense,
and through his example sidewalks are now laid throughout the village.
HONORE BELANGER, eldest son of H. Belanger, was born 1410 April, 1874,
in this place. When 15 years of age he entered the employ of F. Gauthier,
merchant, of L Orignal, remained there two years, and then entered the
employ of Mr. L. P. Labrosse, where he has been during the past three
years. He is a young man of intelligence and geniality, and always looks
after the best interests of his employer and customers.
WILLIAM SEGUIN was the first Reeve of the Township of Alfred, about
the year 1855. He is still living in Alfred Village, at the age of 8^,
with his wife, who is a year younger.
The first settlers where the village now is were John Holmes, who lived
on the farm now occupied by LaMarche and John Hill ; they came here
about 1825. Mr. Hill was the first Postmaster, and was succeeded by
John Lawlor, who was followed by the present one, L. P. Labrosse.
MEDERIC GAREAU, a farmer living in the 7th Concession, is Assessor,
Ditches and Water Course Engineer, and Secretary of the Agricultural
Society.
638 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Louis TORONGEAU, living in Alfred Village, is Collector for the
Township. He is the owner of two cheese factories.
JULES BOILEAU also resides in the Village. He is bailiff and auctioneer.
JAMES SETTLEMENT
is situated on Horse Creek, which rises in Caledonia Marsh and
flows through the gth Concession into the National River, at South
Plantagenet. The settlement took its name from James Brothers Harry, Dory,
Albert and Adolphus, who came from Ireland and settled here about 1835
> their descendants still remain here. Among the other early settlers
were Belanger, Bissonette, G. B. Morin, Drouin and several others.
North Plantagenet-
This Township, located in the extreme north-west of Prescott County,
is bounded
on the north by the Ottawa, east by Alfred, south by South Plantagenet,
and west by Russell County.
The Nation River, a stream of considerable size especially in the
spring, when a large number of logs are floated down it enters it near
the south-eastern angle of the Township, and passing diagonally across
it, flows into the Ottawa about three- fourths of the distance from the
eastern to the western boundary. The land border ing this river is mostly
level, and, indeed, this is the physical aspect of the greater part of
the land in the Township. Though the soil, evidently, is not as strong
as it is in some other parts of the County, many of the inhabitants
have followed farming suc cessfully, and have all the temporal comforts
generally found among this class.
PLANTAGENET MILLS.
Previous to 1811 no settlement had been made in this Township, though Col.
Fortune had received a grant of two lots, on one of which was a fine
water- power privilege, as a reward for surveying the Township. As he
had contracted certain
debts in Montreal with a merchant named Hagar, he cancelled them by
turning over to Mr. Hagar his property in Plantagenet.
ABNER HAGAR came from Weybridge, Vt., to Montreal in iSob, to which
city four brothers had preceded him. He there entered into partnership
in mercantile
business with one of his brothers Jonathan ; but on the approach of
the war of 1812 Jonathan sold his share in the business to Abner, and
returned with his other brothers to the States. Abner still prosecuted
the business, and, in the hope of mak ing good profits, invested largely
in such fabrics as he supposed would be required for clothing in the
army; but the termination of the war, and the great reduction in prices
consequently, caused him serious losses, and induced him to engage
in new business. About this time he wa? married to Hannah B. Barker,
a daughter of Capt.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 639
Barker, a soldier of the Revolution, who then lived in St. Johnsbury,
Vt. Soon after buying the property from Col. Fortune, he took preliminary
steps for erecting mills, and had expended quite a sum in building a
dam across a wide part of the river when a severe freshet carried away
the entire structure. This, however, was soon replaced by another dam,
and in 1812 the mil s were in operation. Previous to this Mr. Ha^ar had
entered into partnership with Mr. John Chesser, who moved to Plamagenet
in time to superintend the construction of the mills, and remained here,
becoming in later years as will be noticed on a succeeding page one of
the chief men of the County.
Mr. Hagar did not remove to Plantagenet till 1818, and though the
mills passed from his possession into that of Mr. Chesser, he remained
here engaged in farming, in which he was skillful, enterprising and
progressive. The following facts regarding him are taken from Belden
s Dominion Atlas: He was born in Waltham, Mass.; and on his father
s farm upon the Waltham Flats was a good portion of the timber cut
which entered into the composition of the famous United States frigate
"Consti tution." The date of his birth was 1784; the later years of his
life were spent in well- earned retirement at the residence of his son,
Albert Hagar, Esq , M.P.P., where he died in 1875, at the advanced age of
91 years, leaving behind him a record of indus try, probity and charity
which will long be remembered by those in whose acquaint ance he moved,
and whose esteem and confidence he enjoyed. He had six children,
but only one son and two daughters arrived at maturity.
Albert, the son, whose mother died when he was 7 years old, spent several
of his youthful days in Vermont with Thadeus Fairbanks, the inventor of
the celebrated
scales who was related to him by marriage to a maternal aunt. While there,
he was a student the greater part of the time at Peacham and St. Johnsbury
Academies institutions, even then, in high repute, and the experience and
knowledge obtained from his connection with their literary and debating
societies was an admirable out fit for his subsequent entrance into
political life.
He returned to Plantagenet in 1848, and engaged in farming and lumbering;
thus,
while securing a stock of physical vigor for declining years, he also
gained much useful experience in business. The mills which his father once
owned came into his possession, and he erected a woollen mill. His ability
was soon recognized, and he was called to serve his fellow-citizens in
various public positions. He was Township Clerk, Municipal Councillor,
Reeve and Warden of the County. In 1867, he be came a member of the
House of Commons a position to which he was twice after ward elected,
once by acclamation. He was also twice elected to the Local Legis
lature ; but a desire to return to the more quiet pursuits of life
induced him to decline another nomination. In 1887 he was appointed
Sheriff of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, and still holds
the position to the general approval of the public.
He has taken great interest in agricultural matters, and has been
President of the County of Prescott Agricultural Society for many
years. His introduction to the
County of thoroughbred stock has tended, no doubt, to rouse a spirit
of emulation in stock raising, and he must be acknowledged as a public
benefactor. He has a fine farm of 1200 acres conducted on the modern
system of agricultural science, and until recently, when he had a sale
of thoroughbred stock, his dairy comprised a herd of fifty cows.
Whoever forms the acquaintance of Mr. Hagar will not wonder at his
popularity among his fellow townsmen. A man of simple yet industrious
habits, most unas suming in manner, he is ever willing to listen to the
petitions of the poor and
humble.
640 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
JOHN CHESSER, a Scotchman by birth, was one of the U. E. Loyalists whose
property was confiscated during the progress of the American Revolution,
and he
came to Canada and spent the rest of his days at St. Johns, Que. John, his
only son, removed to the River Du Chien, and falling in with Mr. Hagar,
he entered into part nership, as related above, and settled in 1812 at
Plantagenet. He acquired full
ownership of the mill, and for some years was the leading spirit
of the place, and among other honors paid him, he was elected to
Parliament. Later, he removed to
Caledonia Flats where he and other members of his family died from cholera
in 1832. He left four sons and three daughters ; Alfred, the third son,
married Maria Georgen, and settled at Jessup s Falls, a few miles down
the Nation river from Plan tagenet Mills. He died in 1845, leaving . tw
o sons, Charles B. and Alfred H., who still live here about two miles
from the Mills, on a farm of 450 acres, purchased by their mother after
her husband s decease. They keep a dairy of nearly forty cows, and are
among the intelligent substantial farmers who help to promote the moral
and social interests of the Township.
Other pioneers who settled along the Nation river contiguous to the
Mills were
a Mr. Charles, Peter Georgen and Col. Kearns, an Irish officer of the
British service.
The following pen picture of the latter is an extract taken from a volume
entitled :
Correspondence and Papers on Various Subjects," by the late James
Edwards, of
Clarence, Ont :
" Col. Kearns, about 1820, planted his stakes in North Plantagenet, on
the Nation river, about two miles below Chesser & Hagar s mill. He was a
genuine Irishman, and every inch a soldier ; he was early enrolled for
service, and took part in the Irish Rebellion at the close of the last
century under Lord Dalhousie, after ward Governor General of B.N.A. He
afterward followed the fortunes of Sir John Moore, in Spain, and fought
under the Iron Duke through the Peninsular war. He is specially named
in the military records for acts of bravery during his army career,
and was promoted from the ranks to a Lieutenancy.
In this country, the office of Col. of Militia and Justice of the
Peace were quickly followed by a seat in Parliament for the County
ofPrescott. The natural tendencies of the Colonel were fully displayed in
the exercise of these several offices. In making speeches, pith, brevity
and force characterized his eloquence. In magisterial matters, summary
punishment was his delight, and high handed procedure was his besetting
sin. Had not his friends at court interceded for him, there is no
saying into what trouble his impulsive nature might have led him. For
instance, one party was brought before His Worship to answer to a breach
of promise; another fined for not paying the priest for christening his
child ; and a third, for shooting a dog on Monday, that had bitten him
on Sunday previous.
;< Addressing him, he said : If, sir, under the influence of passion,
you had killed the dumb brute immediately, the case would have been
widely different ; but, sir, you, forgetful of the Divine injunction,
that commands us not to let the sun go down upon our wrath, in cool blood,
you murdered the poor brute. I shall fine you with costs twenty dollars ."
On the disposal of the Clergy Reserves, the Colonel in the House said :
" There
are, sir, four leading ways by which to go to heaven : there is the way by
which I expect to icach the Celestial City, viz. : the Catholic Church ;
the other three com prise the Church of England, the Church of Scotland
and the Methodist Church. Any man who is unwilling to go to Heaven by
one or the other of these roads
deserves to go to on horseback. I advocate, Mr. Speaker, an equal division
of the
Reserves between these four churches."
JAMES MOLLOY, of whose family there is a sketch in the history of
Fournier,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 641
came to Plantagenet in 1825. About the same time came PETER GEORGEN and
his brother WILLIAM, with their mother and two sisters ; they located
on the Nation
River, Lot 3, 8th Concession. They came to this township from
Montreal, where they held a good social position ; they were all well
educated. Wm. Georgen opened a store on their farm, which he conducted
many years. Maria, one of the daughters, married Alfred Chesser, as
related above.
The public buildings of the village comprise three churches Roman
Catholic, Presbyterian and Anglican; two school buildings, several stores
and four hotels. There are also a saw mill, grist mill, woollen mill,
and the usual number of shops, besides the Factory of the " Plantagenet
Fruit Syrup Company."
There is a good iron bridge across the Nation river here which was
erected at a
cost of about $8000.
CHURCHES.
The Roman Catholic Church is a good stone building about 100 feet x 50
feet in size, with a Vestry of 50 feet x 32 feet. It was commenced many
years ago, but remained in a partially completed state till 1878, when
the exterior was finished by the Rev. Paul Bertrand. REV. E. C. CROTEAU,
the present incumbent, who has been here eleven years, finished the
interior at considerable expense, and, in 1893, built the Vestry. There
is also a fine commodious stone Presbytery here.
(The history of the Presbyterian Church will be found in that of the
Smith Settlement on a succeeding page.)
An Anglican Church edifice was erected here during the labors of the
Rev. Mr. Jarvis, who came in 1875, and remained about two years. Previous
to the building of the Church, services were held in the Town Hall. He
was succeeded by the Rev. Frank Fraser, who was here five or six
years. Rev. Mr. Peck followed, who about
three years later was succeeded by Rev. John Bailey, who in turn
was followed in two years by the Rev. C. C. Carson- Three years
afterward, came Rev. Frank Squier, succeeded in the fall of 1894 by the
Rev. Mr. Ritchie, son of Chief Justice Ritchie.
Besides a good public school there is aBi-Lingual School, which was
established
by the Ontario Government in 1890. A fine brick building was erected
for this School and fora Town Hall, which was afterward purchased by
the Public School Board. The teachers in this school are : J. Cheney,
Principal ; Annei M. McNulty, Miss Ballantine and Louise Bercier.
Among the different mercantile establishments, are those of Louis Charbon-
neau, P. J. Potts, Robert Banford and W. A. Chamberlayne.
Mr. CHARBONNEAU, who was born at St. Eustache, was clerk there a while,
then at L Orignal and Brown s Wharf, and in 1867 he came to Plantagenet,
and embarked in mercantile business, which he has ever since followed
with much success. He has erected a fine store and residence, and
owns a large amount of real estate ; several farms and an hotel in
the township of Alfred. He has been Municipal Councillor many years,
Deputy Reeve and Keeve, and a member of the School Board twelve years.
He was married nth July, 1872, to Louise Larveque of Alfred.
P. J. POTTS is the youngest son of James Potts, who came from the County
of Wexford, Ireland, to West Hawkesbury about 1837, and settled on Lot
18, 51)1 Kange.
642 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
P. J., the son, spent twenty years in the Yeon House at this place,
rendering it very popular with travellers, through his intelligence,
sociability and regard for the comfort of his guests. In 1893 ne ^
tn ^ s business and erected a building here, where, besides a wholesale
liquor store, he keeps an assortment of groceries and a variety of school
books. Mr. Potts has been a member of the School Board six years; he was
married i3th September, 1888, to Miss Proulx, a daughter of J. Proulx,
M.P. for Prescott.
ROBERT BANFORD is a twin son of Wm. Banford noticed in the history of L
Orignal. He has but recently opened a store in Plantagenet, having come
here from Lachute, Que., where he was in mercantile business 17 years;
he also has a
store in L Orignal ; his geniality is well calculated to secure
patronage. He has been twice married; the last time was to Miss Kate
E. Hughes, of George s Lake, in this township.
WYMAN A. CHAMBERLAYNE, of English descent, was born at Chute au Blondeau,
Prescott, in 1841, and married to Margaret Arthurs, of Grenville, Que.,
in 1854. Mrs. Chamberlayne died in 1893, leaving five daughters, of
whom Mary, the eldest, is
married to Rev. Dr. Everett G. Smith, of St. Catharines, Ont., medical
missionary at Yellam, Madras Presidency, India ; and Lucy, married t)
Albert J. Cross, of Vankleek Hill.
Mr. Chamberlayne has spent much of his life in mercantile business,
and besides
the time now devoted to this, he is Agent for several Loan Companies
of Toronto.
ARTHUR ROULEAU, who has been Postmaster here for eight years, also has
a fine store.
HOTELS.
P. A. LARIVIERE is proprietor of the Yeon House; he was born in Wendover
in this township. His father, Pierre Lariviere, conducted an hotel in
Wendover 28 years. Peter, his only son, was educated atRigaud College,
and while there learned telegraphy; he left Rigaudin 1874. He became
telegraph operator for the C. P. R., in 1878, and was appointed Station
Agent the next year and held the position nine years six of which he was
also train dispatcher, being stationed the greater part of the time at
Chapleau, and one year at Ottawa. When he left Chapleau. his friends,
as a testimonial of their esteem, presented him with a valuable silver
table service. He remained as an employee of the C.P.R. in different
capacities fifteen years. He was engaged in mercantile business for a time
inThurso, at which place he was also mem ber of the Municipal Council. He
was married 3rd May, 1881, to Mary Nash, of Thurso. He became proprietor
of the Yeon House ist May, 1884, and through his able management sustains
its good reputation.
The "Commercial House" is owned and occupied by J. A. WILSON. His
grandfather, John Wilson, was born in Portugal, and was stolen from home
when he was 14, placed on a British frigate and for fourteen years sailed
on the high seas, at the end of which time he landed in Quebec. From
that city he went to the Isle Bizarre, and died there in March, 1864,
at the age of 71. He left seven sons and one daughter,
Francois Xavier, the youngest son. bought a farm, built an hotel, and
settled in Piantagenet in 1873. He has four sons and two daughters. John
Baptiste Adolphus, his second son, besides the " Commercial House,"
has a farm of 75 acres about two miles from the village. He is also one
of the partners in the Plantagenet Fruit Syrup Company, and agent for
agricultural implements.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 643
WILLIAM STORY is another member of the Plantagenet Fruit Syrup Company.
His father, Wm. Story, came from Scotland, and settled in Winchester about
1845. The son, YVilliam, has followed milling business, and has been in
the employ of Mr. Hagar in his flour mill here for twenty-two years. He
was married ist July, 1864, to Virginia, daughter of Patrick Ryan, of
this township; they have three sons and two daughters. The former are in
business in Ottawa, and the younger daughter is a teacher in that city ;
the elder daughter is married to J. C. Brown, merchant, of Point Fortune.
Of the professional men, W. J. DERBY, M.D., is the only English-speak
ing medical practitioner in the village. His father, Andrew Derby,
came from the County of Derry, Ireland, to Plantagenet, in 1854, and
settled on Lot 20, Range 6, near Pendleton. He is one of the influential
farmers of the locality, and has served for some time as School Trustee;
he has seven sons and three daughters.
The son, William James, received his medical education at McGill
University, Montreal, and graduated in 1882. He practised two years in
Rockland, Russell County, and came to Plantagenet in 1884; he was married
nth June the same year to Flora McDonald Cruickshank. The doctor has a
good cottage and office at the corner of Main and Ottawa Streets. He is of
studious habits, careful and thorough in whatever he undertakes, and these
qualities, added to a genial nature, have secured him a good practice.
JOSEPH BELANGER is the intelligent and genial Municipal Clerk of
Plantagenet; he was born in St. Eustache. His grandfather was one of
the " Patriots " of 1837, for which honor he lost his property and was
imprisoned for six months. His father, John Baptiste Belanger, came to
Alfred in 1855, and was one of the first settlers in the gth Concession
of that township. His wife died there in 1887, and he removed to Ottawa,
where he now lives with one of his sons, of whom he has four, and two
daughters.
Joseph, the youngest son, began teaching at the age of 21, and has taught
21 years, one-third of which number he has taught in Plantagenet, coming
herein 1884. He was appointed Clerk of the Division Court in 1890,
and Municipal Clerk of the Township in 1891. He is also Agent for the
New York Life and of the Royal Fire Insurance Company of Liverpool,
and has been Secretary of the St. John Baptiste
Society of Prescott several years. He was married in 1870 to the youngest
daughter of the late Andre Galipeau, of Thurso, Que. They have three
sons and five daugh
ters. One of the latter is teaching ; one son is married and another is
clerk for Owens Brothers, Stonefield. Que.
This village is the home of ISIDORE PROULX, M.P. He was elected to the
House of Commons in 1891 by the Liberal party, by a majority of 669 ;
he was re- elected in 1892.
HENRY SMITH, one of the prominent men of the township, also resides here ;
he was formerly Postmaster here, and for many years Town Clerk.
The springs of Plantagenet, though not visited as they would be, were
there better accommodations for boarding and better facilities for
reaching them, still, are used by thousands for the various ills that
flesh is heir to, and they have gained national celebrity.
This water was first introduced into public notice in 1852 a year
memorable for
the visit of the Asiatic cholera to this Province, when Montreal was
nearly decimated
644 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
from its effects. A man named Cameron, a lumber merchant, acquainted with
the water, drank it at that time with good results, and thus others were
induced to use it. It is said that of those who used it none died with
the cholera. This fact was attested by Mr. Dorval, then a City Councillor
for Quebec. It was afterward freely pre scribed by the medical profession
of Montreal and Quebec.
These springs are located about one and a half miles from Plantagenet
Mills one, the " Plantagenet Springs," being owned by Mr. Wm. Rodden ;
the other, "Car- ratraca Springs," by Mr. P. B. Winning the latter also
has a fine quarry on his farm of 250 acres.
TREADWELL.
On the shore of the Ottawa, in the extreme north end of Plantagenet,
is a wharf
where steamers land, a store, Post-office, hotel and two or three
dwellings. A Post- office was established here with the name of Treadwell,
in honor of the late Sheriff Treadwell, who opened a brick yard and
manufactured brick near this place many years ago. Although so small
a hamlet, the number of people either taking or leaving the steamers
here, and the amount of freight left or carried away, give rise to con
siderable business.
WILLIAM H. KAINS is the Postmaster, and proprietor of the only store
here. He is the third son of Capt. Thomas Kains, mentioned in the history
of Grenville. Capt. K.ains was born near Chatham, Kent County, England,
and entered the Navy when fourteen years of age, as midshipman on Lord
Nelson s ship, "Agamemnon." He was afterwards purser, and was present at
the capture of Washington during the war of 1812-14. I n J 8i8 he came
to Canada and settled in Grenville, having purchased a saw-mill which
Thomas Mears built after selling his mill in Hawkesbury to the Ham ilton
Brothers. Not long afterward , Capt. Kains entered .the employ of Messrs.
McPherson & Crane as Captain of their steamer, the " Shannon," which
position he resigned about 1841, after eleven years service. It was
thus he received the title of Captain. He then purchased the steamer "
Princess Royal," which ran under his management till the breaking out
of the Russian War in 1853, when he was called
home to England, and served as senior purser on Nelson s old ship, the
" Victory." This vessel lay all the time at Portsmouth, during which
Capt. Kains received as purser ;i,ioo sterling a year. He returned
to Canada, and died in Montreal in 1857, but was buried in St. Thomas,
where his son, William K., resided. He had six children four sons and two
daughters. Thomas, the eldest, married a daughter of Sheriff Treadwell,
of L Orignal, and settled in St. Thomas, where he died. William K.,
and his youngest brother, John, a lawyer in St. Thomas are the only
two sons of Capt. Kains now living. His two daughters Mrs. Abbott and Mrs.
Charles Roe are still living; the former, with her son, manager of a
branch of the Montreal Bank at Fort William, at the head of Lake Superior;
the latter at St. Thomas.
Wm. K. Kains married i8th October, 1858, Henrietta, daughter of Wm. Ham
ilton, of the firm Hamilton Brothers, of Hawkesbury Mills. He has followed
mer cantile business all his life, of which he spent 46 years in London,
Ont., and came from that place to Treadwell in 1880.
About the time that Capt. Kains purchased the steamer " Princess Royal,"
he also purchased the Georgian Spring property in Plantagenet, embracing
600 acres of land, which property his son, William K. Kains, still
holds. Mr. Kains has had little to do with public matters, confining
his attention stiictly to his own affairs, in which he sustains the
reputation of an intelligent, honorable man. He is assisted by his son.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 645
HUGHES SETTLEMENT.
This Settlement is located a few miles from Treadwell. The neatly-finished
Methodist Church of this place was erected in 1874, on land deeded for
its site by William Darlington. The cemetery belonging to it is also
on Mr. Darlington s land. The Church, which is surrounded by evergreen
trees, was built by the people of the Settlement, Mr. Eli Robinson being
one who took an active part in its erection.
Service is held every Sabbath.
ELI F. HUGHES, only son of John M. Hughes, was born loth November, 1869,
in County Dundas. In 1887 he went with his father to George s Lake,
and three years later, commenced learning cheese-making in the Hughes
factory, Alfred. He
was then employed by McCuaig, Cheney & Co., West Hawkesbury, for a year,
and by Hughes & Co., of L Orignal ; he bought a half-interest in the
latter Company in 1892, and remained there until the fall of 1894,
when he sold out. He is now em
ployed in the Hughes factory. He was married 26th May, 1890, to Maggie,
daughter of Oliver Blaney, of Riceville ;Miss Blaney was teaching in
George s Lake at the time of their marriage. They have one son and
one daughter.
Mr. Hughes is one of the first-class cheese-makers of Prescott County,
having had good success ever since embarking in the business; he is
now building a house on his father s farm. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are both
active members of the Methodist Church.
ELI ROBINSON came here to live in 1832, with his father, the latter
being among
the first settlers. Mr. Eli Robinson still remains on the homestead,
but the farm is managed by his son, Henry W. The latter was married in
1892, to Miss Maggie Chambers, of Manituck.
JESSUP S FALLS.
About four miles down the river from Plantagenet Mills is a place long
known as
Jessup s Falls, where there is an admirable water-power, and the large
saw-mill of Messrs. Hagar & Anderson.
Just below the mill the river expands into a wide, deep and picturesque
basin, which makes a most convenient place for holding the Jogs coming
down the river, till they are drawn into the mill to be sawn. Here, amid
the pines, surrounded with bewitching rural scenery, is the cottage of
Mr. Anderson, one of the proprietors of the mill.
Far back in the present century, a grant of 400 acres of land at this
place was
made by Government to Edward Jessup, jr. This land was sold gih September,
1825, to Alexander McDonnell, and later it came into possession of
Alfred Chesser.
BENJAMIN ANDERSON came from the County of Derry, Ireland, about 1829,
and settled in South Plantagenet on the Nation river. About two years
later, one of his children, a little girl, was drowned in this stream,
and her mother declaring that she would no longer live in this place,
they removed to Lot 16 in the 6th Concession, where Mr. Anderson died
about 1851. He had four sons and three daughters; James, the eldest of
the former, remained on the homestead.
Alexander Wiley, the youngest of the family, learned the blacksmith trade,
bought Lot 21, 6th Range, erected a carriage and blacksmith shop and
saw-mill, and lived there eighteen years. He was married 25th September,
1867, to Martha J. Anderson. In 1881 he entered into partnership with
Mr. Hagar, in the lumber business, and during the two following years
they built the saw-mill at Jessup s Falls, of which Mr. Anderson is the
manager. The mill has two circular saws, and cuts
646 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
50,000 feet daily, and about 3,000,000 feet annually. They also
manufacture lath, shingle and clap-boards. There is a telegraph office
here, and a grocery, from which their employees obtain their supplies.
Mr. Anderson and his family are highly esteemed; he is an Elder in
the Presby terian Church, has been a member of the School Board, and
a Justice of the Peace twenty years. He has had five daughters, one of
whom has recently died.
CURRAN.
About four miles from the Mills, in a south-westerly course, is the
little village of Curran, the land rising gently from a dead level to the
slight elevation on which it is located. The soil around it is clayey,
so that the dry weather which succeeds the wet invariably leaves hard,
deep ruts in the road, rendering travelling decidedly unpleasant.
This little inconvenience is forgotten, however, as one approaches the
village, as the neat appearance of the streets, with the pretty houses
which border them, and the numerous shade trees, arouse within one the
most pleasurable emotions. The appearance of everything declares Curran
to be a new place, and the impression given by its appearance is confirmed
by its history. There are three hotels, two or three stores, post-office,
a large carriage shop, a good school building, and one of the finest Roman
Catholic churches and presbyteries in Eastern Ontario. A wooden Roman
Catholic chapel was built here many years ago, which was torn down, and a
stone church erected by the Rev. Paul Bertrand in 1864, which has lately
given place to another one, costing $22,000. There are many largtr
churches in this County, but not one, it is claimed, whose interior
compares with it in grandeur.
LEON LABELLE, proprietor of one of the hotels here, has been a resident
of the place longer than any other one now in it. He was born in
St. Eustache, and in his youth, was clerk two years in Ottawa, one in
Plantagenet, and in 1857 he opened a store in Curran, in which he was
engaged twelve years. He then built a carriage
shop, and for four years was speculating in horses, cattle and
lumber. He also engaged in hotel business, which he has now followed
twenty-three years, speculating more or less, meanwhile, in the things
named above. Through his enterprise, too, the village has increased in
size, as he has erected many of the buildings in it. He was married 2nd
August, 1856, to Priscilla LaRocque.
The only English-speaking and Protestant family in the village is that
of JOSEPH UIXON, proprietor of the Grand View House. Mr. Dixon is^also
agent for the Massey-Harris Company.
A good school building, two stories, and brick, was erected here in
1884. The Principal at this school is Louis PARENT.
Mr. Parent was born in St. Martine, Que., and educated at the Catholic Com
mercial College, Montreal. He has taught nine years two in Sarsfield,
Russell County, two at St. Isidore, South Plantagenet, and five in
Curran, where he is deservedly popular. He was married 3ist July, 1893,
to Menodore Legault.
Miss NAOMI _ LEGAULT is teacher in anothei department of this school. She
is a native of St. Louis de Gonzague, Beauharnois County, Que., and was
educated at the Model school of Plantagenet. She has been successfully
engaged in teaching, two
yeais at St. Isidore de Prescott and three at Curran.
Curran is the home of MR. O. DUFORT, Inspector of the French public
schools of Prescott and Russell. He was born in L Assomption ; his
grandfather on the maternal side, Ignace Racette, came from Normandy,
and was in the service of Montcalm at the fall of Quebec, in 1759.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 647
Mr. Dufort was educated at the College of L Assomption, and graduated in
1841, after which he taught 18 years. He was married ipth October, 1856,
to Rosannah Smith, of Ansonia, Conn. He was appointed Municipal Clerk
in Plantagenet in 1875, and served nine years; and in 1880 was appointed
School Inspector, an office for which his experience in teaching, and his
intelligent, liberal views, admirably adapt him. He has a nice cottage
here, and the possession of a farm affords him
recreation and a pleasant change from the arduous labors of his office.
CENTERFIELD.
About three miles from Plantagenet Mills, in a westerly direction, is
a locality long known as the Irish Settlement, but which, from the idea
that it is in the central part of the township, has been designated more
frequently of late years, as Center- field. " McDonald Hill," and the
"Darragh Settlement," are also names by which it has been distinguished,
and though these names are used indiscriminately, and are all understood
in the township, we prefer the more euphonious one of Centerfield.
To one who has crossed the level, sandy and clayey land between this and
the Ottawa, timbered with cedar and other evergreens, the ridge of high
land which he meets at Centerfield, with its cheery groves of maple and
other hard woods, presents a most agreeable contrast.
This section has about it an air of prosperity ; the farmers are
a thiifty, hardy class; their farms show that they are tilled for a
purpose, and their stock that it is properly cared for, and returns a
profit to the proprietors.
As in many other localities along the Ottawa, the early settlers here
depended far more for their livelihood on the lumber business than
they did upon stock- raising, or what they could make from the produce
of the soil ; for which reason their land was neglected. In the spring
they sometimes sowed a little buckwheat, and planted a small piece of
potatoes and corn among the logs on their half-cleared land much of this
being done by the hardy housewives of that era but it was much easier
to work in the shanty or to follow the " drives " down the river.
Every day spent in the latter employment was sure to bring a certain
amount of profit in cash, without incurring the risk of loss by storm,
frost cr drought hence, the settler naturally looked upon his farm as
something of secondary importance. It was well to have one ; it afforded a
home for his family, and for himself, also, in case of sickness, and when
he was out of employment; but his present occupation, in his opinion, was
of far greater importance. Moreover, there was a decree of excitement in
his life in the shanty and on the river social enjoyment among so many of
his fellows which it was difficult to forego, and which caused clearing
land and farming to appear to him a work of drudgery a lonely, hum-drum
sort of an existence. But a change came that he had not anticipated ;
year after year the lumber business
grew smaller, and less profitable, and then he began to realize the
necessity of making his farm yield enough to support his family ; and
to this end he worked, and his children after him. The result of their
industry is visible in the well- improved and well-stocked farm of to-day.
Among the early settlers here were John McCrank, John Beggs, Robert Mc-
Auley, Andrew and Archie Darragh and Hugh McKinley.
ROBERT McAuLEY, with a few others from Ireland, is said to have been the
first to begin a settlement on this Ridge, Mr. McAuley taking up Lot 14,
in the 41)1,
Concession, where he died more than a century ago, after having lived
here over
forty years.
048 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
PATRICK W. MCDONNELL, who was married 24th December, 1860, to Esther,
a daughter of Mr. McAuley, is now the proprietor and occupier of his
late father- in- law s estate a fine farm of 150 acres. Mr. McDonnell
came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Plantagenet, in 1850, and
was employed in lumbering and other work till 1855, when he bought a
farm near Wendover, on the Ottawa, which he con ducted till 1868. At
that time he was induced to remove to the farm of his father- in-law,
and undertake its management. He has since cleared up one-half the farm,
improved it in many respects, and, meanwhile, acquired much interest
in his vocation, ard knowledge of the science of agriculture. He has
earnestly labored to arouse a deeper interest in this science among his
fellow-townsmen, as is evidenced by his efforts to sustain and promote
the Agricultural Society. Mr. McDonnell is a man
well informed, and one who has much influence in this section ; he is
a Justice of the Peace, has been a School Trustee many years, a member
of the Municipal Council and Assessor. He has had eleven children seven
sons and four daughters.
DANIEL MCCORMICK came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Plantagenet
in 1847, ar >d bought 150 acres of Lots 14, 5th, and i4in the 4th
Concessions; he lived here till his death, in 1880.
He had four sons and four daughters, but only two of the sons, James and
Dennis, remain in this section; the former lives on the homestead, and
Dennis on a farm of 100 acres contiguous to it, which he purchased. The
younger days of Dennis McCormick were spent in lumbering, in which
business, for several years, he held the position of foieman ; he
was married 2ist November, 1872, to Margaret McAuley. Mr. McCormick s
career affords another example of what industry, sobriety, and steady
perseverance may accomplish. Beginning life with only his hands and a
good physical organization for capital, he has purchased his farm, and
so improved it that he keeps a stock of 21 head of cattle, three or four
remarkably fine horses, has good buildings, and a supply of improved
farming utensils. He has been a member of the township Council and of
the School Board several years, and notwithstanding the great amount of
hard work he has performed, he seems to be only in the meridian of life.
Mrs. McCormick is the daughter of Daniel McAuley, who came to this place
about 1828, worked for John Beggs three years, returned to Ireland,
married, came back to this locality, and purchased the farm in rear
of the present ones of Dennis McCormick and Patrick McDouell. He lived
here till his death, 4th November, 1879 > ne na( ^ two sons an d f ur
daughters. The elder son, John, lives on the home stead with his eldest
sister ; James, the other son, lives in Clarence.
JOHN BEGGS was the earliest proprietor of the land now owned by Dennis
McCormick. There is good evidence that he lived here several years
before securing the patent for his land, which instrument bears date
8th July, 1834.
Quite a prominent character here belonging to the past generation was
JOHN LAWLESS from the County of Antrim. He came here when quite young,
and built a store by the roadside, on the farm of Robert McAuley, where
he carried on a profitable business for many years. He also supplemented
this business by ped dling through this section of country thus becoming
widely known and as his peculiarities afforded amusement to many, and
his penchant for trading was unsur passed, his periodical visits were
anticipated in many households with no little interest. He was something
of a scholar, and it is said he possessed no little aptitude in the
composition of rhyme, and many a story told in this manner, as well as
song, which became locally popular, was the offspring of his muse. But,
however pleasant and profitable this country might be in which to live
and earn money, John Lawless, like John Chinaman, preferred to die in
his native land, hence, in his declining years, he returned to Ireland,
where he was laid to rest.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
649
As stated above, two brothers named Darragh were early settlers here,
and this fact, coupled with that, that a number of their descendants
still remain, has caused the place to be designated "as the Darragh
Settlement. The Darraghs are among the substantial and prosperous farmers,
of the township.
JOHN McCRANK came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, about 1827, and
settled on Lot 13, Concession 5. He had four sons James, John, Daniel
and William, and three daughters; of the latter, one died young; Mary
and Eliza married, live in this section.
William, the youngest son, after living several years on the homestead,
moved to the township of Lowe ; the other sons all live in this vicinity,
have good farms and are among the industrious respected farmers.
John McCrank, one of the sons, has a farm adjacent to the homestead ;
he was married i4th November, 1861, to Elizabeth J. Moore. They have
five sons and two daughters, to whom they have taken no little pains to
give the advantages of an education. Niel, the third son, is teaching
in Fournier ; Morgan, the youngest is teaching in the Smith Settlement
; John, the eldest, is a Veterinary Surgeon in Plat ts- burg, N.Y. ;
James is a mechanic in Vancouver, B.C. ; Patrick and Margaret A., the
youngest daughter, are at home ; the eldest daughter is married.
ROCKDALE.
Rockdale is the name given to the place where BENJAMIN ANDERSON noticed
in the history of Jessup s Falls settled about the year 183: ; this was
on Lot 16 in the 6th Concession.
The large old orchard, shade trees and other things which render it
pleasant and attractive also identify it as the old homestead, where more
than one generation of children has played, grown up, labored, planned,
and then scattered to play other parts in the drama of life.
This pioneer had four sons and three daughters ; of the former, James
remained on the homestead, and was married about 1850 to Maria Johnson. Ke
was a man highly respected, and influential, and filled the position of
School Trustee, Assessor and Justice of the Peace for many years, with
much ability ; he was also a Lieutenant in Captain Hagar s Company of
Militia. It was in his office of Magistrate, however that he was enabled
to do much good and display his sound judgment. A Christian
man, an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and of a pacific disposition,
his first effort was always to make peace between contestants, and in
this laudable design he was usually successful. He died about 1875 >
Mrs - Anderson survived till i2th November 1892.
In 1836 he planted acorns, from which sprang two trees, now standing near
the dwelling, one of which is, at least, 16 inches in diameter, the other
twelve; each of them being, doubtless, not less than sixty feet in height.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had eight childen four of each sex who arrived at
maturity ; of these, the eldest son, Benjamin Johnson, has remained on the
homestead. He was married i8th April, 1881, to Adelia Coot of Montreal,
and since that event he went to the North West, and was employed some
time on a survey in Alberta. He has been a School Trustee several years,
and was a member of the iSth Battalion till its disorganization.
Very soon, or about the same time that Mr. Anderson came to Plantagenet
came also Alexander Shields, George McAuley and Samuel Wilkinson, and
settled near him.
42
650
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
CHARLES HENRY CAREWELL is a citizen of this locality. His father,
George Cardwell, came from Bristol, England, in 1870, with his wife,
three sons and two daughters ; he was by trade a mechanical engineer,
and followed this in Montreal till his death in 1878.
Charles Henry, his son, learned the blacksmith trade, and was employed
as foreman in the Canadian Marine Engine Works of E. E. Gilbert &
Sons. He forged the tube for the first wrought iron gun made in Canada
a 32 pounder smooth bore, having been converted into a 64 pounder rifle
gun. His brother, George Cardweli, . a machinist, bored and rifled
the gun. The test proof was made on St. Helen s Island, in presence of
several M.P s, officers and soldiers.
Mr. Cardwell bought 50 acres of wild land here in 1881, and though he
is usually employed at his trade in the city, he has cleared one-half
of his land, and erected comfortable buildings. He was married lothjune,
1879, to Betsey Cresley, and his mother lived with them till her death,
24th April, 1895.
In a neighborhood not far distant from Rockdale, reside two brothers,
ANDREW and SAMUEL DERBY, who came from the County of Deny, Ireland,
in 1847. On his arrival, Andrew purchased 250 acres of land in the 6th
Concession, of which he still retains 150 acres, the remainder having
been given to one of his sons. Mr. Derby is another of the pioneers
whose perseverance, industry and vigorous constitution have enabled
him to accomplish a great amount of hard work, and he now enjoys the
temporal comforts he has dearly yet nobly earned. He has always taken
a deep interest in
schools, and has been on the School Board several years ; he is a
Christian man, and always happy in the performance of good works. He
has seven sons and three daughters now living ; a son and daughter are
deceased. One of his sons is W. J. Derby, M.D. of Plantagenet Mills.
SAMUEL DERBY, on coming here, first taught school two years ; he
then went to the States, and after an absence of six years returned,
and engaged in teaching, fol lowing this profession in Section No. g,
twenty years. He was married in 1852 to Alice Simpson of Philadelphia,
but originally from Derry, Ireland. Soon after his return from the States,
he purchased 50 acres of land, contiguous to his school, which enabled
him thenceforward to board at his own home. He has had four sons and
five daughters, of whom three sons and three daughters are now living.
The eldest son, John, and one younger, Anson, are in Montana; Isaac
is at home, and is manager of the farm. Eliza and Isabella, two of the
daughters, have taught near their home for eight years ; the latter is
now employed as typewriter and stenographer in New York.
Since he quit the profession of teaching, Mr. Derby has served a number
of years as School Trustee, also as Secretary of his school section. He
is a gentleman of intelligence, and, like his brother, has the respect
of the community.
THOMAS WILEY, it is said, was the first settler in the 6th Concession ;
he came
from the County of Derry, Ireland, and settled here in 1845, n s vv ^
e an( ^ S1X children arriving the following year. Four of his sons are
now living in this section, staunch supporters of the Methodist Church.
SAMUEL WILKINSON from near Colerain, Ireland, was a very early
settler. Two of his sons, Samuel and Abram, remained on the homestead ;
the former is deceased,
and his home is now occupied by his family and his sister Catherine.
A Methodist church was erected in this locality in 1893. Ministers of
this denom ination first came here from Riceville in 1854, and service
was held in the school house every fortnight. Rev. J. D. Bell was the
first clergyman who preached here.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 651
PENDLETON.
This is a small hamlet located on the boundary between North and South
Plan tagenet.
The level land and the groves of Maples, or other deciduous trees,
which appear
here and there in the expansive, well cultivated fields, give a most
pleasant, park-like appearance to the country around.
A Post Office with the name Pendleton was established here about 1859,
J- M. C.
Deles Derniers being the first Postmaster.
After the country had become settled, and the pioneers were exchanging
their first rude cabins for dwellings of more pretension, their mode
of bringing the lumber therefor from Plantagenet Mills illustrates the
ancient adage : " Necessity is the mother of invention." Roads at that
time had not become passable for wheel vehicles, hence the Nation river
became the route for transportation of lumber or other heavy merchandise
though from the sinuosities of the river, the distance tra velled was
twice as long as that by the road now travelled. Taking two canoes,
they placed them parallel at a sufficient distance apart, and then
piled the lumber across them, till the desired cargo was obtained,
when it was floated to the point nearest to its destination.
There is a church at Pendleton, a hotel A. Hillman, proprietor ; the
fine store and Post Office of Henry Moffatt ; a large and flourishing
cheese factory, and a few shops. A good stage line between this place
and Papineauville has been in
existence for the past 17 years under the same proprietor, Henry Roy.
JOHN McQuEEN, an old soldier who died igih April, 1888, aged 93, was
one of the pioneers in this section, and came about the time Ryan and
Shane (next noticed) arrived. He had a medal, now in the possession of
his descendants, bearing the names of the engagements in which he had
fought ; they were as follows : Toulouse, Nivelle, Pyrenees, Vitloria,
Salamander, Badajoz, Ciudad, Rodrigo and Belsaco.
The old veteran never could get over the disappointment he felt that
Waterloo was not mentioned. During that engagement, much to his disgust,
he was one of those detailed to watch the baggage.
JOHN RYAN from the County of Wexford, Ireland, came to Canada about 1817,
with his family a wife and seven sons. After living on the St. Lawrence
till about 1820, he came to Plantagenet, and settled on Lot 19, in the
gth Concession, where he spent the remainder of his days.
Matthew, his eldest son, settled in Leeds, where he died early in the
fifties ; George spent his life on the homestead ; John, a tailor by
trade, lived near the homestead, and died in 1870 ; Moses, when quite
young, was employed as clerk at Plantagenet Mills. While thus employed,
one day in attempting to row a man across the river
he was carried over the dam, and drowned. Michael conducted an hotel
at Planta genet Mills for many years, and then settled on his farm
nearCurran, and died there ; Patrick, a twin brother of Dennis, settled
on Lot 16, gth Concession, where he died in 1865.
Dennis purchased i oo acres of Lot 20 in the gth Concession, and lived
on it till his death, 3ist March, 1879. He was married about 1835,
to Bridget McCormick she died and February, 1885; they had three sons
George, Charles and Dennis Charles, who never married, died in 1871.
DENNIS RYAN, who lives on the homestead a fine farm near the Post Office-
went to Minnesota about 25 years ago, but after remaining there a few
years, returned in 1876 ; he was married i2th October, 1881 to Alexina
Durocher.
652 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Mr. Ryan is one of the substantial, intelligent farmers of the township
; he takes much interest in schools, and has been on the School Board
several years.
MOSES SHANE from Wexford County, Ireland, came to this township at
or about the same time that Mr. Ryan came. He had five sons and one
daughter, and his descendants are still among the prosperous inhabitants
of this section.
HUGH MCLEAN, from Scotland, accompanied Lord Selkirk to the North West,
and subsequently was one of the early settlers at this place; he died
2ist May)
1878, aged 84. A few of his descendants still remain.
HENRY MOFFATT, a prominent and successful business man, is the son of
the late James Moffatt,who came from Tyrone County, Ireland, in 1837,
ano ^ bought 100 acres of Lot 12, Range 13 in South Plantagenet ;
he subsequently added 200 acres to this purchase. He married Martha
Caldwell, a daughter of one of the pioneers
of South Plantagenet, and lived here till 1875, when he divided his
estate among his children, and spent his last days at Pendleton with his
son Henry ; he died 24th July, 1893, at the age of 84. He had five sons
and four daughters ; but only two of the former now live in this County,
the other three reside in California.
Henry, the second son, commenced mercantile life in 1867, opening a
store at Pendleton in that year, and two years later he was appointed
Postmaster. He built his present commodious and attractive store in 1878;
he always keeps a large and good stock of merchandise, hence his trade
is extensive. His enterprise has led
him into other branches of business, in which he has been no less
successful, and which at the same time has been a benefit to the
community.
In 1879, he erected a large cheese factory here, which at present
receives the patronage of nearly 700 cows ; the output of this factory
in 1894 amounted to 115,- ooo Ibs. As the business here was outgrowing
the accommodations afforded by this factory, in 1893 he erected another
about three miles distant, which is called the Spring Brook Factory ;
the output from this in 1894 was about 75,000 Ibs.
Some antiquarian, whose name we regret we do not knew, has employed a
por tion of his time in the useful labor of writing a history of the
Pendleton School, from 1826 to 1887, which is as follows:
" The first School was taught in a private house on the farm of Thomas
Camp bell, row owned by Martin Shane ; teacher, Thomas Malcolmson. About
1832, Rev. Alex. Fletcher taught in the upper part of the house of
his brother, Kenneth Fletcher, and in 1835, James Stewart taught in the
house of John Ryan, on Lot 19, Range 9. From 1835 to 1844, tne teachers
were, Wm. McDowell, Patrick Benson, Margaret McAleese. The school-house
on the Lot of Dennis Ryan was burnt about 1^42, but another was soon
erected. Teacher in 1844-45, J onn Bradley ; Peter Biggar, 1846*
1847 ai) d 1848; J. L. P. O Hanley, 1849 and l8 5 J John O Connor,
1852 and 1853; Margaret Smith (now Mrs. Falkner), 1854; Dr. Harkin,
1855 ; Robt. W. Lendrum, from 1855 to 1857 ; Oliver Barton, from 1857
to J 86i ; John R. McLaurin and Stephen N. Clark, 1861 and 1862 ;
A. S. McLennan, 1862 and\863; Robt. Walsh, 1863 and 1864; Joseph Kyle,
186410 1866; Frances MacArthur, 1867; A. S. McLennan, 1868 and 1870. A
new school-house was built in 1870 Archie Lee, teacher in 1871 and
1872 ; Mary Hyde, from 1873 to 1878 inclusive ; Mrs. Mary Molloy, 1879;
S. S. Burns. Edgar McLean, 1880; Peter McDonald, 1881 ; Ida Phillips,
1881 and 1882 ; Calvin Morrow, 1883 and 1884 ; Mary Wight, 1885 ;
Margaret McLean, 1886 Edward C. Wight, 1886 and 1887."
The following were Superintendents during the above period : Rev. Colin
Gregor,
Rev. Matthew Elder, James Frith and Henry Smith.
Martin O Rourke is one of the enterprising and industrious farmers in
the vici-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 653
nity of Pendleton. His father, Patrick O Rourke, came from the County of
Mayo Ireland, to Plantagenet in 1836 ; enlisted the following summer at
Cornwall, for three years. During this period, he purchased a farm in
South Plantagenet, Lot 14, Con cession 10, on which he lived till his
death in December, 1868. He was married in December, 1847, to Ellen,
a daughter of Jacob Read, a pioneer who settled on Lot 15, Range 9,
in 1826; Mr. Read had two sons and six daughters.
Mr. O Rourke had seven sons and two daughters ; Martin, the third son,
has always lived on the homestead a fine firm of 200 acres, sustaining a
large stock of cattle and three horses. He has been married twice; the
first time, in 1883,10 Winnifred Fisher, and the second time, in 1892,
to Sarah Jane McKellip. Mr O Rourke has been a member of the School Board.
SMITH SETTLEMENT.
This place, which is located in both North and South Plantagenet, is so
called from the fact that three brothers, John, William and Robert Smith,
from Derry, Ireland, settled here ; all had families, and many of their
descendants are still here, and are numbered among the respectable and
industrious farmers.
John and William, and their sister Jane, had been here about twenty years
before the arrival of Robert.. John died i3th November, 1867, aged 64 ;
William died i2th March, 1863, aged 63.
ROBERT SMITH, with his wife, son, James, and six daughters, sailed
for Canada in 1844, on the ship "Salome". She hadbsen three weeksonher
voyage, when she sprang a leak, and the passengers compelled the captain
to return to Belfast. Many of the passengers, especially the steerage,
lost all their baggage, and quite a number did not sail again. Robert
settled in the gth Concession of North Plantagenet, and lived there till
his death a8th October, 1867.
James, his son, was married in 1859 to Ann Bowmer, and the following
year he purchased 85 acres of Lot 13, Concession 12, South Piantagenet,
subsequently buying 50 acres more. Mrs. Smith died 2ist June, 1870. Their
children, like those of the elder Smith (Robert), comprised one son and
six daughters. The land Mr. Smith purchased was in its primeval state;
butas it lies along the Nation river, he was more fortunate than the
pioneer who settled at a distance from both river and roads. But, still,
he had a great deal of hardship to overcome, in the vanquishing of which
he has displayed the characteristic courage and endurance of the old
country pioneer. He was a member of the School Board several years,
and terminated this connection therewith by resignation.
His son, Robert, who now has the management of the homestead, is
a member of the same Board ; he was married, i8th October, 1893, to
Caroline Blaney. The ferry across the Nation river is near the dwelling
of Mr. Smith, to whose management it belongs.
ALEXANDER GORDON, from the County of Derry, Ireland, settled, about
1815, on the ation river in South Plantagenet, on a Lot now owned by
his grandsons, Alex
ander and James Gordon. He lived here till his death ; his children
were three sons and two daughters. John, his eldest son, was married,
141(1 February, 1830, to Agnes Anderson, and bought Lot 13, Range 10,
of South Plantagenet, wild land, of which he cleared 100 acres. He died
24th July, 1873 ; Mrs. Gordon died 24th September, 1867 ; they had five
sons and one daughter, but only four of the sons grew up.
Benjamin Gordon, one of these, has one-half the homestead, on which
he has recently erected a new dwelling. He was married to Jane Grant;
he joined Com-
654 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
pany No. 2, Capt. Shields, of the i8th Battalion, at its organization. He
was for some years a School Trustee, and has been an Elder of the
Presbyterian Church for twenty years ; both he and Mrs. Gordon are highly
esteemed in the community. They have two sons and two daughters ; Aggie,
the eldest daughter, is married to John McDonald ; Eppie L. is teaching in
a neighboring district ; and the two sons, Norman and Grant, are at home.
DONALD MCDONALD, from the Isle of Skye, came to Plantagenet in 1820. His
brother, Neil McDonald, a surveyor, had been here for some time, and
surveyed much of the land hereabout"; he lived on Lot 7, Concession
n. After assisting his brother for a period, in surveying, he purchased
his farm, and thenceforth devoted himself to the work of a pioneer,
in which he had many unpleasant experiences.
On one occasion, in the month of March, when returning home on the ice
of the Nation river, he was chased by wolves, and escaped only by seeking
the shore and climbing a tree. The wolves watched him closely through the
entire night, reluctantly leaving at daybreak, and as it was very cold,
he suffered severely.
At another time he was carried over the High Falls at Casselman in a
canoe. He was attempting to reach the shore, when the boat striking a
cake of ice, the recoil sent it into swift water, and before he could get
control of it, the current bore it swiftly over. He clung to the boat,
though it turned over more than once after striking
the water below, and he was finally rescued by raftsmen ; he has been
deaf ever since. He is now in his g-jih year, and still quite active ;
he has had three sons and two daughters, but the youngest of each sex
is deceased.
Daniel, the second son, bought fifty acres of Lot 13, gth Concession,
North Plantagenet, and married Mary McRae ; they had three sons and two
daughters that grew up; the eldest daughter married Robert Franklin. John,
the second son, was
married, i;th September, 1888, to Aggie Gordon ; apparently he is gaming
the reward of energy and industry.
ALEXANDER H. ERASER, son of the late Andrew Fraser, of Green Lane, Hawkes-
bury, is one of the intelligent farmers of this locality. He came to
Plantagenet in the fall of 1888, and bought 100 acres of Lot 12, in the
loth Concession an attrac-1 tive looking farm. Mr. Fraser has for some
years been a member of the Schoo Board. He was married 8th January, 1879,
to Marv > daughter of George Clark, who came from Biggar, Lanarkshire,
Scotland, to Cote des Neiges with the family of his father, John Clark,
about 1830. The father, Mr. John Clark, and his wife died not many years
afterward at St. Therese.
George Clark, the son, learned the trade of miller, and was for some
time employed in Montreal, and then, for a few years, at Vankleek
Hill. Something more than thirty years ago, he bought a faim on the
Ottawa in East Hawkesbury, where
he still resides. He has been thrice married, the last time 22nd May,
1855 to Catherine Wade. He had one son by each of his former marriages ;
one son and two daughters by the latter.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first Presbyterian Church in Plantagenet was erected in the Smith
Settle ment. The records show that on the day of May, 1843, " A meeting of
the adherents of the Presbyterian Church was convened at the house of
William Smith, to devise means and raise funds for the erection of a
chapel. A subscription list was then taken, and a building committee
appointed composed of the following gentlemen, viz. : John Beggs, John
Smyth and George Presley.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 655
"An agreement was entered into between the committee and John Gordon anp
James Anderson, on the i;th February, 1843, to erect a building 26 ft. x
26 ft., of sided timber, and finish it for the sum of thirty pounds;
to be fit for use on the i5th November, 1843."
The Rev. Colin Gregor was the officiating minister, and the Register
shows that
the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper was dispensed to communicants on the
22nd June, 1845, J 3 tn September, 1846, and on the 24th October, 1847.
After this, the Register states without date : ; The Rev. Colin Gregor
receives
a call from the congregation of Guelph, which he accepts, and the
Rev. Matthew Elder commences a Sabbath School, for which a library is
procured, and the school flourishes for some time. He also preached once
in three weeks."
" Call made and accepted to Rev. Andrew Bell, 2yth July, 1852."
"September lyth, 1853, subscription raised to build a fence round
the church
yard."
The subscribers towards the erection of the church were Benj. Anderson,
Kenneth Fletcher, John McQueen, Hugh McLean, John Gordon and many others.
"At a meeting of the Presbyterian Church in Plantagenet, held iyth
October, 1857, Mr. K. Fletcher was appointed to take the chair.
" Resolved : That a fund be raised for the purpose of purchasing a Glebe
and building a Manse, for which a subscription list is got up."
Up to about 1855 or 1856, this belonged to L Orignal Mission, but at that
time it became a separate mission, to which the first minister appointed
was Rev. Colin Gregor. He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Ferguson, who,
however, was not a settled pastor. Students then supplied the pulpit for a
while, when the Rev. Thomas Scott was called and remained several years,
when he retired, and died not long subsequently. The first mention of
him in the records is dated i6th July, 1865. Students again followed,
when William H. Gedds came in 1883, and he was ordained and settled as
pastor in January, 1884. It was during his incumbency in 1883, that the
church at Plantagenet Mills.was completed. He remained two years, and
was succeeded by students, and on July ist, 1889, Rev. John Birrell came
and remained two years. There has been no settled pastor here since ;
the Rev. Wm. Christie,
from Ottawa spent six months here in the fall and winter of 1891-92. The
present incumbent, Rev. John Hardie, a graduate of Glasgow University,
came in November, 1894, and is laboring to the satisfaction of his people.
The cemetery at the church in the Smith Settlement contains the headstones
of many of the pioneers of Plantagenet. On one, we read,
" REV. ALEX. FLETCHER, " Born in the Isle of Skye,
" (Came to Canada in 1818, and died at L Orignal, 5th May, 1836, aged 45.)
" This stone was erected by his sincere friend, C. P. Treadwell."
656 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
South Plantagenet
This township is bounded on the north by North Plantagenet, east
by Caledonia south by the counties of Stormont and Glengarry, and
west by Russell, ihe bnd is level, and in most parts the soil is
good. Considerable attention has been given in past years to hop-growing,
but owing to the present low prices of hops, a number of the famers have
decided to abandon this industry. There are thirty hop-yards in
the township, raising annually from one to six tons each ; the largest
hop- field com prises 14 acres.
There are ten cheese factories in this township.
A pecularity in the physical features is a Ridge a few feet in height
which crosses the township from east to west, varying but little in
altitude the whole dis tance. The soil on the Ridge differs materially
from the lower land and for this reason is adapted to the raising of
different crops.
The Nation River crosses the township near its northern boundary A bar^e
towed by a steam-tug runs between Casselman, in Russell County, and the
" Pitch- off" -a ledge not far above Plantagenet Mills. It is used for
carrving freight of differ ent kinds, chiefly hay ; the distance is
about 25 miles.
Along this river dairying is better than grain-raisinghay being a
prolific crop
though corn and wheat are raised to some extent ; but pease being too
rank in erowth cannot be raised with profit.
The Scotch River, which is a small stream, except in spring, also passes
through quite a portion of the township, and flows into the Nation on
the nth Concession ine or two still smaller streams also help to irrigate
the land, and are utilized for different purposes.
The parish of St. Isidore de Prescott, embracing five Concessions of
Plantagene
and three of Caledonia, was erected in 1878, and the Post-office, which
had beent established there with the name Kerry, was changed to that of
the Parish, Magloire t was the first Postmaster; the present Postmaster
is Joseph Parent
The parish has a good stone R. C. Church, the present priest of which
is Rev.
J. v_/ -DOUlCt.
RICEVILLE.
This little village is located in the west part of the township on the
Scotch though the chef-lieu of the township, it is a quiet place, neat
and remarkably t stands on the Ridge referred to elsewhere and near its
margin Fine farms border the roads leading from the place, all possessing
good buildings and everything betokens a thrifty, prosperous class of
inhabitants ; this is the great hop- growing district of the township.
A Post-office was established here about 1849, Peter McLaurin being
the first
Postmaster ; a town hall was erected about 1857. There are two churches,
two or
sres, an hotel, carding, shingle and provender mills, a cheese factory
and a
1 C V v oil \J 1 j j
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 657
The hotel, which offers good cuisine and attendance, is conducted by
David Scott. A cheese factory has been ably conducted here for the last
thirteen years by W. H. Scott. There is a daily mail and stage between
Riceville and Maxville, and telephone connection with Ottawa and Montreal.
Robert Cutts is said to have been the first settler in this section
; he came from England about 1820, and located about a mile from the
site of the present village of Riceville ; a few of his descendants are
still here.
Henry Metcalfe from Yorkshire, England, came here about 18^3, and was
the second settler. His family consisted of his wife, two sons and one
daughter ; he settled on Lot 7, Concession 12, and lived here till his
death, nth January, 1863. He left three sons and two daughters ; Ann,
the eldest daughter, a girl of twelve years, died gth October, 1838.
CHRISTOPHER, the second son, received one half the homestead, and his
brother Henry the other. The former has been a prominent man in the
township, and served as Auditor a few years, and twice as Treasurer of the
township ; bolh terms of his office comprising a period of twenty-three
years ; he has also been a Justice of the Peace for more than a decade,
after declining for many years to serve in this office. Though farming has
been his chief business, a store which he opened at his dwelling place,
also gained a share of his attention, until 1889, when, in company with
his son, A. H. Metcalfe. he built a fine brick store in the village,
where they now trade. They have also engaged quite extensively in real
estate business, and though they have relinquished this speculation,
they still retain 300 acres of land.
Mr. Christopher Metcalfe has also been very active in Church work ;
he is a member of the Baptist Church and has been a liberal supporter
thereof, though he has generously contributed to every work having for
its object the promotion of the Gospel. He was married in 1851 to Mary,
a daughter of Neil Campbell, the first settler at Lochaber Bay a very
enterprising, estimable citizen. Miss Campbell first came to Riceville to
teach school, and being a staunch member of the Baptist Church, it was
through her influence that the Rev. Mr. Rainboth, a Baptist clergy man,
came here and organized a Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Metcalfe have had six children two sons and four daughters;
only one son and one daughter are now living. Archibald Henry, the
son, was for several years Assistant Postmaster and clerk for Peter
McLaurin. On the death of Mr. McLaurin, he was appointed Postmaster ;
he has also been Auditor for the School
Board, and is an active member of the Royal Templars a Lodge having been
formed at Riceville in the fall of 1892 and agent for the Hamilton Trust
& Loan
Co. He was married in June, 1886, to Maggie Gardner, sister of the
Drs. Gardner of Montreal.
An impetus was given to settlement and business in this section by the
advent of PETER McLAURlN, a land surveyor, about the year 1845. He came
from Bread- albane and had formerly erected mills on the line between
Caledonia and Planta-
genet. As soon as he came to Riceville he erected a saw-mill and
grist-mill on the Scotch river, a work of inestimable benefit to the
inhabitants of the township, and he subsequently built a carding-mill
and shingle-mill. He also opened the first store, and was instrumental in
securing the establishment of a Post-office ; there was then only a weekly
mail from Vankleek Hill. He was a very enterprising, public - spirited
man ; he served as Reeve of the township for many years, and among his
benevolent deeds he bequeathed $1000 to the Baptist Church here and an
equal sum to the Grande Ligne Mission. He died about six years since,
leaving two children Mrs. Dunning of Riceville and Mrs. (Dr.) Ferguson
of Cumberland.
658 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
ALEXANDER MCLEAN, who removed from this place not long since, was another
man prominently identified with its history. He came here in 1854, and
was appointed Township Clerk, a position he held for 38 years. At the
time of his arrival there were but 84 names on the assessment roll of
So. Plantagenet, and the only
road was the Ridge Road leading from Vankleek Hill through Fournier and
Riceville to High Falls in Cambridge.
JAMES FRITH, from London, England, was one of the very early settlers
here ; he lived four years in Montreal, and then came to Plantagenet
and located on Lot 7 , Con. 13, wherehe lived till his death, 2oth
January, 1873 ; he was 86 years of age. Mrs . Frith died 1 6th January,
1846. Mr. Frith was a Christian man, and was much esteem ed in the
community ; he had four sons and four daughters. The homestead, con
sisting of 200 acres, was divided equally between two sons, Samuel and
Ebenezer. The latter, who is the youngest of the sons, is the only one
now remaining in Rice ville, the other three, Samuel, James and Joshua,
having removed to Winchester.
MR. EBENEZER FRITH is one of the respected and influential citizens of this
community, and he has been a School Trustee many years ; his farm called
" Elm Grove," from the number of beautiful elms near his dwelling is one of
the many fine and productive ones of this section.
He was married to Annie Campbell, but she is now deceased ; they had five
sons and three daughters. The eldest son is deceased ; the second, J. E,,
is agent for Willis & Co., wholesale dealers in musical instruments,
Montreal ; A. N., the third son, is pastor of the 2nd Baptist Church,
Ottawa ; E. R. is clerk in Maxville ; and S. W. is Dental Surgeon in
Winchester, The eldest daughter, married to Eli Hughes, resides at George
s Lake ; the other two, Flora and Jessie, are at home.
HENRY VOGAN, who has been Collector at Riceville for a few years past,
is a son of the late George Vogan, who came from the County of Cavan,
Ireland, to New York, in 1832. After spending three years in that city
and in Brooklyn, he came to Canada and purchased a small piece of land on
Vankleek Hill, on which Kelly s Hotel now stands. He had been a soldier
a Sergeant in the 27th Regi ment of Foot, and served in the Peninsular
war ; in consequence of this military ex perience, he was employed to
drill the Volunteers at the Hill in 1837.
Mrs. Vogan was a witness of the marriage in Ireland of Capt. McCann,
noticed in the history of W. Hawkesbury. After the sudden death of the
Capt. in Toronto, his pension was stopped, as a result of his widow
s inability to prove her marriage. Five years passed, when the widow
accidently discovered that her neighbor, Mrs.
Vogan, was present at her wedding ; consequently, the pension was restored
and the suspended payments received. Mr. Vogan died at the Hill about
1866 ; he left three sons Samuel, Henry and William.
Henry Vogan was engaged in mercantile business for some time at Vankleek
Hill, after which he followed farming a few years in West Hawkesbury;
then spent two years in British Columbia, returned and was foreman ten
years for Mr. Hagar. He afterwards bought a farm in South Plantagenet,
which he sold a few years later, and purchased three acres of land in this
village and erected a good brick dwelling, in which he now resides. By
a former marriage he had five children, one son and
four daughters ; one of the latter is deceased ; the son is in California.
Mr. Vogan was married to Mary McNally in 1869; her father was the
Rev. James McNally, the first Methodist minister that labored in
Riceville. He came from the County of Cavan, Ireland, with his family to
West Hawkesbury in 1825, and settled in the neighborhood of the present
Henry Post-office. He died about
1877; he had three sons and six daughters. Mr. McNally was one of the
pioneer Methodists, who travelled over a large district, including the
Counties of Argenteuil
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 659
and Prescott, both as colporteur and minister ; gladly conveying to
the remote settle ments the tidings of salvation. Those were the days
when there were few roads, and those scarcely worthy of the name,
while to many of the localities visited, there were only footpaths,
often discerned with difficulty, and sometimes the way was
marked only by blazed trees. Even in 1835, when he visited Riceville and
surround ing localities, the country was almost in its primeval state,
necessitating a journey on foot or at best on horseback.
WILLIAM J. NICHOLSON is the present Postmaster of Riceville, and is
also actively engaged in the mercantile line. His grandfather came from
England, and
was one of the very early settlers on Caledonia Flats, where he spent
the remainder of his life. He had five sons and two daughters ; Henry,
the youngest son, was married to Mary Hunter, about 1840, and bought a
farm in South Plantagenet, Lot
14, Concession 13, where he still lives ; he had two sons and
five daughters. Henry J., the elder son, remained on the homestead
till his marriage, i5th October, 1886, to Catherine, daughter of John
Ryan. He entered mercantile business the same year, and still follows it,
enjoying the patronage and esteem of numerous customers; he was appointed
Postmaster, July ist, 1895.
GEORGE A. RYAN is a brother of Mrs. Nicholson, and is assistant in the
Post- office, and Secretary of the Township Agricultural Society ; he
was married 2ist November, 1891, to Stella Metcalfe. His father, John
Ryan, whose family is noticed in the history of Pendleton, has long been
a prominent man in the township. He has a fine farm of 250 acres with
good buildings not far from Fournier, which he purchased about 1855 ;
he was married in 1858 to Maria Gates. He has taken an active interest
in both school and municipal matters, and has long been a School Trustee,
Reeve of the Township and a Justice of the Peace.
WILLIAM N. DUNNING, the present Township Clerk, is a native of Cumberland,
where his ancestors were prominent and influential ; he is proprietor of
the carding, provender and shingle mills. Mr. Dunning married a daughter
of the late Peter McLaurin.
Riceville has a good school building, pleasantly located, in which there
are two departments, each in charge of a competent teacher. The first
school house was a log structure near the house of Mr. Metcalfe ; the
second one, of similar material and architecture, stood in the centre
of what now forms the site of the village ; it was covered with troughs
made frombasswood.
A steam saw-mill was erected here by Dorty Leger, in 1889 ; he sold it
and built another in 1892, and is now adding a sash and door factory.
The Methodists are an influential body in Riceville, where, at a short
distance
from the village, they erected a church edifice in 1869. An acre of
land was donated for a parsonage by Mr. Oliver Blaney, and a neat and
commodious parsonage built
in 1887.
The first Methodist Church in the Township (Wesleyan) was erected at
Frank lin s Corners in 1849. 1 ie earliest records to be found relating
to this denomination in South Plantagenet are of a " Quarterly Meeting
Conference of the Ottawa Mission, held at Riceville, 301)1 October, 1847."
Present Rev. Jas. Gardner, Pres. Elder ; Rev. T. Lewis, Missionary ;
Alexis Johnson, Henry Caldwell, Class Leaders ; Justus Clark, Jas. MofTat,
stewards.
The history of the Baptist Church at this place is given in the annals
of the Rev. Mr. King in his account of his labors in Nottield and other
places after leaving Dalesville, Que. He says :
"Besides laboring in Notfield, I had also to labor in Riceville, sixteen
miles north of Notfield. The small village of Riceville takes its name
from the wife of
660 HISTORY OF PRESCGTT.
Peter McLaurin, who was a daughter of Dr. Rice. Mr. McLaurin came from
Breadalbane, and had been a member of the Baptist Church there.
"The settlers about this part were Protestant Irish, with a few English
families ; the country around abounds with French-Canadians. Among the
English-speaking people was a man named Frith a member of the Baptist
Church in Montreal, when John Gilmour was pastor. This man was zealous
for the good of souls ; when there was no preacher in the place he
visited the sick, read the scriptures and prayed with them ; he also
held meetings in his own house on the Lord s Day, read a sermon to the
people and conducted worship.
"This practice he continued for some years; being acquainted with Mr.
Gilmour, he invited him to visit them, which he did, and preached a few
evenings; they were also visited by John Edwards of Clarence. These were
precious visits and attended with good. About this time the Methodists
found their way to the place
and made it one of their fields of labor. Among the Methodist ministers
was a Mr. McNally, who baptized a few persons in the Scotch river;
the Methodists got a firm hold in the place, and many joined them.
"The next Baptist that came to the place was Miss Mary Campbell,
a daughter of Neil Campbell, of Lochaber. She came to Riceville and
taught school for some
time, and was married to Christopher Metcalfe, who at that time was
keeping store here; he was a professor of religion and a Baptist in
principle. As yet there had been no baptism here by a Baptist minister,
but at length Brother Rainboth, who
was laboring in JSotfieid and Papineauville, preached in Riceville on
his way to and from these places. On one of the visits paid by Brother
Rainboth to Riceville he baptized Christopher Metcalfe and Mrs. Peter
McLaurin. On that occasion people collected from far and near, who
had come to witness the baptism, which was to them a thing altogether
new. This encouraged Brother Rainboth, so that in 1861 he held a
protracted meeting, assisted by Brother Dempsey, which resulted in the
conversion of a number of precious souls. In the year 1862 a church was
formed of eighteen
believers; in 1865 it consisted of twenty members, and in the fall of
1869 there were added to it ten members."
An Agricultural Society was organized here in 1869 with the following
offi cers :
President Jas. H. Molloy.
Vice-President Wm. Lendrum.
Treasurer Geo. Cutt.
Secretary Alex. McLean.
Directors James Moffatt, Wm. Brodie, Lewis Parker, James Surch, E. Frith.
Auditors Stephen Surch, John Caldwell.
Prizes in 1894 $231; total receipts $351.53; expenditure $230.95.
JOHN MUIR is proprietor of one of the many fine farms that may be
found in the vicinity of Riceville. His father, William Muir, came from
Hamilton, Scotland to L Orignal in 1846; he was by trade a carpenter,
and he followed this in the employ of Sheriff Treadwell nine years. After
leaving L Orignal, he spent a few
yeais in the village of Riceville, and then bought 100 acres of Lot 10,
i4th Conces sion, in South Plantagenet, on which he lived till his death
in February, 1876 ; he had six sons and four daughters. James, one of
the sons, remained on the home stead; John, another son, in his younger
days followed the lumber business. In 1873 he bought 100 acres Lot 10,
i3th Concession, which was partially cleared. He was married 2gth July,
1875, to Catherine Bradley. Mr. Muir has cleared nearly all the land
he first purchased, added 95 acres to it, erected a fine brick dwelling
and commodious out-buildings, and rendered his home very attractive by
planting numer-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 66l
ous maples around it and along the roadside; his hop-yard comprises three
acres. He has been a School Trustee and Municipal Councillor far some
years, and is a staunch supporter of the Methodist Church. Two of his
brothers, Robert and Thomas, and his sister Jane, married to Alexander
McKercher, all live in Manson- ville, Wood County, Wisconsin ; William,
another brother, lives in South Planta- genet.
OLIVER BLANEY is another of the farmers of Prescott who may justly quote
the language of Caesar, Veni, vidi, vici. His father, Oliver Blaney,
came from Tyrone County, Ireland, to Caledonia Flats, where he lived
about fifteen years; he then moved to South Plantagenet, Lot n, i3th
Concession ; his death occurred in 1868. He was twice married ; by the
first marriage to Lucinda Lovelace, he had three sons and three daughters
who grew up. Oliver, the second son, was engaged in.lumbering during the
winter for thirty years ; in summer he followed farming. He was married
i4th January, 1861, to Nancy Caldwell. In 1864 he bought 275 acres in
the i$th and 1 4th Concessions of this township, which was then almost in
its primeval state. At the time of this purchase Mr. Blaney owed $600,
and had no means of paying it, save what he could earn by physical labor
; but to-day he is free from debt : his land is mostly cleared, he has
set out a fine orchard of 200 apple trees, has three acres of hops,
has erected good buildings, keeps a dairy of 36 cows, has 48 head of
cattle, five horses and about 20 sheep. He also has had quite an apiary,
shipping one season 7,000 Ibs. of honey from 95 hives. Though his number
at present is reduced to 17 hives, he has had as many as 120; and he
intends to engage in this industry more largely than ever. Mr. Blaney
has been a School Trustee for many years, also a Trustee and Secretary
of the Methodist Church. He has four sons and five daughters ; Henry C.,
the eldest son, is in California ; Wm. Thomas is in Mani toba; both are
married and three of the daughters are also married.
CHARLES "P. LENDRUM resides on the Nation in the vicinity of
Riceville. His father, William Lendrum, came from Lisburne, County Antrim,
Ireland, to Planta genet in 1851, with his wife, five sons and three
daughters. He was a Civil Engineer, and after settling at Riceville
was employed at this vocation in different places. His first work was
on the Ottawa & Prescott Railway, in which he was Assistant Engineer ;
he also was the architect of the Court House and Jail at L Orignal ;
he was afterward sometimes employed in Montreal. A year or two after his
arrival he bought 200 acres, Lot n, Concession u, which was only partially
cleared, and the rest was cleared by himself. He died 2oth March, 1880;
Mrs. Lendrum died 24111 December, 1887. They left eight sons and three
daughters ; two of the former have since died. Charles P., the youngest
of the family, and Thomas, next older, remained on the homestead;
the latter died from the result of an accident, 7th February, 1893.
The following obituary is from The Advertiser (L Orignal) "The deceased
was in the prime of life, and had held the Assessorship of Plantagenet
several years, and in this capacity showed great skill and energy. He
was a straight temperance man and Select Councillor of the Royal Templar
Society of this place, and his Societv cannot replace him with one of
his abilities and deportment. The funeral was one of the largest ever
known in this place, there being upwards of one hundred carriages."
William J. Lendrum was the second son of the late Mr. Lendrum, of
Riceville, and had seen many years service in the British Army ; he died
in England, being a member of the Staff College, affiliated with the
Royal Military College of Sandhurst. An extract from a lengthy obituary,
published in an English paper, and copied by the Ottawa Jo unial of 7th
January, 1893, says :
"Sergt. William J. Lendrum, V. C., had won the Victoria Cross for acts
of heroism and unrivalled bravery in the Crimean War and in India."
662 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Charles P. Lendrum, the son now living in Plantagenet, has a good farm,
on which he keeps seven horses and a dairy of twenty-three cows; he,
too i<= a Royal Templar.
JOHN MOFFAT, eldest son of James Moffat, mentioned in the history of
Pendle- ton, born in 1837, remained at home until 1864, in which year
be was married to
Sarah, daughter of Alexander Westwood of Montreal, and moved to his
present farm in the i2th Concession. In connection with his farming,
Mr. Moffat has gone exten sively into bee-culture, being one of the
largest dealers in honey in Eastern Ontario. In 1882 he shipped
eleven tons of honey to the Montreal market, besides supplying localf
trade. Mr. Moffat has been active in the municipal affairs of the township
having been Justice of the Peace for about fifteen years, and Treasurer
and Auditor for thirteen and seven years respectively. In 1895 ne wa s
elected Reeve, which
office he still holds. Being well posted on the Code of Ontario,
Mr. Moffat is often consulted by persons desiring legal advice, and has
frequently done conveyancing. He has two sons and five daughters living.
JOSEPH PERISIEU, a successful farmer, resides about half a mile from the
village, in a fine brick house. He has been a resident here for twenty
years, and has a farm of no acres, six of which comprise his hop-yard.
FRANKLIN S CORNERS.
Franklin s Corners was once an important place in the township. The
first Methodist Church was erected here in 1849, which was demolished
a few years ago.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, from Buckinghamshire, England, settled here with his
family a wife and one or two children in 1830. He took Lot 8, Concession
14, and lived here till his death in December, 1881, at the age of 87 ;
he had two sons and four daughters. The eldest son, Henry, engaged in
the lumber business at the age of 1 6, and followed it successfully forty
years. At the age of 21 he bought a farm Lot 10, Concession 14; he married
Elizabeth Muir. His death took place 131)1 January 1887, at the age of 56
; Mrs. Franklin died in 1891, also aged 56. They left ten sons, who are
all living. In 1869, Mr. Franklin gave the homestead to his second son,
Richard M., and opened a store at this place. In 1872, he bought 150 acres
of Lot 6, Concession 13, and erected a fine brick dwelling and good
outbuildings In 1876, he bought about eight acres at Pendleton, built a
large store and other build ings, but died there ere he had been long
in business. He was a member of the local Council for a number years,
and for a long time was a School Trustee. He was a liberal supporter of
the Methodist Church, but at his death he was a member of the Church of
England ; in politics he was Conservative. He left the homestead to his
son, Charles ; the store and site on which it is erected, to his sons
George and Calvin
The eldest son, William Franklin, was in the lumber business with
his father from an early age. In 1884, he erected a store, and a fine
brick dwelling and other buildings near the Corners, where he still
trades. He was married in 1880 to Margaret N., daughter of David
Metcalfe. Mr. Franklin has been Township Auditor
for twenty years ; he is a prominent Mason, being identified with the
Knights Templar and Scottish Rite, and is also a member of the Independent
Order of Foresters.
WILLIAM JOHN REID, who has a fine farm near that of Mr. Franklin, is one
of the prominent and respected citizens of the locality. He came with
his brother from Ireland to this township when he was very young ; he has
been engaged exten sively in the lumber business during the greater part
of his life, but, nevertheless has taken _ much interest m the affairs
of the township, and has served as Municipal Councillor and hool Trustee.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 663
SAMUEL HUNTER, from the County Antrim, Ireland, took up 200 acres of
land in this section in 1822 ; he died here about 20 years ago. He had
three sons and seven daughters, but only one son, John, is now living ;
he has part of the home stead a fine farm on which there is an excellent
barn and a large hop-yard. Mr. Hunter is unmarried, and has always
lived with his sister, whose husband, Mr. John Stevens, has a fine brick
residence and farm adjoining that of Mr. Hunter, Mrs. Stevens died in
1895 ; three of her sisters, daughters of Mr. Samuel Hunter, married
to prosperous farmers, settled in this township Mrs. Henry Nicholson,
Mrs. James Nicholson, now a widow, and Mrs. John Wilkes.
LEMIEUX.
In the north-west part of the township is a Post-office, established
about twenty years ago with the name Lemieux a man bearing that name
being the first Postmaster. A saw-mill was erected here about 1850 by
Archie Burton. The m,ill is now owned by W. N. Barrie, an enterprising
Scotchman, who employs a good many hands, and has several mills located
in different places ; he also has a store at Lemieux. There, is besides,
a R. C. Church, a school-house and one or two shops. The early settlers
in this section were Daniel Harrigan, Robert Reid, Alex. Mclnnis,
John Macauley, and Henry Bradley.
A Post-office was established a few years since on Lot 5, Concession
n, and the name of the Postmaster Lalonde was given to the office. The
present Post master is Isaie Denis ; he also has a grist-mill, saw-mill
and shingle-mill ; there is also a cheese factory near.
FOURNIER.
This small village is located in the eastern part of South Plantagenet,
near the Caledonia line.
BERNARD LEMIEUX, from St. Polycarpe, came here in 1855, an d erected a saw
mill and grist mill on a small stream, and these mills were the beginning
of the present village. In 1875, his son, Joseph M. Lemieux, erected new
mills, in which steam power was used instead of water-power. The mills
were burnt about nine years later, but were soon rebuilt. Mr. Bernard
Lemieux died here 251)1 June, 1878 ; his widow, who was 90 years of age,
in June, 1895, is still living here and quite active.
A store was opened here in 1856, by Cajetan Fournier, and a Post-office
was established in 1857, with the name Fournier ; Mr. Fournier was
the first Postmaster, and he also conducted an hotel and a pearl ash
factory a number of years. F. Lan- driau succeeded him as Postmaster,
and has held the position twenty years.
The starting of business here as related above soon paved the way for the
erection of a chapel. The first priests who visited the place came from
Curran ; ser vices were first held at the house of John Paxton for about
a year and a half, and subsequently, at the house of Mr. Lemieux. In
1859, a chapel was erected Mr. Lemieux giving the land for its site,
and having the contract for its erection. As it had become too small,
however, for the congregation, in 1877 a new stone church
was erected, 120 feet x 55 feet in size, with sacristy 48 feet x 30 feet,
and during the summer of 1895 a fine brick presbytery was built. At the
present time, the church has cost $17,500, but the interior is not yet
finished. The first resident priest was the Rev. S. Phillips, who came in
1867, and remained nine years. His successor was the Rev. Onesime Bouchet,
who was here seven years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Father Lecour, from
St. Isidore de Prescott, who after a period of three years was followed
by Rev. Ulric Gideon Magnan, who died three years later, in July, 1888.
The next priest was the present incumbent, Rev. E. Dessier.
664 HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A Methodist Church was erected at Fournier in 1873.
Besides the two churches, Fournier has three stores conducted by J. N.
Lapointe, a tannery which has been in operation by Nelson Baker about
twenty years, a cheese factory and a hotel conducted by DUNCAN MACGREGOR.
Mr. Macgregor s grandfather, James Macgregor, came from Scotland to
Canada in 1800, with his two sons, Edward and Duncan, and one daughter,
Margaret. He purchased 400 acres of land on his arrival, which now form
a part of the site of Toronto. Edward, the elder son, was in the battle
of Lundy s Lane ; he caught a
cold there, from the effects of which he died. Duncan, the second son,
born in 1800, came with the rest of the family to Plantagenet in 1823,
and purchased 300 acres of Lots 5 and 6, Concession 12, and, some years
later, he bought 200 acres in Con cession 13.
The elder Macgregor (James) was accidentally drowned about 1846, in the
Nation River near his own dwelling. Margaret Macgregor, bis daughter,
married Adjutant Fraser, a brother of Colonel Fraser.
Duncan Macgregor became a prominent man in the township, was a Councillor
several years, Reeve and Captain of Militia. He had four sons and
seven daughters, of whom the sons and three daughters are now living ;
Edward, the eldest son, is on the Parry Sound Road, exploring timber
limits. James, the second son, has part of the homestead, and Duncan,
the youngest, has another part, comprising 100 acres, of which about 85
are under cultivation. From this, in the summer of 1895, he cut 150 tons
of hay, and raised 166 bushels of barley and 200 bushels of wheat.
JOHN PAXTON, from the Village of Coddington, Oxfordshire, England, was
one of the very early settlers in this section. He procured a location
ticket for 700 acres of land, which was situated partly in Alfred and
partly in South Plantagenet the latter comprising Lot i, Concession
13. This was in 1820, and he soon afterward
settled on it. and not long subsequently, his brother William came,
and later still, their sister, Helen. All lived together, unmarried,
and died here.
In 1844 two nephews of the Paxtons Stephen Surch, sixteen years of age,
and his brother, James, thirteen came to this country. They, with two
brothers, John and Thomas Surch, all orphans, had been living in England
with a maiden aunt, who supplied them with means to come to Canada. John
and Thomas followed Stephen and James at different periods, some years
later. After living twelve years with his uncle, John Paxton, James
entered the employ of the Hamilton Brothers at Hawkes- bury, and was
with them seven years, four of which he was foreman. In August, 1865,
John Paxton died, but shortly before his death he divided his property
between Stephen, James and Thomas Surch. Stephen died some years ago,
but James and Thomas still live here; the former owning 216 acres, and
the latter 140 acres of the land bequeathed them by their uncle. James
Surch has been one of the prominent men in local affairs, having served
twenty-four years as School Trustee, fourteen as Councillor, and five as
Reeve of the township. He has a fine farm, and has erected an imposing
brick residence and commodious farm buildings.
DONALD MACDONALD, a Scotchman, and an educated man, who had spent some
years at Demarara, as overseer on a sugar plantation, settled in the
vicinity of Fournier, between 1836 and 1840, on Lot T, Concession 12. He
brought two young boys, as well as some money, with him ; he was always
known here as " Demarara Macdonald."
JOHN A. CAMERON, who resides about two miles from Fournier, has a farm of
84 acres, which is noted for its fertility. Last season, 1895, besides
cutting 100 tons of hay, he raised 500 bushels of barley and over 500
bushels of wheat.
JAMES H. MOLLOY, jr., who died early in 1896, and who, in September last
(1895), gave us many of the facts recorded with regard to Plantagenet,
had long
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT. 665
made his home at Fournier. He was a very intelligent man, highly respected
in the county, and though past eighty years of age, his wonderful activity
gave strangers the impression that he was less than seventy, and led
his familiar friends to believe that he would be spared many yeais.
The following sketch of the family was copied from the old family Bible
; James
Molloy, the first mentioned, was the grandfather of James H., who
recently died
at Fournier :
"James MoHoy, born 25th July, 1755, in the County of Westmeath, near
the town of Kilbeggin, at his father s house next to the Castle of
Ballreath. His father, Charles, and his mother, Mary, were honest and
worthy parents. When James was eight years old, he came to Queen s County,
near Carlow, where my father died in the spring of 1770, and was buried
in the church of Aries, within four miles of Carlow. I came to America
in 1771, and joined the King s troops and was employed in the
Quarter-Master General s department till the year 1783. Came to
Montreal in 1785, and served in the Indian department as conductor of
India presents, under Sir John Johnson, till the year 1815, a period
of nearly thirty years in Canada, and forty-two years in His Majesty
s service. Married in New York, 2gth October, 1783, to Eleanor Staats,
widow of the late John Amory, issue of marriage as follows :
<; Alice Molloy, born loth January, 1784, al the Hogsborough, near
Albany ; James Molloy, born 2ist February, 1788, at Montreal; Joachim
Staats Molloy, born 2nd September, 1789, at Montreal; died loth March,
1791 ; Marie Charlotte Molloy, born nth May, 1794, at Montreal, died
3oth March, 1796.
" James Molloy, sen., died at Montreal, 4th October, 1815, aged 60
years. Said Eleanor Staats, wife of said James Molloy, born 28th February,
1752, died at Mon treal, i8th January, 1821, aged 69 years."
James Molloy, jun., son of James Molloy, who died at Montreal in 1815,
was also in the Commissary Department during the war of 1812, being
employed as Clerk. Before coming to Plantagenet in 1825 he owned a lot
of land which now forms a part of the site of Toronto, but he sold it at
a small price. He was married to Catherine Chesser 3rd August, 1824. On
coming to Plantagenet he took up 500 acres of Lot i, Concession 10,
and Lots i and 3, Concession 14. Mr. Molloy soon became a man of promin
ence in the County. He was a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for the
trial of Small Causes, and Major of the Militia. He was well known in
Montreal, and had many friends among the prominent men of that city. He
died in Albany, N.Y., i4th March, 1851. He had three sons James H.,
John Murphy and Michael Edmund.
James H., the eldest, after attending school some years in Montreal,
remained some time on the homestead, and then sought his fortune in
foreign lands ; sailing 27th October, 1851, for Melbourne, Australia;
thence he went to Sidney, and from there to California, where he remained
two years. He returned via New York, mak
ing the entire circuit of the globe, and once more engaged in farming in
Plantagenet. He was married in February, 1857, to Anna Maria, daughter
of William Bradley, Esq., of Caledonia. Mr. Molloy was a Justice of the
Peace many years, Coroner for Prescott and Russell, Issuer and Inspector
of Tavern Licenses for Prescott, Reeve of the Township several years,
and Warden of the County. He was a candidate for Parliament in 1886,
in opposition to Mr. Evanturel, but was defeated by a small
majority. At his death he owned 300 acres of the paternal homestead. He
had three sons and three daughters ; the two eldest sons, Arthur and
Edmund, married, live in this Township ; James, the youngest, has recently
attended the Collegiate Institute at Ottawa. The eldest daughter, married,
lives in Ottawa ; the youngest, married, resides in Montreal.
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