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7
YONGE
lORONTO
M4W 2GB
(.
L'
eanadiaa
History
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Librofj
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r
HISTORY
. . Of THE . . ,
COUNTIES
. . . . Of . . . .
\RGENTEUlL, QUE.,
PRESCOTT, ONT.,
, . . fROM THE . , .
EARLIEST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT
BY
C. THOMAS,
Author of THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS, FRONTIER SCHOOL-MASTER
AND HISTORY OF SHEFFORD,
-
-
"'IO
TREAL :
PRINTED BY JOH
LOVELL & SON.
23 AND z:; Sr. NICHOLA!; 8rREET.
-
1896
1..11
r J
[
\
I '
79
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 Statbtics at Ottawa.
\ 1....
{\\ 1\
"\
"'J
r
PREFACE.
In a volume of ordinary size it would be impossib[e, 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 \\ riter to give biographi-
cal sketches of only the very eady 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 Í-n 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 sUf\riving, In OUr
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 ia notes \\ hich 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 brinJ'
it to completion. He would acknowledge himse
f profoundly grateful for
the assistance rendered by the different clergym
n whose contributions
appear in these pages, as well as for that exten.led by \V, J. Simpson, :\r.p. P. ;
viii
PREFACE.
G. W. Parmelee, Secretary of the Council of Public Instruction; G. F. Calder,
Esq., Cols. Shields and Higginson, Sheriff Hagar, G.}, \Valker, Esq., Colin
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 wiN deny. This volume is
presented to the public with the belief that it will be accorded a reception
sufficiently cordial to save the author the unpleasant reflection, that his labor
has been performed in vain.
ERRATA.
Page 109, line 6, the legal Tight of any protestant clergyn1'1n except tho5e of
he established churches of Eng\and and Scotland to keep registers of civil status or
to officiate at marriages.
Page 12 3, line 8, The late James Middleton.
Page 125, 4th line from bottom, Lord Reay.
Page 147, line Ig, For Catherine McLean, read Catherine McLaurin.
Page 222, last line. read Mr. \Valker's present dwe1lÏng.
Page 223, line 25, for an Elder read Manager.
Page 4 61 , 1st line, for \Vestern read Eastern,
Page 4 6 (J, line Ig, for this çompany, read their company.
þ
I
IJE:X:.
The Ottawa..,. ,. . . , .. . , . . . . . " . , .. ..,.
Champlain's Astrolabe. . " ,...,. , . , .. , , , ,
The Heroes of the Lon
Sault.,.... ....,.
The Indians descent o(the Ottawa with furs
do do do
Opening of the fur trade on the Pacific.".
Mr, Philemon Wright's ascent of the Ottawa
Navigation on the UUawa... .....,......
Places of interest on the Ottawa..". ...,.
County of Argenteuil. . .. ..",....., . . . . .
Census of 1891 .,. , ,. . . ., , . . .. .......,.
Geology of Argenteuil.,..... . . ,. . . .. .",
Representati yes . . ,. . . . . . . . .. . . ,. . . . . . . . .
Sir J. J. c. Abbott...... ...... ..... . .. ..
Agricultural Society. . . . ,. ",.. ....'. , . . ,
Count y Council, . . . . . . , , . , .. ,.. . .. ,.",.
A rgenteuil Rangers..,. . , , , . , . . , .. .." ..
Fenian raids.",. . - ,.,.., ...' . . . , . .. . . . .
The Schools of Argenteuil...,..... . . ., ..
Inhabitants of Argenteuil...... ....,. .,..
Scotch settlers of Argenteuil. . . . . . ,. ".."
Seigniory of Argenteuil.., ",. ,..",
Sir John J olmson . . , . " . , . . . . . . .. . . . . , . ,
St. Andrew's Parish..,." . . ., ".".
do Village. . .. ".", . '" . . ,
Churches. . .. , . " . . .. .". .", . , ., ,.....
Anglican Church. . .. . . , , ,. . , .. .,., "....
Presbyterian Church. . . . ..,. ."..,...,..
Roman Catholic Church..,. . . , . . . ., .... .
Baptist. . . , .. , , . , , . . . . , . , . , . . . . . , ,. ,."
Congregational. . , . . , .. . . , , . . . . . , . . . . . . .
Methodist, . ., . . . , , , .. ",."." . , ,. . , , .
Bible Society,. . , ,. , . ,. , . . . .. . . . ..." ..
C. E, Society,.".. ...,.. ..,.., .,., ..,.
'V. C. T. U. Society, '" .. , ". . , ., ."...
'V oman's Missionary Society.., ,. ,......
11asonic Lodge. , " ,. .. .. , , . " .. . . . . . , . .
Mercantile. , ., , . . , .. ..,...' , , " ..,.', ..
Cote du Midi and the Bay. . . . . . . . , ., . . . , .
River Rouge.",.. . , .. . , . " . . , . .. ",."
Beech Ridge.,.", ...... ,...,. .",., . . .
Geneva. , " . , .. . , . , . . " ..., . . . . . ., , . . . .
Carillon, , , , ., ".... . , ,. . , . . . ...... ....
Employees on Carillon Canal. . . , .. . . . . , .,
Municipal Council...... ...... ",.,. . . . .
The Dam, . . . .. ""., ,... ,. ,.,. ",. ....
Isle aux Chats. , .. . , .. . , .., ,....",.,..
Town of Lach ute.. .. .. . . ... . ......
Reminiscences of early days",. ,..... ...,
Professional. . , . . . .. . . " ..,..", . ,. ,... ,
Rise and Progress of Education. ,.. . . . , . ,.
Lachute Academy..".,...,...... .",..
Rise and Progress of Religion. , ., ".. ....
Presbyterian Church.,...".....,." ,..,
9
II
15
20
21
21
24
26
3 2
34
34
35
39
4 2
45
4 8
4 8
51
58
60
63
66
67
70
7 0
10 3
10 3
10 4
114
117
119
122
12 3
12 3
12 3
12 3
12 4
13 1
13 8
147
15 1
15 6
162
186
19 0
19 1
193
194
21 3
227
232
233
237
23 8
Henry's Presbyterian Church. . , . ... . .. . . , ,
Anglican Church..,. ."... , , .. , , . . . , " .
Baptist. , ,. . , , , , , . . , . .
. .. . , ,. .,., . . , . .
Methodist. , ,. .. ,. . . . . . , . . , . . . . . . . . , . . . ,
Roman Catholic Church....".",.,....,
W. C. T. U. and C. E. Societies..........
Mechanics Institute, , , . . . ., . , .. ...... ...
Manufactures, . , . .. .",..... ,'.,., ".",
Paper 1Iills. . ,. .,., . , ,. , . . . . . , , . . , . . , . .
Newspapers, . ., , , ,. ".", . , , . .. . .. . , .. .
Bridges and railroads, , , . . . .. . . ,. . . .. ...
Mercantile establishments. . . . .. . , . . . . . , , .
Hotels. , . . . . .. .,.. . . . . . . . . . ,. ... , .. . . , .
Parish of St. Jerusalem d' Argenteuil... .. . .
East Settlement.", .".,..............
Bethany. . . . . . . . . , ,. .. .. ...."... . . .. .
V idesac , , " . . . . . . ' . . , , . . ,. . , . , . , . . . . . . .
Hill Head , . . . . . . . .. .". .... .....",
Chatham., ., ., .,., . . ,. . . . . ... . .. "..
Cushing. . .. . . .. . . . . .. .". . , " . , . .. . . . ,
t. :\I
ngo'
Church. .. ..".,.,..".....
Greece s POInt. , ,. ."... ""., . . . ,. . . ., .
Stonefield. . " ,.,... . , , . . . , ., .." . . . . . ,
St. Phillip....,' ..., ..., .,.., .... ,.,..,
Roman Catholic Church".." . . , .. ..".,
Stavnerville,." ..""...,. .". ..", ....
Brö'wnsburg, _ . . .. .".., . , ., ." . " . , ., ..
Dominion Cartridge Factory. . . . . . , ,. , , ,. .
f\fount Maple,.,. ..., ,.,. .,. .... .,....
DalesviUe . , . , .. .,.,., . . .. ..,. ....". . , ,
Baptist Church.". ..,.", ....,. ",. .,..
Edina. . , . .. . , " , , .. ...... .,.".......
Grenville. , . . . , . . . , .. ."". , . . , . . , , . .
Grenville Village.. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .
Angl ican Chu rch. . .. .. .. . , . . . . . . . . . , . . ,
Presbyterian. . ,. ..",."..,...,...",.
Roman Catholic.". .,.,., ..,." . . . . . .. ,
1f ethodist , . ., .,. , " , . . , . , , . , , ,. .,.....
Baptist, . ., ,.,. . , ,. . . .. ."", ,..,. . . . . ,
Mercantile, . .. , . . . . . , " . . ,. ... . " .....,
La Belle Falls.." , , . . . . . , , . , . . , ., ,.,. ,
Calumet. . " . . ,. ..". .. ., .. .."...".
Augmentation of Grenville. . , ,. . , . ,
Point au chêne . , " . . " ... . . , ., . , ., "" .
A voca , . .. . . . , " ..., "., . , ,. ., , , . , . . . .
Harrington. . .. .", _ . ., . . . . ..", . . .. .
Lost River,... ... . ,. , . , . .. . . .
Lakt> View. , . , .. ... . .. ...... .
The Glen, . .. . , " . , ,. "., . . " ..... .". .
Wentworth.... ..,....... .,.. ..., ,..
Louisa. . , . ., . , " , . , , , , ,. .. . . . . . . . . , . . .
\Ventworth Glen,. . . . . o' ..... , . ,. . . .. , .
Laurel. . .. , , ., .." . . . . .. , . . . , , " . . . . . ,
Montfort, . .. , . .. . . .. . , , . ,. .",.,.....,
24 2
243
244
24 6
24 8
24 8
249
25 0
253
262
26 3
26 3
266
26 9
27 2
277
27 8
279
280
297
3 02
3 0 7
3 0 9
3 1 3
3 16
3 22
3 2 4-
3 26
333
33 6
343
3 6 5
3 66
3 6 7
37 8
379
3i9
3 8 3
3 8 4
3 88
39 6
39 8
4 0 3
4 0 4
407
4 11
4 16
4 18
4 21
4 2 2
4 2 4
4 2 5
4 28
4 z8
VI
INDEX.-ContiJ/ued.
Gore. . . . .. . , . . . . ,. . . ., ... , . .. , . ,. . . .. 43 0
Lakefield . . . . . . . .. ...,....,........... 432
Shrewsbury. . . . , . , . . . . . .. . , ,.. ..,..... 436
Mille Isles ..........,. .."..."..,. 43 8
Canl bria. , .. . . " .. ,..... ....,.,..",., 44 I
Morin. , ., .... . .'. , .. ., ..,.. . . .. . . .. .. 444
110rIn Flats. . . . . . " . . . , . . . . ,. . , " ..,... 445
Arundel. . .. . . ., . ,.. . . ,. . .,.....,.. 447
Montcalm. . , . ,. ...". .". ,..", . . ... 4 60
Howard. , .. ., . , , ,. . , ,. ., , , . 460
Prescott.. .. . , .. . . . . . . .. .. . . . . ., ., ., 461
Census of 1891 . . . . .. . . .. ...,.. . . . . . . . ., 461
Representatives of Prescott. . .. .,.. .,. . .. . 462
Inhabitants. . . . .. ...... ...,'. .... . . . . .. 464
Militia ufficeJ s of 1838.... . . " .. 467
18th Battalion of Militia.... ......... .... 467
Schools of Prescott. , ., .... . , ., .' . , .. ..,. 468
Progre<;s of the timber industry. ."... ..... 471
Agricultural Society.... ...... ..... ...... 475
Point Fortune...... .,..........,.-.. 477
The H. H. and N. W. Companies..... ..... 485
A Canadian IIeroine.... . ... ...... ..,... 495
Longueuil. , . , . . .. ...... .".....,.... 5 02
L'Orignal. . .. . . . . . , . , . . . . . . . " .. . . . . . .. 513
Methodist chure h. . . . - , . . . . . . . . . ., ...", 5 1 5
Presbyterian. , . , . . .. ... . .. . . ., . . . . . . . ., 517
Roman Catholic. . " ...... ...." ... .". 520
Anglican Church. ,...,...........,.... 520
Professional Men and Officials...... '" . .. 520
Mercantile and Business Men. . . . 524
Ne\\spapers..." .,... ..,... .,.,...", 528
Cassburn. . . . . . .. . .. . .... . .. . . .. . , .. . , " 529
Hawkesbury Mills.,. . ., ....., '" . ., . . ,. 533
Churches. " , " .,..., ...... ...... ". . ., 542
Presbyterian Church. , ., . . ., . , . . . . , " . , .. 54 2
Anglican Church.... ., .............. 543
1\Ianufacture!> . .. . .. .." .. ...,.....,. . ,., 547
11ercantile. . ,. .,..".,.".",.,.",... 549
Evandale .,. . .. . . .. . - . . .. . . " . .. . . . . ,.. 551
Green une.,., . . .. ...,.. . . ., ., .. .. . .. 553
West Hawkesbury.. .. . . .. . ... . .. . .. 554
I-Ienry. . . . ., . , .. . . . . . . , ., . . . . ,. .... , , " 563
Vankleek Hill.... ...... . ... ....... .. ... 564
Presbyterian Church. , . . . , . . . . . .. . . . . . , ., 570
Anglican Church....,..... ...... . , .. . ., 571
Methodist Church...... ... .......,..... 572
Baptist Church. . . , ,. ...,., ,.,.., . . , , . ,. 573
Roman Catholic Church..
. ..,. ...... . . _ 574
Schools. . , . , , .. .. . . '. . , '. . . ., .." . . . ., 575
Hotels. . " .".,. , , ,. . , .. ........ . '...., 577
!\I anufactories. . .. .".. . "...,........ 5 7 8
Newspapers. . ., . . . . . , " . . . , . . . .. .", . ., 580
East Hawkesbury,...,. ",.., .,.. ,..... 588
Chute au Blondeau.". . . .. .",...,..,., 5
g
Little Rideau....,' ...... .,... ,....... 597
Stardale . . . . .. ...,.. .".. . . . . .. . . ,. . , ,. 604
S1. Eugène . . . . .. ....,. . . , . .. . . . . . .. .". 60 9
do R. C. Church.... ...., ....... 610
BJ.r b . . . , . . . ... ..... . ..........,..... 6 I 5
Caledonia. . . . '. ..., . , .. .... .. .. . . . . .. 621
Fenaghvale.... .,., .."., ...... .....,..622
do St. Paul's Church,... 62 5
St. Amour ., .,......."..,....,...". 62 7
Caledonia Springs.... . . ,. . . , . ,. ...,.. .. 628
Alfred.,...... .,..',....."..... ,."..63 0
do R. C. Church.".,. ... . '. .. . , ,. .. 630
Lafaivre.. ,. . . . . . . . , ., ....,.. . , . , ., . . .. 631
Holmes Settlement. . .. . . , . . . , , . . _ " . ., ., 635
Alfred Village..., . ,., , , , , ,. . . .. . . .. . .. 635
T ames Settlement . . .. .. . . . . . .. .... 63 8
North Flantagenet. . " . . " . . .. . . . , ,. 638
Plantagenet Mills........ ......... ...... 638
do chUl ches. . ., ....,. " . . . . . , " 641
do Hotels. ,. . .. . . . . ,. .. . . . . . . .. 642
Treadwell... ,.. .,.,.. ,..... . . . . . 644
Hughes Settlement...,.. '.. . ... .... ..., 645
Jessup's Falls. , . , ,. ..,... . , . .. .,...... 645
Curran..,... .... ....., ..., ,.. .". ..., 64 6
CeDterfield ...,..""..........".,.,.. 647
Rockdale. , , . . . . . . . .. ..,.,...", . , . , . . .. 649
Pendleton.... .... "., ".... .... "., ....65 1
Smith Settlemen
. . . . . . ,. .. , . . . .. ,...,.. 653
do Prest. Church.. , , . . . ., ... 654
South Plantagenet.... ... .......... 655
l<.icevillc. . .. . . .. .......,.,...". "... 65 6
Franklin's Corners. , .. . . . . . . . . . " .." . " 662
Len1Ïeux. , ,. . , . . . , ,. . . .. "......".... 663
Fournier. . , . , . .. ....,. ,."" .......... 663
THE
OTTAVVA.
.
0-
GJ, \
S 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-
c./@
selves or families, it naturally deserves more than a passing notice,
Fine, charming, beautiful, lovely, wonderful river, are expressions anyone
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.
Corning 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.
'Vhile 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 S1. Law-
rence, till we have plssed 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 la5t 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
Mountäins, every squ3.re 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, r.dùing their waters to those of the mighty Ottawa, without
causing the slightest apparent differeU(;e in its size; indeej, it is saiù that it is broader
280 miles from its mouth than it is artt::r
ecei ving twenty tributaries, and several of
them such streams as the Gatineau, the Lièvre, the North and South
ations, 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
10
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTE{;IL.
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 coltrClIrs
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' \Vesters, and returned them with rich
cargoes of peltries.
The earliest event with which the Ottawa is associated, which we find mentloned in
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 se'"eral
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 witnes::,ed the wreck of an English
vessel. The crew-eighty in number--had reached the
hore, 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 decìaration made in writ-
ing, and signed before two notaries, at the same time warning Vigneau that if it were
false, he would be liab1e 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,
\Vith two canoes containing four Frenchmen-including Vigneau--and one Indian,
he proceeded up the Oltawa, 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 provi<;ions.
They finally reached the habitations of Tessonat, a friendly chief, whose
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
heJd later, he promised, only on the most earnest entreaty, to comply with Cham-
plain's request for an escort of four c
.noes. Findmg the Indians still reluctant to
fulfill this plOmise and averse to accon:pany him, he demanded another meeting, in
which he reproached them with their intendfd 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.
Yigneau 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.
1 [
called him a liar, asserted that he had never been beyond the limits of theirowncountry,
and declared that he deserved torture for his dis
one5ty. 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 punishnwnt for his perfidy, Champlain returned to Quebec, and
soon afterward to France.
In 1867 no little interest was awakened among antiquarians by the finding of
an Astrolabe, which there very is go od proof was lost by Champlain on his trip up
the Ottawa which is described above,
'Ve are indebted to :\Ir. Colin Dewar, of Ottawa, for the account which follows.
He says:-
I have a distinct recollection that an article appeared in the Montreal 1Vitllus, in the summer
of 1867, giving an account of the findingufan Astrolabe near Porlage du Fort, on the Ottawa.
This was a most interesting relic, on account of its heing (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 regardint; it, I instituted a vigoruus search
(for a time with very little prospect uf success) ; but considering that no trouble would be too great to
secure the proper information legarding such a valuable relic, "I persevered in myendeav ors ,an-1
ultimately was rewarded by finding a very complete account in pamphlet form, from the pen of the
late A.J. Russell, Esq., Crown Timber Agent in Ottawa, whose son, John Alex. Russell, Esq., of the
Public \Vorks Department, has also contributed some exceedingly valuable information. The account
given by Mr. Russell is so ,'ery 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 ha\e it faithfully transcribed.
CHAMPLAIÌ'Ò'S ASTROLABE.
LOST ON THE 7TH ]urm, 1613.
and
FOIJND l
AUGUST, 1867.
In the preface, Mr. Russell says: "This brief treati
e was not 01 iginally WI iUen 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 '"ery limited edition
" of it published, trusting it may be in some degree interesting to Cånadian readers."
l\Ir. Ru!'sell now goes on to wy: "The Astrolabe which is the subject of this treatise was
" she\\n to me by Captain Ovelman 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'
CUA:\IPLAIN'S A::,TROLABE.
"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 Ro
s in the county of North Renfrew, Province of Ontario, on the
"river Ottawa, by Captain Overman's people in cultivating a piece of ground, at a
manlake near the
] 2
HI3TORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
" road from the Onawa to Muskrat Lake, and is believed to have been lost by Champlain in traver-
" :;ing that portage on his way up the OUawa in the year 1613, "-" '1 he follo\\ ing particulars lespect-
" ing it, and reasons for believing it to be Champlain's, may perhaps be found intere
ting to Cana.
.. dian readers. Its diameter is 5
inches, of plate brass, very dark with age, and }8 of an inch thick
.' above, increasing to 6)f,ç 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 uf it, in using it on ship
,. board. Its suspending ri ng is attached by a double hinge of the nature of a universal joint, Its
.. cirCle i:" divided into single degrees, graduated from its perpendicular a},.is of suspension. The dou.
h ble bladed inde},., the pivot of which passes thlOugh the centre of the A
trolabe, 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
" the same ray may shine fully through both eyelds, while the Astrolabe hangs freely. The sun's
.. MC:lidian altitude, and thereby the latitude of the place of observation, can be taken to within
"about }.( uf a degree, or even less, which is as close as Champlain's latitndes generally were taken.
., The d:tte of 1603 is engraved on the face of the Astrolabe.
" Champlain made his first voyage up the Otta'wa in 1613, and his journal contains conclusi\e
" evidence that he lost his Astrolabe on the 6th or 7th June of that year, in passing through the por-
.. tage on which this Astrolabe was found, It is singularly remarkable that this evidence lies chiefly
.. in an elfor in Champlain's latitude of what is now the village ufPembro1..e, which attracted the spe-
.. cia] attention oi our Canadian histÐrian, 1\Ir. Ferland, and is the subject of a copious note on page
., 3)7 of the splendid illustrated edilÎon of the works of Champlain, edited with copious and interesting
h notes by ALbé Laverdière of the Laval 17niversity, and publi!>hcd by Mr. DesLalat in 18 7 0 , while
" it is equally worthy of remark that the loss of his Astrolabe accounts sufficiently for Champlain
I' not afterwards detecting and correcting this error of his hy subsequent obsel vat ions, and his having
"lost it accounts alsu for his having made no more observatiuns for latitude on that vuyage, which he
'. certainly othelwise would have done. It will he
een on examinatiGn that Champlain's error in ob-
., servation of latitude took place near Gould's Landing, beluw Portage du Fort (which seems to have
,. e
capfd the notice of Mr. F er1and and others), and that his error in speaking of the latitude of Pem-
"broke is :,imply a continuation of his first error, mising from its being merely an estimation or rough
" dead rec1..oning of his Ncrthing from Gould's Landing, in consequence of his not having the means of
" determining it by actual observation owing to his having lost his A!;trolabe.
., This will be more clearly apparent by following the course of Champlain, and noting what he
..
ays about his observations for latitude.
" He left the Island of Ste. Hélène, where his barque lay at anchor, on the 27 th May, 161 3, 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 29th. On the 30th he took an observation
" for latitude at Lachine. His words in the Frcnch of his lime are: 'J e prius la hauteur de ce lieu,
" qui est par les 45 degrez 18 minu
es de latitude,' \\ hich is only about five minutes less than the true
"latitude of the place, a very insignificant error when it is taken into consideralÎon that the Vemiers
" we now have On all scientific instluments for reading the sub-divi
ions of deglees were not then in
"common use, though invented about that time. Giving a brief but vivid and highly intelesting
" description of the danger he experienced in towing his own canoe up the Long Sault Rapids, of the
" fair and spacious tributary livers, the beautiful islands and magnificent woods as he passes along,
" and exchanging one of bis Frenchmen for an Indian of a war pal ty that he met at an bland near
" what is now the site of the antique-looking and picture
quely situated manor house of the late Hon.
" Louis Joseph Papineau, and passing the Rideau Falls,
hich excite his admiration, he reaches the
"great' Asticon,' as his Indians called it, and which in their language meant 'Chaudière,' and des-
"cribes that great waterfall of the Ottawa, in all its native grandeur, which all old Bytonians so well
U remember, though now impaired and desecrated, On passing it on the 4th June, he took an ouser-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
13
"vation for latitude at what is now the overgrown busy village of Hull. He says; e J e prius la hauteur
"du lieu, et trouvay 45 degrez 38 minutes de latitude,' that is only about I2J{ minutes in excess ofthe
"true latitude, whieh is 45 0 25' 33" N. Passing the Chaudière Lake and the Eardley mountains on
" the 5th, and the gre:t fal!s 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
Cc island at the head of it, where he first meets the Ottawa red pine trees, and admires their beauty. He
c e there erected a cross made of one of them with the arms of France cut upon it, Lea vin
it On the
" 6th he paddled up the Cheneaux Rapid. The reader who has passed th:ll way will remem ber the
H narrow pass1.ge between the rocky islands and the lofty precipitous rocks, whose shadows darken
I'theswi{t and surging waters through which the steamer sways and struggles before entering the pic-
" turesque reach of smooth water leading to Portage du Fort.
e' Here Champlain says he crossed to the west side of the river, 'where it turns to the "orth,
II and landed for the purpose of taking the route by the Muskrat portage and lake to Pembroke, by
Ie the advice of his Indians,-to avoid the many rapids and fans on the main river. The place of his
" landing is very (definitely apl-'arent 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: e Nous traversames
" dunc à l'ouest la rivière qui courait au nord, et pris la hauteur de ce lieu qui estoit par 46 0 2' 3"
'e de latitude.'
" It is here that he makes the error of a full degree, in additio'1 to t he usual amount of error due,
" to the imperfection of the instrument, for the latitude of hi,> landing place is only about 45 0 3)', and
" this, it is to be observed, is the last ohservation that he says he took during the voyage. He then
" says: 'We hacl 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 bagateIJes. I
" encouraged my people, who were a ltttle more heavily loaded, and more harasse,l by the mosquitoes
" than by their burdens. Thus after having passed four small lakes or ponds (fetits itangs), we were
" so fatigued that it was impossible for us to go further, as for nearly 24 hours we had eaten nothing
" but a litde rO.lsted fish without sauce, for, as I have said, we had left our provisions; we rested en
II the banks uf 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
'e our way by land for three leagues through a more difficult country than any we had yet seen, owing
II to the wind having blown down the pines one ovel the oHler, which is no small inconvenience,
" h'lving to pass s
metiml's over and sometimes uncier these trees, Thus \\e came to a lake 6
" leagues long (Muskrat Lake).'
" The four little lakes that he p:lssed on the 6th are shown on the sketch, and his di"tance made
H that day of 2J/z leagues from the Ottawa is very nearly correct, so also is the length of the lake he
"traversed on the momin
of the 7th, hut th
dIstance from it to the Muskrat Lake is estimated by
" him at nearly double what it really is, hut that is exactly what might be expected from any persOn
" little accustomed to the woods in !>trugg1ing through windfalls. The small lake near whid.. I was
e, informed hy Capt. Overman, the Astrolabe was fuund, and which is most accessible at that end,
" would be a most suitable halting place. He reached Muskrat Lake early enough in the d IY to
" be entertained formally with the pipe of peace and friendship in Indian fashion, followed by a
" speech and refreshments from Nehachis, the chief of the Indians, who cleared and cultivated lanri
" there, aml hari field;; and gard",ns 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 welI 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
" maJ..ing some :Jrrangements with that chief, he had time to go over to Allumelte Island, the chief
" abod
ani stronghold of that branch of the Adgonl}uin,> called the' Kichsipim' (men of the Grand
14
HISTORY OF ARGfNTH'IL.
.. river). characteriled in 'Les Relations des Jésuites' as ex/rf11le1llcll/ suþerbe. There examin-
" ing at leisure their land and burying grcunds, he conferred with their chiefs and principal men, and
.. invited them to attend the feast or public dinner that the' bon deux Capitaine Tessonat' was to
" give on the 9 th at Pembroke, on which day, after Tessonat's formal state dinner had come off in
" its various courses, such like as tiley were, attended by the chiefs and great men, each bringing with
.. him his own wooden howl and spoon, and after solemn smoking and speechification, Champlain,
'0 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 taking any more
"observations for latitude. What he says of Pembroke is simply that it is ahout the 47 th degree of
.: latitude: · Elle est par les 47 degrez de latitude,' that is, in speaking of Allumetle Island and the
" foot of Al1umette Lake. In noticing this as an error of fully a degree in the absence of any other
" means obvious to him of accounting for it, M. Ferland, in page 1 6 4 of his · Cours d'Histoire du
" Canada '
ays: · P:lreil1e erreur n'a rien qui doive surprendre. Gan:> une expédition où il lui devait être
" 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 is about 45 0 50' \V.
" and that of 47 0 given by Champlain, for in examining his errors in latitude in the cases quoted,
" and those made on his voya
e to Lake Huron two years later, after having been again in France (if
.. it be right to designate as errors differences, his instruments were not graduated minutely enough to
,. indicate), we find that they are comparatively insignificant,
eldom amounting to the third part
.. of a degree, which conesponds closely with the c Ipacity 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 of
" his instrument, as 1\1. Ferland's explanation seems to suggest. In fact, a little further consi:iera-
" tiun enables us to see that ,he circumstance of this great error of a degree having been originally
" made below POItage du Fort, demonstrates conclusively that -he took no ob-ervation at all at
" Pembroke. For we all know, e!'pecially those of us who are accustomed to the use of instruments
" for the observation of altitudes, or have even the ordinary knowledge of the doctl ine of chances, that,
" as Champlain knew well that he was travelhng northward, the certainty is, that if he had made an
" observation of Pembroke at all, he would have assuredly detected his elror made on the 6th, for by
" it he would be necessalily made to appear to have been going south. \Ve are not at liberty to
" suppose he would have made the error of a degree a
econd time accidentally, for we know that on
"the common principle of chances, the probability \\ as more than ten thousand to one that he
" would not make the same accidental el ror twice in succe!'sion. Also, as we see that he was in the
"habit of taking observations for latitudes of less important points, as he went along, and very
" formally noticing his observations, we may be very well assured that he would not have failed to
" determine, hy actual observation as usual, the latitude of a position so important as the extreme
" point he had reached, if he had had the means of doing so, and no other cause that can le assigned
" accounts sufficiently for his not having the means of doing so, and for his having taken no observa-
" tion on this voyage after the 6th of June, excepting the loss of his Astrolabe on th
portage where
" this one was f0l1.nd.
" Taken altogether, therefore, there is strong circumstantial evidence that this was his Astrolabe,
" and that his loss of it, there and then, was the cause of the extraordinary error in his latitude of
" Pembroke which attracted the attention of his commentatOiS.
" \Vhile we look upon this Astrolabe as a relic of the founder of civilized society in Canada, her
" greateiit man and most daring explorer, the fuunder of her most ancient cities, of her great com-
" mercial metropolis; anù while we regard it with additÍ'>nal interest as a memento of early adven-
" ture on what was even then Canada's great interior highway of commerce, and is by the same des-
4. tiny now the site for her great Pacific Railway, we may also look upon it as a relic of ancient and
.. even pIe-historic scienc
and civilization.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
15
" The day of Astrolabes, like that of the men who used them, has long gone by. This was pro-
U bably One of the la
t of them that were used. One of the la'lt works on them is Clavius' · Treatise on
" Astrolabes,' printed at
hyence in 1611. They were soon after superseded. Vernier, the inventor
" of the Vernier scale now in use on the indexes of all scientific instruments for reading
ub1ivisions
"of degrees, publi
hed a tract on 0 La Construction, l'Usage et les Propriétés du Quadrant
"Nouveau de !\Iathématique' 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 before. It will be readily under-
co 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
c, was found in general use among the Southern Arabians by Yasquez 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 I )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
CI the Indian Ocean · from India to Abyssinia,' as Rawlinson says in his work on Herodotus. Our
Cf · Alchemy,' , Arabic figures,' · Almanac' and' Algebra,' indicate the channel through which our
" sciences came."
Champlain returned to Canada in 1815, and the same ye
r, in company with his
Huron and Algonquin a])ie
, 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 olJinions with argumen ts equally good. But there are strong reasons for
believing that the fight occurred in what i<; now known as Greece's Pt., or at a spot
nearly opposite, in the township of Hawkesbury, Ont., traditi<}n, and the finding of
many Indian weapons there, strongly sustaining the claims of th
latter place to
this honor.
The following account is taken from "The Old Régime in Canada II by Francis
Parkman :-
THE HEROES OF THE l..o
w SAULT.
In April, 1660, a young officer named Daulac, commandant of the garrison at
fontreal, 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 aud l.city of the enemy, at last gave
his con.sent.
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 do:;s not appear. He had been busy for some time
among the young men of Montreal, inviting them to join him in the enterprise he
16
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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
acraments.
After a solemn fareweIJ, they embarked in several canoes, wen supplied with
arms and ammunition. 1 hey wer
very indifferen t 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 curren t,
About the 1st 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
mall 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 Huror1s and four Algonquins.
Dllulac, 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 wanion eager for revenge. The
allies had barely time to escape to their fort, leaving their kettles still slung O\"er the
fires, The Iroquois made a hasty and desultuy attack, and were quickly repu1sed,
They next opened a parley, hoping, no doubt, to gain some advantage by surprise.
Failing in thi
, 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 IJrovided 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, lea\.ing 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
aJ1ies, and kindling the bark rushed up to pile it bJazing against the palisad
; but so
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 l\1ontrea
, 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 j but they were forced to dige
t 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 \\ rought fatally 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," wbich was their only food, Some of them, under
cover of a brisk fire, ran down to the river and filled such sm<J,ll vessels as they had;
but this pittance only tantalized their thirst. They dug a h
le 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 fired his pistol at him in a rage, The four A 19on-
quins. who had no mercy to hope for, stood fast with the courage of despair,
On the fifth day an uproar of unearthly yeUs from se-;en hundred savage throats,
mingled with a clattering salute of musketry, told the Frenchmen that the expected
reinforcemen t had come j 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 flOm 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, a&tonished 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, fouóht and prayed as before, sure of a
martyr's reward.
The uncertain, vacillating temper common to an 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 lo-;e so many men at the hands
18
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of so paltry an enemy, and yet fail to take revenge. It was res3lveð to make a general
assault, and volunteers were called for, 10 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
get 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 explojed, killing or wounding
several of them, and nearly blinding others. In the confusion that fol1ow
d, 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. 'Vith a sword or a hatchet in one hand and a knife in the other, they
thr
w themselves against the throng of enemies, striking and stabbing with the fury of
madmen; till the Iroquois, despairing of taking them alive, fired vo1!ey 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 hreathing.
Three had scarcely a spark of life, and, as no time was to be lost, they burned them
on the spot. 1 he 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
afterward., by the Iroquois themselves, that the French of Canada derived all their
knowledge of this glorious disaster,
The story of the Heroes ofthf L01lg Sault has been admirably told by Mr. George
Murray, B.A., F.R.S.C., in his celebrJ.ted poem, How Canada was Sa v td.
Daulac, the captain of the fort in manhood's fiery prime,
lIath sworn by some immortal deed to make his name sublime j
And sixteen soldiers of the Cross, his comrades true and tried,
Have pledged theil faith for life and death, all kneeling side by side.
And this their oath, on flood or field, to challenge face to face
The mthless hordes ofIroquois-the scourges of their race-
1'\0 qualter to accept or grant, and loyal to the grave,
To die, hke martyrs, for the land they had shed their hlood to save.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
19
Sofe was the breath of balmy Spring in that fair month of May)
The wild flower Lloomed-thp. Spring bird sang on many a budding spray-
A tender blue was in the sky, on earth a tender green-
.\nd peace seemed brooding, like a dove, o'er all the sylvan scene,
When 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.
H 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 sleeplessne"-s, Death's ghastly aids, at length
Marred and defaced their comely forms, and quelled th
ir giant strength;
The end draws nigh-they yearn to die-one glorious rally more,
For the saI..e 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 craved-
So died the peerless twenty-two-So CalUTda was saz'ed.
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 comlJletelr disheartened with their victory, and
had no relish for another contest with the French. If twenty of the latter without
support or co:nfort-J.lmost without food and water-could perform such a prodigy of
valor, what m:ght they expect when confronting hundreds sl
pplied 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 surpri
ing to finà how great the numher, even in this section of Canada, who declare
that they never heard of the event. \\'e can well understand why Daulac's cúntem-
poraries failed to mark the spot with an appropriate monument, as they were few in
number, :1l1d waging incessant warfare with poverty, as wen as Indians. For a cen-
20
HISTORY m' ARGENTEUIL.
turyafter 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 pa triotic Canadian should desire to show
to the foreign visitor who passes up and down the Ottawa, that Canada has her Ther-
mopylæ.
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 monumelllS 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
pot where
these martyrs fell has been the swift, roaring, turbulent waters of the Long Sault.
*
*
*
*
*
'Ve 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 3 1st , 16 9 0 .
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 tha t 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 irom detached posts; when alarm was sud-
denly turned into joy by the arrival of other messengers, to announce that the new-
comers were not ene n 1 i es, but friends. They were the Indians of the upper lakes
descending from Michillimacinac via the Ottawa to trade in
lontreal. Nothing
so auspicious had happened since Frontenac's return. The messages he had sent
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 persuaåed them to torturc, had not been
sacrificed in .vain. Despairing of an English markt.t for their beaver skins, they
had come as of old to seek one from the French. On the next day all came down
the mpids and landed near the town. There were fully five hundred of them-
Huron", Ottawas, Ojibway:;:, Poltawtamies, 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
Iichillimacinac, arrived with fifty-five more canoes manned by French traders, and
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
21
filled with valuable furs. The
treal11 of wealth dammed back so long was flowing
upon the colony at the moment whet! it was most needed, Never had Canada known
a more prosperoüs trade than now, in the midst of her danger and tribulation. It
was a tri 1 1mph for Frontenac. If hi<) 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 i!i a great state of destitution
on account of the frequent raids of enemies, which compel!ed 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 sucr.::esses of
the French, that " the Governor achieved a success more solid and less costly."
The indispensable but most difficult task of all remamed : 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.
Iore than two hundred Frenchmen were known to be at that remote post,
or roaming in the wiJderness around it; and Frontenac resolveå on an attempt to
muster them together, and employ their united íorce to protect the Indians and the
traders in bringing down this mass of furs to Montreal. A messenger, strongly es-
{'orted, was sent with orders to this effect, and succeeded in reaching Michillimacinac,
though there was a battle on the way in whi
h 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. T\vo 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 WJ.S 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 Peoþle, Preserver of the Coulltry,
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 .of this enterprise is of interest
to the citizens of Argentcuil, from the fact that Capt. McCargo, a pioneer of Beech
Ridge, 8t. Andrews, before settling here was connected with one of the expeditions
to the Pacific, described below.
III 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 illcogllita-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
lr. Astor,-one by sea, the other by land, The former was to carrr
ou t 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
Ir. Hunt, was to proceed up the
liswuri, and across
the Rocky Mountains to the same point, exploring a line of communication across the
continent, and noting the places where interior trading posts might ue established.
A fine ship called the" Tonquin " was provided, carrying an assortment of mer-
chandise for trading with the n3.tives 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 lieu:enant in the United States Navy, on leave of absence.
The ,e 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 io
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 stõres hmded, 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 Yancouver 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 N eweetee. He was a very harsh, headstrong, conceited
man, though brave and a thorough seaman, and regardl
ss of the cautions to him
by Mr. Astor, that he should Tlever allow but a few of the Indians on shipboard at a
time, he allowed boat-load after boat-load with furs to approach and clime on deck,
No' 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 ves...el. 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 sho t mantles
of skins, and intimated his suspicions that they were secretly armed; hut the captain,
pointing to his cannon and muskets, merely laughed and made light of any iÒtlmation
of danger from a parcel of filthy savages. A brisk trade was opened, and the Iudians
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
3
were soon all supplied with knives. Meanwhile the crowd had been constantly increas-
ing, and seeing that other boat-loads were putting off hom the shore, Captain Thorn
became alarmed, and ordered the vessel to be cleared and put under way. At this,
a yell frum 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 bra \ ely, 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 c
bin, where they found
1\1r. 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 survivUls 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 wÇre 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 dder-
mined to entice as many savages as possible 011 board and then blow up the ship. They
Idt him, therefore, but they were captured the next day, and put to death with the
most terrible torture
. The following morning after the trclgedy 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 considerabl.e interval of time, other canoes having joined them, they did
so j 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 lVIr, Lewis, after Ì11\'iting
them, had disappeared, In the midst of their eagerness and exultation the ship hlew
up with a tremendous e:xplosion. Arm
, legs
nd 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 allthe details connected therewith,
were made known to the whites by the interpreter, who, being an Indian, had been
spared by the n3.tives, 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 \\as in charge
of
Ir. \Vilson 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 :\Iontreal, 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, howevu, 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 term') were offered, few presented themselves but such as were not
worth having. From these :\lr. 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 Ul
iversally med by the
fur traders for navigating the intricate and often obstructed rivers. The canoe was
bel ween thirty and fony feet long and several feet in width, constructed of birch bark,
and capable of
lIstaining 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
extreínityof 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
voyageuas, 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 liver, 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.
1\1r, Hunt was not accustomed to the management of II 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 wì1en they reached Mackinaw, the old
French trading post. Here Mr. Hunt spent some time in obtaining recruits for the
eJ\.pedition, 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 overthe 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
10llg and intensely in teresting 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 \Vright's ascent of the Ottawa, and his
pioneer labors, together with the comments of the editor, is taken from The Ottawa
Free Press:
'I 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 VallFY. The belt of table-land be-
tween the river and the mountain range is perhaps not surpassed in b
auty 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; white pine, 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 lumbermaü with dreams of wealth absolutely incalcul-
able. This was the enchanting scene presenting itself to the eye and mind of Mr.
Philemon "Tright, 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 intn 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.
ce But a descendant of heroes that fol1owed 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
\Vright was of Kemish descent, though now Americanized. The courage has not
been lost in his postelity, 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 Chaudière 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. \Vright i5 said to have reached Hull with two trusty neighbors from \Voburn,
: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 2nd 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 Chaudière 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, \Vright 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
26
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
presents, and there being no old Anchises to interpose hi5 'Timeo Danaos et dona
ferentes,' the Indians con tinued 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 thl eat-
ening. Mr. \Vright, 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 consu1ling them first, any men to cut clown their
sugar plantations and chase away tlleir game. 'I hey 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 ;C5 o .
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. \Vright 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. \Vright their chief, and we suppose
put him through all the ceremonies of a barbarous coronation-the squaws a
e said
to have all kissed him. The chroniclers do not say how much Mrs. \Vright herself
admired the ceremony. But the braves buried the hatchet, and feasted Mr. \Vright
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
late R. ,V. Shepherd, sr., president of the Ottawa River Navigation Company:-
The first steamer on the route between Lachine and Carillon was the "\Villiam
King," Captain De Hertel. This steamer began to run about the year 1826- 2 7. A
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
27
year later, the "St. Andrews" was built-Captain C. J. Lighthall-who had been
captain of one of Judge McDonnell's Durham boals, th3t were employed carrying
freight and passengers between Montreal and Puint Fortune. I remlmber one of the
old settle] s nameà Parsons saying to me, a few years since, that his family came to
1\Ionlreal from the north of England, having sailed from
Iary Port in the county of
Cumberland in the year 1829. They were going to juin friends in Cote St. Charlc
,
county of Vaudreuil, not far from where the village of Hudson is now, The family,
after landing in Montreal, took passage by Captain Lighthall's Durham boat, and were
hnded in a couple of days at Harvey's Point near the village of Hudson. The
steamers ,. \Ym. King "and "St. .\ndrews" 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 ,. 51. Andrews" ran between Lachine
and St. Ann's, and the "\Vm. King " between St. Ann's and Carillon, [n the year
18 33, the Carillon and Grenville canal was opened for traffic, and in the meantime a
company was fOi med, cailed " The Ottawa & Rideau Forwa.rding Company." The
stockholder;; numbered among others Hon. John Molson, father of the present Mr.
John Molson, Thomas Phillips the brewer, John Redpath and Emery Cushing, 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 H()l1. R. N. Howald 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 J 833. In the meantime, the new company had built the steamer
"Ottawa,"-Captain Lyman, who carne from Lake Champlain. 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 'i'ia the Ottawa
River and Rideau Canal. Stages from Montreal to Lachine, boat from Lachine to'
Cari]]on, thence to GrenviHe 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 I
and Ottawa; this boat was built in the year 1819 and was commanded by Capt
,in
Grant; Thomas Johnson, afterwards M.P., an extensive merchant at Yankleek Hil1,
was the purser. This steamer was owned by some Montreal and Hawkesbury mer-
chant
; she had two heavy marine engines, side level s that had been imported by the
Hon, John Molson, grandfather to J. H. R, Molson of this city (Montreal). Emery
Cushing 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 Crossman 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
28
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
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 before or
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 l
ss water and be able to take
the route in low water. The engines of the "Union" were placed in this boat. It
need hardly be
aid she proved a failure, After being kept in commission three or
four years, she was used as a boarding house for the men, in spling. A few years
later, she was laId on the beach near the present house of the late Sir Antoine Dorion
at Yaudreuil, 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 'V. Lotbinière hotel, lately destroyed by fire,
Captain Robins continued to command the "Ottawa." The writer joined that
steamer under him in J 83 8 , and remai ned three yeals in the service. In the year
184 1 , I engaged with Messrs. H. & S. Jones, and Hooker & Henderson, as captain of
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 in May to proceed to
Brockvi11e to superintend the finishing of the steamer, Late in the month of June we
made a trial trip to Prescott and back. 'Ye had no regular CI ew, bu t picked up some
men for the purpose. One Russell, a clerk in Messrs. Jones' sto re, insisted on acting
as pilot. 'Ve 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. She
was afterward commanded by Captain lawless. On our way back to Brockville,
Russell was steering and taking the Maitland stearn mill for a steamer, he kept to the
light hand side, and I only discovered the mistake just in time to save the boat
from running high and dry on the Maitland shure. 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 Lachine,
: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 Lachine the
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 the
steamer" Albion II on the route between Grenville and Ottawa, so that we were em-
ployed on the route betwe
n Lachine and Carillon.
Early in September, 1841, I towed the first raft on the Lake of Two
lountains,
belonging to Messrs. Hamilton and Low. John 'Vaddel, 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."
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 II towed the barges between Lachine and St, Ann's j 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 darn by Mr. H. 'Vil-
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 th
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. 'Vhile we
were delayed at St. Ann's, a barge from Perth came aìong,-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 wa,> drawing tlHe
feet of water. I replied that I would not run the risk
,
but if he would assume the responsibility, I would do mybe,>t. He agreed to this
arrangement, alJd I steered the barge over; we nearly touched on one side, but did no
damage. Of course, the channel was an accomp1i
hed fact, and that evening I left
for Mcntreal to inform my employers. I ca11ed on l\Ir. Sidney Jones at the Exchange
Coffee House, then one of the best hotels in l\1ontreal, kept by Doolittle &
Iayo.
This was on a Sunday morning, just as Mr. Jones \vas getting ready for church; he
attended the old church Cathedral on l\otre Dame street, "ftcr telling him of my dis-
covery, he sc(med n.uch pJeased, and invited me to dine with him at six o'clock,
"hich I did, and returned on Monday morning to Vaudreuil,
Ir. Jones and Mr.
Holton were to leave en Tue
day with the steamer" GrenviJIc" and t\\"o harges for
Vaudreuil; the barges Wtre not to draw over three feet of water. They reached
Vaudr
uil in the afternoon. 1 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 anù the crews of the balges on the one
barge, attached rope to the capstan, and in less than half an hour had the barge
safe alongsiùe 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 t 1 1e lock, which was private property. 'Vithin a few
days, alfangements wele made between the old 2.nd new companies to a11o\\' the new
company's barges to pass the lock by the payment of a to]) of eight do])ars for each
Large, and further, that the old company should tow aU barges with the steamer
"Ottawa," between Vaudreuil and CaliJIon, and the new company would have all
the towing between Lachine ar,d 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 I ever had. I was ordered to take the
steamer "St. David II to Lach1l1e, which I did without delay, and transferred my
crew to the" Oldfield," Captain John Chambers taking command of the " St, David."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
3 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
'Ye continued to tow between Lachine and Vaudreuil, the remainder of the season of
]841. In the winter of ]841-42, I was employed fitting up the "Oldfield" as a
passenger boat. 1 n the spring of 1842, we began a regular passenger line between
Montreal and Ottawa j the ., Oldfield" plying on the bwer 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 184 6 , when the St. L
wrence canals were opened, and the old proprietors wanted
to carryon their business by the St. Lawrence route. I with other friends pur-
chased the ., O:dfield " in 1846, and began business on my own account.
The St. Ann's locks were opened in 1843. 'J he proprietor:. of the steamer
" Oldfield II 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 D
pL1rtment as to their r.:spective
shares,
The business cont;nued profitable, and, in the autumn of 1847, it was decided to
bui
d a new steamer for the route between Lachine and Cal illon. A contract was
made with
1r.
Ierritt, shipbuilder of Montreal, for the hull of a new steamer, J So
feet keel and 26 feet beam. 'Ve also made arrangements with 1\1 r. George Brush
(fathel 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 it trial was
found to draw too much water for Sl. 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
proprietOls, as we:I 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 th>)t year,
the Hon. John Hamilton of Kingston came to Como to see the ., Ottawa Chief" j
he was much pleased with her, and made us an offer to ch:uter her for fi-..e y
ars, but
would not buy her. Arrangements were finally completed, and a charter was passed
bdween our company and the Hon. John Hamilton of Kingston, who then controlled
the steamers of the mail line between Montreal and King.;ton,
The next thing to do was to arrange for the building of another steamer for the
route, On the 11th of April, 1849, I started from Como for Montreal on hor.,eback,
the only way to travel at that time of the year, owing to the bad state of the road:;.
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 arrånge the finances for the new
boat. This done, I proceeded to
lontreal, and bargained with :\[r. A. Cantin for the
building of a hull of a sleamer to draw only 3 feet of water, with wood and water on
board j also, with M r, George Brush for an engine of 32 inch diameter cylinder
and 8 feet stJoke, all to be ready by the month of August of the same year.
Ho\\ever, we made a trial trip in October, 1849. This boat W.IS called the "Lady
Simpson," after the wife of Sir Geo. Simpson, She was laid up for the winter- at
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 1
Como, and the j.)iner work was finished and the boat furoished during the winter of
18 49-5 0 ; the joiner work was all done by hand, by the day, and Mr. James Shearer,
the well-known manufacturer of Montreal, \Va') 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 18::0 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 huH to take the place of the "Oldfield," ] 50 feet long, 25 feet beam; and with
1\1r, Geo, Brush for a new engine, 32 inch cylinder, 8 foot stroke; this boat carne
out in 1853, when we sold the "Oldfield" to Captain S1. Louis. The new tow boat
was caned the" Atlas," and pJOved to be a splendid boat; Captain Jos. Blondin,
formerly of the " Oldfield," was her captain, and a good faithful man, exceUent pilot
and good manager for the towing business. Mr. A. E. Montmarquette, one of the
owners, acted as agent for the towing business at CariUon. I continued to command
the" Lady Simpson II tiJ1 the faU of 1853, when I letired, partly from ill health and
partly from a wish to visit my native country, which I did in 1854. My brother
'William, who stiU 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.
Afler 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 110mestead farm. Between the farm and the estate I \Vas 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. 'Ve h'id now
become owners of the upper portion of the JOute, by the purchase of the steamer
" Phænix," 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 " Phænix;"
also to build the steamer "Prince of 'Vales" to replace the "Lady Simpson,"
Captain Bowie, who had been purser on the" Prince of 'Vales " since 1854, was in
1857 or 1858 promoted to the captaincy of the "Phænix," afterward to the "Queen
Victoria," and in 1873 to the " Peerless," now caUed the "Empress." In 1865 the
market business hecame EO important a factor in our business, that we built the
steamer" Dagmar " for the trade. Captain Peter McGowan was promoted from the
"Prince of \Vales," 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 Cari1l0n & Grenville Railway from Hon.
John J. C. Abbott, afterward Sir John J. C. Abbott, Judge Cross and Courtland
3 2
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. 'V.
Shepherd, jr., was appointed gellerai 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 b03.ts 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 'Vales," has been running but
a few years, She is a fine boat commanded b) Capt. '''m. Sheppard, and during
the season of summer travel plies between Montreal and Carillon.
Passengers are conveyej from Carillon to Grenville by ro.il 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 lhat 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 :\IcGowan, has been both a market
and passenger boat for many years. Under the present arrangeme11l for the Fall of
18 95, the" Princess" makes a weekly return trip from Montreal to Ottawa, and the
" Duchess of York," commanded by Capt. John McGowan, makes a semi-wcekly trip
between Montreal aud Carillon.
PLACES OF INTEREST O
THE OTTAWA.
Brief mention is here m
de of a few places along the lower QUa wa, besides those
described in the succeeàing page", which are locatej in Argenteuil and Pr
scott.
The first point ofint
rest after leaving L3.chine is St. Ann's, which contains many
beautiful residences and is a favorite summer resort, Rapids in the riyer at this
point necessitated the- C()llstruction 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 OUawa Forwarding Company, but, as they
claimed the right of use: thus causing much inconvenience, the Legislature of U)Jper
Canada took the matter in hand, and constructed the present canal. At St. Ann's,
also, are the costly and imposing iron bridges of the C.P, R. and G.T, Railway Com-
p:mies. 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 ARGRNTEUIL.
33
The shrine formerly, it is said, was decorated with relics and votive offerings,
hung 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
the voyageurs to gain inspiration for the writing of the" Canadian Boat Song."
Under the French régime, a fortification was erected here, which did service ill
repelling the attacks of the fierce Iroquois. _-\ brief account of one of their raids
will 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
residence of the Oka Indians-a remnant of the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes-but
also of the Trappist monks. An imposing Roman Cathúlic church, with beautiful
grounds 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
often 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-
acter. Fema]es are not admitted to the monastery, nor are the monks permitted to
converse with each other. They rise at 2 a:m., and soon afterward breakfast, this
being their only meal during the day; and they retire at sunset,
Iany of the Indians at Oka are Protestants, and have a chapel in which they
attend divine worship.
Still further up the Ott3wa, and on the opposite side from Ok a, is Rigaud, its
mountain at a little distance from the village forming a prominent landmark f:u up
and down the river. Rigaud College, also, which is an institution of consicierable note,
occupies an elevated plateau, and can be seen from a long distance.
On the slope of this mountain is a Itts ' lS Ilatllræ of great interest to visitors and
scientists, This is a spot embracing two or three acres, entirely destitute of soil, and
filled to an 11nknown depth with stones about the size of a man's head, and smaller.
It is said that certain parties, prompted by curiosity, explored this singular spot to the
depth of forty feet, and finding nothing, still, but stones, abandoned their undertaking.
'Vhat is still more remarkable, the stones, chiefly, are of a character entirely diffèrent
from the mountain rock, Geologists class this curiosity with Moraines, but it is
generally known as " Ðevil'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 ill the county of
York, subsequently in the county of Two Mountains; but, in 1855, the county of
Argen teuil was formed, which is bounded on the north by the county of Terrebonne j
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, André d'Argenteuil, St. Jerusalem de Lachute, Mille Isles.
To'Zullshps.-Arunde1, Chatham, Gore, Grenville, Howard, Montcalm, 'Vent-
worth and Harrington.
Part of a Towllshzþ.-Morin.
Chif-Licu,-St. Jerusalem de Lachute.
RELIGIONS-CENSUS OF 18 9 1 ,
I
I
m:':::
g.ð
ð
6,681
337
21 7
1, 62 3
17
915
277
83
4 1 8
828
51
29 6
688
37 2
5 1 4
Argenteuil. " ... .."... ........,..
Arundel.,.... ",... ...... .,.... ...
Carillon (Village) ...... ....... . ... ..
Chath anI. . .. . . .. ... ....", ..,... . .
Gore "., ...... .,.... ...... ....,. .,
Grenville".... .." .." ...... ....
Grenville (V ilIage).. . .., ...... . . .. .. .
liarr ington . . . . . , , . . " .,.." .... . . , .
Howard ."..,..... ..,.,.......,..
Lachute (Town) .." ,." . , " ...""
r.IiHe Isles..,... ...... . ."". ,.....
r.lo rin . . . . .. "".. . . . . , . , , , . , ,. . , , .
S1. Andrew's..,' ,.., '" ....,
St. J t:rucalem . . . , . , . . . . . .
'Vent worth and Montcalm...... .... .1
... .
0"'0
c
,.!:m
u-
.... t.Q
::: c
ð
.;,
. c
m
.0 .:-
If> -
CI) CI)
p':....
2,173
13 1
12
166
3 1 4
3 06
118
74
3 0
159
249
50
27 0
3 6
25
3,626
94
24
7 20
16
579
69
454
, .;,
0....
-S;:a
v
:2
s::
]
v
1 m';'
bJJ....
cJ)m
c c
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u....
'ü
CI) .
,-,,"'0
If> CI)
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õ
z
....
<II
"5..
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---
1,529
154
2
237
177
226
23
52
34 8
159
3 6
53 6
5 08
83
25 1
57
15
19 K
107
3 0
115
14
7 1 3 53 212
13 ...,..
51
39 1
9
108
15
3 8
179
8
I 9
I ..,.
I . . . . .
2\1;
42
9 0
I ,."..
I
10
24
13
4 2
8
CENSUS OF 1891.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUrL.
I
ë
::; ::>
0..--
0....
10...
":"&u1
'-3
ö c
z
I
.
l
...
-=0
Argenteuil. , " . , . . .. . . .. . . .. I 15. I 5 h I 2,i 14
ArundeL... ............. .... 743 123
Carillon (Village).,., .,., .". 255 4
Chatham...... ...... ........ 3.37 1 1 5
7
Gore. . . . .. . . . . ....... . . .. . . . 533 100
Gren\.ille.... ............... 2:183 3 6 4
Grenville (\ïnag-e).,.. . . ., . . . 5 02 94
Harrington.. .. . ... ....., .. .. 7 20 12 5
Howard........,....., 44 8 19
Lachute (Town)........... ... 1,75 1 344
Mille Isles..........,.,.,.... 519 8:\
l\lorin...... .'....... .... .,.. 47 1 9 8
Sr, Andrew's..,' ,..... ...... 1,7 02 334
St. Jelu
alem.... ........ 1,062 19 8
'Ventworth and Montcalm...,..
98 137
2.657
119
45
5 65
93
,363
9-t
122
77
34 2
83
97
33.1
19 2
13 0
CEXSUS OF 1891.
'"
o
o
:::
.:.:
.
297 !
95
57
48 I
G
C
o
:ñ
,;,
!2 g
o
S
\0
I U') rñ
- E
00
....0
I _::::::
849 I
16 1
19
20 9
39
90
45
12
2
162
10
8
12 9
101
7 ......
35
If> .
.... ...
c CI)
0>
o 0
X-ö
\0 C
-
21
99
4 ......
5
21
2
2
6
13
I
2
2, 26 3
1I9
37
475
9 1
49
il
121
70
2,8
8'"
.)
9 6
259
12 4
13 0
5 1
66
i...
ï
I
9 0
3
25
2
3
9
9
I
18
20
21
I
I
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6
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"g
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..,j
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(.);:: .": 0 =
- 0 _ 0 I
8 '"d'" ,:J.. g... ... (.)
o:ð Æ 0.... 2 :::
a.I::3(.) _ :::
:35
Argenteuil. -,..... 2:42,
-;-' 666 -
-I
tO.041 1 8S,t04 53,633 1 I4I,8I
i l,00
Arunde1...... ..........1 118 1 114 4 40 33 1 5.928 4, 02 9 1,8/ 2 16,533 37
Carillon (Village)..".... '3 II 2 2 I 4501243 19 6 215 II
Chatham......... ...... 522 442 79 145 55 3 9 ,0 93 1 22,22tJ 16,5
91 25,
82 3 08
Gore".,.... .,.". ..... 1 III 106 .'5 40 21 8,5 0 5,4,3 6 4 4. 08 9 9.354 52
Grenvï:le................ 302 275 26 83 55 15,126110,3
914,953 26, 08 9 74
Gren
ille (Village) ......' 54 .p 12 I 812 495 3 12 .. 3 2 4 ) 5
Harnngton.... ......... 132 126 6 48 19 ;,086 5,271 l,i9 2 12,4 1 4 23
Howard.... ............ 78 77 I 23 21 2,803 1,953 83
10,651 17
La.chute (rown).. .... 3fJ4 193 / III 4 2 1,373 879 33:;( 882 1 159
Mllles Isles............. 88 87 I 49 16 j.079 4,929 2,14 1 8,3i9 8
Morin.................. 95 94 I 25 9 4,981 2,S64 2,079,6,281 3 8
St. Andrew's.... .... .... 274 233 40 65 I 26 18,3 2 5 12,9 68 5;212 5,062 145
St. Jerusalem..... ...,.. 198 186 I 12 80 I 39 22,13 6 11.4 1 6 10.626 5,4 1 7 94
Wentwolth and Montcalm. 136 135 I 62 13 6,034 3,378 2. 62 3 q,6.p 33
GEOLOGY of ARGENTEUIL.
From 1M G
ologiCll/ Sltr'i'C)' of
ir Hï/litllll Lf'gal1, 1863.
The intrusive masses of the L:lurentian serie; cons:st chiefly of syenite and green-tone. They
occur in many parts of the country, hut their relative ages have been ascertained almost altogether
by investigations in the counties of Ollawa and Argent
uil. \Vhat appear to be the 01de,t intrusive
masseS are a set of d} kes of a rather fine-grained, dark, greenish grey greenstone or dolelite," hich
:;6
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 ofthe
e dykes cuts crystalline limestone on tI-e thirteenth lot of the fourth range of Gren-
ville. Its breadlh is about thirty yards, and it has been tr3ced aCross the limestone and gneiss for a
mile and three-quarters, in which, with a ft:w moder3te zig-zags, it maintains a courSf' of N. 85 0 E.,
until it :s interrupted by a mass of syenite on the eighth lot of the range already mentioned. Across
the limestone it forms a ridge i but acroSS the gnf'i
s it is usually found in a depression, sometimes a
very dt ep one. "'hen it mounts the side of any hill which I uns \\ ith the stratification, the columnar
structure gives it the asJXcl of a flight of gigantic steps, well plesenting the character from which the
Swedish name of /1 ap is derived. The columns ale so tl uly at right angles to the plane of the dyke,
that they are a sure me3ns 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 ofa mile in
the direction S. 300 E., it turns S. 500 E., and continues for three-qumters of a mile more. chiefly
acrms 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 blUsh-like arran
emel,t of small
dykes, and is lost. In a we
ter1y direction from the thirteenth lot of the fourth range, the main
dYke has bet:n traced between fonr and five miles, and in its whole course from the s}enile, the bear-
ing is about five degrees north of west.
Another dyke of the same character, with a widlh of twenty-five yalds. occurs in the eleventh lot
of the fifth range of Grenville, and runs for ahout a mile in the bearing
. 67 0 E., when it is inter-
rupted by the same mass of syenite as before, on the eighth lot of the same lange. .\ prohable con-
tinuation of lhe d) ke in an opposite direction is seen crossing thc gntiss on the fifth range. reaching
the seventeenth lot, wIth a bealing K. 75 0 \V., and thence cros<;ing the River Rouge.
From the sixth lot of the fourth range of Chatham Gore, i.vhere it cnts the crp,t:dline limestone,
another oftheæ dYkes has been tracèd for upwards of two miles to the first lot of the third range of
'Ventworlh. Its width vaIies from fifly to a hundred )ard,:, but it appears to maintain a very uniform
course, and though an interval of seven miles is a long one at which to recogniæ it again, yet an
exposure of greenstone on the front of the first langc of \\"entworth, in the di,ision between the
twentieth and twenty first lots, is sufficiently near the line to make it probablf' that it is a continuation
of the same d}ke. At the latter spot it is from 110 to 120 yards wiùe, ami about eleven chains to the
we
t ward it is cut off by the syenite. It has becn met with again, however, on the western side of it,
and traced aclOss the northwest comer of Chatham into Grcnville, and is probably continued to the
t\\elfth lot of the ninth range of the latter township, where there is a d) ke of the same character.
The whole di"tance from Chatham Gore ii about fifteen mile;o. and the bearing about fi\'e degrees
south of weH. Still another of these dykes has been ob
crved in the seigniory of Argenleuil-, about a
mile and a half from the Xorth Ri,'er, 011 the road from Lachute to Chatham Gore. It appears to be
about twenty-five or thirty yards wide, and it bears N. &,0 \Y., for about a mile and a half to the
town line of Chatham, which it crosses towards the rear of the ninth range; and nlthough it would
requile a change in its course to bring it to a dyke seen on the road between the seventh and cighth
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 syenile 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 cantact 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-
talline lime
tone, in the counttes of Ottawa and Argenteuil, will show its shape and clistribution.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
37
In its lithological character, the rock is very uniform, being composed for the mo!òt part of orthoclase,
either of some tinge of fle
h.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 siùe, the white on the east. In
the spur which runs into \Ventworth, 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 ofa
still later date. The5e masses belong to what has been called felsite porphyry, hornstone porphyry,
or orthophYle, having a ba
e of petro!:ilex, which may te regarded as an intimate mixture of onho-
c1ase and quartz, colored by oXJd of iron, and ,>arying in colors from green to valious shades of
black, according to the oxydation of this metal. 1 hroughout the paste, which is homogeneous and
conchoidal in its fracture, are di
seminated well-defined crystals of a rose-red or flesh-red fddspar,
apparently orthoclase, and, although le!'s frequently, small grains 01 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. J n addition to the crystals of feldspar, the base often contains a multitude of
lagments 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.
\\'hen the base is green, it is rather more compact, and it does not usually contain so many imbedded
crysta Is of feldspar.
The principal nucleus of this porphyry occupies a pear-shaped area, the small end pointing south,
on the tt.lId and fourth lots of the fifth and six ranges of Grenville, frum which, on the eastern side, a
portion projects into the second lot of the fifth range, This mass is wholly surruunded 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 deplession there is a turf bog, supporting a grove of good siLed evergreen trees. On
sounding the depth of the bog with a boring rod, the rock beneath was found to present the shape uf
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
5ide. The nature ofthe rock constituting the rim gives to the depre
sion, in some degree, the aspect
<of a small volcanic crater. nut if it be the remains of one, it can only represent some deep seated
}Jart 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 ha<; been much
erosion OYer the whole country in comparatively recent times. In this vicinity, some entangled beds
of gneiss occur, one of which, running N. 80 0 \V. for upwards of a hundred yards, is completely
surrounùed by the porl-'hyry.
From this pOlphyritlc nucleus, one or two porphYlitic dykes can be traced, culling the syenite
for 5holt di!:tances; and Some of a similar character are met with at such a distance as to make il.
probable that there are other porphyritic nuclei. One of these dyhes, about seven yards \\ide, COn-
taining beautiful red feldspar crystals set in a black base, occurs on the sOllth side of the road between
the seventh and eighth ranges of Chatham, on the eighth lot. Its bearing S. 85 0 \Y. would carry
it to the south of the porphyritic mass above described, flOm which the position in which Ole dyke
cuts the gneiss is removed seven miles, though it is not more than one mile from the sycnite.
;\notl1er d} ke of this aspect is seen in the ninth range near the Ime between the thir tcenth' and
fourteenth lots; but in adllition to the elements mentioned, it holds disseminated grains of transparent,
colorless quartz. Its course appears to be S. 44 0 \V., and it inter
ects a mass of porphyritic rock of
3 8
III
TORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
the same color and texture as the porphyry of the pear-shaped nucleus, which, however, like the dyke,
contains grains of vitreous quartz. Grain> of this mineral are also observed in another porphyritic
mass, whusecourseis N. 10 0 \V., about a quarterofa mile from the front of the twenty-fifth lot in
the seventh range. A porphyritic dyke is observed on the road bet ween 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 tl e tufaceo porphyritic rock a lenticu-
lar noass CI o
ses tt e
event h and eighth lots, clO!;e upon the rear oflhe fifth range of Grenville. It has
a It:nglh of neady haIr a mile by a breadlh of about 150 yards in the miè(lle, and lies between gneiss
on the north and syenite on the
oull',
In the vicinity of the pear-sllaped porphyritic intrusion, there are met \\ ith two veihs of a special
character, cutting the syenite, that de
erve to be noticed. They consist of a white, yellowish-bro.....n
or flesh-red cellular chert, the coims in some cases running in band.,. 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 others, they are very
abundant, and of various size
, from that of a pin's head (0 an inch in diameter. On the walls of
some of these cells, small transparent crystals of quartz are implanted, and in some there me the Im-
pressions of cubical fOlm!', resulting probably from crystals of fluor spar which have di
appeared.
The stC're has the chemical characters and the composition ùÍ flint or chalcedony.
One of these veins is on the nOlth half of the hrst lot of the sixth range of Grenville, where it was
traced for about a hundred) ards, running about ea
t and we
t, and the other in the south half of the
first lot of the sixlh range, belonging to Mr. James Lowe, who was the first person who drewatten-
tion to it as affording buhrstone. On his ground, the vein has been more examined than ehewhere ;
it appears to run in a very straight nearly east and west bearing, and stands in a vel tical attitude,
while us breadth valie3 from about fourto seven feet. Where the vein is banded, the colors run parallel
with the sides. The altitude and associations of the mass clearly show it cannot be of sedimentary
origin, and its composition, taken in connection with the igneous character of the district, suggests
the probability that it is an aqueous deposit which has filled up fissUles 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 ofthese vein'> of chert, while the quartz of the
syenite remains unchanged, the feld!'par has been more or less decomposed, and been converted into
a sort of kaolin. As this plOcess involves a separation of silica from the feldspar, it is not improbable
that it hils been the soun:e of the veins of chert.
The intru!>ive 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 dyhes whose relations to the SilUlian
series are not so cel tain. 'These d) kes are composed of a fine granular base, with an earthy fracture,
consisting of feldspar and pyroxene, and having a dark, bro\\ nish-grey color. In this base are
imbedded rounded masses of black cleavable augite, varying in size from a pin's head to se\"eral inches
in diameter. These are associated \\ilh various size 1 nodules of calc spar 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 weatheling 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 of Grenville, 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 lùt 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, wher e it intersects the quartzite and the limestone. The whole distance is UP" ard s
of two miles and a half, and the bearing S. 82 0 \V, Another dyke of this description intersects the
limestone on the thi, teenth 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 Montreal, and may possibly be of the same age, but none of
them have yet been traced, continuously, from the Laurentian into the Silurian rocks.
REP RESENT A TIVES.
:Names of the members of the Legislative Assembly of the County of York,
Two Mountains and Argenteuil-the latter having been detached from tbe former.
I. COUNTY OF YORK, 31 c Geo, II I, Chap. 3 I,
From 179 2 to 179 6 , Mr. C. de Lotl.Jinière, :\1r. p, A. de Bon ne.
" 1797 to 1800, Mr. H, Lacroix, Mr. Hetien (}.),
" 1801 to 180 5, Mr. J. Bédard,
lr. L, C. Foucher.
" 180 5 to 1808, l\1r. J. l\Iure, Mr. E. L. Dumont.
180 9, ðlr. J. l\1ure, Mr. J. J. Trestler.
1810, l\lr, J. 1\1 ure,
Ir. St. Julien.
From 1811 to 181 4, Mr. F, Bellet, Mr. St. Julien.
" 1815 to 18 I 6, Mr. E, L. Dumont, 1\1r, \V. Forbes.
" IS 1 7 to J S 19, Mr. Dumont, Mr. J. B. Fare.
1820, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. A. Perrault.
From 1820 to 182 4, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. A. Perrault.
" 182 5 to 182 7, Mr. E. L. Dumont, Mr. J. Simpson,
" 182 7 to 182 9, Mr. J. L. Labrie, Mr. J. B. Lefebvre.
II. COUNTY vF Two MOUNTAINS, 9c Geo. IV, Chap. 73.
From 18 3 0 to 18 3 4 , 1\1 r. J. Labrie, Mr. \Y. H, Scott.
" 18 34 to 183 8 ,
1r. J, '1, Girouard, Mr. \V. H. Scott.
" 184 1 to 1844-,
Ir, C. Robertson, Mr. C. J. Forbes.
" 1844 to 18 47, Mr. \V. H. Scott,
" 1848 to 18 5[, Mr, \V. H. Scott.
" 18 5[ to 18 54, Mr. Mr. \V. H. Scott, Hon. Louis J. Papineau,
III. COUNTY OF ARGENTEUIL, 16 Vict., Chap. [52.
From 1854 to 1857, S. Bellingham, his election declared null,
Re-electcd in J 855-election again declared null; re-elected in 1856.
From 1858 to 1861, S. Bellingham. The name of J. J. C. Abbott is sabsti.
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 1863 to 1866, Hon, J. J. C. Abbott.
Sidney Bellingham was elected by acclamation 27th August, 1867-rc-e
ected
23rd June, 1871, and re-elected by acclamation 30th June, 1875,
4 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Robert J. Meikle of Lachute was elected 1St May, 18 7 8 .
\Vm. Owens was elected 2nd December, 1881; re-elected by acclamation, 7th
October, 1886; re-elected 17th of June, 1890, and resigned.
\Villiam J. Simpson elected 8th March, 18 9 2 .
Biographical sketches of several of the representatives named above-Colin
Robertson, C. J, Forbes, R. J. l\leikle, \Vm. Owens and \Vm, 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."
\V, 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 alOne 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
mo
t prominent characters in Canadian history. Few men outside the circle of
royalty have been the
uhj
ct 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 helO or a coward, a patriot or a traitor, a
statesman or a demagogue, just accOlding to the views or political tendencies of his
biographer.
All, however, concur with the opil
ion, that he was a mau of brilliant talent,
possessed of great personal magne tism, 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 justices he is no longer regarded as the
rash, selfish, irrational being that he once was, and even his bitterest foe= 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 aJl that is good in our government to-day.
He was born in Montreal, 17th October, 1786, and was the son of Joseph
Papineau, a prominent notalY, and for many years a member of the Legislative
Assembly, in which l.e was distinguished for his ability and eloquence.
The H on. Louis J. Papineau, after receiving his education chiefly at the
Seminary of Quebec, studied Jßw, 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 lIe retained with little interruption till 1837-a period of
HJSTOl{Y OF ARGENTEUIL,
4 1
twenty years. In November, 1827, when Mr. Papineau, according to the custom of
the Assèmbly, 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 corning 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, 187 I, 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 daugh tcr of a citizen of Quebec. He was a loyal actor in the Rebellion
of 1837-38, and, as a magistrate, accompanied the valiant Co!. \Vetherall to St,
Charles, whither he had been sent in command of a few soldiers. In 1841, Mr. Belling-
ham was called to the 13ar 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 Ne'lfIs. lIe became endeared to the people of Argenteuil County, not
only from his association with them as their representative, hut in enterprises with
which he was connected, He was interested in the construction of the Carillon &
Grenville Railway, and in colonizin
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
Dellingham, Ireland, where he was living in December, 1895.
MEMBERS OF THE DOM[NION PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF ARGENTEUfL,
From 1867 to 1874,
" 1874 to 1875,
" 1875 to 1880,
" 1880 to 1886,
" 1886 to 1890,
" 18 9 1 to 1895,
Hon, J. J. C. Abbott.
Lemuel Cushing.
Thoma5
Christie.
Hon. J. J. C. Abbott.
J. C, \Vilson,
Thomas Christie.
4
4 2
HISTORY of ARGENTEUIL.
SIR J. J. C. ABBOTT.
(From the Watchma1l 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 comideration 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 ùf 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 'Vest, and all the great benefits arising there-
from, arc 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, consequen tly,
did not spend the greater portion of his time in studying politics. At that time, there
was the old chieftain, Sir John
Iacdonald, to conduct the affairs of the party, and
time a.nd again did he show the confidence and dependence he placed upon
the advice and counsel of Mr. Abbott. But, had the occasion a.risen, Wè feel
.
\.
SIR ,J. J. C. .AHBorr.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
43
sure that Mr, Abbott posses
ed the qualities, tact, discrimination, foresight and
cleverness which would have made him the peer of his great leader, Sir John
Macdonald. \Vhen 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 30th, at half-past eight, 1893.
Any attempt to estimate the loss Argenteuil has sustained would prove utterly
futile, but we are sure th3.t, 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 :-" 'Ve shall never see his like
again."
Sir John Abbott was born at St, Andrews, in the county of Argenteuil, Lower
Canada, 12th 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 I I th Battalion, a corps raised by him during the
patriotic time of the ., Trent JJ excitement. He was also president of the Fraser
Institute of Montreal, and director, or law adviser, to various companies and corpor-
ations. Sir J olm's name came twice before the public, in a manner which gave him
great notoriety. He was a prominent figure, aftc:r Sir Hugh Allan, in the famous
Pacific scandal episode, Being the legal adviser of the Kn ight of Ravenscrag, 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 downfaJI of the Macdonald
cabinet. His second conspicuous appearance on the public stage was iT! connection
with the Letellier case, when he went to England, in April, T 879, as the associate of
the Hon. H. L. Langevin, on the mission which resulted in the dismissal of the Lieut.-
Governor of Quebec. In 18-19, he married :\[iss 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 18 59'
He continued to represent the constituency in that Hous.e until the union of 186 7,
when he was returned for the Commons. He was re-elected at the general eJections
44
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
of 18 7 2 and 18 74. In October of the last named year, he was unseated. Mr. L.
Cushing, who had been his opponent at the preceding election, again became the
Liberal candidate, but Mr. Abbott retired. Mr. 'VOl, Owens ran against
[r,
Cushing, and was defeated. Upon Mr. Cushing's election being contested and void-
ed, Dr, Christie was chosen by acclamation. At the gener=11 election of September,
18 7 8 , 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 ellquête being one of the
longest ever presented to a judge. The Court was presided over by Justice Belanger.
Mr. N. ,V. 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 1\1r. Abbott was re-
elected by acclamation, and sat until 1887, when he retired. In f 862, he was made
Solicitor General in the Sandfield- Macdonald-Sicotte Administration, and prior to his
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. Its
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 for
collecting judicial and registration fees, by stamrs. This was the most complete
legislation that had taken place on the subject, and, as in the case of his other
measures, the main principles have been retained in the subsequent legislation which
has followed. Sir J olm's political labors also consist of meful amendments to bills,
suggestions and advice as regards measures affecting law and commerce. His
advice 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, 18 9 1 , 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, ifnot 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 physir:ians to banish the disease that racked his frame;
but it '\-as too late, and he grew gradually worse until the er.d.
In 188 7, 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 withahout $1,100,-
000 by Lord Mount-Stephen and ::;ir Donald A. Smith, in commemoration of Her
Majesty's Jubilee. The construction of the stately hospital building, costing about
$5 00 ,000, was conducted under :Mr. Abbott's supervision as president.
.
HISTORY OF ARGr:NTEUlL,
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.
AGRICUL TURAL 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 em bcacing 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 A
D REGULATIONS
OF THE
COUNTY OF YORK .\GRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Then follows a picture-emblem of Agriculture-and underneath, the words-
:\10NTREAL.
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 COllnty of York, held in St.
Andrews on the 2nd February, 1826, Mr, John Mc:\lartin being called to the chair,
the purpose of the meeting was explained, and the following Resolutions were un-
animously adopted, viz.:-
RESOLVED, 1st. That the persons present form themselves into a Society, to be
called the U County of York Agricultural Society," the. object of which will be to im-
prove the mode of Agriculture in the said County by every mea'1S ill 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 j all which officers shall be elected annually.
RESOLVED,3rd. That James Brown, Esq., be President, Mr. John Mc
lartin and
Thomas Barron, Esq., Vice-Presidents.
Edward Jones, Duncan McNaughton, Henry Chapman, \Vm. Tennison, Jacob
Schagel, Stephen Burwash, Thomas Cooke, John M'Ewen, Doctor C. Rice were
elected to form the Committee,
Mr. Guy Richards,- Treasurer.
:\Jr. James :\lurray,-Secretal]'.
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,
'Vhich Resolution was unanimously complied with.
(Signed), J A:\IES
IURRAY, St,cy,
4 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
On the 25 th March, 1826, pursuant to public notice, a general meeting took place,
when the following Regulations were unanimously adopted :-
1St. 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 shaH
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 Twmtieth day of
Jar.uary (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 of those
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 Pre-
sident,
5 th . Any practical farmer or gentleman in the County may become a member
of the Society, by paying the sum of five shillings, annually, No expulsion can take
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 of
the benefit of premiums.
7 th . All decisions to be made by a majority of members present, and the Presi-
dent to have the casting vote.
8th. The rules of competition to he similar to those adopted by the Highland
Society ûf Scotland.
9 th . The judges shall be named by the Committee from among the members,
who shall determine in all cases.
loth. 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.
J Ith, No member entitled to vote on any subject, till the preceding article is
complied with.
12th. That the general meeting in January shall serve for the first quarterly
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 21st 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
IIISTORY PI<' ARGENTFUIL.
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,
JA:\IES BROWN, Jr., Seey.
From this time onward for many years, the records are lost, but the Society con-
tinued to exist, and" Cattle Shows II 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 s
cretary, succeeded by Errick Harrington, who in turn
was succeeded by Henry Howard.
The eårIiest records we have been able to obtain after the above were those of
a meeting held in Lachute, 31st DecemIJer, 186 9.
OFFICERS.
Pusidelll, Edward Jones; Vice-Preside/d, John Hay; Secretary, Henry Howard,
DIRECTORS.
Wm. Albright, John :\lcGregor, Thos. Noyes, Geo. B, Hooker, \Valter l\IcOuat,
\Vm. Gordon, Wm. McOuat,
In 18 7 0 there were 95 members. Amount subscribed, $II3. In December, 18 74,
John Burwash was appointed president, and \Vm. McOuat, vice-president; Gavin
1. \Valker, who was appointed secretary in Decemb
r, [875, still holds the office,
FROM 1876 TO 1895,
Viet-Preside1lls,
Wm. l\IcOuat.
Nelson Albright.
Geo. B. Hooker,
Geo, Morrison.
John Martin.
p. Lane.
N, Albright.
Ceo. Fraser,
. 1880.-No, of members [91, amount subscribed $335. 00 .
1890.-No. of members 240, amount subscribed $495,00,
[886.-Amount paid {or premiums $743-75.
I894.-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.
Presidmls.
John Hay.
Geo. B. Hooker.
John Morrison.
John :\Iartin.
P. Lane.
4 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
COUNTY COU
CIL.
On the 23 rd July, 18 45, a meeting was held in a room at M. D. Beattie's. The
councillors acting at this time were John \Vainright, Charles Macdonnell, Alexis
Cameron, Stephen Burwash and Andrew McGregor. John Wainright was unanimously
elected Mayor of the Municipality of Argenteuil.
PRESENT MUNICIPAL SYSTEM.
Copied z'erbatim from the Records,
On 23 rd August, 1855, the first meeting of the County Council of Argenteuil
was held, at which meeting the follow:ng councillors were present :-
Edwin Pridham, Esq., Mayor of Grenville.
Lemuel Cushing, 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 of \Yentworth.
George Hamilton, Esq., Mayor of l\Iorin.
Thomas Christie was elected "Yarden, and served to March, 18 5 8 .
Thomas Barron, sen., was then appointed, and served to March, 186 4.
Richard D. Byers, from March to December, 18 6 4.
Lemuel Cushing, to March, 1868.
Thomas ]
arron, jr., to March, 1881.
Alexander Pridham, from March, 1881, to March, 18 95.
James B. Brown, from March, [895, to the present.
The names of the present County Council are :-Patrick A. Dunbar, Joseph
Derrick, John Chambers, Wm. D. Graham, jr., Oliver \Voods, John 'Vade, 1\1.
Desjardins, Hugh \Valsh, James B. Brown, James Millway, Ed. Christie, Matthew 1.
Strong, George Seale,
ARGENTEUIL RA:\GERS.
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 McRobb in 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 "Sergt.
McRobb" , he died not many years after forming the Troop and becoming captain.
Since that period, the command of the S1. Andrew's Troop has devolved on the [01-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
49
lowing :-Capt. Donald C. McLean, Capt. John Oswald, Capt. John Burwash, Capt.
Martin \\"anless.
Capt.
IcLean 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.
Ca{.>t. Oswald, who was afterwards promoted to the rank of lieut.-colonel of l\Iili-
tia, was 111 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, the St. Andrew's troop and several troops were formed into a regiment,
which afterward received the name Duke of Connaught Royal Canadian Hussars.
Another troop of cavalry was formed in this County a number of years ago by
Co!. 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 th e Ba ttalion. He was lieut.-colonel
of it for several years, and was succeeded by James B. Cushing, 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 I8R3, was succeeded by 'Villiam Hoy.
First Jun, l\Iajor, Sam Rogers. This position was vacant from 1883 to 1888,
when Isaac Jekyll was appointed, succeeded in 1893 by Geo, B. l\Iartin.
Paymaster, Archibald McDonald, tilJ 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 ::\IcDúnaid, St. Andrews.
Co. No.2, by Capt. \Villiam Smith, Gore ('Vest).
Co. No. 3, Ly 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. Edward--"'JSridham, Grenville.
Co. No.8, by Capt. John PoHúck, 1.Iille Isles.
The following changes have occurred among the captains of the different com-
panies since the Battalion was first organized:
(j
Co. No. I.
Capt, John .McDonald died in 1864, and was succeeded by his brother, Allen
McDùnald. In 1866, the latter became Major, and his brother Samuel McDonald
succeeded him as Captain, He was afterwards promoted to the rank of Adjutant,
50
HISTORV 01<' ARGE;';TEUIL.
and H. \\" 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 Weightman.
Co. NO.2.
Capt. \Vm. Smith was succeeded in 1866 by Capt. Jas. Smith, who, dying in
1891, had as successor Capt. 'Vm. Good.
Co. NO.3.
Geo. McKnight was Ca!Jtain till 1882, followed by Capt, Isaac Jekyll, who dying
was succeeded by his own son, Henry J ekyll.
Co. No.4.
Capt. A. Cleland was Captain till 1866. From 1866 to 1883, Capt. John Simp-
son. Since 1883. Capt, Geo. D. \Valker.
Co. NO.5.
Samuel Rogers was Captain till 1866, The Company was disorganized this year.
Co.
o. 6 became NO.5 at this time, NO,7 was disbanded, and No.8 became No.6.
Co.
o. 7 (FOR:\IERLY No, 9)'
Capt. Wm, T. Forbes till 1872, Cart. 'V. Hoy till 1883, then Capt. Edward
Hodgson.
Co, No.8 (FORMERLY No. 10).
Capt. Jas. B. Cushing till 1883, then Capt, Geo. B.
Iartin till 1887, Capt. John
Sittli
]gton 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 \\as at
Hill Head,
In 18 7 0 , the Battalion, on account of the Fenian excitement, narrated elsewhere,
was divided and sent to different places.
187 I, Camp at Laprairie.
1872, Camp at St. Andrews.
1874, Camp at St. Andrews.
1875, Camp at Bellevue, Carillon.
18 7 6 }
i8n Local drill
at Head-quarter
of the different Companies.
18 7 8
1879, Companies J, 4, 7 and 8 (part of Rut.), at L3.chute.
1880, Companies 2, 3, 5 and 6 (part of Batt.). at Bellevue.
188 r, Camp at St. J olms.
1883, Camp at St. Johns.
1884, Camp at St. Johns.
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL
51
1886, Camp at Richmond.
1888, Camp at Sherbroöke.
1891, Camp at East Farnham.
1893, Camp at Laprairie.
1895, Camp at Laprairie.
\Vhen the second camp was at BeUevue, on the suggestion of the late Lemuel
Cushing, l\I.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 V 01-
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 1\1r. Cushing was a noble one, anù 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 J the" Prince of \Vales Rifles,"
"Victoria Rifles," the 6th Reg..of Cavalry, 6th Fusiliers, and three independent
companies from the region of the Gatineau.
\Vhen at Richmond in 1886, the Rangers were presented with standard colors-
Queen's and Regimental-by the ladies of Argen teui!.
The Rangers have gained no little celebrity for their success in competing for
various prizes. On the 25th May, 1885, a tug-of-war contest occurred at Lachute,
between the Range::rs 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 â vigorous contest, the Rangers were awarded the prize. In
1893, when the camp was at Laprairie, a magnificent and val
able 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 i 887, on the occasion of the Queen's Jubilee, another tug-of-war
contest OCClll red between two different companies of the Battalion. A l hallenge
was made by Co. No.8, to any other one in the Battalion, and was accèpled by Co.
No. I, commanded hy Cap!. Thomas Weightman. .\ prize ofa silver cup W3.S offered
to the victor Ly Jas, Johnson, a lumber merchant living near Quebec. Five men
were st::lected flOm each company; the team \Vas commanded by
apt. \Veighlman,
to whose company the cup was awarded.
In 1866, the first Fenian invasion uf 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 persuL\ded the ignoran t
-Ireland would be released from British thraldom. The plan prop0sed was to raise
and equip a grand and invincible army in the States, walk over and subjugate Can_\da,
and after England had thus heen crippled, J.nd 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-weré 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
crmade, which promised food and raiment and an opportunity to plunder. "The
.-\rmy of Ireland," as it was ostentatiously called, afforded the desired refuge: and to
this they hied. Their number was augmented by mány 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 aoove 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-
\"ided 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 reaily 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 ca:-ry away with
them,
HISTORY <....1<. ARGENTEUIL.
53
They were careful root 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 far mers as they found
necessary for the sUlJply 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
ade their exit from the east end;
not even stopping to get a glimpse of the British soldiers, much le
s did they atttmpt
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 d
emed 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 simultaneoùsly 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 th ousands of our loyal Volunteers.
Af.er O'Niel had crossed the Niagara frontier with a large force, a body of Can a-
dians-I 800 men-composed of 750 regulars and the rest of V olunteers, with a Battery
of Artillery, all under command of Co!. 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 student
and other
patriotic young men of Toronto,-the 13th Hamilton Volunteers, and the York and
Caledonia Volunteer Companies,
\Vhile marching toward Chippewa to join Peacock, this force under Booker
uneJl.pectedly met the Fenil11s 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
ensueJ, and the force was soon in full retreat. The V olun teers lost in killed, one
officer and six men; while the dangerously as well as slightly woq,nded 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 anù members of good families, their loss was greatly deplored,
54
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
Soon after this, 0' 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 sm
dl 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.
rl'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 Yolunteer companies, raised
in different parts of the Dominion, were tho!"oughly 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.
.\rmand 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 l'artially covered with a grove oflargc
trees, while its southern slope, towards Vermont, contains several huge boulders,
affording admirable breashvorks which our men were not slow in lìtilizing. This is
known as Eccles' Hill; and on the d:1Y in question, about sixty members of the
Home Guard, \\ ho lived in that section, and who comprised leading farmers, mer-
chants and business men of the locality, took possession of the hill. Co!. Asa
'Vestover, an influential and intelligent farmer, who lived contiguous, usually com-
HISTORY O}o' ARGESTEUIL.
55
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
.J.Jlontreal Gazette, who had leceived 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 V trmont 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 chamb
r 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 a
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 entra.nce into the fair fields
of the Eastern Townships, They crossed the line, when 10 ! 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,,'.
Soon came another volley, and then another, and by this time the valor of the
" Army of Ireland" was on the wane. "Discretion i3 the bettt r 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 euded 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
56
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
Rebellion, but had ne\'er been in one where the bullets fell faster than they did
from Eccles Hill. 'VeIl 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. 'Vith 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 fie ld,
Sp.veral 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 11th 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 roåe 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 Weightman 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 conn ec tion wit h the Fenian Order, or knowledge
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
57
of it, but on being searched, everyone was found to be armed with two revolvers,
and their valises were packed with ammunition and cartridges, They finally ac-
knowledged themselves Fenians, and were marched off in irons to Cornwall jail.
Care was taken by the officers engaged in the arrest to conceal the matter, as far as
possible, from the Volunteers, being apprehensive of violence to the prisoners, such
was the hatred borne toward Fenians by the V olul1teers. These, it is said, were 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
St. Andrews on Saturday evening. The following Monday night, they took a special
boat to St. Anns, and the next day went to Cornwall, from which place they were
sent, the next Sunday, to St, Johns, Que. After remaining there several days they
returned,
About the first of August, 1866, two companies, I and 4, which were formed
from 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,
The relief companies were there till November.
In April, 18 7 0 , the Battalion was again called to St, Andrews, and from that
place to Montreal, where they were despatched to different parts of the Eastern
Townships.
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
Riel Rebellion, the companies were not in proper condition to be sent out, Cot
\Volsey, who was then captain of the Prince Consort Rifle Brigade, came to drill them;
but when they were prepared, the trouble in the Northwest had subsided, and they
were sent home.
A rifle match was formed in connection with the Battalion, several years ago,
It is held annually at St, Andrcws, and receives for prizes a grant from Government
of about $5 0 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's," "Vice-President's," "l\lilitary,"" Association," and "Extra-Series,JJ
for each of which there is a special prize.
PRESENT OFFICERS 01<' THE 11TH ll.-\TTALlON 01<' bH'A
TRY-A.R }E
TEUIL RANGERS.
Liat!- Co/,
James B. Cushing.
J1fajors.
\Villial11 Hoy,
George B. Marlin.
John Pollock.
fhomas 'Veightman.
Geo. Dunbar 'Valker.
Caþtains.
Albert E. Hodgson.
John Rogers,
\Villiam Gurd,
5
Henry J ekyll,
\Villiam \Villiamson.
John Earle.
S8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
John McMartin.
Lemuel Berron.
Li
tdCJlrrllts.
'Villiam Watchorn.
Samuel E, Smith.
Isaiah Dows.
Robert Evans.
_\br, 'Vatchorn.
John A. Morrison.
Adley Shirrin.
Pay maslt r.
Thomas Lamb.
Quarter J[ aster,
\\'illiam Pollock.
2nd LieutCllc11Zb.
Andrew Rathwell.
Walter A. Brown.
E. J. 'Villiamson.
Osmond Le Roy,
F. Cushing.
Atljl/tallt.
\\ïlliam 'Villiamson.
Surgeoll.
'Ym. H. l\Iayrand, M.D.
THE SCHOOLS OF ARGENTEUIL.
By INSPECTOR 11cOUAT.
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. '''hen 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 pupiis 0)1 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 kncw little of the method" of teaching, and often adopted
inferior methods, yet many of their pupils were successful in study, and later, in their
life's occupation.
'1'he 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 ofrules 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 é.re fittingly described by Goldsmith,
when he writes of the master of Lissoy, thus:-
" A man severe he was, and stern to view,
I I I knew him well and every truant knew;
-, \Vell 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 jokes) for many a joke had he ;
" Full wen the busy whisper, circling round,
" Conveyed the dismal tidings, when he frowned;
II Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught,
" The love he bore to learning \\ as 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 thoro\!ghness,
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. ì\[uch
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 0
HlsrORY 01" ARGENTEUlL,
good work j 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 pro-
vince was the difference amongst the people in race, language and religion. Many
efforts were made to devise a suitable system, but none succeeded until 184 1 , when
the present system was established, giving to Protestants and Roman Catholics alike
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-
]ish-speaking, but for some years past the remaining portions of the county have been
occulJied 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, cont:âning
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 ( 18 94) was 3,403, giving an average of 43 to each school. The
total value of the school buildings of the county is estimated at $64,79 0 , while the total
assessment of taxable property is $1,903,624, The amount of taxes collected in 18 94
was $16,576, to which must be added the Government grant of $2,63 1 , making the
total cost of education $[9, 20 7.
The average salary of elementary teachers in English schools is placed at $13 1 ,
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 centNry 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 in
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 ARGENTEUlL.
61
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,
\Vas 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? \Vas 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 of
a friendly countryman contiguous to the wilderness, where he was to pitch hie:;
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 I Comforts of almost every kind were wanting. But
what seems to lIS 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, uut many Irish-
ndured all
this privation\vith fortitude i 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 animakd their ancestors to chivalrous deeds a
Bannockburn, and at a modern date compassed the downfall of Sebastopol and the
reiief 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 \Vaterloo.
Argenteuil, the legas:y 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:t
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,
,1l1d 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 beau ty of her scenery is a scource of wealth mOre lasting
than that of the mines and the productive plains of the \Vest. The marvellous beauty
of her inland lakes, the picturesqueness of her mountains, the wild gorges and water-
fa11s of her rivers, are but in the infancy of their attraction, \Vhen 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
tiny in the Province. Her cattle, sheep and horses are of the best, and the annual
fairs which are held at Lachute, the cllef-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 characteristic"ì of the
1 aces whence they sprang-thrift, honesty and hospit
iity 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 shrewdríess above his neighbors, and that
what he enjoys is paid for. It is not exaggeration to say that a11, 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
.. hatever 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. Howe..er cautious and exacting
our subject may be in making a bargain, he never wants sympathy for the needy or
. ffiicted; and let him once become assured that a petitioner for help is deserving,
,tssistance 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 th
call to arms in J8I2, or the eagerness with which they raBied to the loyal standard
HISTORY OF ARGENTEtJlL.
63
in 1837, and their fr,lntic rush to arms to pre5erve 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 Argentellil-a danger menacing their homes and freedom would
call forth a class of patriots as brave as ever responded to the call of Lib
rtr.
" 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-
\Vhen once destroyed can ne\"er be supplied."
'Vhile the yeomanry of .\rgenteuil 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 habit/lilt
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 attendLtnce 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, )Iany 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 1ife-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
somdÎmes is-at Anglo-Saxon boasts, he consoles himself with a glance at the fields
whereon the cross of St. George has bowed before the jlclIr de lis of St. Denis.
Whatever chagrin he may feel at the recollection of Quebec is dispe!led by a
longer Hight of memory to the battle of Hastings. The Englishman may sing the
L. >ngs and boast the exploits of :\Icrrie England, but the Frenchman has equal com-
fort in the deeds and dilties of La Be!le France.
SCO rCH SETTLERS OF .\RGENTEUIL.
B\' COLIN DEWAR.
.-\ renl1rkable feature of th
Scotch selt
er:{ of the county was the distinct sep-
Llration of the two faces: the Efighl/Ulders settling on the banks of the Ottawa
river and around St. Andrews, while title LO'il/lalldtrs settled at and around Lachute,
where fo:" ye.lrs the names of the B \rrons. J),)igs, Drenn.U1<; LlI1d Bllchanans, to
eth
r
64
HISTORY OF ARGFNTEUIL.
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 II hog plough," which, as its name indi-
cated, was not conduche 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
sm,lll colony of thrifty, industrious farmers was established, who brought not only
hnowledge 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 handicr3.fts required in a new country, and
heing 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
tunc of" Elgin " or "Dundee" or plaintive ,I Martyrs, worthy of the name," there
\\ as 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. Manr
a time, no doubt, their hearts ached with a home sickness and longing, as they listened
to the words of a simple hallad written by one of their own poets, " 0 ! why left I my
hame ? " one of the most plaintive and pathetic ballads in the Scottish dialect, begin-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
65
ning 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 foJIowing 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 m
rtial music possesses a wild, spirited, strongly marked expre
sion 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 lo,'e of the Sabbath and Gaspel ordinances.
" If thou tum away thy foot from the
abbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call
.' the Sabbath a delight, the holy ofthe Lord honorable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own
(, ways. nOT 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
" tl1ee with the hel itage of Jacob, thy f..ther, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.':
l\Ir, Dewar also pays the following compliment to the French :-
A tradition exists, which, in the main, is supported by history, that Argenteuil w.1.s
chosen as the trysting place or relldtz-'lJvlIS 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 habilallls, with a vit.w 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 tht:ir honor be it narrated, remained equally firm alld true, as was witnessed a
few year:; afterwards, during the war of 1812- I.J., when the 1l0wer of their best hmilies
withstood and repelled with great loss, the invaders of the Province at Chaleauguay
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 Canadi.1.I1s
"had little effect, as ic; strikingly shown by the list sent by Carleton to Lord George
"Gtrmain on the 9th May, 1777, in "hich there does not appear the name of one
66
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
I. French Canadian. Those of that nationality who took part with the Bostonnais
,. were of the lower class in the rural settlements."
The term " Rlstonnais" seems to be a corruption of the word Bos/0ll1lais, as
Arnold's expedition was known to have starteà 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 Daslonnais." We like these national solecisms, and we have retained
this one.
SEIG
IORY OF ARGEN1EUIL.
On the 15th of June, 16Hz, a promise of a grant of this fid to Sieur Chas. Jos.
D'Aillebout was signed at Quebec by Count d
Frontenac, Governor of Xe\\" France.
The grant was to include" a tract of land lying on the north side of the Ottawa,
e\.tending from the foot of the Long Sault two leagues towards
lontreal, and four
leagues back from the Ottawa, including all the islands, points and sand-bar
opposite
,)f which the island named Carillon forms a part."
In 1697, Sieur D'Aillebout and his wife, Catherine Le GLHdeur, "old the grant
to their son, Pierre D' Aillebout Sieur d' Argenteuil. The latter in I7 25 took the oath
of fealty, and fyled the promise of Count de Frontenac. The heirs of Loui:5e Denis,
widow of Pierre D' Aillebout Sieur d'Argenteuil, sold this fief to Louise Panet, who
took the usual oath in 17 8 1. In "I 800 Panet sold to :\Iajor Murray, who suld to
Sir J.ohn Johnson in I8q, and the only SeigIliorial c;aim against .\rgenteuil now
existing is held by his heirs.
Thi::. Sc:igniory was erected into a parish by proclamation of loth :\Iay, [822,
The following i<.: a description of the Seigniory copied from Bouchettt s Topo-
..;raphy of Canada puhlished in 1815 :-
"The Seigniory of Argenteuil is on the north bank of the Ottawa, in the county
.)f York. It adjoins the seigniory of the Lac des Deux Montagnes on the eastward,
,le township of Chatham on the westward, and a tract of waste Crown land" on the
northward; its front extend:) two leagues along the river, by four ill depth. It was
granted 7th
Iarch, [725, to Mons. D'Aillebout. The present proprietor is Sir John
Johnson, Rart. Perhaps through all the upper part of the district of Montreal, no
tract of equal extent will be found of preater fertility, or possessing more capalJilitiès
of being converted, within a few years, into a valuable property, The land is lu
ur-
iantly rich in nearly eve,y part, while the ditTerent species of soils are ')0 well varied
as to afford undeniable situations for raising abundant crops of every kind. The
lower part bordering on the Ottawa is tolerably well c:eared of wood; there are
large patches of fine meadows and pastures; from hence the ground rises with a
gradual ascent towards tl:e rear, In the back parts the wood" rUll to a great extent,
and yield timber of the different kinds of first
rate size and goodness, which hitherto
have he en very little thinned hy the labors of the woodman. The Rivière dll
ord
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
67
crosses the upper part of the Seigniory in a direction f[Om 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 fir:;t mill-a distance
of three miles, There is a small stream called Rivière Rouge, running in the same
direction across the lower part of the grant as the Rivière 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 Rivière Rouge, in a range between it and
Rivière 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 aU its different qualities is carried on with much success, under the
direction of the proprietor, .\Ir. 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 Rivière 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 uf 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 Rivière dll 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 breJ.k up
new lands, probably it will not be easy to select a tract where these advantag-.s ar""
better combined than in the S
igniory of Argentcuil."
SIR JOH
JUHNSON.
By COLIN DEWAR.
Sir John was a son of Sir 'Vm. Johnson, an officer in onc of the King's regi-
mcntg in the then Province of New York, and who re ded at "Johnson Hall:' in
the beautiful valley on the ùanks of the Mohawk, when.. he had [) large tr,lct of land,
and where many of his cOl
ntrymen and othcr
had s
ttlcd and lived together in
peace and harmony for many years, Sir 'Villiam had alst) receivLd the d.ppointment
of Superintendent of Indian Affairs, which doe:, not app....,u to h.lve been much of a
sinecure, as his letters or despatches are dated from diITcrent parts of th
country,
from Johnson Hall to Oswego, Niagara and Lake Champl.tin, tl1U
howing that h
trave]]ed e>.tensively. On the breaking out of the troubles which eventually ended
with the gaining of their independence, many ()fhis ncighh,)f't (under his ad\": c nd
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 n
t 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 Caldwell'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 \\'m. Johnson belongs the honor of capturing Fort Niagara in 17 59-and
on the 8th September, 1760, the whole of Canada was surrendered to the British,
Sir \\'illiam has been accused of being the instigator, if not the actual leader, of
the raid made by Indians on the peaceable inhabitants of the vaIley, when so many
were ruthles
ly 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 actiQnsJwere always on the side of clemency and mercy.
However, it is a weIl 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 arrer his death was treated as his relict, (Archivist's Report B. II..J.-
63.)
As a woman, she had great influence among the different tribes, and one word
from .her is more taken notice of by the Five Nations than a thousand from any
white man without exception. (Ibid.)
Sir \Villiam died in July, 1774, after a few months severe illness, and was much
and deservedly regretted by a]] 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 010' ARGENTEUIL.
69
In 1808, he wrote to Mr. Granville, stating that he wished to resign his office of
Superintendent, and asking that his son, Lieut.-Co!. Johnson, be appointed in his
stead; but the Home Government did not entertain the application, as they consi-
dered Co!. jJ ohnson was not sufficiently acquainted with the peculiarities of the
Indian tribes, It was, therefore, given to Co!. r;lans, a son-in-law of Sir Wm. John-
son, who had been for some time acting as Deputy Superintendent. It was a great
disappointment to Co!. Johnson, as his father,
ir \Villiam, considered that this
appointment was to remain in his f.1mily. (Ibid, 311-11.)
About the year I8J 4, 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 cGmforts 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 ann hospitable treatmen t to all who sought his acquain tance.
The "dinner bell " that hung in the belfry of his coach house, and which was
used ot summon the family ar..d 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.
Tassé, in his life of Philtmon \Vright, mentions these facts: "In 1774, Sir John
" Johnson was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs, a position which his late
"father, Sir \Vm. Johnson, had also held. He had won the entire confidence of the
" Indian tribes, dnd was highly esteemed among them, a3 was witnessed at the time
" of his death in January, 1830, when a great number of Indians went to Montreal to
"take part in the funer
l 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,
years previously, incurred the displeasure of the family, by his marriage with a
French Canadian woman. After the death of Sir J olm, the Seigniory came into pos-
session of his son, Co!. 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 IR52, the parish of St. Jerusalem d' Argenteuil
was formed, which-much to the dissatisfaction of many of the inhabitants of St.
Andrews-inciuded consÍderable more than half the original seigniory, leaving the
northern boundary oí 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 sectio!ìs-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 especialJy 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 th e Rouge know of the topo-
graphy of the country, or understand the way of economizing space, that 111 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 they-had reached the mouth of the North
River, After this, they opened a road through the woods to the mill.
ST. ANDRE\VS VILLAGE,
Few, if any, country villages or parishes in the Province are more widely or
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 llistory 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
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HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
7 1
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 Korth Ri'"er, 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. \Vhen 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 th!s journey wonders, when the steamer
turns flOm 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 sufficien t 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 m1n, 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 habzta/lts, 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 .c HaIIoo II stays proceedings for a little time
and attracts aU 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 t urns 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
a way,
The steamer is soon at right angles with the cllrrent, 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 even t 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 ha ve had a paper mill; yet that such
is a fact is shown by ,e 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 tht 3eignior for the necessary water power; but as James Brown
was the owner of the lanà where they intended to build the milJ, it is quite probable
he was a partner from the start, as it was always spoken of as 'Brown's Paper Mil1.'
The canal was dug to provide water llower, 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 whtre
...\lex. 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 "'i11iam 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 darn 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 :\Ir.
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.
73
Among the very first of the pioneers who settled at St. Andrews wcre a number of
Americans. 'Vhether one of them came first and induced the others to follow, or
whether they carne 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 'Vales, 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 j 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.
CAP1. 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-volJs for 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,
CalJtain 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 crcditors necessary, and he soon afterwards left the country.
BEN]Al\IIN \V ALES, who marricd Susan, a daughter of Peter Benedict, had also
been a musician in the Americ.:111 Army, He '''as 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 [839, 28th August, Charles 'Vales was married to Lætitia
Platt, daughter of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, Esq., of whom a sketch will be
found in the history of L'Orignal. Mr. 'Vales, like his father, W.lS a Christian man.
and his influence was always on the side of morality. He Oi)ened 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,
.1l1d 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 troubl(;, and his
advice oft
n resulted in the amicable settlement of disputed accounts and contro-
versies, which otherwise would have ended in serious trouble and litigation,
6
74
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In the Rebellion of 18 37-3 8 , when there was a great scarcity of money in the
community, he and A. E. Momnarquette, of Carillon, issued private notes,-or " shin
plasters," as they were called-payable at their respective stores, which, being freely
circulated in the community, proved at once a great convenience and a blessing.
1\1r, Wales died 3 0th May, 1877, and it was said of him :-"The fngrance of
his memory can never die, and many a man and woman will cherish it, as that of a
sympathizing friend and an honest man." Mrs, Wales, who survives him, inheriting
the characteristics of her ancestors, is in every way a worthy partner of such a man,
and is still active in temperance and all other Christian work. I hey h d six child-
ren who grew up,-two sons, Charles Treadwell and Benjamin Nathaniel, and four
daughters, Margaret Susan, Anna Lætitia, Mary Maltbie and Grace Platt, Charles
follows the mercantile business in the store occupied so long by his father, whose
reputation he well sustains. He was married 21St July, 1875, to Martha \V. Stowe,
of Sheffield, Conn., who has been an important acqUlsition to the temperance and
Christian workers of St. Andrews,
Benjamin, the second son of Charles \Vales, 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 19 th Novembu, 1878, to Emma T. Osgood, at Sawyerville, Que,
i\largaret S, is married to Thomas Lamb, merchant of St. Andrews. Mary M.
married \Vm, Drysdale, publisher of Montreal, 1st January, 1880. She died in 18 9 1 ,
lamented by a large circle of friends, her amiability and deeds of kindness and bene-
volence being widely known.
Anna Lætitia, married to Rev. D. 'V. Morrison, 15th September, 1881, resides at
Ormstown, P .Q.
Grace Platt was married 6th February, 1895, to Mr. Kilgour, furniture dealer, of
Beauharnois, Q. .
The descendants of few men have reflected more credit on their fathers than
have those of Chas. \Vales, sen., of St, Andrews.
The following sketches of two more of the American pioneers named above
have been contributed by Colin Dewar.
OTTAWA, 7th February, 18 94.
MR. C. THUMAS,
DEAR SIR,
'Vhen the American Revolution broke out, Mr. Peter Benedict left his studies
in Yale College, and entered the Army as oråerly sergeant, and went with Gen.
Montgomery to Canada, to the reduction of St. Johns. Returning to his native
place, he was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 3 rd New York Conti-
nental Regiment, and remained some years in the service, but declined further pro-
motion. The pension laws of the United States were not as strict then as now ill
regard to the place of abode, as Lieut, Benedict Ii \"ed in Canada and drew a pension
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
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 originany from North Salem, N.Y., where all his family were born, but
carne from Burlington, Vt., in the spring uf [800, with his wife and family, consisting
of three sons and two daughters, and settled on a farm, where he resided till his
death, 20th May, 1830. He was a man of superior abilities, of a strong, cultivated
and reflective mind, wen 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
y
ars. 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 fa.rm for
many years. Having formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. 'Vales, as
builders and contr actors, they continued for several years to carryon the farm and
their other \vork to their mutual advantage.
Mr. Benedict, on the lIth May, 1812, was married to Damaris Capron, daughter
of Nathan Capron, of Keene, N.H., and after t}:e 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 caust:s, 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 31st May, and his wife on the 1st June, 1872, having lived
together for the Ion g space of over 60 years; and in death they were not divided,
His family consisted of four S011S and three daughters, that lived to grow up.
His eldest son, George, born 4th July, 18I4, was the only one who settled in his
native place; he married, 14th February, 1844, Eliza Beattie, daughter of Mr.
DLl.vid Beattie of St, Andrews, by whom he had a family of five S011S and five
daughters. He removed from St. Andrews in 1869 to Ogdensburg, N,Y., where he
died 2nd 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 IIenry
are still living in New York, His eldest daughter, Susanna, married George G.
Sharpe in J842, and died 16th 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 \he Rev. Dr. Paterson
of St. Andrews, and the youngest married 11 r. Robert Stewart of Ottawa.
The following is an extract from a diary kept by NIr. Charles Benedict, of what
75
\
7 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was long remembered as the" cold summer": "Sunday, 12th May, 1816, heavy rain
began to fall, and contir.ued without cessation all night, turning cold, but still raining
all day Monday. On Tuesday, very cold, with snow squalls, ground almost covered with
snow. 'Yednesday, 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 28th. when another cold rain set in, 29 th ,
ground frozen two or three inches deep; 30th, 3 [st, finished planting corn and pota-
toes; June 6th, cold with snow; 7th 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 1st, frost killed cucumbers, etc., then cold rain set in; the
6th, 7 th and 8th, very cold, had to put on mitts and overcoat, hoeing potatoes; loth,
lIth, 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 s
ason, as above recorded, known in the
history of Canada since that time.
JOHN HARRINGTON, sen., was an American by birth, and carne to Canada early in
the first dècade of this century, when quite a young man. He married a daughter of
1\1r, Peter McArthur of Carillon Hill, and had a family offour 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
184 6 , and his wife aLout 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 pattem 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.
'Yilliam, the next son, left home when quite a young man, went to :\lontreal, and
entered a hardware establishment, where, in a short time, 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 in
Arnprior, where they have remained to the present.
His eldest daughter, Sarah, never married, but kept house for her brother John,
HISTORY Ol
ARGEN1EUlL.
'/1
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 By town, The second daughter married
Daniel l\IcLaughlin, 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 Bnrwash, merchant of Arnprior. The youngest
daughter died in the spring of 185..J. after a short iliness. Her death was a great
shock to the family and to her large circle of young friends,
Of the chilãæn of \VilIiam, 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 JA:\IES
BROWN. He was a Scotchman who had been engaged in the printing business in
Montreal, where he published a weekly paper called the Callada Courallt. 1q
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 darn 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
f!rs. E. Jones.
Ir. Brown is remembered by many 01 the oldest citizens of this section, and all
aver that he was a clever and an upright man. He was a Justice of the Peace, and
discharged the duties of his office in a manner which enhanced the respect which
I
e commanded in hs varied intercourse with his fellow-men. On(" of his d3ughters
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 Dalhousie, who was then Go\'ernor of
the Province, was on a tour to this section to inspect the work on the Grenville
cdnal, then in process of construction. Being a friend of Mr. Brown, he cheerfully
complied with his request to him to be present at the marriage of his daughter,
which occurred in the house now owned and occupied by Alexander I>ewar. A few
7 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
years after this marriage Mr. Brown donated to his son-in-law,
Ir. Castle and his
wife, a lot of land, No.1 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. \Vhether 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 anotlJer 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 180 I. 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 l.:ontained what the community in
those days demapded, 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 settlemen t 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, \VhiIe 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 sllch 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,
Hls'rORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
daughter of another pioneer. He died at St, Andrews, 12th Dec., 1851, but Mrs.
Davis Eurvived him nearly thirty years, having lived till 13th 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, th
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 18S7 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\Villiam McEwen, Esq., of River Rouge, 5t, 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 \Vinnipeg, Two of the daugh ters 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 l'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 busi-nessJollowed by his uncle, Nelson, that of customs and shipping
agent, His youngest wn is in business in Tacoma, \Vashington.
THEODORE DAVIS, a brother of Moses Davis, who came to St. Andrews in 1801,
must hJ.ve been here pI evious to that date, judging from the fact that records refer to
a sun'ey and prods-verbal of S1. 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 subseque11lly. 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.
80
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 VaudreUlI, 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 mOle direct. The remains of these old locks at Vaudreuil are stilI visible.
Another work of public utility he performed was removing boulders from the Ottawa
abovc Carillon, so as to facilitate navigation. He marricd a daughter of Colonel
Daniel Robertson, who was the widow of - De Hertel, and the mother of Colonel
De Hertel of
t. Andrews. l\Ir. Davis purchased a lot of land on the west
side of the North River, and on it erected a two-story hOLIse 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 J\IcRobb in Carillon, now owned by Mr. John
Kelly, removed thither, and lived here till his death, which occurred in Hull, 16th
March, 184[, at the age of 63 years.
The following sketch of other members of the Davis family has been sent to us
by Colin Dewar:-
" SU1EON 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 ft)r several years.
" Roswell, the eldest son, married Miss Annie, daughter of N"athan Capron of
Keene, N.H" by whom he had a family of six sons, viz., Edward, Alfred, \Vhitcomb,
Simeon, Roswell and Nathan. About the year [840, 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
an 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
1 ontreal and GrenvilIe (mf'ntioned 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 tht'
rivers on bad ice, and although he had to drive thrûugh bad roads on dark nights,
not one of his passengers ever received an injury. In relating this part of his experienc
,
which is not given in a spirit of boasting but in that of gratitude to the Father úf
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 c;ollfrères.
., After his father left St. Andrews,
Ir. Davis went up the Ottawa river, and
engaged in the lumber business for some years, and being of an active, pushing spint,
was engaged in several important public works, such as opening up new roads, build-
ing bridges, etc., besides having considerable experi
nce in mining and boating.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
81
" 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 th
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, \Vhitcomb, took an active part in suppressing the Rebellion
of 1837, being a Yolunteer in the Lachute Road Company, under Captain John
Dennison, He marched to Grand Brulé with the other Volunteers and Regulars
under the command of Captain Mayne, of the 24th Regiment, to meet those coming
from Montreal on the 14th December, 1837, He served in that Company until it was
dishanded 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 d
ughters,
and where he died in July, 1894, aged 77 years.
" Roswell's other sons are still living in the immediate neigh Lorhood of the old
homestead.
" Asher, the second son of Simeon, was brought up to the blacksmithing business,
which he rarried 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 \Vm. Atkinson, who resided for nuny years
at Carillon; they had no family."
The following obituary is copied from the Belle7Ú/lc bl/tlligmar, of :\[a rch,
188 4:-
"ANOTHER OLD PIONEER PASSED AWAY.
"LY11 1 an Davis died at the residence of his son in Trenton, on the 24th :\hrch,
1884, at the advanced age of 90 years, 2 months and 6 day
.
,. Thè subject of this notice was born in Massachusetts, U.S. .\., on tne 19th
January, 179.J. He came with his parents to Lower Canada in [80[, and located at
St. Andrews in the C.ounty of Argenteuil. At the breaking out of the war in 1812-15,
he was drafted, a.nd served three years. At the expiration of the war, he was dis-
charged with the other :\lilttia. About 1825, he again removed with his parents to the
village of Hop
, where he worked with his t:lther at the blacksmithing trade for three
years, and at the expiration of that period he removed to that part of the Township
of Hope no\\' called POIt Britton, where he still worked at his trade till 1830, when
he gave lip hIs business, removed to the Township of Clark, and commenced farming.
And two years later (in 1832) he married Catherine Babcock, a dJ.ughter of \Vm.
Bahcock of Ameliasburg. In 1840, he removed his Llmily to Ameliasburg,
and continued farming till T 848, whe.1 he removed to Trenton, five years before the
82
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
<lit
dllage was incorporated, where he continued to reside till his death. 1\1r. Davis had
many warm friends, was very unassuming, and never took an active interest in
public affairs.
" He leaves a widow 72 rears 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 r804, two brothers named Peter and Duncan Dewar from Glasgow, Scotland,
made St. Andrews their horne, and many of their numerous descendants are still in
the County of Argenteuil.
Duncan Dewar, the younger of the two brothers, pnrchased a hundred acres of
laud 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 busine.ss suited to
his taste
, 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 51. 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 1\1r. Dewar, married JOHN LA:\IE, 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 p
lTts 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 [894 ;
lr
. Lamb died in [887,
They had six children-three sons and three daughter.:;. The sons, James E.,
\Villiam and John H. Lamb, engaged in the occupation followed by their father, and
seem to have inherited much of his skill at invention.
Janil) a daughter of Duncan Dewar, sen., married \Villiam Kneeshaw, and settled
on Beech Ridge; both are deceased, They had one s')n, 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 invol..-ing no little risk. They brought the bO:1.t down, however, but
HISTORY 01.0' ARGF.
TEUIL.
83
in the act it upset, and Dewar swam to the shore. Rice clung to the boat and
endeavoured to Tight 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 both
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
brothe r 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 \Yales, 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 fol1owing obituary published at the time of Mr. Dewal's death, 23rd ^ pril,
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' il1ness, Mr. John
Dewar, aged 69 years, the eldest brother of Duncan Dewar, Esq., J.P., of that vil1age,
leaving a family and a large circle of friends to wrestle with a sorrow, which wuuld
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 \Vales 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 5t,
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 caned by the Captain of his sa.lvation from the field of labour to the
rest that remaineth for the people of God.
c. 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 ..ill. 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 helief that he has gone to serve
God day and night in his temple,-\V. K. A."
Mrs. Dewar died in 188r, Their children were Duncan \Vale
1 Henry, Charles
Alexander, John Edward, Mary Lemira, Esther Jane, Elizabeth, and Susannah,
Two of the sons, John and Henry, lived on the homestead tilt 1889, when they sold
it to J. A. N. l\lackay, Esq. Those of the children now alive a.re widely scattered;
the only ones living in this County are two daughters,
[ary and Jane, whose good
works are a reproduction of those of t'leir patents. The former is the wife of Mr. A,
L. Sharman, a most estimable citizen of Carillon.
84
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
Duncan 'Vales, 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,
Dm,cAN, 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 eJection of the first bridge that was ever built across the
1\orth 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 il young man by the name of Joseph 'Vhitcomb, 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 nam
d Timothy Bristol had a wheelwright and blacksmith shop, in a
long building which stood on ground now occupied in part by the post-office, \Vith
this man young Duncan had become we]] acquainted, and as he was frequently in his
shop, he soon formed the opinion that the lot of a mechanic was more pleasant and
pJOfitable than that of a farmer, hence he besought hi.. father to peJmil him to learn
the trade of blacksmith, a trade for which his sma11 stature and delicate constitution
seemed scarcely- fitted. After due consideration, his father consented to his ploposal,
and apprt'nticed him to Bristol for the term of three years.
ome of the neighbours
pronounced the arrangement foolish, declaring that he would get tjisgusted with the
work, and \\ ish to return home within two weèks, but Mr. Dewar, knowing his boy's
qualities better 1han 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 especiaHy,
could not forbear feeling that they were destitute of some of the essential elements
of manhood. ::\ow, though young Dewar had no reason to repine at his want of
strength, he fdt that public opinion, on account of his slight form, would naturally
consi
n him to the weak class, and he retained this :mpressian, till one day, being
assaulted in the shop uy a burly habital/t, he soundly thrashed him. DoulJtless he
was indebted for this victory to strength acquired at the anvil; hut be this as it may,
from 11lat 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 rnore important interests to him, and which to the
present has had much influence on the actions of hi.. life.
-\. few prominent m
n of St. Andrews
having heard the noted Evange1i;t, Rev.
Mr. Christma
, 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.
85
from the error of their ways. Mr. Dewar 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. 1\[r. 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
to Ottawa, and procured work in a government shop at $1. 2 5 per day, making irons
which were used in the construction of canal locks. In the society into which he
was there thrown, hi3 temperance principles were pretty strongly tested. In the
afternoon of his first day in the shop, he sa\v one of his fellow-workmen collecting
money from the others, and presently he carne to him. Asking the purpose of the
collection, he was told that it was to purchase liquor. He replied, " I do not drink,
and it is against my principles to encourage it." "\Vell," was the answer, " no man
can stay here unless he joins us." Mr. Dewar then gave them money to a%ure
them that he was not actuated oy parsimony, out expressed his determination not
to taste any spirituous liquors. They never asked him for money again, nor did they
invite him to drink, although they all continued to use liquor themselve
, and often
to 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 1\[r. Dew.u, but
soon, before he could get it, a sly tap would send the contents on the floor, and after
this had occurred several times, the attempt to obtain milk was abandoned. \Vhen
he haJ earned $100, he once more returned to St, Andrews, and attended school,
and in this manner secured a degree of scholarship rather above what was accorded
at that time to the young men of his age.
Auout 1828 he entered the store of
1r. Guy Richards as clerk, and remained
with him six years, and he attributes much of the knowledge of business and moral
bencfit he received to the wise instructions and good example of
Ir. R iclnrds. In
18 34, he and John Richard Hopkins, nephew of Mr. Richards, bought Richards' stock
of merchandise, and 1\1r. Dewar for many years followed the mercantile business,
though, as his means increased, he added other branches of business, yet without
much ready profit. About 1850, he built a tannery, and then a oark mill. The
following year he received a diplonn from the Provincial Industrial Exhibition in
Montreal, for the best specimen of harness leather manufactureJ in Canad::t. In 18 5 6
his tannery was burnt, and his insurance policy having lapsed, it was an entire loss,
but he immediately rebuilt. He met with various other losses during his earlier
c..:areer,-one of a boat for \\hich he had paid $()
o.
86
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In December, 1836, :\lr. Dewar was married to Margaret Treadwell, daughter of
Xathaniel Hazard Tr
ad\Vell, Esq., 5eignior of Longueuil. \liss Treadwell and a
sister had been for some time livin
at L'Orignal with their brother, Charles, and
they often came to
t. Andrews to visit the family of Mr, Riclnrds. 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.
lrs. Dewar possessing much of the ability of her family was a help-m1te 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 w
re 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. C. Abbott, though
some years his senior. Though they differed widely in political principles in after
years, a warm friendship alway
sllbsisted 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 L900 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 confirm
d 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 e&rnestly devoted himself to Christian work, spending some months in this work
in N ew York in the summer of J 893. He is president of both the 5t, 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 \Vorld. 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 j but as this method of procuring a livelihood was not congenial to
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
8]
his tastes, and the land there was generally sterile, he gladly availed him'\elf 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, and
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 mil;:s 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. MC.Martin 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 \Vales, sen., of
St. Anshews, 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 :\1r. \Vales, which was occupied by Frederick McArthur, and purchased his
stock of goods. Subsequently, he purchased the store and house, boti1 being under
the same roof; but in about ten years from the time he began to trade, this building,
together with his entire Hock of goods, \vas burned. He then hired another store,
in which he traded till 1858, when he built a large brick store, which is now owned
by \Vm. 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
three hundred acres of land adjacent. At the expiration of fourteen years he sold
the mill to Mr. \Valsh, its present proprietor, and since has confined his attention to
his 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 m uried,-the
first time in 1847 to Christy McFarlane, who died in 1865. His second marriage
88
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
was to Amanda 'Vales. By the first marriage he had three children,-John F.,
Elizabeth and Kate. Elizabeth married E. 1\T. Kneeshaw, and Kate, J. S. Buchan,
a rising young lawyer of Montreal, son of 'Vm. Buchan, Esq., of Geueva. Mrs.
Buchan died in 18 94.
JOHN F, Mc
IARTIN at the age of sixteen engaged to a firm in Montreal as clerk,
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. 'V.
lcKeddie & Co., on Victoria Square, as
partner,
GUY RICHARDS was another man prominent and influential in the youthful days
of S1. Andrews. He was Lorn ill Norwich, Conn., on 8th November, 17 8 7 ; 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 merch3nt. In the war of J 8 12, believing
that be could make much profit by providing clothes for the Volunteers, he invested
largely 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.
\Vith the view no doubt of improving his financial condition, Mr. Richards
removed to St. Andrews; here he also engaged in trade. He hought the property of
Theodore Davis, the surveyor, enlarged the house, and used one part of it as <l: !"tore.
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
J827, built the brick store which is now occupied by 1\1r, La Fond, He was very
successful, financially, while he lived here, yet, owing to his benevolence and severe
lcsses, 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
evety good work. One young man was educated for the ministry through the means
of money that he sup(JIied ; he died 21st September, 18 39.
Cynthia Graham, a. sister of Mrs. Richards, born in Conway, .Mass., 17 th I>ecem-
bel, 1800, carne to St. Andrews to live with her sister in I8H). \Vhile living here,
she became acquainted wid1 HENRY BENEDICT 'VALES, and in 1829 they were mar-
rieù. Soon afterward they moved to Pt, Fortune, and purchased the farm about a
mile beloú' the village, now owned by Mr. 'Vi11iamson. A quarter of a century later,
Ir. 'Vales 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 188 9.
One of the daught
rs of 1\[r. 'Vales married the Rev. John Dempsey, a Baptist min-
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
89
ister, who labored many years in Sf. Andrews, and another was married to Finlay
Mc
1 artin, with whom her mother, :Mrs. \Vales, who has just celebrated her ninety-
third birthday, now lives.
It is impossible to speak of this iady, 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 FlIJton made a voyage from Albany to New York in the first steam-
boat the worlJ had ever seen. She had attained an age when the events of the war
of J81 2, the battle of Lundy's Lane, Queenstown Heights and Platts burgh must have
aroused her imagination and stamped themselves upon her memory. She was bud-
ding into womanhood when the ba ttle of 'Vaterloo was fough t, an event which oc-
curred nearly two decaùes before the birth 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, yet, she has
lived to see the social and commercial world revolutionized through the mighty agen-
cies of steam and electricity. *
ROBT. J. SI
IPSON, from
rascouche on the S1. Lawrence, was another man who
may be classed with the pioneers of this section, as he was here and keeping store as
_early as 180 7, in a large WOJd house, occupying the site of the present dwelling of
1\1r, 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
finishing his term of apprenticeship-seven years-youn
Simpson engaged to work
for 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
tannery, accepted 1\Ir. Simpson as partner in the work, and, henceforth, the
latter was one of the enterprising spirits of St. Andrews. In] 82 4, he formed a closer
alliance with Mr. Davis, having entered into a contract of marriage with his eldest
daughter. .\ few years afterwards, deciding to fngage in the business of tanning on
his own account, he erected a building for the purpose, on the site of the present
tannery which is in disuse. Some years later, this having fallen a prey to fire, his
sons built the one mentioned above, which is now standing. Mr. :Simpson, like his
father-in-law, in addition to his business of farming and tanning, added that of harness-
making and shoemaking. He seems to have been a man of much influence in the
place, 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.
*.l\Irs. 'Vales died a few months after the above was written.
,...
,
9 0
HI
TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
He was a Tustice of Peace, Commissioner for the tri.ll of small causes, and for
some time Mayor of the Parish.
At one period, during the construction of the Grenville 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 loaùs, involved, in summer Especially,
no little hardship. The beef must be in Grenv]le before 9 0' clock a.m. daily,
thus necessitating constant worry and watchfulness on the part of
lr. Simpson, lest
the man he employed to carry it should oversleep, and trouble arise in consequence.
A few years later, during the Rebellion, be 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 exci\ing period, l\lr. 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 from each
other at the time of the greatest excitement.
Being well acquainted in the neighborhood of St. fustache and St. Benoit, and
having friends there among the Radicals, he was often visited by scme of the latter,
and solicited to use his influence in securing the restoration of articles which, in those
days of rLcklessness with regard to the laws of meum and tuum, had suddenly changed
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 possession of some
of his loyal neighbors. On one occasion, however, his mission was a higher one,
His old employer, James Brown, who now Eved in St. Andrews, and Montmarquette,
a merchant from Carillon, while returning from Montreal, were taken prisoners by the
imurgents, and held at St. Benoit. 1\1r. Simpson's object was to obtain their release;
and having been successful in his purpose, he returned in company with them t'J Sf,
Andrews, where they received quite an ov.üion. It has been stated that the dweH;r,g
of 1\1r. Davis was used as a barracks for soldiers who were qu::trtered in the vilbge.
Another large building used for the same purpose was the house already mentioned,
which was formerly the house of Mr. Simpson, and which stood where Mr. Howard's
brick hOllse now stands.
Several prisoners had been taken at St. Eustache and in that vicinity, and they
were tried for treason by court martial, the sessions of which were held in this house,
K othing very criminal being proved again st them, they were relea
ed; but such
was their fear of being ill-treated by the crowd gathered there to listen to the pro-
ceedings, that they earnestly entreated l\Ir. Simpson to escort them some distance
beyond the village-a favor he cheerfully granted.
Mr, Simpson died 24th May, 1870, but his widow sur\Tived till I9
h September,
18 95. She was a woman of much intelligence and activity, and though she attained
the age of eighty-eight, her mental and physical faculties were well preserved.
They had eight children, of whom cne died in infancy. Robert, the eldest son,
spent some years in New Zealand, engaged in mining. He returned, married, and
HISTORY OJo' ARGENTEUIL,
9 1
died in St. Andrews, where his widow still resides. Moses Davis is one of the enter-
prising farmers of the parish. He has been twice married: first, to a daughter of the
late James Barclay, the second time to Lucinda, a daughter of Martin l\fcMartin.
Emer}., the fifth son, married Rebecca Kempley, and after many years spent in
farming has retired.
Lester F., the youngest son, is a prosperous farmer near Ottawa j he has been
twice married; first to Miss Aylmer of Montreal, and next to Lizzie Ewen, daughter
of Dr. Ewen of Hawkesbury. Of the two daughters of the late Robert Simpson,
Phæbe married Edward Jones, and Mary Ann, now deceased, nurried David Suther-
land, both gentlemen of St. Andrews.
GEORGE SIMPSON, the eldest son, always took an active interest in pab
ic afftir="
and besides being Mayor of the Parish Council, Was for some years superintendent of
the Carillon and GrenviJIe Canals-a position which ill-health induced him to resign.
In 18 77, he was nominated as candidate for the office of Represen tative of Argenteuil
in the Dominion Parliament; but the follo\ViI
g letter shows that he declined the
honor:
ST. ANDREWS, 23rd l\Iarch, 18 77.
To iIII'. IV. J. SimþsoJl, S:creiary Lib
ral-CoJlservativt! AssociatioJz, L:Zt:hltte.
DEAR SJR,
After mature consideration, which, unfortunately, I did not give the subject before
allowing myself to be nominated for a candidate, I have come to the decision that
It would be ruinous foJr me in my business position to go ill for Parliamentary
honours at present. I exceedingly regret that such is my position, but I can assure
the Conservative party of my hearty Support for the candidate who mar be
nominated.
Yours truly,
GEO, SIMPSON.
:ðlr.
impson was married 5th September, 186r, to Eliza, daughter of Thomas
Higginson, Esq., of Vankleek Hill. She died 6th January, 1881, leaving eight
children.
George Herbert, the eldest son, a gentlem:m of much energy and geniality, was
employed nine years as commercial traveller, and was one of the first of that frater-
nity who visited British Columbia and the North West. He was appointed to the
pO
Ílion which his father resigned-Superintendent of Canals, November 1st, 18 93, a
postion he still holds.
Robert S. is a dental surgeon in Montreal.
Thomas Crawford, the third son, received his degree as Veterinary Surgeon
from McGill, in 18 9 2 ; he Won the Gold l\Iedal, and graduated with high honors. He
has quite an extensive stock farm in St. Andrews, known as ., Craigwood Farm "
\Vm. H, and Bernard, two more SOl1s of the family, are employed in l\Iontreal-
the former as commercial traveller for D. l\Iorrice & Co., the latter in the wholes.tle
9 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
hOllse of J as. McDougall & Co. The youngest of these brothers, George F., is still
at school, and of t he daughters, Agnes L. and Jane Klyne, the former was married
16th March, 1895, to D. A. McIntyre, of Calumet, and the latter resides with her
brother at The 'Villows, their home in S1. Andrews.
MARTIN JONES was one of the very early settlers at Carillon Bay, and tis advent
must have been about the beginning of the pre!:ent century; he settled on land now
owned by - Raymond. I t is related that one winter, while he resided here, he
found it necessary to go to Lachine for prcwisions, 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 1\0.3 on the east side of the North River, where A. C.
Robillard now lives, which had been granted by the Seignior, 17th May, 1793, to
Ignace Samson, He lived here till his death in 1838, leaving one son and three
daughtt:rs, The eldest of the latter wa
married to \Vm. Le Roy; the second, in
1820, to Thomas \Vanless; 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 Me. 'Vales, In 1843 he purchased
Carillon Island, in the Ottawa, comprising about J 000 acres, since which it has
generally been known as ., Jones' Island." He never lived on it himself, but his son
.Edwa
d 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, 17th June, 1890. He was quite successful in financial
mat
ers, and was a man of respectability and influence. He was Justice of the Peace
for several years al
d a member of the Local Council.
THOMAS 'V AN LESS mentioned above came from Yetholm, Roxburyshire, Scotland,
and settled in S1. 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. 'Vanless
died in February, 1873.
The son, :\fARTIN \V ANLESS, now living here, has been one of the aClive citizens of
the place, and prominent in both civil and military afflirs. 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.
IIISrORY OF ARGEN rEVlL,
93
Early in the present century a young man whose home wa!õ: in Bath, England,
decided to visit Canada with the view of settling h
re, eventually, should the
country please him. A confectioner by trade, it is quite probable t1lat he designed
establishing his business in the new colony, provided conditione;; were fa\'orable.
Howe\'er this may be, influences more potent than pecuniary interests induced him
to remain. He formed the acquaintance of a young German lady in l\Iollh'eal, who,
like himself, had recently left her native lal
d, so John Teasdale and Mary Dock-
stadter became one. He engaged in his former business of confectioner, and pros-
pered; then he bought a fin
house with a large garden attached, and this was "u,d
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 coffás,
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, 'Vil
iam, 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 fur 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. l\Ieikle; it was a long structur
, design
d not only for a stOle, but
for one or more tenements.
In this, then, the young men were soon established as merchants; Lut 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 th:1t
period being new, and the forest abounding in game of various kind'.), presented great
attractions to one inclined to sporting, The pleasure thus afforded to the two
younger brothers was one they were not likely to i
nore. But in order to pursue
it in becoming style, they mu<;t 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 t,he 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
los
.
4\S may be supposed, and as the citizens of St. Andrews had prophesied, the new
94
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
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 quaiified 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 oC his property, moved to
St. Andrews, deciding that he could support his family at II.uch less expense here
than m the city: while the SOlIS now adopted a course which developed their latent
energies and ability, and properly fitted t
1em for the battle of ]ife.
\YILLLU[, 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
masteled 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
Gme oCher beautiful lakes. But he finally suffered from an affection of the eyes, and
eventually became blind j he died at Rigaud about 1862. JOHN, his brother, studied
mldicine with the late Dr. ,V olfred Nelson, and subsequently settled in Rigaud. In
the commel
CEment of his last illness, he visited Montreal for treatment, and died
tl:ere in 18jo. H is obituary says: "Dr. Teasdale has been living and practising
in Rigaud for the last forty years, where he was mllch esteemed by a large circle of
fl iends, 110t only as a physician, but as a true friend, His los
will be deplored, not
0I11y by the people of his own parish, but by all the surrounding district, and the
name of Dr. Teasdale win be remembered for generations to come."
The father for a time traded in the store which his sons occupied in St. Andrews,
and died there in 1830. Mrs. Teasdale survived till 1870, Julia, their sixth child,
married G \SPARD DE COLlGNY ÐE1\YS DE LA Ro
mE, a notary, 8th February, 1829.
1r.
de la Ronde, who was born in St. Anne, descended from a lineage that might satisfy
tf1e most ambitious,-I-.is ancestry on the maternal side running back through illus-
trious families to the King of Portugal, and on the other, through hOllses equally
famous; the 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 stuùied for the notarial proîession in
Iontreal, 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 dllties 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-1Îve sons and five daughters, who lived till past the age of twenty, though
but few of them are now alive.
HISTORY 0F ARGENTEUIL,
95
J. T. de La Ronde, the eldest son now living, after spending some years in the
States, employed in com mercial business and as proof-reader ir.. a newspaper office
in Plattsburg,
.Y., returned to Canada, and now resides at St. Andrews.
R. P. DE LA RONDE, his brother, in his youth learned telegraphy; he then studied
law in the office of Ch1pleau, Ouimet & Mathieu, and was admitted to the Bar in
186 7, and the following year Wa'ì married to
[artha McMartin, daughter of Duncan
Mc
,rartin, J.P. He lives at St. Andrews, where he has built up an extensive prac-
tice as an able and honorable barri.;ter.
Stewart E., another son of the late Gaspard de la Rúnde, has been engaged f')r
the
ast nineteen years in the commission business in Ottawa. :Margaret, a sister of
the above, I1nrried J. H. P. BROWN, son of Dr. E. B. Brown of St, Anne.
[r,
Brown has for several years been a mail clerk, and is now employed as sucn on the
Canada Atlantic between
Iontrêal and Ottawa.
Hn-my ALBRIGHT, a Gernun, was one of the U. E. Loyalists who sought an asy-
lum in Canada at the beginning of the :\.merican Revolution, In :\Iontreal he engaged
to Dr. :i\Ieyers 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 fonowed 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 on Iy by the activity of the chief, who caught
him by the hair as he rose to the surface.
:\Ir. Albright came to the Bay, and settled on land until recently occupied
by .l\Iatthew Burwash. Not long afterwards, he purchased the Jots on the North
River no\v owned by Alphonse Dorion and Charles Hunter, where he lived until
he died in 1820; he left two sons and tour daught
rs : 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 0wned by his own son Nelson
He spent the greater part of his life here, and dild 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 j he takes a lively interest in the Agricultur
l
Society,. and his fine farm, on which he has recently becn awarded a silver medal,
always di...plays, among other things, a choice stock of cattle.
ANGUS MCPHIE came with his family from Fort William, Invernessshire, Scotland
in 1802; two brothers, Ewen and Ronald, also nuking 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
9 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
182 7 to
Iary Cameron, sister of the Cameron who first settled at Pt. au Chene,
and had five sons and five daughters i-three of the former and four of the latter grew
up, Besides his military and other offices, Mr.
lcPhie 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
18 74.
JOHN MCPHIE, jun., the fourth son, in his younger days spent three years m
California, then travelled a few years in the commercial line. In 1872, he bought
the farm of 27 0 acres where he now lives, and was married the same year to a
daughter of Charles Albright. Mr. McPhie has been School Commissioner several
years, and is one of the influential and respected citizens of St, Andrews,
The following leller may properly be in
erted here, as it treats of the early
history of St, Andrews:
OTTAWA, 18th Januarr, 1894.
::\Ir. 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,
lioll and partly from personal observation, and is written entirely from memory.
Before the advent of steamboats on the Ottawa river, between Caril10n and
Lachine, 1t was no easy matter to travel between these poin ts, and paddle your O'WII
calloe. 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 differen t 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 stánds. After a time, he removed across the river to premises situated
between Rout. Slmpson's garden and Edward Jones' house, where he died, His widow
kept the house for a time, when she l11aITied a Mr. Bowman, and removed to Buck-
ingham. The arrival of the stage in the village was always heralded by the dri\'er'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 st
ges were taken off the through
line, and placed between Carillon and Grenville, and between Point Fortune and
L'Orignal. There ".as 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
addlers' and shoe-makers' shops, a paper mi1J, saw mill and grist
iII,
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 Ricbards 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. D
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 span;) 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
Ir, ,V. G. Blanchard, who also conducted the
ashery, where the ÏIJhabitants 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 hi s unscrupulous lJeighbors, as
it was currently reported that he paid more than once for the same ashes.
1\1r, Davis' tannery was a long, lûw building nearly opposite where D. 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 aU of them.
The Seigneur had at one time a saw mill 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
tories high,
built of cedar logs and dapboarded; the water wheel and (,ther machinelY 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 he me
with a sieve, made from a partially tanned sheepskin, stretched over a hoop, and r er -
forated. The miller who presided over that institution for many years was cert.1Înly
not in advance of his surroundings. He was a Highlander from Argyleshire (not far
from that celebrated spot where the horrible "Glencoe II massacre was perpetrated),
by the name of MacCallum, but who rejoiced in the not very euphonious sobriquet
of" Goch-cum-ga'W."
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 aU farming tools, and a large business was done in making axes,
which were then in great demand, one firm having a U grindstone" run by \\ater
power to grind, polish and fir:ish them up ready for use,
The members of the medical profession, as they styled themselves, had nothing
.
9 3
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
to Qoast 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 c1aS5 5ettled in the country, viz., Drs. Beach, Ellis, and Rice;
the last named also carried on 3. farm, which is now owned by
Ir. T. Davis, and
he lived where George Simpson's hom;e now stands.
\bout the
ame 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 dJY', 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 h
death, his wife and family went to Montreal. Shortly bt::fore 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 reput:).-
tion of being very skilJful 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 W,lS 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 W1.S not a single representative of the legal prof:
ssion in the county in
early times, not but what there was plenty of law going on, but it was all carried on
through the
Iagistrates' 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 !\ir, Nolan came; he practised
for many yeals, and was regarded as a careful, reliable man in his profession. He
owned and resided on the property;which he afterwards sold to Charles Benedict,
About the time Mr. Nolan left St. Andrews, two other young notaries-Larue and
Goudie-opened aT: office on the corner" where 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 al e copied fron a well preserved Day Book that was
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, when:we reflect that traèers all sold spirituous liquors, and
their patrons al1 used it,
The charges were all made, of course, in pounds, shiHings and pence, but
have been changed into dollars and cents. The merchant seems to have sold every-
thing from a jews harp to a Jog cabin :-
I8q.Feb. 6 To BmhelCorn ...,................. at $200
.. Pro Soc1.s.. . ,.. .,.. ...... ....., .. "
Pr. Scissors.., . " . ... ,..... ...,.. "
3
Lbs. Loaf Sugar...... ..,... ...... "
Bush 6 Sa It. . .. ...... . . .. . . ... 6 . . . . "
I -:\1 ug Cider...... ...,.. .."., . . ,. .
J2 Lh. Chocolate.. .. .... ... . . . .. ..... ..
2 Bushels Rye..., ".. ..., .". ,.,.., ,.
1 Pint of Rum. . . . . , . , . , " ,...., . , ., "
I Lb. Tobacco. . .. . , . . . , ., ,.. , ,." .,
I "Raisins.. .. "....,.,. . , . . '.. "
I l. Tea............... ..... ...... I,
I " Po\v<ler..... ...... . . .. .. . . . . .. ... "
I "Shot. . . . .. .. ............ .... . "
1 Pint Gin...". ....,. . . . . . . .. ".......
6}4 Yds. Cambric, at 74c........ .... ......
I Lodgingand}
heetPaper...,.. ......
J 2 lint Rum, I supper. . . , . . .. ..,. , , . . . . . .
" I Alman3c. .. ...... .......
. .. .. .. .. ..... .... .....
29" So BoardN'ails,."".. ..,....,.,........
" 2 500
hingle N
ils. . . , , . ,_ . , " . . . . . . .. ..,..
3000 large Nails.."...,.", ...". ..,. , , . . .
5 Vd!'. Linmg, at Soc.... ....,. ...... .....
3 "S heet ing . .. ...,............,....
100 Board Nails _.............,...........
5 Yd!'. Blue Colton.... .... , _. ... .. .. . _..
1 Gill Peppermint. . . . . . . . . . . .. ..."..,.,
1 Set Cups and Saucers..,.., . . . . .. ...... 4
I "rum bIer blokt-n.,..., . . " .". . . , , . . ,. .
2 Cand les , . .. , , ., . . . . " . . ., ..,,'. .,.",
f Lb. Putty.,., ,,'... .',. .... ". ..
1 J; Bush. Ùats. . . . " .........,.,........
I Quart Brandy. . ". . ,. "........"".,
2 Slings. . . . .. "..,..,...........,.,..
I S1.ein
il1....... ..., .,....,.. .,.",..
6 Vds.Co.ton...... ...... ......at5octs.
Glass Bilters. . . , ,. .....,.,...,.,..,..
1 2 Pint Pepp,:,rmint . , . , .. ....,.".,., ...
Bush. Barley.... . . . . " ."", .".....
Hair COD.b..., .,.. .... .... .,.. ."",.
Spelling Book. . .. .... . , .. . , , . .. . . . . ..
Lb. Rice (by \\ ire).... ... . .. .... ......
D07. Plates and 2 Tumblers.... " . .,. '"
2 Bowls and I Pepper Box.... . . . , . ., . . ..
Lb. Pepper.,......,. . . , .. ... ... . . .. ..
I " S pi Ce . . . . .. ..... ......._
Yard Ginghan1.... .. ., .... .. .... .... . .
(2 t . Beer.,...,.".,......,.....
J'lnt fort \\'ine.... ........ ..........
I 8 I 5 lkt.
I!; q .\f'ril 5
I.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
Iar.
3
..
. ,
"
"
, .
"
Apr.
'.
"
"
,.
5
"
Jur.e 21
"
July
?
. .
"
" "
Aug.
"
5
'.
"
..
"
3
"
"
"
,.
12
1
I
I
1
..
" "
"'
-:\Iay 4
"
. .
..
99
75
50
I 40
2 40
20
25
5 00
4 0
60
34
I So
6S
4 0
3 0
5 00
15
50
25
34
I 50
9 00
2 50
I 50
4 0
3 00
15
15
15
15
15
1 00
75
25
10
3 00
5
25
2 GO
3 0
3 0
IS
So
77
25
25
4 0
20
45
100
181 4 June 7 To 10
" " " I
" " " 2
<. I
" 9 J/z
" 17 J/z
" IS " I
, I 'I I
.. I
,t " 2
" " ,I I
Xov. 9 By 6
" .. 16 9
" " 600
HISTORY OJo' ARGENTEUIL.
Yd!'. Ca1ico...." ... .... ,.,..,..
Paper Pins. . . . . . ., ... ......., ,.,..,..
Ozs. Cinnan1on. . .. . , ., , . .. .. . . .. .,.....
Dinner(St.John'sDay).. ".. .......,.
Lb. CoppeJas (by Betsy).......... .... ...
" .. (hyJack)..................
Pair Overalls.", . . . . .. ., . . .. ....,. ....
Stick 'rwi!it.. .. ."". .,.." ". . .. . . .. ..
Scythe.. . . .. ,..... . . , ... . .,...". . ..
Y d!'. Cotton. , . , . . . . . . ...., . , ., .. . . . . .
Lb. Dried Apples... . , , . " .",.,..... . . ..,
$5 20
3 0
25
I 00
10
10
3 7 0
10
200
1 50
20
Cr.
Bushels Onions, at $ 1.50. . . . .. . . . . .. . . ,. 9 00
Lbs. Beef, at jc.......... ...". .. . .. I I 83
" Pork, at I8c.... .,.. ",... .. .,.... 10
00
The earliest physicÏans 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 J AMES 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
lajesty'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
avy 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
:\lay, this sailing vessel rarrived in Quebec. The following summer DI, Howard
spent in l\Iontreal and in travelling through Ontario, seeking a desirable place for
location; but he finaJly settled in St. Andrews, and began the practice of medicine,
His COllfrères were Dr. Pyke, Dr. Lawrence-succeeded by Dr. \\Y m . 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 187 I.
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 in tile office of
::\lr, 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 j 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 01<' ARGF.NTEUIL.
101
On receiving his commission as notary public for the Province of Quebec, in N ov-
ember, 185 It 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 t
he was appointed Secretary-Treasurer, and held the position for twenty-three rears,
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
of which he has sustained a reputation for efficiency in business, while commanding
respect as an intellig-ent, public-spirited citizen.
1\1r. Howard was married in 1853 to l\Iarie Aurélie Clouthier, of St. Ellstache;
they have three sons and one daughter. William Henry, the eldest son, a graduate
of McGill, is now superintendent of the Pueblò 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. \Villiam 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 'Villiams-
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 thi
County in Parlia-
ment, he removcd to Lachute. Soon after 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 Ü
47, he rem oved to St. Andrews, where he spent his remaining days, dying
6th March, 1871;
lrs. Robertson died 6th February, 1890. They had two sons
and four daughters. DR. PATRICK ROBERTSON studied medicine, and graduated at
lcGill in 1868. He then settled in St. Andrews, where, with the exception of one
or two yeals spent in England, he has since resided, and built up an extensive and
successful practice; he has recently removed to
\Iontreal.
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 188 9'
One daughter was married to Co!. MacDonald, Indian agent of the North 'Vest
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 FLANIG<\N SHAW, a rising young pmctitioner, associated with Dr.
Rovertson, 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 remaini 19 brothers, the eldest, C.
S. Shaw, is one of the prominent business men of Ottawa. Dr. \V. F. Shaw is G. T. R,
physician, located in Gravenhurst, Ont. j 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
1:cGill University, :\Iontreal, taking his
degree of M.D., c.
f., and while there, was for a year editor of the iI/cGil! 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 S:>ciety and of the Coll.;ge of Physicians and Sur-
geons úf Quebec 3.nd Ontario.
Since the writing of the above, Dr. Shaw has dls
olved partnership with Dr.
Robertson, on account of the latter's departure for Montreal, and is now established
in St. Andrews upon his own re
ponsibility ; he has recently been appointed Health
Officer of the parish, and church warden, to fill place
rend
red vacant by the depart-
ure of Dr, Robertson.
\VILLIAM H. l\IAYRAND, M.D., is another of the physicians who have earned
a livelihood and reputation in St. Andrews ar,d vi2inity, and he is one of the few
remaining who were prominent in the generation past. He was born at Louiseville,
Rivière du Loup, and is a son of the Hon. Eti
nne .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 Imtitution, he studied
medicine a year with Dr. Morin of Qu
b
c, and then entered the Medical Depart-
ment of McGill University, and graduated there in :May, 1847, in the sam
class with
Dr, Christie of L3.chute. He imm
diately settled in 5t, 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 G
neral 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 h
s been a familiar' figure in
this section. Though preferring to give over his practice to younóer m'::l1, he is still
the dependence for medical treatment of ma'1Y households.
Mrs. Mayrand died August 8, 1888, leaving two sons. Henry Wellington, one of
these, is employed in the .Merchants BJ.nk at Halifax; Geo, C. is in business in
Nelson, B.C,
A recent addition to the medical men of St. Andrews is Dr. \VALTER'V. A YLEN,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
10 3
who \\-as born in 1865 at Aylmer, Que. He received his early education in Aylmer,
Ottawa and Galt. In 1885, he entered the Medical Faculty of McGill College, and
received his degree of M.D., C.M., there in 1889. In 1890, he went to Sheldon, N.
Dakota, and dunnci his stay there enjoyed an extensive practice. In 1391 he was
married to Eva, daughter of Finley McMartin, of St. Andrews. In 1895, desiling to
come East, he sold his practice in Sheldon, and bought that of Dr. Robel bon of this
place. Dr, Aylen is a worthy son of a clever family, the Aylens of Aylm
r having given
the medical and legal professions some of their most gifted members.
DR. 'VILLlA.
[ S. ALLE
, who has also but lately visited St. Andrews pn{ession-
ally, was born in Montreal, his parents coming from Nottingh..uD, Eng" where his
mother, Jane Stanley, belonged to on
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 P.lper Co.,
[ontreal. 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 as:private secretary to Jas. Bfyce, Esq., superintendent of
the Canadian Express Co. He was indentured to Dr. J. B. \
osburgh, Montreal,a.n d
began the stud} of dt:ntistry in the fall of 1891, and also took a partial medical course
in the Univefsity of Bishop's College, ).Iontrlal; he received the degree of L.D.S. in
October, 1895.
Dr. Allen is a young m.m of much geniality as wdl a<; enterprise, and a., his pre-
sence in St. Andrews fills a long felt want, it is to ue hoped that he may meet with
descrved success.
Dr, Legault is another physician who has been here for the bst six or eight
years, and ha
practised very successfully during the time.
CHCRCHES.
Though considerable pains were taken to obtain a more complete history of the
.\nglican Church here, they were fruitless. For the sketches of the remaining
churches, we are chiefly indebted to the courtesy of others; the biographical sketches
of thcir pac,tors ueing, of course, from our own pen.
Itinerant ministers visited St. Andrews, and preached in the early years of her
history; but the first church fvrmed was the Church of England, by the Rev. Richard
Bradford, as earl y as 18 r l.
The first resident clergyman was the Rev. Joseph Abbott, who was b.Jrn 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. Henàerson, a Presbyterian clergyman, who came about the same time that l\fr,
Abbott did, also held services in the same school-house j but as Mr. Aubott had littie
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 diff..:rences,
however,. were avoided by the withdrawal of the Presbyterians to a private dwelling,
and both clergymen were provided with church e,jifices the same year, 1821.
1 0 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 Abl>ottsford, 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 18 59.
Not long after corning 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 12th March, 182 J, 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 18 43.
The Rev. Richald Lonsdell, M.A., accepted the charge in St, Andrews after Mr,
Al>bott'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 pctober, 188 5, 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 thp. fall Of1893, relinquished it forthe rectorship of Dunham, Que.; he has also
since accepted the princip..llship of Dunham Ladies' College,
In January, 1894, the Rev. J. \Y. Dennis became incumbent, and his ability, geni.
alit}' and courtesy have secured for him much popularity,
THE PRESBYTERIAN CH
RCH, ST. A
DREWS.
BY THE REV. DR. PATERSON.
The finit recorded move ment towatds the establishment of the Presbyterian
Church in Argenteuil is embodied in the foIlowing document, which is without date,
but evidently a copy made at the time, and btlonging to the year 18i6:-
"\Ye, the subscril>ers, inhahitants 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 mini:iter of the Gospel, have agreed to use our endea-
vors in order to attain this desirable object, tru5ting 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,
" \Ve 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, Mess.rs. Rev.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
10 5
Robert Easton, John and Phineas Hutchins, Benjamin \Vales, and \Vm. G. Blan-
chard."
And they promise, the document further says, to pay to the clergyman who
should come the
ums opposite their names, yearly; and at the end it is stated that
the number of subsctIbers was sixty-four, and the H sum total subscribed, L;.IOI ;"
but unfortunately the names are not given.
The Rev. R. Easton was minister of the Presbyterian Church in St. Peter street,
Iontreal, then in connection with the Associate (or Burgher) Synod, of Scotland;
the
lessrs, Hutchins belonged to Lachute, and Messrs. \Vales and Blanchard to St,
Andrews.
':\[r. Easton, to whom doubtless the original document was sent, wrote to Dr.
James Hall, of Edinburgh, a leJ.ding 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 Preshytery, in compliance with
these requests, appointed the Rev, Wm. Taylor of Falkirk to Argenteuil, and Mr.
Wm. Bell, a probationer, to Rideau. A pplication was m:lde 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 l\fr,
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, 1\1. A., of Carlisle in England, wh0, after due consideration,
accepted the appointment thus vacated (the same provision being made for him by
the Government, as had been nia.de for Mr. Taylor), and came to St. Andrews in the
summer of 1818.
:\Ir. Henderson was born at Daune near Stirling, Scotland, on the 27th September,
17 8 3. 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
ancicnt of the existing seats oflearning in Scotland. Pl'here 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 affairs being at th:lt time in the hands of the \Var Department. The salary was
paid out of the Military Chest at Quebec, afterwardi at Halifax, when the British Garrison had been
removed from Quebec.
8
106
HISTORY OF ARGEl\TEUlL.
departments of Theology, in his single person, and trained an able and well-furnished
race of ministers. 1\1 r. 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 lener to Mr. Easton, in September, 1817, says of
Ir.
Hend
rson : " If he will come, I could not point out one in all the Synod better quali-
fied. He is pious, mode!Et, 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
Iay, 1818: 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. Lea ving 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 10 :Montreal by the sickness and death of o.ne of his children. "îth a
sorrowing heart he returned with his family to the \'illage 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 smail 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: "\\There is the
village? " and received the reply: "It is on the other side of the river," "Then 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 occasional1y 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 :\linister," 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
ame buildin& the Rev. Joseph Abbott of the
Church of England began his labors. For a 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 l\Ir, Henderson's congregation weIe cliiefly of two
classe
, both of vigorous and reliable character. The greater part were Scotch settler
,.
HISTORY OF ARGEN fEUlL.
10 7
mostly Highlanders; the other families were chiefly of United Empire Loyalist stock.
or who had mOle recently cr03sed the lines from t!1e nei 6 hb 8ring Republic in the
same spirit,
BUlLDlKG OF THE CHURCH.
On the 26th January, 1819, a meeting of :\Ir. Henderson's congregation was held
in the schoolhou!'e, to consider" the necessity of building a place of public worship."
Capt, Elon Lee was appointed i\[oderatnr, and Guy Richards, Secretary, It was
motioned, seconded and unanimously \"oted, that a church ought to be built, and
:l committee was appointed to determine whether it should be built of wood or stone,
and to t'xamine various proposed sites for the cJ- urch. The committee consisted of
:\Iessrs. John Brush, James Bro\\ n, Charles Story, Duncan Dewar of Chatham, \\'m.
Blanchard, Judah Center, John McMartin, Hugh McLachlin, John !\IcLean,
Ioses
Davis, Charles Benedict, Phineas Hutchins,1'h05. Barron, G. A. Hooker and Peter
Dewar. They wisely decided on stone, and ill 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 chUlch 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
Ialcohn 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 Æ.25 in money and material, and \V. l\IcGillivray with Æ.IO, and amounting in all
to ..t 148 I 2S 6d, It is interesting to see on the list the IJame
of families still flourish-
ing m
Iontreal, 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. Hendenwn's first acts on settling in the country was to get an oflicial
register for the due recording of "Acts of Civil Stat
s," according to the law3 of
Lower Canada. It \Vas authen ticated on the first page in the following form :-
" This boo].., con taining eighty-eight folios or double pages, was this day presented
by the Reverend Archibald Henderson, minister of the Presbyterian Parish Church,
St. Andrews, A rgenteuil, to serve as a register of the Acts of Baptism,
Iarriage and
Burial, to be by him performed, and the same was this day paraphed by me, the H on.
James Reid, one of the Judges of l-!is Majesty's Court of King's Bench for the Dis-
trict of Montreal, pursuant to the Act in such case made and provided.
"MONTREAL, 12th day of August, 1818,
h J. S. REID, J.K.B."
*The ., Red House" was fln old post of the Hudson's Bay Co., and stood in a conspicuous posi.
tion on the shore of the Ottawa River, some di!>tance higher up than the Manor House. .Both these
houses have disappeared.
108
HI
)TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Marriage of
Do\ !\IEL DE HERTEl.
and
LYDIA BROWN,
Five days later the first entry was made: it was of a marriage, in these terms :-
Daniel de Hertel of St. Andrews, Argenteuil, Esquire,
and Lydia Brown, minor daughter of James Brown of the city
of l\Iontreal, Stationer, were married by License on the seven-
teenth day of August, in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighteen, in the presence of the undersigned
witnesses, by me.
].\.MES BROW
,
T. DAns,
ARCH. HEXDERSON, A.1\1.
DANIEL DE HERTEl.. JIillÎster.
LYDIA BROWN
The next entry is of the baptism of a child a month old, as follows :-
Baptism of
AMUEL \VmsTLE.
A son of Zechariah Whistle and his wife Eve, born on
the twenty-third day of July, in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighteen, was baptized on the
twenty-third d3Y of August following, by the name of Samuel,
in the presence of the undersigntd witnesses, by me.
SAMUEL LISCO:\I,
GEORGE ROBERTSOK.
\RCH. HfNDERSOX, A.M.,
.lI1ÙlÌster.
J he next en try is of the baptism of George, son of George Robertson of St.
Andrews, papermaker, and his wife l\Iargaret. 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 en tered is not till a year has passed, when on the 13 th 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,:'
'Vhile deaths were so few, Mr. Henderson in the first year baptized fifty children
and married twenty couplts, people coming to him for those services from consider-
able distances all round, from Lachute, Chatham, Rigaud, River du Chêne, and even
from Mon treal 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 ARGE
TEUIL.
10 9
Not one has been so announced sin12e 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 .824, in regard to baptisn:s and burials. At that time
there were some who questioned the legal right of the clergy of the E:hurch of
Scotland to keep registers or to officiate at marriages, and in a particular case the
Court of Appeals decided against them. .\Ir. 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 infornlation 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 stall ding in Scotland. The Act
was passed, and the disabilities which it had been attempted to impose on him and
others were ca<;t aside, and their claim to " Equal Rights" publicly recognized.
l<ULIXG ELDERS.
A Presbyterian Church is not completely organiæd without Ruling Elders.
Accordingly at an early period three were chosen and ordained to that office, to wit,
Messrs, \Vm. G, Blanchard, Benjamin \Vales, and - Cummins. Other Elders
appointed in after years were in August, 1832: \Vm. .\IcEwen, John McConnell. \Vm.
Cook and Guy Richards; in May, 1836, Charles Benedict and Peter
lc:\Iartin; in
1\1arch, 1863, John McGregor and Alex.
IcLachlan ; in March, 1877, James :\[iddle-
ton (formerly an Elder in Stanley St. Church, Montreal), Charles \Vales (son of
Benjamin \Vales above named), and James
IcOuat; in February, 1881. John
Rouertson (formerly an Elder in the Free Church of Scotland, and subsequently,
after completing his theological studie') at Queen's College, Kingston, ordained Dec.,
188 4, as :\Iinister of
[ill Haven and Ernestown in the Presbytery of K.ingston) ;
in 1887, Charles T. \Vales* (son of Charles Wales above named), David Rodger* and
John F. K.. McM
Lrtin. * Thus in the \Vales family there ha\'e 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 OF THE CHURCH.
Mr. Henderson labored, as Presbyterian
\Iinister of the Seigniory of Argen-
teuil, with much activity. Uesides his work at St. Andrews, he preached regularly
at Lachute, where he established a Temperance Society; at Chath.1m also, tra\.elling
'*' Those whose names are marked with all asterisk (-) fUIm the pre
ent session along with the
Rev. Dr. Paterson, the Moderator.
Tr. :\liddlcton, a man much beloved, died at the age of 86, while
this book was passing through the pless, all the rest hating gone before c:!I.cept
Ir. Roùeltson. \\ho
lives in Kova
cotia.
110
HISTORY OF ARGEN1EUII.
the seven or eight miles to those places by road5 which were mere bridle paths through
the forest, beset somdimes with wolve') and bears. He had service also in the dis-
tricts round the \.illage on the S lbbath afternoons, as there was only one diet üf
worship in the church on that day. Through his pastoral care and fidelity the
Presuyteri 1l1S of his wide field were nourished and strengthened till, in 183 2 , a separa"e
congregaliùn was formed at Lachu'
. One of the few minutes of Session ex!ant
of the early period relates to this matter. It is dated St. Andrews, I nh July, 18 3 2 ,
and bears that: "A petition WJS presented from the following church members re-
siding
t Lachute and the l;eighuorhood, v
z.: [tLe names are not givenl, pray-
ing the Session to disjoin them from this Church, that they may be formed into a
distinct church of the same de 10mination under the pastoral care of the Rev, \Vm.
Brunton, who now ministers amung them. The Session agreed that the prayer of
this Petition I;e granted, and the petitioners are hereby disjoined."
.\fter some years, the congregation (Æ Lachute divided into two, one of them
becoming connected with the Free Church. .-\ third was formeu at Chatham, in
connection with the Church of Scotland, and at a bt
r period, a church was built at
Pt. Fortune also, for the accommodation of the memuers of the Chatham congrega-
tion res;ding there. Thus the St. Andrew's Church grew after the manner of the
banyan tree, the b:-anches of which stretch out on aU sides. and by and by rea.h
to the ground, where they take root and grow u!) 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 uml.>r;lgeous !.helter. Although of three different sections of the
Presbyterian Chll1"ch, yet al1 these congregations were alike in doctrine, government,
and worship, and they were all united again; three of them at the union of th
Free
Church and the United Presbyterian Church in 186 [. and the others at the memorable
and happy union of the J 5th J line, 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 I'reshyterian Church in Canada:'
THE PRESBYTERY.
In the meantime, although
lr. He1lderson and his congregation were Presby-
terians, they were for many years without the oversight (,f any Pre
uyter)'. He, how-
ever, had heen in thehabit of meeting with his mini...teri:ll brdhrèn for mutual fdlow
hip
and counsel. In 18
3, the "
lissionary Presbytery of Eastern Canada" was formed
by authority of the United Secession Synol of Scotland. It con:;isted of, the Rev.
Andrew K.ennedy of L1.chute and the Re\'. Alex. Lowden of New Glasgow,_ with
their respective Elders, :\Iessrs. John i\IcOuat and John :\lurray, h was strengthened
in 1845 by the accession of the Rev. Dr, Wm. Taylor, of Montreal, and his con-
gregation in Lagauchetière street, which lnd been organized in 1833, but had hitherto
been in Presbyterial connection with Upper Canada.
\V1
en this Presuytery was form
d, Mr. Hendèr
on ùe5ired to become a member
of it, .1.nd sent a memorial to the SyrìOd in Scotland, stating his position, and request-
HISTORY OF ARGESTEUIL.
[[I
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 generalIy 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,
ho\vever, did not wish to be a burden on their
Iission funds, and declined the pro-
posal, c.:>ntinuing in his former isolated condition till the }'ear 186
.
A COLLEAGUE OBTAI
ED.
In that year, failing sight and strength compelIed him, now in his 77th 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 ilJ Montreal from Scot-
land. He was at once sent up to St, Andrews to supply the vacancy, and preached
on the next two Sabbaths, 29th July and sth 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 16th 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 u;lion
having been mutually agreed upon, and he had no conscientious difficulty in antici-
pating the Union by a few m,)nths. He therefore put himself under the care of the
Free Church Presbytery, and on the 24th October he was ordair;.ed, "by the laying
on of the hands of the Presbytery," to be
\ssistant 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
t. Andrews for two and forty years un-
aided, save by the grace that is promised
o every true worker, and by the sympathy
and help of the able and fJ.ithful Elders and other members of his church, who had
m05tly grown up under his ministry.
lR. HENDERSON'S LAST DAYS.
.
[r. Henderson now practically ætired, the work b
ing le[[ entirely to the young
minister; but he retained the status of Senior Minister and his po-;ition 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 "oman
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 tr.e despondency to which he was somewhat prone, She died on the 16th
November, being witI-in 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 l'ad some property, and to which he had gone for his health,
He was 44 years old,
lr. 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
91st 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 r9th 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, hut 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's, 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 und
rstanding 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, alld, 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
ommissioners for Foreign Missions i 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 missioll
.
The Congregation still has over sixty families connected with it, although its field
HISTORY 01<' ARGE
TEUIL.
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 d
nomina-
tions ; and, although there has also been a constant drain of the young men to the
ever inviting and largely promising 'Vest, besides the frequent removal of families to
other localities, lessening the Protestant }Jopulation 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 n1.lny of the young
(why should it not be so written of all?) into a solid Christi3.n life. On several occa-
sions, through means of special service3, larg
additi )ns were made to the number of
communicants.
The Congregation has grown in the grace of liberality in giving to the calIse 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 enjoym,=nt of G.)spel ordinances with so
little charge to themselves, they lost the privilege of exerting themselves for th
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 mini3ter was
laid upon them, som
, faint-hearted, were ready to shrink from it. T,le greater part,
however, stood manfully forward, 3.nd by bearing became stronger to bear. "For to
him that hath shall be given." TI-:.ey found a new pieasure 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 ha -j probably not gi 'len more than $150 in
anyone year before.
Since that time the stipe:1d has been i:1creased twice, while the contributions to
the schemes of the Church have also increased. In 18yo they raised $[,233, includ-
ing subscriptions for some special objects, and for the last four years the congregation
has contributed, for all purposes, from $[,100 to nearly $[,300 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 thè bte')t report
$22.82. But what is that to what i') still due to God? If all the tithes that are
unpaid were brought into His storehouse in the spirit of consecration, the world
would soon be changed. The truth is that the Church of Christ has only be;ull to
gIve.
In r877 th
church building wa') greatly improved from its form
r 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 1881,
the manse al!'o underwent a much needed renovation, at a cost of nearly $600. In
both cases the Ladies' Association contributed a large proportion of ti\e expenses.
The manse, with garden and small meadow attached, is the house which
[r. Hen-
114
\I I STORY OF ARGENTEUlL..
der
on huilt for himself shortly after his arrival here, and which he made over before
his death to the Congrrgation, as their property for the use of the minister.
The Congregation has, doubtless, much to lamen t over in its history and experi-
ence, whi:e there is much for which to give God. thanks. Many men and women
who Iuvè 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 wide5pread. It has helpe:1 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 K.ingdom."
The REV. DANIEL PATERS1N, D.D., was born in Greenock, Scotland, and studied
at the Grammar School ofthat 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, "Tm. Thumson, now Lord Kelvin, and
there recei ved the degree of A.
L He studied theology in the U ni ted Pres by terian
Divinity Hall, Edinburgh, and came to Canada in the summer of 1860, and was
ordained at S1. Andrews, October 24th of that year. He has been connected with the
Presbyterian College of
Iontreal
ince 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 yea.rs. He received the degn:e of D.D. from the
College in 18 9 2 . He was appointed one of the representatives of the
I()ntreal Pres-
bytery in the Campbell heresy case, to defend the action of the Presbytery before the
Synod of Montre3.1 and Ottawa, and did so with the other representatives, who were
Drs.
Ic 'Ticar, 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 flOm the pUlplC. Though schol-
arl) 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. Pdterson 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 rt'spect with
which it is regarded; it is the Catholic Church of St. Andrews parish, where meet in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
115
prayer the Catholic populatio'1 of St. Andrews, Carillon and Point Fortune; the date
of it:; con<;truction is 1835. Prior to that period, the Catholics of the locality were
ministered to by the parish priest of Rigaud. Their 1111mber having sufficiently in-
creased to claim a resident curé, in 1830, they applied to 1Igr, Jean Jacques Lartigue
to obtain permission to erect a church. The pro::eedings were not a little protracted,
however; but in 1835 work was fuHy under way, and 'Iessrs. Owen, Quin, Gaspard
de la Ronde, \Villiam Byrnes, A. E: Montmarquet, O. de Hertel and Edouard Dorion
petitioned
Igr, Lartigue to send a delegate to bless the corner-stone and the cross
of the new church.
The church tl-.en built wa') sixty feet in length and forty-one in breadt.h. It \Vas
blessed on the 17th of March, 1836, by the Rev,
I. Archambault, arch-priest, curé
of Vaudreuil. The text of the Act is as followf. :
. On the 17th day of March, onc thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, in the
, forenonn, we, arch-priest and curé of St. :\lichel de Vaudreuil, have solemnly
, blessed a church dedicated to St, Andrew the Apostle, built in the Seigniory of
, Argentellil, and for the use of the inhabitants of the said Seigniory ; in the presence
, of )Iessrs. Pierre Jacques de Lamothe, parish priest of St. Anne du Bout de l'Ile
, de \(ontréll; of Nicolas Dufresne, priest of St, Sulpice, missionary at the Lake of
. Two :\(ountains j of Jacques Janvier Vinet, parish priest of Ste. l\Jagdeleine de
, Rigaud; al1d of Edouard Montmarquet, E<;q'Jire, m
rchant of the said Seigniory of
, Argenteuil, who have signed with liS. the day and the year as above.'
It is this sam
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 lllan iage of Eustache Perrault and Sophie Mahtu. According to these acts, we
find eighteen priestc; who hC'.\"e discharged the functions of parish priest up to the
present time. There are actuaIly 260 Catholic families, wit h a population of 14 00
souls. Seven Catholic schools are in steady, active work, The best attended are:
1st, th
St. Andrews village school,-120 children are inscribed on the roll-call; 2nd,
the Carillon school, whose roll-call numbers 85; 3rd, the convtt1t, with 40 boarding
pupils. These three institutions are undn the direction of the Sisters of rro\'idence,
Behind the church, and to\Valds the Ottawa RivEr, rises another substantia
building in stone, three stories high, wi th mansa I'd roof; it i, Fa:her Ronill's College
If the Province of Quebec be visited, and the question asked: WilO were the founders
of all the educational establishments noticed in so many pari
h('s? the answer would
almost il1\"ariably ue : it is the work of our par i
h priests.
By economical living, Father Ronin had been able to Jay :lsid
some savings;
and, like so many of hi..; brother priests, his desire was to advance the cause of the
education of youth. Therefore on t!1e 9th of August, 18...S, the Rev. F.tther
Bonin, an ex-Sulpician, the parish priest uf St. Scholastique, proposed to the members
of the Fabrique of Saint 1\ ndrews, that they grant him land whereon to build: and
he promis,:d to erect, at his own expense, a college for the instruction of }outh. His
1I6
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
13th of August, 1848. The ground W,lS 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, cuunting, in fact, as many as 150
to 200 pupils, who ft'ceived a superior education, and even a classical course was
int roduced. A college had been built at Riga-ud 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 Ronin Academy. Classes were continued,
however, up to the month of ,\ pril, 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 generolls 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 transfurmed into a convent. He therefore called the
isters of Providence to
the place, with the permission and authorization of the Bishop of Montreal. The
Reverend Sisters tc ok possession on the 14th of September, 18 7 8 .
Father Champoux had wisely consulted the best interests of St. Andrews: to-
day, the Sisters have 25 0 pupils in their classes, and it may be said without exaggera-
tion, that they perform admirable work in the varish, both by education and by the
relief of the siÜ:.
The priest's residtnce was successively the sacristy of the church, Father BOI
in's
house, and, since 1889, the actual handsome presbytery,
.\ fal:t worthy of note, and which proves the good will of the Catholics of St.
Andrews, is, that all that has been done by them was by voluntary contribution;
recours
has never been had to the legal means provided uy the statutes."
Rev. F. .\. Dugas was born at St. Jacques de l' Achigan, Co. of 1Iuntcalm. He
took a classical four years' course at the College of l'Assomption, and afterwards,
till July, 1878, was professor of Belles Lettres in the same institution. He was ordained
priest, 7th February, 18 7 8 , and was vicar of St. Roch de l'Achigan from July to
October of the same year; and of Chambly from the latter date till
Iay, 1884'
During t8S4 and 1885, he was for a year Director of the Classical College of St.
Boniface, )lan., and tht:11 curé 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 curé of Sr, Andrews.
The Rev. Mr. DJg.is i5 a courteous and affable: gentleman, and is respected by
all. He is devoted t) his work, and is a stlOng advocate of temperance among his
parishion
rs.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
Iq
BAPTIST CHGRCH.
(Copied chirfly þ'011l the Church t'ccords.)
"The Baptist Church at St. _\ndrews, 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, 1836, Mr. Gjlmour left on a mission to Boston, to procure assist-
ance to the newly formed Instituti
l at Montreal for tIle 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. :\lr. 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 Churc'l of Chatham, who were
regular worshippers with liS; some others had been baptised by Mr. Gilmour-three
on the loth, and two on the 15th August, in the North River,
"August 15th. A discourse was del:vered relative to the nature ofa 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 frèe 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.
"
Iarch 12th, 1837. .1\[r, 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 hi:; engagement expires.
" March 26th. A letter to the Ottawa Association was read, asking to be received
into the Association.
,(
Iarch 29th, 30th. 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. !\luch 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.
'18
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
" The records show that Mr. Edwards accepted the call, and began hi:; regular
labors on the 7 th day of May, 1837, and continued till October, 1843. After his
resignation, the Baptists attended the Congrt'gational Church, of which building they
werf' joint owners with the Congregationalists; but in 1849, the Baptists became
sole proprietors of the church, and the Congregationalists prepared
to build a new one.
" In J line, ] 8.4 8 , in compliance with an invitation from the Baptist Church, the
Rev. John Dempsey arrive<.l, and on the fourth day of that month began his regular
labors.
I" A difficulty of rather 6rave import stood in the way cf Mr. Dempsey's becom-
ing their pastor. The ChurLh was open communion in practice, and
he majority of
its members in principle. He, on the other hand, was a c!ose Communionist, and
could consent to be nothing else.
" .\ meeting was called on Friday evening, 1st September, 1848, to consult on
what plincip!e the Church could proceed in future with respect to the subject of
communion, In this nleeting, not on1y the members of the Church, but all the
baptized who attended, took a part. The question was then put whether the Church
should proceed in future on the open or close communion principle, and a vote being
taken, it was carried In favor of close by a majority of one.
" After the departure of
f r. Dempsey, the Baptist Church seemeJ never to reach
the degree of spiritual healih and firmness t]13.t she h3::1 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 org.mizatlon ceased to exi:a.
.. Early in the year 1865, the Rev, J. 'V. :Manning was eng
ged as pastor, and his
pastorate continued to 1869, when another minister officiated ti:118 72. The Church
was supplied the next six years by students, when the Rev.
Ir. Moyle accepted a
call. His pastoral services terminated in about a year, however, and with them ended
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 18th, 18 93 :-
"
lr. Dempsey was born near a small hamlet, called Resharkin, in the county
Antrim, Ireland, December 28th, 1822. 'Vith 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, unhappily, not uncom-
mon in Scotch Presbyterian famihes of an earlier day. Though trained in a rigid
morality, diligent in the study of the Bible, and strictly attentive to all the .externa's
of religion, God was to him a God of terror rather than a God of love. At seven
teen years of age, his eyes were opened to the necessity of the spiritual change by
which alone he could become a child of God, After weeks of intense mental strug.
gle and anguish, I the graciolls Father sent him the light, and joy came to him,' so
real and gladsome, and peace so full and sweet!
" Being fully persuaded of the necessity for thorough preparation for the great
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
1[9
work before him, he entered Mon
real Baptist College, took the full four years course,
and graduated June 1st, I g48, having made a record for earnest, patient and sucCt'ss-
ful work. His tìrst 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 18th, 1848. For si
teen
years he continued in St, Andrews, being in
tan t in season a
d 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 evangdistic work he accomplished: apart from his regular p3.s
oral 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, O;;;g'Jode, Kenmore, Ormond, Clarence,
Thurso, Papineallville, 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 g!adly engaged in, and God abundantly honored it.
" !\1 r. Dempsey, besides being pastor and evangelist, was intensely interested in
all denominational matters. Dr. Fyfe found him a steady friend to the work in
\Y oodstock. He was secretary of the Ottawa Association; secretary of the East-
ern Convention from 1858 to ]864; secretary of the Superannuated Society from the
beginning. He has been officially connected with our missionary organizations irom
their inception; and perha ps to no man among us has been given a larger share of
responsibility and work, in connection with the planning anl advocacy of the united
work of the churches."
CO
GREGATIO
AL CHL"RCH.
By REV. J. McADlE.
" The Congregational Church in St. Andrews, which is the only represen tati \ e of
this denomination of Christians in the county of Argenteuil, was organi.æd in 1838.
In its early history the Church was beset with many difficultiec;, and its subsequent
career has been a chequered one j yet, here have been nurtured m
n and women who,
for steadfastness of purpose, )oyalty to principle and to conscience, intelligent in.
terest in the welfare of the community, and activity in the service of Chri::;t for the
propagation of His kingdom, will not be easily surpassed.
The Rev. 'Vm. 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 Li-annual visit to St, Andrews, preaching. not the special beliefs of his own
denomination, but the sim pIe Gospel of a full and free salvation; and, at length, he
had the joy of forming, in what was then one of the OlOSt thrivin
villages in the
western part of Lower Canada, a Church of his own faith and order.
I
O
HISTORY O\<. ARGENTEUIL.
In a house, that has since disappo..ued, on the east side of the North River,
occupied by Mr. Blanchet, the Church was formed; the only cler
yman 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 graduatoo fron1 the Congregational Theolo-
gical Institute in Montreal,-as the Congrcgatignal College was then called. That
most interesting and solemn occasion, when the minister is set apalt for his work,
which is losing much of its meaning amid the innumerab!e pastoral changes, now so
common, i.; one never to be forgotten uy the young p1eacher. It forms a cli
lax
and a turning point in his life. It is for this he has struggled and hoped a:1d prayed.
Amid the discouragements of later years, he often looks back for inspiration to that
h3pPY occasion. There wae prc.;ent, bcsides the Church and Congregation, the Rev.
Thomas Bayne, some day to become successor of Mr. McKay; the Rev. Mr, Mc-
Killican, that aged so]dier of the Cross, and sainted father of the Church; the Rev. 1.
J. Carruthers of Gosford street church, !\Iontreal, 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. 1\1r.
McKay endeared himself to all hy his straightforw.ucl 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 thc 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 18 5 2 ; but did not lay hold of the affections of his people, as did his
predeces
or. During this period th(:; 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 ofthe 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 ofthe Church during this period, but the membership is said to have been 3 2 ;
HISTORY OF ARCENTEUlL,
I:U
some of these res'ding in Point Fortune, Lachute Road, Beech Ridge, River Rouge,
Cote du Midi, Cote St. Pierre, as weli 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 \Vord," at Aberdeen, on the 12th
day of July, in the year 1853. He came to Canada to fill a position as Professor in
Gorham College, Nova Scotia j but that institution was reduced to ashes before he
arrived, and has never been rebuilt, 1\1r, Sim remained for about eleven years, and
during this period the Church exercised an extended influence throughout the cum-
munity. In addition to his ministerial duties, he added others of a scholastic char.lc-
ter, as teacher of a private and al
o 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 f
w records remain to tell its story. The
shepherdless flock held together for a long time, though diminished in numLers. The
Sunday School was faithfully conducted by Mr. De\var, the senior deacon of the
church, who remained true to the cause, amid storm and sunshine, in good and evil
...
report, Among the studellts 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 \he Rev. Thomas Hall to make another effort. The Church was
supplied during this and the succeeding winter by students of the Congregational
Colleg
, 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
""ord. During this period the church was renovated and partly rebuilt, at a cost of
over $1600, all of wh:ch, save about $100, has been paid. 1\1r. 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
bl'ginning, \Ve trust he may not see its close."
MR. McADlE still lives in St. Andrews, where he has nnny 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. l\IcAdic 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 hy CHARLES ASHDOWN, a clever young man, earnest in Irs
work, and discharging hid duties to the great satisfaction of his congregation.
o
122
HISTORY OF ARGENTFUlL,
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
:\Iethodists, like the Baptists, were once very numerous in St. Andrews, and
this place was the head of the circuit j but, after this honor was transferred to
Lachute, the church at the latter place increased in numbers, while that at St.
Andrews steadily diminished, though there are still a goodly number in the parish-
the census of 1891 giving it as 19 8 .
This denomination erected a church here in 1845 or 184 6 , The most active con-
tributors to this work were Hugh Stewart, a tinsmith, of St, Andrews; John Scofield,
merchant; Adam Burwash, -- Rarber, of the East Settlement; and Richard Knee-
shaw, of Beech Ridge. Thele is now neither Methodist Church building nor
:Methodist service ;n St. Andrews, aU belonging to this denomination a
tending
services at Lachute, The church was used till about the year 1880, when it was sold,
and afterwards transformed into a schoolhouse, and is the building still occl:pied by
the schools of this village.
The following is a list of the ministers and their assistants, who were appointed
to the St. Andrews Circuit, the number of membus, and contributions to different
funds from.the year 184 1 to 18 6 5 inclusive:
I S,p John ArmstlOng, \\' m. Dignam...... ..... . ... ......
184 2 John Alm!-trong, \Ym. MOlton.....,..........."..
1 8 43 Wm. H, Williams. John Gemley. .... ",. ...... ....
1844 Wm. H. Williams, 1 homas Hanna...... . . .. .',. .. ..
1845 J, Hughe
, M. 13aÀter, J. Annstrong.... . . .' . .. . , ...
IS46 'Michael13axte r . Charles Taggalt. ...... .... ",. ,..,
I X 47 IDavid B. Madden, David C. :McDowell. .... ........
I
48 IDavid B. Madden, Richø.rd WIlson. .". ,." .... ".,
1849 Francis Coleman, John A\ mstrong 2nd. .,. . . " ......
18 5 0 Francis Coleman, Erastus Hurlhurt.."..." , , " . . . .
1 8 5 1 Francis Coleman, Richard M. Hammond".. ,... ....
18 5 2 Ihomas W. Constable, Richard:M. Hammond........
18 53 I Thomas \V. Constable, Silas Huntington"".,., . . , .
. 18 54 Thomas \Y. Constable, Wm. Scales. ...' ,... .... ,...
18 55 James H. Bishop, Andrew ArmstlOng. , " . , ,. . ,. . , ..
1 8 5 6 IEd\\ard H. Dewalt, Edmund E. Sweet.... .... .....,
18 57 'IEdward H. Dewart, J.:dmund E. Sweet,... .... ......
185
IRobert Brown, Henry F.Bland.... ...... .... ......
18 59 Robert Iho\\ n, Henry F. Bland. , " .", . , . . , .., . , , ,
1860 \ Alfred Andrews, \Vm. M. Coo)y.... .." .... .... ".,
1861 Alfred Andrews.... ,... ...." .,. ".. ."... ,.,.,.
1862 Wm. n. Brown, Alex.Campl,ell,2nd...... ..........
18 6 3 Wm. D. 13ro\\n, Richard Robinson,..,.",. ",. ....
1864 ICornelius A. Jones..... ".". ........ ".. .,.. .".
186 5 ,Now called Lachute Circuit...", ...... ".. ".. ,."
· Grenville set off.
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3 1 5 ..,... '$7 ï O ...... $1 79
3 6 5 \...... 9 12 .,.,.. 2 50
377 ...... 9 20 ."... 3 7 6
3 1 9 6 83 ",." 2 63
27 8 I...... 7 53 ..... 'I 3 00
264 . . . . . . S Où ..... 3 7 2
280 I $8 56 16 00 ....,. 8 50
26 7 \ 6 94 12 38;......! 13 3.2
277 6 23, 12 90....... I I .48
280 6 27 13 01'...... I II ö8
33 0 64 6 13 27'.,.... 12 00
353 6 50 12 37 ......I 12 co
44 0 II 501 12 9 81 ......\ 7 00
35 1 8 301 13 75 1 $5 001 7 37
164 3 3 1 7 3 2 r.... - I 5 25
175 7 45 10 12 3 50 7 3 0
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244 4 501 S 75 4 00 10 00
266 3 58 7 24 2 45 13 26
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260 2 97, 2 83 1 60 II 00
21 7 3 301 5 00 2 06' 12 00
220 3 35 5 JO 2 10 12 50
\
HISTORY OF ARGE1'\TEUIL.
12 3
BIBLE SOCU.TY.
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: 'V. G. Blanchard, president; Chules Benedict, vice-
president; Charles 'Vales, 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 :\Iiddleton, president; Thomas
Lamb, vice-president; C. T. \Vales, treasurer; and Rev. Dr. Paterson, secretary.
The late Rev. 1\1r. Henderson was president from 1850 until his death in [877,
and was succeeded by Mr. Finlay Mc).fartin, 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 tluough 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 an the different Protestant
denominations of the Parish.
.\lexa
der D. Dewar, president of the County Union, is also president of the
Local Union at St. Andrew's.
W. C. T. U. SOCIETY,
The \V. C. T, D. organized a Local Union in St. Andrews in \[arch, 188 3; the
first president was :Mrs. (Rev.)
Ioyle ; she was succeeded by Mrs. Finley McMartin,
who held the position several years. 1\lrs. Chas. T. \Vales followed, and three years
subsequentlY-1894-she was succeeded by Miss Julia E. Davis.
St. Andrews has also supplied three presidents for the County Union-
Irs,
Angus McPhie,
liss Julia E. Davis and Mrs. \Vm. Barclay.
WOMAN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
On the afternoon of \Vednesday, December 8th, 1875, a meeting of the ladies of
St. Andrews wa') held at the Presbyterian Manse, in accordance with the notice given
from the pulpits of the several churches in the place, for the purpose of organizing an
Auxiliary to the :Montreal Branch of the \VomJ,n's Board of
Iissions in Boston.
There were present :
Irs, Paterson, !\Irs, C. \Vales, Mrs. A, McPhie, !\Irs, C, T.
'Vales, Miss Clare,
Iiss Barclay, Miss H. Davis, Miss M. Sharpe, Miss A. 'Vales,
Miss :\1. \Vales.
12 4
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
The following officers were chosen:
President, Mrs. A. McPhie.
V . P . d { Mrs. C. \Vales.
Ice- rest ents, Mrs. Paterson.
Secretary, Miss \Vales.
Treasurer, Miss Barclay.
In November, 1891, the Canadian \Voman's Board (of which the St. Andrews
had been an .-\uxiliary 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 with which they were connected.
\Ve decided, however, not to disband, but continue as a Union Society, working
together in the cause of Foreign Missions, \Ve have raised, each year, sums varying
from $12.21 to $83,79; the average being, in the first six years
$21.5 6 , and in the 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 tbe Missions of the Pre
byterian, Congrega-
tional and Baptist Churches. Although never a large Society, it has been a means of
ëontributing something towards the spread of the Gospel abroad, and has been
found vety helpful to the members themselves,
B. PATERSOX,
.5 ccretary.
A Masonic Lodge was organized in St. Andrews in 18'3; the following record
of the event is copied from the old Masonic Register :-
March 1 st, 18 [ 3.
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 \Vales in the village of
St. Andrews, at 1 p.m., the \Vorshipful Javez D. Dewitt, Past Master of St. Paul's
Lodge No, 12, accompanied by the \Vorshipful 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.
QUEEEC, 20th February, 1813.
BROTHER :-
You are hereby authorized and directed to ,install this \Vorshipful Master of
Murray Lodge, No. 17, agreeably to ancient custom, and to deliver over to him the
warrant of Constitution, etc. \Vith brotherly regard,
I am yours in truth,
(Signed), \VILLA!\I DowKs.
To BRO JAB EZ DEWITT of Paul's Lodge, No, 12, Montreal.
.J. A.
. ;\IACKAL
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
12 5
Lodge opened in the first Degree of :ì\Iasonry by
\Vorshipful Jabez D. De 'Vitt, M. þro tCIIl.
\Vorshipful J. D. Turnbull, J. W,þro tem.
Brother S. GoodriIl, J. \V. þro tem.
BRETHREN PRESENT,
\VorshijJful B. 'Vales,
Iaster Elect.
Bro. Elon Lee, S. \V, Elect.
,. Reub
n French, J. \V. Elect.
" Ames Matthews, Treas. Elect.
Bro. J, Masham, Sec'y, Elect.
Arthur Jackson, S. D. Elect.
" Gust. A. Hooker, J. D. Elect.
" D. FJin t, Tyler,þro !elll.
_\t a meeting held 6th Jan., 1824, "It was moved, seconded, and unanimously
"agreed that the thanks of this Lodge be given Brother Thomas Barron for the faith-
"ful di.5charge of the duties of his office in the Provincial Grand Lodge,"
Br,-)ther Thomas Barron was unanimously elected to be sent to the Provincial
Grand Lodge at Montreal, to assist in framing By-Laws for the government of that
Lodge.
\mong the m
mbers of this Lodge previoLB to 1826 appear the names of
\\'m. Beaton
J olm Harrington
Timothy Bristol
.\rchib:llJ Rae
Peter F. Le Roy
Daniel Foss
Wm. Streeter
\Vm. Streeter, jun.
James Proctor
James VoIla
Richard Mears
Benj. \Vales
Andrew Simmons
\Vm. McDole
John :McArthur
Elijah Kellogg
Judah Center
Justus Barnet
\V m, Dixon
P. F, Peabody
\V, G. Blanchard.
Later, appear the names of \Vm. Zearns, John Oswald, Hugh Dunlop, D, Beattie,
H.
Iaguire.
This was called "Murray Lodge No, 5" until April, 18 z5, after which it was
caIled "St. Andrews Lodge NO.5."
J. A. N. MACKAY is the only representative of the legal fraternity in St, Anùr
ws
besides
lr, de La Ronde. He was born 1840, in St, Scholastique, and educated in
coIleges in Montreal, Ottawa and St. Hyacinthe,-the latter being the place where
his studie,; were completed.
The ancestors of 1\1r, Mackay were men of military proclivities, and distinguished
in the service in which they were engaged. Francis Mackay, who was a near relative
of 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,
who 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
126
HISTORY OF ARGEN1.'EUlL,
"Royal American Regiment," which afterward became the 60th Reg. of Co!.
Alexander l\1ackay j Stephen, the eldest, died while captain in this Regiment, before
the Conquest of Can3.da, The two remaining brothers served during the Conquest, at
Iontreal, 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 :ð[ount 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 anå
aristocratic families of Canada. Samuel
Iackay left two sons-S,uuuel 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 18 59.
He left several childïen, of whom one son was Augustus
Iac kay, who practised the
notarial profession for forty-seven years, and died in 1872. J. A. N. 1\fackay, one of
his sons, and the subject of our sketch, studied law under the Hon. "ïlfrid 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 Ü:e Bar. The prospects for business at that time being
much better in St, Andrews than in the city, he settled here, and Ius since practised
with much success.
He has been employed in several murder trials, in which h is success has given
him no little celebrity, The following are the most important of these cases with
which he has been connected-Queen 'lJS. James and John Byrne, for the murder of
Valiquet in 186 7 ;-this trial was conducted at St. Scholastique, before Judge
[onk,
and lasted fifteen days; Queen 'lJS. B:.Hnard Cain, for the murder of James I'\agle;
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 wa<; successfu1. [n 18 9-1-, he went to
England, and argued before the Judicial Committee and Privy Council of Her
Majesty an important w:uer-power case between Hamelin & Ayre and the Banner-
mans, Sir RIchard \Y ebster, Attorney General, was l\[r. Mackay's Counse], with
Vernon Smith, Q.C.; the former argued the case personally with \{r
[ackay,
He was married in 18 6 4 to Miss Papineau of Montreal; she died in 18 7 0 ,
leaving one son Alfred, now a barrister in Montreal. In 1874 he married :\[iss
Desjernier of St. Hennas; they have three son..: the eldest, Adolphe, is in the
employ of Messrs. Hodgson, Sumner & Co., !\lontreal ; the other two 3re 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 ha<; brought to a high state of
cultivation,
COL. D'HERTEL was, for quite a number of years, Registrar of the County of
Argenteuil, and rdinquished the office when it was removed from ;:;t. Andrews to
Lachute. He enlisted at the age of eighteen, and was in the battles of Platts burgh
HISTOr. Y OF ARGENTEUIL.
12 7
and Chry
ler's Farm. Deserving promotion, he W.lS eventually rewarded with the
commission of Colonel. He came from .:\lontreal to St. Andrews, and during h:s
residence here w!\S esteemed for his intelligence and probity.
A t the time of the Fenian Raid in 1866, several companies of Volunteers having
been called out, they assembled at St. Andrews, preparatory to their depalture 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 fu))
uniform, but trembling from weakness and age, he spoke a few words, and then closed
with the remuk: "You know [ cannot always be with you, boys." He then
returneù to his home, which was the present residence of 1\1r. De la Ronde, 0arrister,
and had scarcely reached the thrc:.hold when he expired.
In 18 37, l\IR. AVA1\! DRYSD-\LE 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 c1ptain, having for many years sailed
between Glasgow and Montreal, came with them. While living at St. Andrews,
Capt. Drysdale taugh t J. J. C, Abbott, afterward" Premier, the use of the compass,
astronomy and higher ma!hematics-subjects for which young Abbott, in his thirst
for knowledge, had a great liking.
Adam Drysdale was a wheelwright by trade, and a good c:upenter and builder.
He was engaged ill manufacturing plows while he lived here, and as they prüved vcry
satisfactory, many were sold to the farmers in Argenteuil. In I R42, he returned to
[ontreal with his family-then increased by three children, Adam, ThGmas and
Margaret. One of hi" daughters -Grace-was married in J 879 to Joseph D. Taylor,
of Isle aux Chats, Argenteuil County; she died a few years since,
'VILLlA
l DRYSDALE, another son of this family, is the well-known bookseller
and publisher of Montreal. He married a lar]y of St. Andrews, as stated el3ewhere ;
and it is no ùiscredit to Argenteliil that in the phala
1x of prominent and worthy men
with whose associations she is blended may be numbered \Vi\liam Drysdale, He
has had large experience in his presen t business, and has cver takeiJ :t 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 an the requirt'ments of the trade, and every varidy of
useful books may here be found. I )avid Drysdale, i is brother, who is also much
respected in
Iontreal, has a large hardware store on Craig street.
\VILLLUI R, HIBBARD is another of the esteemed citiæns of St. Andrews,
Many years of his life have ueen devoted to railroad aff,lirs, and he is now connected
with the Canada
\tlantic. In 18 53, he purchased a farm for his parents in St.
Andrews, where they spent the remainder of their days. \Viliiall1 R. was married in
18 5 2 to S:uah Cameron, of :\[ontreal; thcy have had six children, of whom one died in
infancy; two sons and three daughters are now living. The SOilS
re in bu
ines
,
128
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and of the daughters, the eldest, the widow of George May, sen., rejides in Los
.\ngeles, California, and thp. two others live with their parents,
1r. Hibbard came with his family to St. Andrews in 18 7 6 , and dllling his
residence here he has heen an earne::t advocate of temperance, and a:;tive in
Christian work.
lrs. Hibbard and her daughters have also won the esteem 0f
Christian peop1e by their acts of benevolence, and the earnestness with which they
have encouraged and aided every mor<ll reform.
HUGH WALSH, the present
Iayor of St. Andrews, and proprietor of the flourish-
ing gri
t mill, came to this village from Ormstown, Quc., in 18 8 3.
His grandfather and two of his sons enlisted in the British Service, and lost their
lives in the PeninsuLu \Var. His father, R, J. "Talsh, was educated in Dublin,
entered the British Navy as midshipman, and after serving seven years, came to
Canada, and was one of the early settlers in Chateauguay. He was in Montreal at the
time of the Riot of 1849, and was writing in the Parliament House when it was
mobbed and set on fire; he died at Orm<;town. He had seven sons and twO daughters
that grew up.
Hugh, next to the youngest son, was married 16th Febluary, 186 9, to Catherine
M. Camí,bell of Ormstown, and was engaged in mercantile business in that place for a
number of year
, He l'lHchased the grist mill on coming to St. Andrews, and has
improved it and increas
d its c<lpacity for work. It ij now one of the best equipped
manufactories in its line in this part of the province, and it docs a large business.
Mr. \Valsh is a public-spirited, enterprising gentleman, and takes much interest in
local affairs"; he has been mayor of the Parish, anå chailman of the 1\Iodel School
Board several years,
JAMES
IARTIN from the County Down, Ireland, came with his f.lmily to Montreal
in 1828, and after living there till 1830, he settled at S1. Andrews on the River Rouge.
In the fall of 18 3 8 he removed to a small farm on the Lachute Road, hut as he was
a carpenter by trade, his time was almost constantly devoted to this occupation.
Mrs.
Iartin died with the cholera in 1832, leaving three sons-Edward, Charles and
James, and three daughters-
lary, Martha and Jane.
Edward died in Illinois in 18 94; Charles ij still living in l\[arquette Co., Mich..
and James died in I854-aged about 22. Mary married John
[c
lartin of the River
Rouge; :Martha married George Powers, and died in Ottaw.,,; Jane married John
Parker, and after living io S1. Andrews a number of years, they removed to Ottawa,
where
lr. l}arker died,
1rs. Parker now lives in St. Andrews with her sister Mary,
the widow of John !\Ic:\lartin.
Ir. Martin's second marriage W..1S, in 1835, to Clarissa Flint, daughter of a
merchant of St. Andrews, whose store occupied the site of the present dwelling of Mr.
Hibbard, They had five sons and two daughters-two of the fJrmer and one of the
latter died in childhood; the other daughter died at the ag.: of 20. Of the remaining
tl.r
e SO:1S, TholU 1.5 B. lives in California; G:::orge H., the younge..,t, in Yandalia,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
12 9
Ill. J uh n, the eldest of those living, remainrd on the homestead, and adùed to it till
it éomprises about 120 acres.
:\lr. Martin having also become joint owner with A. Le Roy of the Harrington
estate, ccmprising 240 acres, has recently removed to the commodious brick dwelling
on th:s estate in the village. He is one of the leading men of the parish, is a J. P.,
and ..;ecletary of the Model and Elementary School Boards. He joined 1\laj.
Simpson's Troop when it was organized, and after serving in it eight years joined
the S1. _-\ndrews Troop, with which he was c )nnected sixteen year:), and was at the
front during the Fenian RaIds. 1\Ir.
Iartin has taken a lively interest in the County
Agricultural S )ciety, of which he wa;; vice-president four ye:us, and president five years,
during which period the Society was in a most prosperous condition. He has been
hrice m;Híied-fir
t, to Ann McIntyr
, 6th August, 1864; she died 19th October, 18 9 0 ,
and he was next married to Kate McIntyre-his first wife's sister-in December,
189 [. Since the above was written,
Ir. l\l:1rtin has sold his property and removed to
Califcrnia.
TH(HIAS TURNER, fro:-n London, Eng., came to Montreal a short tim
previous to
the Rebellion of J 837, and was married there, 22nd l\Iay, 1837, to Ellen \Valker
from Ðunbarton, 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, b
ing interested in the settlement of the estate of
lr. Walker
-1\1 r
. Turner's father-who had lived near Belle Rivière, and had recently died.
They settled in St. Andrews, where 1\lr. Turner died 11th February, 1875, and
Irs,
Turner 9th December, 1878.
They left three daughters-Elizabeth, Mary and Helen.
Iary married John
\Vehster, and Helen was married, 25 th November, 1884, to \Vm. Somerville, a
fal mer of S1. Andrew:); Elizabeth lives with her
ister, :\lrs. Somerville; these sisters
are a
nong the respected Christian ladies of this locality,
PETER \VEnSTER from Leeds, England, settled in St. Andrews in 1839. He was
a tailor, and after plying his trade here eighteen years, he conducted an hotel at
Cushing for a year, in the present stone dwelling of R. Hartley.
lIe then returned to
t, Andrews, and about th ree ye" rs later purchased the
lot and erected the brick house where his son J. \V. now lives. During the later
years of his life he was much interested in religion, and was active in religious work.
He died 21st March, 1891, at the age of
2; 1\1rs. \Veuster died 16th June, 1877'
aged 65. They had eight childrèn ; three sons and two daughter:; grew up.
William, the eldest son, a steamboat engineer of long experience, died in Turonto
in August, 1890.
Thomas, a merchant tailor in Montreal for nBny years, died 28th June, 1890.
John \V., who has long been a popular tailor and citiæn of this place, was
matriel 15th May, 1873, to Mary Turner. He joined Co. No, I of the Rangers at
its furmation, and served seven years. He then joined the St. .\ndrews Troop, and
served in that, also, seven years. :\[r. \Veuster has a good farm of auc)lIt 200 acres in
Bethany and another of 100 acres 011 Beech Ridge,
13 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
DANIEL SUTHERLAND was born in 1819, in Cromarty, Rothshire, Scotland,
where his father, \Villiam Sutherland, was a contractor, and owner of a granite quarry,
In his youth, the younger Sutherland had the good fortune to enj:>y 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
lso 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 Cana.da in 184 2 and
settled in St. Andrews, opening a shop in the brick building opposite thé hotel; he
afterwards built the house in which he has since resided. 1\1r, Sutherland was married
April 11th, 18 5 2 ) to
Iary Ann, daughter of the late Robert Simpson.
lr:,. Suther-
land died in 188 7, leaving two sons and one daughter j the youngest son, \Villian1 E.
D., died 18 94 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, The
eldest son, Robert S., is a commercial traveller in Chicago, and the daughter,
Catherine :\Iary, is living in St. Andrews with her father. 1\1r. Sutherland is one of
the respected citizens of St. Andrews; owing to advanced 3ge he has retired from
business. .
\VII.LlAM CAUTIO
, from Perthshire, Scotland, came to Canaùa in 1843; he 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 s tme 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 s
veral apprentices. He died in
March, 189 [, aged 70 ; his widow still Ii ves here,
They had four children-three sons and one daughter, but only one son and the
daughter are now living.
Alexander, the son, residing here with his mother and sister, still industriously
prosecute
the business followed by his father.
,V. J. MORA\\", second !>on of John Moraw, wa!> bOJ n 24 th July, 18 5 6 , in Center-
ville. He remained on the farm until twenty-fi\Oe 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 built
four in this count)'. 1\1r. Moraw has also a creamery in this village, which hao; been
in operation four years, He was married September 7th, J 837, to Mary, daughter of
Martin Funcheon;of Beech Ridge. They have one son and one daughter.
JOSEPH ROBINSON, from the County of Antrim, Ireland, came to St. Andrews in
18 45 ; he was married 23rd Ju1y, 1852, to a widow
.\lrs. Elizabeth CoHigham. They
have had five children-three sons and two daughters, Joseph, one of the former,
when seven years old met a sad death by the destruction of the St. Andrews bridge,
an account of which is given elsewhere,
Margaret, the eldest daughter, \Vas muried [5th June, 18 8 7, to John Henderson,
a brass finisher by trade, of Montrea1. He died q.th May, 1891, leaving one child, a
13 1
boy three years old. :\Irs, Hender
on resides in a fine: commodious, brick dweHing,
beautifully 10c.1ted on the bank of the
orth Rivêf, where she ably entertain., summer
guests.
JAMES MIDDLEro
was born 9th April, 1809, in Cortachy, at the county seat of
Lord Monboddo, Monboddo House, parish of F JrJen, Kink:udineshire, :)-.: )tland.
After leaving school, he received tlnrough training in agriculture and arb3riculture,
and was yet a young man when he managed these departments of an estate at Castle
Semple. Mr. Middleton left Glasgow in March, 18,p, on the sailing ship " \[o
awk,JI
and with his wife and family reached l\1ontreal after seven w
eks. A short tim
after
his arrival, he took the position of superintendent of Judge Reid':; house, property
and grounds, on the spot where Sohmer Park now stands, remaining here until 18 4 8 ,
He then came to St. Andrews and farmed for five years, after which he entered into
the managemen t of the late
lr. William Lunn's estate, taking charge of it twenty-
three years. His reputation a5 an arboriculturist may be somewhat appuent from
the fact that, from 1847 until he ceased active labors, he had gained (ISO priz
s. In
grape culture, he almost invariably won first prizes, and had no superior in Canad].
He was one of the earliest members of the Montreal Horticultural Society, and wac;
one of their judges for m
ny years. 1\1r. l\1iddleton possessed luuch ingenuity in
handicraft, and some articles of furniture:: made in his spare moments-especially a
finely carved clock and a centr
-table, which was made from 1500 different piecc:s of
wood, and a diminutive summer house-are well worth seeing.
He died at his home in St, Andrews, 2nd
ovember, 1895, leaving a widow, one
son, M... J. Middleton of Point Fortune, and a d1ughter, Mrs. Snule, of .\loatreal.
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
fiIERCAXTILE.
The men who in past years were for some time connected with merc lIltile busi-
ness in this place have already been mentioned, as well as
lr. Dewar and \[r. \r J le
,
who are still trading here.
Besides the stores of these two gentlemen, which are oflong standing, especi:tlly
that of Mr. 'Vales, which is almost coeval \vith the village, there are the. stores of
Thomas Lamb, J, H. LaFond, the groc
ry of Chas. Laiouceur, and th
tin shops of
Dorion and Ladouceur.
THOMAS LAME is a son of the late \Vm. Lamb, noticed in the history of Point
Fortune. He came to St. Andrews as clerk for the late Chatles \\Tales, in 1856, :lnd
remained in tIns position five years, In 1866, he entered into partnership with .\Iex-
ander Dewar, and in 1877 became a partner of Charles \Vales, jr., in the present store
of Mr. 'Vales. 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 recei..es 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 organizJ.tion, and \\ as
13 2
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieut. iu 1866: to that of Captain in 1870, and to the
rank of
lajor in 1880; he has been Paymaster of the Battalion since 1870.
He was married July 15th, [869, to Margaret S., daughter of the late Chas.
".al*:s, sr. Like her husband, Mrs. Lamb is well known for her interest and activity
in Temperaace and Christian wurk, and esteemed for her deeds of kindness and
benevolence. Their only son, \V, H, Lamb, is assistant in the ston hnd post office.
IHü:\IAS
lEIKLE, 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
merch:mt at St. Andrews. He perished with his aged father by the burning of the
steamer ·
Iontreal ' near Quebec, 26th June, 1857. He was 45 years of age."
F. H. LAFo:\D is comparatively a newcomer, having opened his store in this
plJ.ce in [893. He is a native ofS1. Hermas, and after spending some years as clerk
in
!ontreal, he began trade in Lachute in 1887, where he remained till he came to
St. .\ndrews. He has quite an extensive stock of merchandise, and seems to be pros-
pering in his business,
The sto;.e he occupies is that built and occupied so 100Jg by Mr, Guy Richards,
Frank Farish also was a merchant in the same store for n'any 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
till extant, show elegant penmanship, and are also very
Correctly written, It was he who built the present dwelling of 1\1r. l\-IcKay, advocate.
CHARLES LADOUCEUR who has a grocery here, has been in the grocery business
and a successful dealer in live stock for the p3.st twenty years.
lIE.RCULE LADOUCEUR is proprietor of a bakery, which he has stlccessflllly
conducted for many years. His father, Joseph Ladouceur, carne to St. Andrews from
the county of Two Mountains nearly sixty years ago, and died hcre 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. .-\s
Ir. L
douceur 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-
ploycd in different ways, and sometimes as clerk in a store.
In 1878, he opened a bakery, with which he is still engaged. He was married
in
larch, 1864, to Esther Haspeck, whose grandfather, from Germany, was one of
tLe early settlers of St. Andrews, Of thcir four children, three are married. Mr.
ladollceur has been
lunicipal Councillor nine years, and Churchwarden three.
\\". A. LaFond, who came from St. Hennas in 18
4, is the only barber in the
viibge.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL
133
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 vcry
successfully for many years. During the last decade. he has emploYéd 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 \"ariety
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 Hanigan j they have had six sons and
seven daughtels, but three of the former are deceased. Their eldest daughter is a
nun of PlOvidence 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 18 9 1 , the Parish Council granted a bonus to C. N. 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 <.f 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.
.\ndrews, 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 win ter, there
are only a few months in the year at present when St. A
drew') has railway accommo-
dations.
A daily stage conveying the mail runs between Carillon and Lachute via St.
Andrews j this line hC1s been in operation for the last fifteen years under the proprie-
torship of l\lagloire Campeau of this village, who also has a contract for carrying the
mail.
The Town Hall, a fine, brick building, was erected in 188 I.
:\Iembers of the Municipal Council of 18 55-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 ßur-
wash, River Rouge; John l\IcPhie, 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. .\ndrcws was
that of a new
paper, Ihe Progress, which was first published in 18]3, edited by
- Ch
mbers ; Thomas Dorion, proprietor, :\Ir. Chambers subsequently W.15 con-
.
134
HIS'fOR\' OF ARGENTEUIL.
nectel1 with The Chronicle (Quebec). During the early part of its existence TIle
PI ogress was Co
servative in politics, but afterwards it came under the editorial
management of R. P. de La Ronde, advocate, when it became politically identified
with the Liberal party. It appears to have been a lively, well conducted, local
sheet; but owing to the removal of the printer, its publication ceased in J 87 6 ,
*
*
*
*
A :Mcdel School was established in St. Andrews about 18 5 0 , Adam 'Valker
being the first teacher. For some reason this school did not prosper in after years;
the Gavcl nment grant was withdrawn, and the school closed in 187 6 . It was
. reopened in 18 9 1 , in a substantial, commodious brick school building, since which it
has been in a flourishing condition; many good scholars having been fitted here for
the higher institutions of learning, the counting-room, or other business vocations.
The teachers who have officiated since the opening of the school in 18 9 1 are as
follows :-John Proctor, A, E. Rivard, Thos. E. Townshend and F. ,V, Vaughan.
FREDERICK 'V. VAUGHAN, the present Principal, was born in Coaticook, Stan-
stead County, Que., in 18 75. He attended the village school in Ayer's Flat, to
which place his parents moved in 1876. Until fifteen year') of age, his academical
education was acquired at Hatley Model School and Coaticook Academy, from the
latter of which he graduated, and matriculated at l\lcGill. He received his Academy
diploma in 18 94, and has since been teaching in St. Andrews with a marked degree
of success, the standard of scholarship under his tuition having materially advanced.
:Mr. Yaughan's energy and ability give plomise that he will be an important addition
to the educators of the Province.
fhe village was erected into a separate school municipality in March, 18 9 1 , and
the :\lodel and Elementary Schools are taught in the same building,
II. Colill Dewar contributes the following history of the bridges:-
.. The maintenance of the bridge across the N
rth River at St. Andrews has
always been a heavy tax upon the inhabitants, especia.lIy since some of the adjoining
parishes wel e released from their liability to contribu te to it.
The first bridge was erected in 180]; it was a bridge of very moderate dimen-
sions and primitive design, consisting of five spans, supported on four trestles, and
occupying a much lower level than the present structure; as the country was not
then cleared up and drained, the spring freshets were not so great.
Tbis bridge, with occasional repairs and renewing of portions in whole or in
part, supplied the wants of the inhabitants until 1833, when a new one was erected
alongsid<: of the old one, higher up the river.
It was on this old bridge that a sad accident occurred, by which a man lost his
life; it was caused by two of the strÙI
ers slipping off the trestles, taking a portion of
the covering with them, leaving a large open space, which, unfortunately, was left
unguarded, A tanner by the name of Daggett (who was the owner of the first
tannery that started working in St. Andrews) was coming home late on Saturday
HISTORY 010' 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 mt stolle piers and abldl/leJlts. 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 ver}' defec-
tive, and, in consequence, the work was not well done.
The bridge was opened for traffic in the summer of 1833, and 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 fur the pier, and with other necessary improvements and occasional repaiJ.; it
stood until the 19th March, 1859, when it was swept away as before. A temporary
foot bridge was made by stretching three strong chains across the open space, ower-
ing them with planks, where people could cross in safety; while a ferry above the
mill dam, and another at Mc
Iartin'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 yonng
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 l\lr.
Edward Jones', whi
e 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
lIew bridge of a more pretentious anù diffaent style of architecture was built by
Messls. Moody of Terrebonne. It was supported on piers of dose crib 'Work filled
with
tones, 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
Slructure was completed in 188 5."
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 ot
the cost.
The following, the writing of which was suggested by another letter in The Star,
\\ as 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,
13 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
(; I see that you mention the attack and burning of the village C)f SI. Benoit. I
may state in this connection, that seven or eight companies of Volunteers frum 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 viHage 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 Nov
mber, [837, a courier came gaUoping up to St. Andrews with the intel-
ligence that the' Patriots' were preparing to make a raid on the village and
country adjoining. 'Ve well knew they meant to plunder, burn and kill; and well do
I n....1ember 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, aU 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 commnnd of Capt, Mayne, w
o supplieå a few old, flint-lock
muskets; and with these, all the roads leading out of the village were guarded, night
and day. Companies of V olunteer3 were formed as quickly as possible, SO that by
the loth or 12th of December seven or eight companies were regularly enrolled, armed
and drilled, and, as already stated, were marched to Grand Brulé, according to orders
from headquarters. The expEdition was not attended by any loss oflife, the' Patriots'
wisely keeping out of tne 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 al10wed to return to their homes, to
be ready, if wanted, at a mon:ent'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 palt of the country. I think the few remaining V olllnteers 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.
Iy 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 th
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 DEWAR."
Cote du Midi and the Bay.
The above localities arc in the parish of S1. 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
Ou a wa.
Though the land is considerably diversified in both these localities, and the roads
hillr, 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. Robilhrd, one of the ex-Municipal Councillors of the
parish. "Glencoe," the estate of I\1r. John McGowan, the old homesteads of the
Hydes, Btlrwa
hes and Albrights are all valuable farms located at the Bay. "Silver
Heights," and the farms of J olm 1Ic:YlartÏn and Archibald Graham, are among the
most attractive and valuable estates at Cote du Midi.
CAPTAIN JOHN \Y AINWRIGHT of the Royal Navy, came to Canada with his
family in J 833. He was bo:-n in \Yickharn, Hampshire, England, 3rd May, 1800,
his father also being a captain in the Royal Navy. \Vhen 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 Na"al School, from which h.e entered the service as midshipman, and
passing the different grades of promotion, in time, secured a Lieutenant's commission,
'''hile 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 neu 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
leached the shore in safety. But now a difficulty arose as to the manner ofreturning
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. \Yainwright,
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. \Yainwright, stripped to the waist, had to Etand 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.
1\ot 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,
13')
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 i1lness, and invalided home. During his absence at sea, 20th December,
182 9, his eldest son, John '\Vroughton, was born. Though he received his commis-
sioe. as captain, l\Ir, \Vainwright, on account of the debilitated condition of his health,
never accepted command of a vessel. In 1833, through the influence of Commissary
C. J. FNbes, who was then in England, and of whose wife Mr. '\Vaínwright was
cOllsin, he came with his family to Carillon. After remaining a year with !\Ir, Forbes,
he purchased of Archie McVicar, a Nor' \Vester, for ,ÆI001, the farm of 400 acres
known as "Silver Heights," which is now owned by his son John '\Vrought0n \Vain-
\nigh 1.
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.
P Jssessed, 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
n 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 \Vainwright, 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
caLle. In 185 1 , Captain \Vainwright 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.
fhey were John \Vroughton, 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 'V., 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 1 [th, 186 4, 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,
J. 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., and S. 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 Fournier,
near St. Eustache, The following interesting letter, written by his sister, was
copied from the British Whig (Kingston), of October 28, 18 9 0 :-
140
HISTORY OF ARt;ENTEVIL.
.. THE REBELLIO
OF 18 37-3 8 .
" MONTREAL, October 23, -.
"To THE Em roR,-
Iy brother, Finlay l\Iac
Iartin, served as a YolunteerUl;der
Captain Globensky, of St. Eustache, County of Two
Iountains. He was at the
battle of St. Eustache, 14th December, 1837, and was one of the party finding the
body of the 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 wailing at the vilJage
of St.
lartin (nine miles from 51. Eustache): for the ice to become strong enough to
enable soldiers to transport their cannon and ammunition across the Rivière du
Chêne, a branch of the Uttawa. The Regulars were commandcd by Sir John Colborn<:>,
who aftel wards became Governor-General of Canada. After impri:-oning all who
surrendëred, the troops fired the church and village of St. Eustache, then marched
to the, ilJage, twelve miles west, St. Benoit, another stronghold of the rebels. Here
lived Dum!Juchdle, a noted rebel, father of the late Senator Dumouchelle, of Two
[ountains. Although only 5ix years old at the time, I well remember passing
through St. Benoit, when it was a heap of smouldering ruins.
[y mother, bLing
very nervous, left home with the younger members of
he family, to reside with an
uncle at St. Andrews, where the English population was more numerous j my two
elder brothers were enlisted as Yolunteers.
ly father, then moer sixty years of age,
;ll1d a farmer, located in the vel y centre of a reLel comIl1unity, was placed in a trying
position. He could hardly leave home, and by remaining would be forced to jilin
the rebels, or be put under arrest by them. He and my only surviving brother,
James l\Iacl\Iartin, now living on the homestead at St. Eustache, betook themse!ves
to the woods, then pretty dense, and made dismal by the howling w()lve
, which they
kept off by burning fires day and night. As the night advanced, they would venture
out as near home as they deemed safe, then my sistcrs, aged respectivclyeighteen
and twenty, who had brave:y volunteered to remain at home, would
et out a signal,
when it was safe for them to come to the house.
Iy father finally got things satis-
factorily arranged, such as putting all his threshed wheat into barrels, and concealing
it whele the rebels never thought of looking for it. There was not much to conceal,
as threshing was a slow precess in tho:,e dap. All had to be done with the flail. an
implement of which the farmers of to-day know little. He placed his highly prizl d
gun (after taking it apart) in an o:d metal pot, and buried it in the earth. No \ ile
lebel would eyer get that into his hands. He then stalted off, accompanied by my
brother, who was thcn a young boy, to rejoin mother and family at S1. Andrews,
They had to keep under co\-er of the wood
, ac; they were sure to be arrested if they
ventured on the highway. The hard
hips 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 inflammator
' rheumatism shortly aftl
r, and
has been a martvr to that disease in a chronic form ever since.
\fter wandering for
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL
14 1
two days and a night, they reached L'1chute (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 f.Hmers, 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, 1\1rs. Alex. Patton, County Bruce
OntJ.rio, is still living; the o:her, Mrs.
Iax\VeH, mo
her of John Maxwell, barriste;
and Crown .\ttorney br Prescott and Rus<;elJ, also of Rohert
lax\VelI, carriage builder,
of Eden Grove. Eruce County, Ontario, died ten years ago. Finlay
lac
Iartin, whose
service as a Y olunteer is ahove recorded, died sixteen, and his brother
ied nine
yea! sago.
"Shortly before the b:tttle of St. Eustache, a party of rebels canie to o
r home,
while my sisters were alone, and asked wh
re my father and b:others 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-
arm'), money, etc.; not getting this, they went to the stables, took the best horse,
harness, and an old train
au,--for sleighs were not in use in those days. From the
sheep pen, they took of the f.Htest. Return ing to the hause, they gave my sisters a ,
note to the effect that payment would be made when the '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. Eust1che, 111 lking his escape on horseback, without
saddle or bridle, but a halter made of his mililary sash.
" Respectfully your
,
" JE \NE MAC
IARTIN."
Finl.!y :\Iac
lartin came to Cote du Midi "in 18-1-8, and settled on a farm which
he b.Jugh
from .\rchibald :\lcCalIum, one of the first settlers here. He was married,
April 9th, 1850, to Christida, daughter of Donald l\1cKeraclter, of D.llesville, the first
settler of that place. They had four sons and four daughters.
Ir. Mac:\Iartin dIed
1 [th December, ISj 4. acie I sixty-two; :\Irs. \lac \lartin still survives him, living on the
old homestead. Of the children, :\largery .\., the eldest, married to 'v. G. Cameron, lives
in Unlario j Jean 0., married to:\1. 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
Iexico, six years ago, Geo. D.,
after spending four years with :\Ir. Chas. \Yales of St. Andrews, in the mercantile
business, went to
Iontreal and spent six years-part of this time in traveBing-in
the same line of business. In 18 9 1 , he went to Chicago, and now has charge of the
office in that city of J. \V. GoddJ.rd & Sons, wholesale woollen merchants of New
York. While in Montreal, he was a member of the Yictoria Rifles, and was cham-
pion shot of Quebec for two years, Colin B., the youngest son, lives at home.
14 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JOHN F. K., eldest surviving son, was born in Cote du Midi. It was his inten,
lion 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 leadin
offices of the different societ:es 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 Ilon-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 ma
ters, hecame 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 :êlondeau, 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 J837, he and his eldest son, Alexander, promptly enlisted in the
Company commanded by Captain Robert Simpson.
He had eight chil,Jren, 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 H\ DE, 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 .\dmiral 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 \Vest to trade with the Indians. But they met different tJeatment
from what they had anticipated, and learned the treachery and barbarity of the
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
143
savages; they were robbed of their goods, and soon saw that their lives were in
danger. H}de made good his escape, but Ramsey was captured, bound, and then,
according to the custom of the Indians, was subj{cted to torture. \Vhile 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 final1y 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, can 1 e to America, and once more mingled with the Indian...
H is 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,
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 ë:lt St. Andrews, and made him liberal offers of land, if he would go out and
set tie near him; but having too vivid recollections of his former experiences among the
Indians, Hyde d{clined 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 tÍ1e Indian Store. 'Vhile there, he married Margaret Anderson, a
young weman who had been ind
ntured, 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 W_1S confiscated, and he came to Can ldJ. in com-
pany, it is sai<.l, with two flmilies nam
d Ogilvy and Glassford-both having been
exiled hy the same fate-and whose descendants are no ,v prominent citizens of
[ontrea1. These loyalists were at
Iichilimackinac, and the celebrated Indian chief,
Brant, was al
o there at the same time.
Brant, knowing .1\Ir. Anderson, borrowed of him a sum of money, which WJ.S
counted and delivered in presence of a number of I ndians. Whether incited to the
(;rime by the sight of the g.)ld, or whether they were led to it by some other motive,
is unknown; but soon afterward, they shot \[ r. .-\.ndel son 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 committed.
Irs. Anderson being thus left a
widow with her young children, was prevailed on to inrienture her eldest child,
:\Iargaret, to the superintendent, and it WJ.<; to her, now arrived at worn 1I1hood, that
Thorr.as Hyde was wedded.
A few years after this marriage, som
dis-)ati
faction having ari-)en between the
superintendent an..} the Government, he left hi" position, and thou
h he offcr
1 Hy(le
the u
e of his house, furnished, if he would rennin at Michilimackinac, on account of
his dislike and distrust (f the Indians, he declined the offer, and with his wife 3,11(1
1.1-4
HISTORY OF .\RGENTEUIL.
two children cJ.me with the superintendèllt to
Iontrea1. There he W.1S introduced
hy the superintendent to Sir John Johnson, Seignior of Argenteuil, these two gentle-
men heing cousins; and by Sir John he was ind ceù to purchase two lots of land at
St. Andlen-s Bar, to which place he removed about I i9 2 .
In the war of 18T 2, he became Captain of a
Iililia Company, and his eldest son,
who \\'.\S born at :\lichilimackinac in 1789, was S
rgeant of the sa
lle Company. In
I8J 5, they \\'
re ordered with the Company to
Iontreal, but before arri\Ting there
peace WJ.S declared, and they returned home.
:\1r. and 1\Irs. Hyde, whosè eady life had been one of so milch rom:1.nce and
sorrow, livcd here until their death. They had 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. Jan
, the eldest daughter, born at l\Iichili-
mackinac, married Martin Albright; she died in 1879. Sarah, th
second daughter,
married Edw.\rd Jones. AJexander, anather son, bought a farm and settled 011 the
River Rouge; he had eight children,-three sons and five d.ulghters; his own ')on
George, who remained on the homestead, and still OWI1S it, has recently purchased the
fine old homestead of J ohn
lc:\lartin. Charles, another son of Thomls Hyde, pur-
chased a f.um on the River Rouge near his brother Alexander; but he had no children,
Xelson, the youngest son of this old family, never married. and rem:\Ïned on the home-
stead till 1880, when he sold it, and now lives in the villJge of St. Andrews. He is
another of the octogenarians in this section, who are witnesse5, not only of the salu-
brity of thè climate, but of the benefit resulting from industry and tempel ance.
JOH
CAMERO
ca'ne from Fort William, Invcrness-3hire, Scotland, and after
living a year in Lachine, call1
to Cote du Midi about 1802. He was a Presbyterian,
and the first, or one of the first, who preached here,lbout; the reader will find him
alluded to in Dr. Paterson's sketch of the Plesbyterian Church, St. .\ndrews, 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 Cameroi1," and one of his sans in turn by the same cognomen.
Ir. Cameron took up the lots of land now owned l>y his grandson John. While
he was away six we
ks in L:lchin
, on duty as a \'olllnte
r in the war of 1812, a large
number of his sheep died fro111 cold and starvation.
His eldest son Hugh, vlho was in Capt. Simpson's Company in 1837-38, lived Oil
the homestead. He had seven sons and six Jaughters; he died about 1867.
John and Alexander are the only two living in this section; Hugh, a fann
r, lives
in Ottawa.
SDtEO:-J LERoy was the earliest pioneer of whom w
have received any record;
he located here as early as I j8S.
At the olJening of the Amel ican R'
volution, he, with two or three brothers,
1ived in Genesee County, X.Y.; but their loyalty to the Briti-;h G;:>vernm::nt for
Lidding their cJ.
tit1g in their lot with those who had thrown off their allegiance, th ey
felt that safety demand
d a remova1. Simeon first w.:nt to NOla SC0tia, a:ld afte r
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
q,5
spending a fe\v y
ars ther.e, and ii1 other plac
s, he r:am
to St. Andrews anJ settled
on th
River Rouge, on land now owned by John :\lcG;egor and Stephen Burwash.
At the time the LeRoys left Genesee County, haste prevented their nuking any
efflJrt to sell their property, hence they left all, glad to e5cape only with their lives,
The country then b
ing new, and land worth but little, they probably did not reg,1rd
the sacrifice they were making as a great one. Since then, however, the same land
-owing to the rapid growth of villages and cities-!1:ls becom
very valuable, and,
I:l)t many years ago, an effort was made to find the heirs to the real estate vaclted
hy the LeRoys. An agent vi'iited this section of C:lnad.l, and endeavored to induce
descendants of the LeRoy brothers to bok up their claims to the property; but
believiug they had no ríght to the improvements which had been mlde thereon, and
regclrding it of little value when their ancestors abandoned it, they, conscientiou5ly.
decided to ha';e nothing to do with the matter.
Mr. Simeon LeRoy lived on the land where he first settled on the River Rouge
till hi
death; he had three sO:1s-William, Sim
on, Henry, and two d3.ughters
-Sophia and Hannah,
The homesteJd was divided between \Villiam and Sim
0.1 j Henry bJught the
lot now owned by John l\1c\lartin. He sold out not m:lI1Y years subsequently,
and moved to Ea5l Ha.wkesbury, where he spent the rem1.inder of his d.lYj. Wiliiam
was the only one who remained in this section. He married a d.:lughter of :\lanin
Jcnes, an early pioneer at St. Andrew's B3.Y, and spent his life on the h )m 'steJ.d.
They had ten children-five sons and five d:lughters j six of these--thre
mns and
three daughters -settled in East Hawke5bury, Ont., one son and two daughters in
Iontreal, and another 'ion, Martin, lJought a farm on the Riv.:r RouJe. He was
married to
[ary, daughter of :\Ialcolm :\lcCallum. a worthy pioneer of this locality.
They had twelve children-eight sons and four daughters.
Mr. LeRoy died 1st Januuy, 181)3;
Irs. L
Roy, 1st November, 1889, ()fthe
children, six settled in the State of :\lichigan; one d,1'Ighter in Manchester, N. H. ;
::\b.lcolm, the eldest, in C:llumet Island; Archiblld C., and Muy, who married
Martin Le Roy. in Hawkesbury, Ont.
ALEXAt'DER is the only one who has remained in the neighborhood of hi:) birth.
He is one of the highly respected citizens of the parish, whose counsel is sought in
matters of moment to the IUllnicipJ.lilY ; and he hai serve.J it in the c;,t}Hcity of
Justice of the Peace for a dec,lde, and ,15 Scho')l C0\11'uis:;io:1cr ab:mt the sal11
time,
He married Hannah, a daughter of Henry Albright. in 187 I. They have three children
living, and OsmcU1 Edgar, their eldest, is a graduate of
[cGill and ha; obtained au
A -ademy Diploma.
I r. L
Roy h3.'i latdy purc113.-;ed the H uringt)n Estate.
The BURWASHES, of whom there ar
many in this section, are am )ng the sober,
tl,riflY and industrious citizens who do credit to their coun
ry.
:r\athaniel B
lrwash WJ.S born i:1 Kent, EngL.1I1J, and his fJ.th
r dyinJ \Vhi
e he
W;lS very young, he was adoptcd by ::In u'\cle-captain of a vessel in the
lercha'1t
Marine_ He was employed several years on this \'e'-isel, during which time it wa'i
14 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
captured by the French and retaken by the English. Finally, he came to the United
State
, marned, and settled in Vermont; but preferring to jive under the British flag,
and induced by the cheapness of land, in ) 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 recen tly died
in England j and on going there, he received as legacy a sum of money, which p
ac(d
him in good circumstal
ces, and enabled him to purchase lands in Canada for his
son
, 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 greal-
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 Nflr' Wester, and moved to Plattsburg, N.Y., where he died.
Mr. Burwash, sen., after seeing hi3 sons well settled, made hii home with the
eldest, Adam, and lived with him till his dca'h, 7th November, 183 J J 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 Bllrwash are clergymen,
three of the :\Iethodist and on
of the Baptist denomi
alion.
Stephen Bunvash, \he second son of Nathaniel Burn-ash, had eight children
who grew up-six sons and two daughters. Of the sons, l\Iatthew and John stillli'"e
here,-the former in St. Andrew's vilIage, though still owning his farm; the latter,
011 the River Rouge. Mr. R
lIwash died 18th January, 1887, aged 60.
Matthew, the third son of Nathaniel Rurwash, whose farm given him by his
father was located at
t. Andrew's Bay, was drafted in the war of 1812, and though
not a participant in that engagement, was within he:1.ring, marching towarù it, when
the battle of Chrysler's Farm was fought. Two years previous to his death, he was
awarded a pension by th
Govèfnm
nt. He died 13th September, 1876, ag..?d 87 j
MIs. Burwash, in 1890, aged 95. He was lllarried to
f.uy, daughter of Ewen
McI achbn, who came from Scotland and settled on \he River Rouge in 1802, :\lr.
McLachlan sold his farm and purclu;;e lone in Point Fortune, on wh 1 ch his great
grandson, Victor Angus, now resièes. One of his sone:, Ewen, built the mill at Arn-
prior, which is now owned by his own SO:lS, Hugh F. and Claude
IcLachlan.
The only dildren of :\[atthew Burwas'\, sen., now living are Maria in
t.
Andrews, and 'Villiam at Southampton, Onl. Hi.) son Mau!-.elv 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 memLer of the Troop, is c'erk in the store of Mr. Banfurd.
Lachute. Thomas, the fourth son of Nathaniel Bllrwash, though very Yüung, was
drafted during the war of J 81 2, but he soon died from the mea-ìlcs which he caught
III 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 1\lountains, and pursuing a devious course westerl}'
in to the North river near St. Andrews' village. The locality is elevated, affording an
exten
ive 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 .of St. Andrews, which contains over 30::> acres with good
buildings.
\VILLIAM: 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 1\1c:\Iartin place, on the north side of the
River Rouge.
WILLIAM
lcEwEN 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 ::\1cOuat. He was married in Montreal to
Catherine McLean, of Rreadalbane ; they had thirteen children-eight sons and five
daughters. Donald, the eldest son, born 1820, always remained in this locality. In
18 3 8 , he became a member of Captain Simpson's company of Volunteer.., and \\",1."
married the same year to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter :\Ic
[artin. They hJ.d three
children,-one son and two daughters. Catherine, the eldest, married John
rcGivern,
and died in Montreal in 1877, leaving one daughter.
Margaret, the second daughter of Donald McEwen, married to J. C. Lock, IS
now rving in ::\[ontreal. \Villiam A., the son, remained a.t home; he was married
June 4 th , 1884, to Catherine, dá.ughter of AlfreJ Center, of Centerville. They have
four children,-three girls and mJe boy.
Ir. Donald McEwen now lives on the old
homestead, his father having retired from active work.
JAMES, eldest son Of\VALTER MCOUAT, was born [818, in Montreal. In 1825,
he removed, with his father, to Lachute, and ill 184-1- was married to J eannetle,
daughter of the late John Christie, of the East Settlement; she died 25th August,
1888. In 1845, 1\1r.
lcOuat came to the River Rouge, and bought the farm now
owned by Mitchel) Fournier; he afterwards sold this, and bought his present fine
farm of Charles Albright, Mr, :\1cOuat has six children-three of each sex. Of the
daughters, Eiizabeth, the eldest, lives at home; Jane is the wife of :\Telson Albright;
148
HISTORY OF ARGE!\TEUIL
and Jeannette, who married Gavin J. Walker (If Lachute, is deceased. Henry, the
) oungest son, remains at home j John R. is a merchant in Lachute j and James, the
ddest, li\'es on the south side of the River Rouge; he wa') born 8th November, 1848,
and removed to his present
arm, L')ts 28 and 29, in 1876. On the 21st :'\ovember,
1 SS8, he was married to Agnes, daughter of the late James McAdam j they have two
children-both boys.
[r.
[cOllat has a good farm, fine brick residence, and all his
surroundings b
token enterprise and thrift. He cirCllL1ted a petition to have a Post
Office established here, and that object was accGmplished in July, 1894. The l)ost
Office, bearing the name of Kilowen, is at the east end of the River Rouge setliel11ent,
and from it the mail is distributed twice a week.
[r. George Giroux is postmaster,
PETER :\IC
[ARTIN, whose ances:ors were Highland Scotch, C:lme to Çanada
from Stirling, Scotland, with his family in 1830. They were eleven weeks making
the voyage across the Atlantic, being shipwrecked durin
their passage. Mr,
lc:Martin first began work in Valldreuil, remaining there two years. He then came
to Carilion HII'. and hired the farm of Peter Mc.-\r:hur, now owned by Henry Bar-
day, dy;ng there at the end of eleven years. He had five children, of whom two
daughters, Cathel ine and Elizabeth, and one son, Peter E., are no .\' living. Catherine
is the wife of Dr. ChrislÍt', 1\1. P., of Lachute, and Elizabeth is married to Donald
McEwen. Peter \! cMartin, the sen, who was born ISH, October 6th, came with
the family to River Rouge in 1844, and bought the farm nùw occupied by Andre,\'
Doig. He afterwards sold ii, and bought his present farm from Thomas Fournier.
He was married in 1849 to Susan, daughter of the late WiJIiam McEwen, and has
se".en children four girls and three boys. Peter James, the elde:;t son, after spending
se\eral years in New York and 1\lontreal, where he was employed three years as
shipping clelk tOl ,rilliam Johnson & Co., retull1ed home in 1890, and is now man-
ag:ng the farm; Alfred. the second son. is living in Iowa j and Norman, the youngest,
is with 'Vm. 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 profession!'7-
the former in 1\ ew York and the latter in Massachusetts. Mr. McMartin, their
father, and the subject of the lauel' part of Ihis sketch, has taken an active l'
rt in
mi1itary óff.:1irs, having been Sergt.-Major of the 6th Cavalry Regiment, of which he
was a member Ihirty years, and he was in the Eastern Townships with the Y olunteers
during the Fenian Raid, 1870. He has Leen Municipal CouncilJor of St. Ar.drews
Pal ish for seven years.
""ILLIA:\1 YÜU
G, a S
otchman, was an actor in the American Revolution, and
al
r) served unåer .-\dmiral Nelson, as sailor in a British man-of-war, and was in the
h.Htle of Trafalgar. He relired from a sea-faring life, and came from Stirling, Scot-
laud, about 1825, first settling in Chathlm j 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 182 I in Stirling, Scotland, are the 0 ) ly ones in this
HISTORY OF ARGE:"JTEUIL.
1-t-9
..
couDtry. In 1849 Thomas came to River Rouge, and bought hi
present farm: the
same year he wa..; married to Jeannette, daughter of John :\IcOuat, of ., Burnside
Farm," Upper Lachute; she died 26th June, 1886. They had six daughters and (.n
son, of whom all but one daughter are now living. Of the others, Elizabeth and
Ellen Ii ve in Kansas; the former being the wife of
-\ lexander Must ard. 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 sett1ers
on the River Rouge, coming here about 1831. He W..lS twice married-the first tim
to Miss Clark j by this marriage they had one son, who went to :\Iissonri rears ago,
and has not been heard from since. :\Ir.
Ic Kerricher married the second time
Catherine :\IcOuat, and became the father of three children, of whom only one.
Nichola
. is n0W living. The iatter, born in 1843, has always remained here; he was
married in 1385 to Mary, daughter of Ewen CamelOn. Cote du
lidi; she died fi\'e
weeks after the marriage.
Ir. )IcKerricher's father ha\'ing died soon after the b"rth
of his son Nicholas, the latter lives with his mother Oil the old homestead, where he
has a fine farm of 270 acres. His grandfather, Donald :\IcK.erricher, came to Canada
in 1802, settled on the south side of the River Rouge, and afterwards \Vent to Cote
du l\1idi.
J A
IES GORDON came from Scotland to this place about 1 S35; he was married to
CatherilH', daughter of J ohn
Icl\Iartill j they had thirteen children-seven sons and
si.J\.. daughters-all of whem are li\"ing. Of these, Peter A., John. and El!en, the wife
of Charles McGregor, live in this place. Mr. Gordon died 5th :\farch. ISS6, at eight\"-
six years of age, and his wife died 27th .hmuary, IS86, age j se\'enty-nine. John. on
of the son.., bought his present fJ.rm on the north side of River Rouge from n e
Howard about 1875; his brother, Peter .\., the youngest son. born February. IS-H"
li,'es on the old home5t
ad. I [e was married in IS9-J. to .\nna, daughter of D,l\.iJ
Paul, of Bethany.
].UIES :\lcADAM, from Ayrshire, ScotlanrJ, was one of the early settl
rs in this
place, coming here about 1849. He was mal ried in I .achut
to C.1lheiine, daughter
of John :\lcIntyre; they had ten children-eight sons and two d lUghters-aH of wl.ol11
are living. I\lr. MC.\dam died February 5th. IS8-t, aged se,"enty.three. :\[r:,.
Mc.\dam died 251h March, I SS8. Of the childre'1, .-\gnes J., married to Jame
C.
)IcOuat, is living on the south side of River Rouge; Alf''.ander, Thomas .\. and
Elizabeth live on the homestead, and the other sons are in the Western State...-
David in Kansas, \ViHiam and Andrew in Nebraska. James and Quintin R. in Colo-
rado, and John in California.
JOHN FRASER came from Inverness-shire, Scotland, and was one ofth
first settlers
here. James, his second son, was married to \nn, daughter of John :\Ic:\Iartin. and
bought the farm now owned by Alexander, his son, and lived here until his dc,n:l.
ISO
HIt)TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
which occUlred 6th January, 1876. Mrs. Fraser died 25th 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
;) nd 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 'Var, 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
p-andson, 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 j he was married to Susan Robertson, and had five sons and two daughters j the
Lltter are both Ii ving j but of the sons, only one remains, Mr. McGregor died in
18 So, aged fifty-two, and his wife died ten years later.
JOHN MCGREGOR, their son, now living here, has always remained on t}1e home-
stead. In 1848, he was married to Miss :McArthur, daughter of Archibald McArthur
üf Dalesville j they have eight sons and one daughter, Of the sons, Gregor A., the
elòest, is with Sheppard, Knapp & Co., and Arthur A, is with Oppenheim & Sons,
both in N ew York city; Robert S. is studying medicine in Columbia College, New
York; John R. is with J. C. 'Vilson & Co., Montreal; Peter C. is studying for the
ministry in McMaster University, Toronto j Harold 'V. D. is with Dobson Bros.,
ew York j and Herbert D. and Norman F. are at home, Miss McGregor is attend-
ing college in Montreal.
MALCOLM MCCALLUM carne from Argyleshire, Scotland, loc3ted 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
.lffairs 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 i A. B. Bell, who settled here in 1851, being
appointed post-master-a position he stilI holds, Mr. Bell has also won the e5teem
of his fellow-citizens-the f,tct b
ing attested by his election as Municipal Councillor
of the Parish.
The first settlers here were Nichols, Jacob Minkler, 'Villiam, Stephen and
DJ.vid Bond, and another, whose surname was Borden. Nichols settled where
'Villiam Drew now lives; Minkler on the lot noW' owned by \Villiam and Malcolm
Smith. A man named 'Yard Smith had located on land now owned by G. \V. Bond,
w;1Ose brother, Stephen Bond, purchased it of Smith. In 1824, the latter sold 200
acres of bnd to 'VILLIAl\I CATTON, who for some years previous had been in business
at S1. Andrews. He had been an officer in the British army, and was a good linguist,
b
ing 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 purcJused by THO
IAS COOK,
who in company had been engaged in the jewelry business in London, Eng. The
firm was known as Cook & \Valker, 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 l\IontreaJ, 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 \Vebster 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 shauld 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
15 2
HI
TORY OF ARGEr\TECIL.
a cow valued at $30, agreeing to pay thirty cords of hard mJ.pl
wood for hcr, and
deliver it at the village of St. Apdrews. AboUl twenty y
ars after he came here, one
of his small boy
, one day in summer, finding a large wasp's nest in a stump near the
house, and little knowing the consequ
nces, set it on fire. The wind soon blew the
fire ;nto another stump, which in turn kindled others, from which the fire was com-
munie<Hed to the wood
. It continued to rage for six weeks, covering a large area of
forest land, deslJoying much timber, balk, shingles and cordwood, :\lr. Loynachan
died in 1886 ; his widow still lives hcre.
ANGl s D. LOY;\IACHAX, one of his sons, an intelligent farmer, married the
daughter of Mr. rj homas C. Cook, and until lecently livtd at the Ridge, his time
being emp!oy\.d betweu1 the d!,ties of farmer and that of auctioneer; he removed to
:\lontreal about a ) ear since.
Through the influence of Dunald Lo)"nachan, a friend of his, n.1Iued AXGCS
LJY;'IJACHAN, also originally flom ArgJleshire,
cotland, settled at Beech Ridge in
184 2 . He anived in Canada in 1837, and a short time subsequently joined the
Glengalry Volunteers. In th
fall úf 1838, he joined a Yolunteer company or artil1elY
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 compttency for his decJining years. His wife dÍ<:d in 1889 amI
he now li\"es with his
on-ill-Iaw, R. l\Iorin":
He has had ten children, six of whon -
four sons and two daughter
-are nc.w living.
The eldest
on, Duncan, and s
cond, John B., are with the Shedden Company,
Iontreal; the third, Angus A., is in company with Ford, and thcy are milk dea'ers, 29
Coursol street, :Montreal; the youngest, Donald H., is in company with Scriver, and
they ale wholesale con. mission lllcrchants, 32 J and 323 CommissiOl
ers street, in the
same city. Mary Jessie-second in the family, now
Irs, RoLert C. "ðlorin-liycs
on the old homestead; Flora Jane, fourth in the family, lives in the same place with her
sister.
.\s above m
ntioned, one of the first settlers in Beech Ridge was STEI'HE
nOì\ v,
who came with his family, among woom wel e three sons-- \\ïlliam, David and
Stepher.-from Randolph, Vt., about 1797, and bought five hundred acres of land on
the roarl from St. .\ndrews to the Ridge. He afterwards returned to Vermont, and
died there. Stephen, the youngest of the three sons, was bOIl1 in I]f)2; he W
IS
married in 1827 to Miss Dorind.l. Powers of Bethany, and took palt of his father's
farm, which is now owned by John L( ynachan. He lived there a number of yems,
and afterwards sold it, buying the lot opposite, where he died in 1858, aged si
ty-
rive; Mrs. Bond died in 1844, aged thirty-eight.
Ir, Bond was drafted into the
militia in the war of 1812, and was stationed three months on Isle aux Koix; he
served a year altogether. M r. and "ðlrs. Bond had two daughters and four sons; of
these, George \V" the second son, is the only one of this family now living in Quebec.
He was born 11th June, J 835, and has always lived in Beech Ridge; in 1860, he was
married to Eliza, daughter of the late \ralter :\lcVicar, of Chatham. They have two
--- M r. Loynachan died 2nd Feb.. 1896.
HISTO}{Y 01<' A}{GENTEUIL.
153
sons, George ,V. and Franklin, who are both merchants in New Mexico, the former
being in Wagon Mound, and the latter in Espanola, about 185 miles ap:ut.
SAMUEL RENNIE came from Belfd.st, Ireland, to Canada in 1838. He was an
engineer by occupation, and was employed as such in )lontreal for seventeen years;
during that time he was with 'William Dow, J. H. Molson, Handyside and \Vm.
Johnson. He was also a distiller, but 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 yoangest son,
born 1852, who remained at home, deals extensively in live stock, taking it to the
Montreal market. He was married in 1879 to Jennie, daughter of the late John
Oxley of
Iontreal; they have one son aud one daughter, Mr. Rennie is
Iunicipal
Councillor of St. Andrews.
THO:\IAS SMITH was born in Dundee, Huntingdon Co., Que., May 24 th ,
1829. He was twice married-the first time, to Catherine Stewart of Huntingdon;
by this marriage, they had two sons, Malcolm and \Villiam Scott. In 1855, Mr.
Smith came to this place, and bought Lots Nos. 4 and 5.
lrs, Smith died in 1867,
aged 37, of diphtheria-one of the first cases known in the country.
Ir, Smith was
married the second time in 1864 tJ Mary Ann Ford, of Huntingdon; Mrs. Smith
died in 1875, aged 37, alld 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 bUòiness in the same place.
l\IALCOLM, the eldest son, born June, ÜiS5, remained at home, and was married
in June, 1887, to Jane, daughter of Hugh Cleland, jun., of Jerusalem; they have three
children, Mr. Smith lives 011 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 difft.:rent varieties of fruit from these wcre shown at the County Fa.ir in
18 94.
\VILLIA:\I SC(lTT, second son of Thomas Smith, was born r 2th September, 1858,
and was married loth September, 1884, to Ellen, daughter of Captain Kenneth
Urquhart, of Glengarry; they hel.ve four children,-all boys. Mr. Smith live;; 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 hc lived for eighteen years on a farm owned by David Bond. He then bought
the farm, Lot
o, I, now owned by his son Thomas. !\lr. Cowan took an active part
in the movements of the
Iilitia, being with them at St. Eustache in 1837-38. He
died in 187 I, aged sevel1ty-nine; he had five sons and three daughters, of \vhom three
II
154
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
sons are now living. James is living in New York State; William in Yermont; 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 horne, 1\1r, 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 a new residence; he
keeps a stock of sixteen head of cattle and three horses. 1\1r, Mitchell has three boys
and three girls; Hannah, the eldest, married to 'Vi11iam Hume, lives in Bethany;
Harriet is in
Iontreal ; 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
Ijnklers, the Greens, Centers, l\IcArthurs, Coles and
other pioneers of that comparatively olden time had cut away the forests, erected
comfortable dwellings and substantial out-houses, planted orchards, Jaid 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
bui\dings, large orchards and gardens, well tiHed 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 'Vest.
"Capt. McLean about this time bought the Dr. Green rroperty; 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 .:\1rs. Peck. Though
highly educated, by birth an aristocrat, and son of an aspirant to the titles and estates
of Annandale, yet he apprecia ted the quiet, honest, pious, respectful people among
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
155
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, especial1yof 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 Anllandale, Five sons and two daughters with their mother were
lefl to mourn his death. The sons were James Kennedy, \Vel1esley, Quintin, Samuel
and \Vashington Joseph, and the daughters-Ylatilda and Elizabeth,
" James, without issue, died at St. Andrews, after ha ving long retired from active
business; \Vellesley, with a family in the \Vest-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
vith the ignorance (Æ 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. \Vashington and his son of
the same name entered the Civil Service-the former as inspector of wei!5hts and
meaSìures, the latter in the Post Office D
partment. Matilda and family reside in the
Slate 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 refusin; , the cup of cold water' in His name.
"The residence of \V. J. Johnstone, Esq., with its orchard and well laid out
grounds, still helps to preserve the f,lÌr name long enjoyed of Bonny Beech Ridge."
Geneva.
This is the name of a Post Office established in 1860, neculy 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 5t, Andrews and in the County--from the fact that it possesse
superior
agricult ural qualities, and for t \vo or three generations has been inhabited by a class
of most mtelligent, upright and thrifty fanners. There is neither a poor farm nor a
poor farmer on this road, in 51. Andrews parish; and a drive a
ong this route in
summer is one of intere
t to any inèividllal interested in agriculture. Those of
whom the followin 6 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. Andrew
, and was employed for a
number of years in the paper mill in that village. He was born in Boston, 3 rd
April, 17 8 4, and was the son of one of the revolutionary heroes, whose name \Vas
Zibeon Hooker. History informs us that the latter was born in SherLurne, :\lass.,
12th 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 a'isumtd, by
proceeding to Lexington on the 19th 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. Erom the same source
we learn that Mr. Hooker commenced his military career at the age of seventeen, as
a musician. DUling the engagement at Bunker Hill, the drum which he carried was
pierced by a shot of the enemy. Divesting himself of this now useless instrnment,
he seized the musket of a fallen companion and rushed into the heat of the battle,
This c:irCllmstance 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 l
utenantcy. Having joined the ContÏnenLÜ army under General
'Vashington, 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 be at variance with any human being. Of him
it can with truth be said, he had not an enemy in the world. Above aU, our
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
157
departed father was a sincere ChristiJn; 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 Ly the family of his son, G. A., Hooker.
On January 6th, 1808, he was married to Pamelia McArthur, daughter of Peter
McArthur 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, 1st April, ) 876,
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 14th, 1845, to Sarah Jefferson from the
North of England, by which marriage he had eight children, Mrs. Hooker died
15 th 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 181 7. taking up a large tract of land, part
of which is now owned by his grandson, \Villiam Buchan, :md the balance of it by
fr. R. \V, McGregor, who still occupies the stone hùuse 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 j 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 thcir arriv aI, purcha
ed land at L'Orignal, which is now
in the possession of his son Andrew. David married Flora McLachlan, sister of
15 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 son,
'Villiam, lives at \Vhite 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
Dccemh
r, 1851, \Villiam married Katherine Stewart; they have had five sons and
four daughters, but four of the sons are deceased. Peter, aged twenty-one, died
July 2nd, 1875, 'Villiam, aged eighteen, died April 21st, 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 15th September, 1885,
Katherine, 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, 'Villiam 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 JJ Blais, who was for many
}'ears almost the only French speaking settler in Lachute Road, He owned the farm
next to that belonging to John and afterwards to 'Villiam Buchan, where he lived
with a large family until his death, about the year 1860, Bi"s funeral was attended
by alm03t 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 1\Ir. G. A. Hooker. He
was a typical Scot, and very popular with his neighbors, Hi
son James lived for
some years in Carillon, but died in middie age, His daughter Isabelh married J, A.
Sharman, who lived until the time of his death, in 1874, on the Gl110way 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 \Vatson, where he employed a large number
of people, and prospered from year to year. He always practiced the best metho::ls
of farming, and by his success dem
)l1strated the truth that business methojs pay in
farming as in any other pursuit, After selling his farm to Mr. 'Vatson he lived for
some years on a piece of land opposite the homestead, which he reserved, and
eventually removeJ to St. Andrews, where h
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. \Vhen the Jefferson farm was sold he moved to Point Fortune,
where he purchased a Íarm, and farmed it with the success which he well deserved.
.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
Ij9
BENJA
IIN CùLE, from New Hampshire, was one of the earliest settlc::rs on the
Lac'hute 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 marrir:d in 1818 to Susan l\IcLaughlin, 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 'VILSON l\1CGREGO}{ was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in October,
IS I 5; he thtre learned the carpenter's trade, and followed it untIl the spring of IS41,
when he came to Canada, remaining for a time with his brother on the Lachute Road.
He worked at his trade in this locality, St, Andrews and Carillon, for five years. In
184S, he was married to Jane, daughter of the late Dr.
1cGregor, of Lachine, and
came to live on his present farm, which he had bought from David Buchan, two years
previously.
Mr, and l\Irs.:McGregor have had three sons and fi\ e daughters, all of whom are
living. Margaret, the eldest daughter, and Anna, are both in Califomia; 1\lary, mar-
rieà to 'Vm. Elliott, grocer, lives in :Montreal; Isabella, married to "'m. \1 cOuat,
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 hvtnty } ears; 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 Ral1gers, and retired with the rauk 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 wc::nt to Hill H ead
\\ here he lived seven years; he afterwards came to
Lachute, and bought the place now ownt.d by his youngest son, Hugh, After this,
he s}Jent seven years on a property near Back River, .l\1ontreal, returning at the
end of that time to the Lachute farm, where he and
1rs. Fraser both died. '''hile in
Hill Head, l\fr. Fraser conducted a distillery five years.
George Fraser, the third son, b(/rl1 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 hc::alth some
of the victims of the terrible ship fever raging in
fontreal, by supplying them with
buttermilk, canying to them 140 gallons, daily. He was a
ked one day by the doctor
who attended the emigrants If he was 110t afraid; Ul on his answering ":\0," the
doctor remarked-I. I do not want to stop you, for taking the buttermilk means life
to them. II As is well known, hundreds, e\'en thousands of these poor people perished j
.
.
IÚO
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
l\lr. Fraser says, he has seen them die by the dozen in thp ]arge 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
cGregor his present farm, (In 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 CaImichael, sister of Mrs. Frac;er, a1so makes
her home with them.
ANDREW TODD, third son of the late \Vm. Todd of East Settlement, was born Au-
gust, 1 8 3 I, 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 2nd Lieutenant in
Captain \Vanless' Company of Cavalry at St. Andrews,
DAVID, third son of DAVID RODGER, was bom 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 Rivière. Mr. Rodger has been one of the
prosperous farmers of Argenteuil, bringing his farm Ï11tO a fine state of cultivatilJn.
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, Andrcws Troop. Mr. Rodger has retired from farming, having
sold his farm to his brother in 1893.
JAMES AR:\ISTROl'\G was born in 1803, and came from County Monaghan, Ireland,
to Canada about 1825, and died
Iay 7th, 1873. Mrs. Armstrong died in 1878, at
the age of seventy-five.
JAMES, their second son, was born April 17th, 1836, in the 8eigniory, and
remained at home until about twenty-six years of age j he was married Feb. 25 th ,
1862, to l\largaret, daughter of the late James Scott of Lakefield, and after living ten
years on the fal1n 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,
161
twenty-five years. :\lr. and 1\lrs. 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 j Bella teaches the
Geneva school j 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 D
war:
JOHN DE
NISON was the man chosen for Captain by the Volunteers of Lachute
Road at the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1837 j he was a cooper by trade, which
at that time was a good paying busine3s. 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-
ate1y 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 J olm
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 encoun:er having taken place, as
the dead body of a large bear lay close beside him! 'Vhat a fearful struggle that must
have been to a man n'::arly eighty years of age, and at what a cost!
:\1r. Dewar says: "The summer of I 847 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 1.3.-
chute Road, and being unable to proceed 3.ny 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, fur 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
162
HI
TORY Olt. ARGENTEUIL.
was a labor of love, for there was no reward in prospect, only the satisfaction of a
(rood conscience' and it is worth y of remark that none of them took the disease"
,
JOH:"J \V ATSON came from Glasgow to Canada, and started in business in Mont-
[(ai, in the tJoot and shoe trade. He was married in this country to l\1iss Janet
Cmnduff, by whom he had three sons and three daughters. After leaving Montreal,
he went to Fast Hawkesbury, and vought the Island at the foot of the Long Sault,
now owned hy Henry Ste\'en
. He afterward removed to :\Ielbourne, Que., and
became superintendent of the slate quarry in that place.
Robert Watson, his eldest son, born in 1845, remained with his father until 18 73 ;
l
e was married in that year to Jane, daughter of :\1r. George Hooker of St. Andrews,
and went afterward, with his wife, to California, where they remained six years. On
his return, Mr. '\Tatson 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,
:\[r. and Mrs. \Vatson have four sons and three daughters all living at home, with
the exce;:'tion of Roy, the eldest son, wh3 is in the milk busi!1es5 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. Andrew
, and is famed for the beauty of its scenery,
It is a part of 81.
\ndrews' Parish, and was incorporated as a village in 18S7.
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 Mc_-\rthur was undoubt-
edly the first actual settler in the limits of what is now the corporation; hence we
are tù understand that the subject of the following sketch was the first in what is
genlfally regarded the village, i.e., the most populouI) part.
CAPT. JACOB SCHAGEL is said to have been the first settler, and to luve 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, alld lived a while in Stan bridge, one of the Eastern
Townships, before coming to Chatham. Sùon after this, he sent to Stanbridge for
his brother Samuel, who, on joining him; erected for an hotel the long,. low building
new uwned by Mr. Kelly, which stands a little to the west of his present hotel. This
building he used as a lJUb1ic house for a number of years; he died at Carillon in 1839.
:\Ir. Jacob Schagel, soon after his arrival, took a contract from Government for
carryir.g freight between Carillon and Grenville,-a business he followed several years.
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" I
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
16 3
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 ef his life on it, and died
there, 16th May, 1874, at theage of88, 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 185 r, That Captain-or, more properly,
Iajor-Schagel was
much respected, and a man of influence, is evident from the manner in which his
name is always mention
d 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, 17th December, 1850, to PhiIlippa Grace
Mount-Stephens, and in 1856, or the following year, he bought the homestead on
which he stilI 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 \Villiam Nichols, lives in Ottawa; Julia Agnes, married to \V. S, Gliddon, also
lives in Ottawa; Alice Phillipp:!, the wife of George \V. 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 Mi nister, 2 2nd February, 1892 ; he is also Secretary of the A rgen-
teuil Count}" C. E, Union,
I)ETER McARTHUR was one of the very early pioneers in this section, having
located on Cari])on 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, Schage1 died in December, 1895, since the above was written.
16 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
:Mr, MC.\rthur had lived in the States previous to coming here, and had married
ill Vermont, Phæbe 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, Phæbe and Pamelia,
Of the latter, Lurena was married to Moses Davis; Charlotte, to John Harring-
ton; Phæbe to Robert Simpson; Pamelia to G. A. Hooker.
Erick McArthur remained on the homestead tin he sold it to James Barclay in
18 35, when he went to Ottawa, opened a public house, and remained there until he
died. Lane
lcArthur, the eldest son, erected a large building in St. Andrews,
where he kept hotel for a number of years, and owned a stage line.
Hi:; two sons, Crosby and !Frederick, followed mercantile life-the former in
Ontario, the latter in St, Andrews, having purchased the store of 'V. G. Blanchard,
whose adopted daughter he married. He was killed by accident, in Montreal,leaving
one son, \VilJiam, now living in St. Andrews, and a daughter who married \Villiam
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 surv
yed Illllch of
the wild land of that State.
MR. C, THOMAS,
OTTAWA, January 23, 1894.
DEAR SIR,
A hÜ,tory of Argenteuil would be incomplete 'without more than a passing notice
of that lovely spot welJ known as CarilJon Hill.
In point of situation, nothing can surpass its love1iness. Standing on the brow
of the hilJ, and taking a survey up and down, whit:hever way you turn, your eyes rest
on the natural beauties of both land and water-the view of the Rapids and country
away to the west, the lovely appearance of the country to the south, the course of
that magnificent expanse of water, as it flows on until it seems to be lost or shut in
by the Rigaud Mounta
ns, and the pure invigorating breeze as it rises from that
majestic stream of water, always spoken of in early days as the" Grand River."
o wonder this lovely spot could always boast of an intelligent and industrious
class of honest yeomen; and if it be true that " he who makes two blades of grass
to grow instead of one " can be called a benefactor, so well might they be called by the
ame name, as alJ of them did their best, not only to beautify their homes, but also
to benefit future generations (and it was from no fault of theirs that, in after years,
their labors were destroyed),
This thrift could be witnessed by the splendid gardens and orchards surrounding
their homes-the shade trees and cherry trees growing along the highway, the pastures
HISTORY 0.' ARGE
TEUIL.
16 5
filled by nm-bearing trees, as the hickory, oak, beech and butternut j all of this, and
more, could be seen in the first decade of this century, when such men as my grant....-
father Dewar,
Iajor Muir and Auer Mathews occupied the property now known a<;
" Bellevue "-Pekr McArthur owned where
Ir. Barclay lives, Peter Benedict ",he:e
Benj. Wales, and in later years John Dewar lived, and !\Ir. Donnelly was on the !anu
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 i5 to be seen now. Scientists mav be able to explain
the cause of the destruction which came upon the fruit trees in that locality-th
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 presel ving its noble breadth and volume, flows quietly
on; but just ahead are rapid, tumbling waters, and, beyond, the imposing Darn of Car il-
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 it
recedes from the river.
The steamer now draws nigh to the wharf, yet the traveller is scarcely conscious
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 level space of
ground near the river, at the eastern end of which is Carillon Park, shaded with a
thick growth of hickory, oak and maple. Standing vis-a-1.!is on opposite sides of the
river are the small, quiet villages of Carillon and Point Fortune, the white cottages
of which, with their green fields and evergreen trees in the background, form, es[c-
cially at sunset, a mo')t beautiful picture.
A number of substantial brick and stone houses are also found in each village,
and especiaHy the Government houses in Carillon, in which dwell the officials COIL
nected with the canal, are attractive, as well as the grúlll1ds around them. .\t the
steamer's wharf is a long, low building, which serves as station and freight house for
both steamers and the railway. Several rods distant, and the first structure at the
entrance to the village from the east, stands a very large and imposing stone building
which a sign proclaims is the "Sovereign Hotel," but which for several dec.lrles
has been known through all the country side as II The Barracks."
166
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL,
But directly hack 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 wiiI 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, nead}' 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
J.cross 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 ofland 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 hi Jmestead, Here and there tumble-down stone walls
:Ire 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 place
of the servitors of the Ce Lord of the :\1 anor "-the toilers
who helped to clear these lands and rear the struct
res 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 th3.t 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'Olive. In May of the same year,
however. it was reunited to the domain, by a judgment of the Court of Common
Pleas j 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. \Vhitlock. Eight years later. it was
sold to Peter Dewar, who retained it till the year 1819, when he sold it to Maj. Muir.
On the 27 th
lay, 182 7, Maj. Muir conveyed it to Commissary General C. J. Forbes,
during whose ownership the buildings-house, barns, hotel, brewery, malt house and
saw mill-were erected, and the large improvements made, the place receiving the name
ce Rellevuc," by which name it has been known for more than three-score years. By
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
16 7
request, the folJowing interesting sketch has been prepared by one familiar with the
history of
" BELLEVUE."
"CHARLES JOHN FORBES was born in Hampshire, England, Feb. loth, 17 86 , and
during his life on the Ottawa, the loth of February was as wen known to his large
circle of friends as Christmas or New Year. At an early age he was sent to the
College of Altona in Denmark, and when only fourteen, was wrecked in returning to
England, on the coast of Holland. While waiting for a ship to carry them to their des-
tination, he was taken by the Captain to a coun try Fair, and such was his wonderful
memory and genius for picking up languages, even at that early age, thathe learnt there
a song, sung by the peasantry, and afterwards di<;continued by ord
r of the Govern-
ment, but remembered and repeated by him in a visit to HoUand in his seventy-third
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 Egypt
under Sir J olm Stuart. He was taken priso
:er and confined in the dungeons of the
citadel of Cairo: but was fortunate enough to attract the notice of Mahomed Ali, and a
friendship struck up between the English boy and the pO\verful Pasha. The following
year, he again served under Sir John Stuart, at thè battle of Maida, and then the English
arms was victorious. For several years he saw service in the Mediterranean, being
present at the taking of the Ionian Islands and the taking of Sicily, He was also
daring enough, on one occasion, to swim out under a heavy fire with despatches to
the Admiral of the fleet, for which service he recei\'ed 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. From
there, he was sent to join the army under Sir James Packenham, and W1.S present at
the battle of New Orleans. In a l
tter, now in possession of his family, written to
an 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.
liOn his return to England, the following summer, he married Miss Sophia Mar-
garet Browne, and their bridal tour was from the church door to \Vaterloo, Imme-
diately 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 l;overn-
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 husb,mùs,
fathers and sons.
I. The peace of Europe being now established. they went to Florence, where they
continued to reside for some years, their eldest children being horn there, During
their sojourn in that dc1ightful city, they made acquaintance with some very cde-
163
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
brated people,-among them, the Countess of Blessington, Lord Byron and the Abbé
M ezzofanti, known as the greatest linguist of his own or any other day, being able
to speak and write seventy diff
rent languages, In I 825,
Ir. Forbes \Vas ordered to
Nova
cotia, 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-
viIIe College. From Halifax, Mr. Forbea 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 :\Iuir. They liked their home on the Ottawa so much,
that they bought two other farm
, one from :\Iajor Burke and the other back of the
village of Carillon from l\Ir. Cameron, which was ever afterwards known as "Cam-
eron's Land.
.. The societr of Montreal was at that time exceedingly good, as, besides the mili-
tary, there was the old aristocratic French element,-the De l\Inntenachs; the De
Lotbinières, whose daughters inherited the seigniories of Rigaud, Vaudreuil and 1>e
Lotbinière ; and many more uf 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 oflife continued, partly in ÞtlolItreal and partly at Bellevue,
till 11 r. Forbes was ordered to the \Vest 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
BelIevue. H is only official duty from that time was acting as ad viser 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 gi\ren at Bellevue to
his constituents, a quantity of silver was stolen, but was shortly afterwards returned
by the priest, who requestl'd that no questions should be asked, as it was restored
under the seal of confes5ion. Families of old friends and relations hat.'!, in the mean-
time, come out from England, and settled in the neighborhood; the society was
delightful: Mr. Wainwright, R. N., bought a place which he named ,. Silver Heights,"
from the \\ hite daisies growing on the hill at the back of the house; Mr. Cunning-
ham, afterwards Sir Francis, at l\IilllecrJ.ig, caned after the fami:y 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
Ir. .Forbes' second daughter, Florence; and M r,
\Villiam Abbott, the genial clergyman of the parish, without whom no festivity in the
neigh borhood was complete, His still more talented brother, the Rev. Joseph Abbott,
was also a constant visitor, while his son-aíterward Sir John Abbott-spent a great
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 generaliy 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 RebeBion, BeUe".ue 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 buBets, 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 frustrattd by the determined defence made by our Volun-
teers. Mr. Forbes' son-in-Iaw,1\1r, Edward Jones, immediately formed a Cavalry
company, in which l\1r. Forbes' eldest son, Carlo, served as cornet. They did va-
liant service, both at Grand Brulé 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 builJing, 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
buil t in 18 30, became useless after the troops were removed ; the powder magazine
bad only the advantage that it blew up without hurting anybody, and the saw miU
only led to a feud with his old friend, Col. Johnson; the Seignior. In right of the
seignioriallaw 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, aU rùot crops had to be
transplanted; a lime kiln was built, to keep a constant supply oflime on hand for the
land; large holes were dug in the bog to extract the marl at the bottom; and though
the farm included 5 00 acres of woodland, a number of Irish laborers were constantly
employed to make peat to burn in the house, 3S the ashes were supposed to be good
for turnips. However, all these theories gave constant employment to the p
ople
around there; those who wanted work were never denied it; and if sickness overtook
them or their families, they were always generou",ly provided for. All this tim', the
social life was of the pleasantest: people of distinction constantly corning there to
stay. Sir John Colborne, the Earl of Dalhousie, Sir James Kempt, Sir Charles Rigor,
Sir Charles :Metc
lf and Lord Sydenham-all Govanors of Canada-have been e.lter-
12
17 0
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 tl
e Catholic churches in Canada,
staytd at BelIevuc, 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 paro<..hial visits up the Ottawa. 'Vhile, in spite of political differences,
Mr, Papineau was a welcOlr.e 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 Jiving 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 10 California, as did the
youngest daughter, Elizabeth; while of the two nieces of Mr. Forbes, whom he tuok
as children and brought up as his own, the eldest married Captain Powell,ofthe
9 th Regiment, and the youngest married Dr. Mayrand, ofSt. 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.
1r. Forbes died 22nd September, 1862; Mrs. Forbes died 23 rd June, 186 9.
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 1\1 rs. Forbes being thrown violentiy 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 BeUevue.
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 da}"s, 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. \V,
Shepherd, sen., was president, and his son R. 'V, SHEPHERD, jun., is now manager.
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL.
17 1
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 \Vales," and held the
position till 1870. In February, 1871, he made a trip to Europe, and on his return,
the same year, wa3 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 populaTity with the
traveling pu IJlic.
Mr. Shepherd was married 26th June, 1879, to !vliss 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 Como 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 , Vales Rifles: 1st 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 attemion 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 \Vorld'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 !vIr, Sharman in this village.
But notwithstanding the Jack of mills and stores, there is considerable travel
through thè place even in winter; and when the spring opens and the boats begin to
run, the aspect of Carillon, as a business place, is greLl.tly improved. Thi
being the
terminus of the steamboat line from Montreal, as well as that of the railway running
17 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
to Grenville, it is a depot for both passengers and freight; and when summer advances,
and people seek the refleshing air of the country, numbers flock to Carillon; its
beautiful and expansive water front and othenvise channing 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 event') 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 w..:s built, sometime in the third decade of this century, by A. E. Montmar-
quet from
lontreal. Having no competitOls 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 Coun ty, and the following letter, copied
from one in the archives of Quebec, shows that he was not devoid of public spirit.
CARILLON, Sept. 16th, 1846.
To the Supt, Schools,
Canada East.
SIR,- \V e have received a l)etition from the inhabi tants 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 wiI] 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.
\Ve are, sir,
Your obedient servants,
MOSES D
VIS,
Chairman.
G. N, BENEDICT,
Secretary- Treasurer.
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, his store was the 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, leavi
1g 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 cnter a house to appropriate its effects,
should pick up and carry off things which they well knew would otherwise soon be-
come the Plcy 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 1\lr, Duncan Dewar of St. Andrews, declaiming loudly against
those who would appropriate the property of the absent proprietors. At that moment
l\Ir. Jamieson, a brother-in-law of C. J. Forbe5 of Carillon, ani who lived on the
Forbes' estate, chanced to pass with a single
leigh load of the confiscated prolJerty
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 res(Jonsihle for whatever property he had taken, and drove on.
On the succeeding Monday, Hoyle inquired at the store of
Ir. Dewar for a
quantity of his favorite brand of tobacco, and Mr, Dewar having none, he informed
him that he could procure it of
lontmarq net, 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
l\lortmarquet, followed. His first words on entering the store and seeing Hoyle
were: "How dare you II1sult m
, sir, as you did Saturday night in St. Andrews?"
and at the same moment he 5truck him across the back with his cane. \Vithout a
word of warning, Hoyle instantly drew a pistol from his pocket and shot him. A
crowd soon collected, in which there were three physicians, who pronounced the
wound fatal.
Hoyle quickly placed himself under the protection of Maj.
layne, commanding
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. "You
do not know," I:e 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 p
l.rt of a suspender
buckle which it carried with it were found in his body.
FRO
1 THE FENELON FALLS (ONT,) GAZETTE OF DEC'., 18 7 8 .
R
LlCS OF 1837.
Mr. Jamieson, of Point Fortune, Quebec, who died in this village on Monday last, at the
residt:nce of his sister, Mrs. Cunningham, requested a few days ago that if the attack of heart disease
from which he was suffering should prove fatal, his body shouh\ be opened before burial, amI a search
made for a pistol bullet and a portion of a brace buckle which he h"d been carrying somewhere
within him for about forty-one years.
In I
.H, the memorable year of the Rebellion in Cana(la,
Ir, Jamieson, then a young and
strong man, re
ided at Ca1Ïllon in the Lower Province. One day in the post office there, he got to
argui':g politics with a rebel, whose language became so insulting or otherwh.e provoking that at last
Mr. jamie!'on struck him, whereupon he drew a pistol and fired at his loyal opponent. The;: bullt:t
broke the iron buckle of the right Htspender, and then entered his breast, inflicting a wound which
nearly pwved fatal, and from which he was laid up for
ix weeks. At the expiration of that period, he
was neally well again, anù never afterwards felt any ill etTect;; from lh
hurt; but as the bullet had nClt
174
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
been extracted, and as it "as believed to have taken the missing part of the buckle with it, Mr. J amie-
son often expressed the wish during his last illness, that, after his death, the locality of the ,. foreiglt
bodies, II 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 was 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, Rnd 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, 18 7 8 .
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. MO
TMARQUET sold his store and other property in Carillon to 1\1r. 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 ye,us in Scotland in acquiring a know-
ledge of mercantile business. He died, however, a short time subsequently, and his
brother, \Vm. 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
Rlgaud. 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 l\1ontmarquet 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 touk spécial pains to
accommodate his debtors, the good wishes of the community w<;nt with him. _\bout
two rears 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.
Ir. Gauthier springs from stock whose energy and loyalty form an heir-loom of
honor to their descendants, His grandfather, JOHN BAPTISTE GAUTHIER, was born
21 st October, 1796, at Montreal Junction. At the ag
of 18, he enlisted at Montreal
in a regiment ofVoltigeurs, and took an active part ir. the battle ofChateauguay. for
which service he subsequently received a pension. In the Rebellion of 1837, he
joined a company ofloyal Cavalry, and was often employed in carrying dispatches.
After the Rebellion, he settled at St. Anne, where he died in 1886, upward:; 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
orth \Vestern 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 Cuillon, In 1867, he was married to Hermine Crevier of St,
Anne. During his life in this VilJage, he took an active part in whatev
r promoted
its prosperity. He was a member of the
Iunicipal 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 powels 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 childr
n 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
hon')rs of which a young man less modest might sometimes boast. He won the
highest prize offered for proficiency in the study of commerci"l law, political economy
and bookkeeping; the first prize in science, grammar, analysis and themes; and in
188 7 he won the silver medal offered by Messrs, Fogarty & Co., of Montreal, for pro-
ficiency in the study of commerce, èesides 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
traveLing for the same firm. Donat, a brother still younger, is the assistant of R. V.
in hi
store,
JAME.5 BARCLAY, who lived for many years in Carillon, was one of her most
enterprising and influential citizens, and was well known and p.:>pular throughout the
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 ye,us, the father and son decided to go to South
America. \Vith this design they had gone as far as
Iontreal, when, by one of those
simple even ts which sometimes effçct great changes, they were led to throw up their
plan and remain in Canada.
The younger Barclay happened, unexpectedly on the street, to fall in with a
man named John Wanless, whom he formerly knew in Edinburgh, but who then lived
J7 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
in St. Andrews. On learning Barday'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 Barday and his father decided to return with him to St. Andrews.
One Sabhath 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 blosmros, 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
aid 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
lit:e between this Village and GrenvilIe, 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, he purchased
the farm on Carillon Hill which had been owned by Peter
fcArthur. It was some
time, however, before he lived on this farm, though he employed men to cultivate it.
He was for some years agçnt for the McPherson & Crane Forwarding Company.
When the Carillon & Grenville Railroad was completed, he was the first conductor
un 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 Rebel1ion 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 suspectld 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 dear 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 W.1S a staunch Conservative, being a warm admirer of the late Sir
John A. l\lacdonald, and his influence in behalfof 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. Barday 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, J
hn, 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 fo1'
the house of Frothingham & 'Vorkman, Montreal; he was married in 1873 to Adria
Haines of that city. His family resides in St. Andrews, where the influence of Mrs,
Rarclay 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 5econd son of James Barclay. is engaged with
[CLaughlin Bros.,
lumbermen, in .'\rnprior, Ont, Henry, the third son, after spending some years in
lontreal 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 CampLeIl, the fourth son, is in Rico, Colorado-a
dealer in hardware and mining supplies,
ALEXANDER l\I CINTOSH, 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 aftenvard returned to Scotland. and in 1866 came to Can-
ad.! and bought the "PriOlY" on the "Field Farm" in St. Andrews. This building
was then the property of Mrs. Abbott, widow of the late Rev. 'ViIlia.m Abbott.
Mr. McIntosh was ma.rried in England to Miss 'Vard, and they had three
children-all daughters j he died in St Andrews in 1884, Mrs. \Içlntosh survives
him, living with her daughter, Mrs. :McNaughton.
The latter, who is the youngest of the three sisters, married Dr. Donald
lc.
Naughton of Hudson; they removed to Carillon, and purchased the present pro-
perty of Mrs. McNaughton, "D,ll1derav," formerly known as "
[ilncraig.JI a beau-
tiful place on the road leading from Carillon to St. Andrews.
Dr. l\Ic
a\lghton died in December, 1888, leaving a widow, one son and five
daughters.
The eldest daughter, Anna, married to C. V. De Boucherville, lives in Ottawa j
Eliza, married to Martin S. Albright, lives at Prospect Place, La Baie; Eleanor,
married to James Machan, lives in Grenville; Grace
L and Flora are attending
Dunham Ladies' College; I )unc:m, the son, is in the
tates.
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 country from
Scotland in 18 37, and first settled in St. Andrews. l\Ir, Taylor was employed, soon
after his arrival, as foreman on the estate of Commis..;alY Forbes, Carillon; and as the
Rebellion was then in progress, in going to and from his work he w.l.'; daily chal-
lenged by sentinels posteà between the two villages, and compelled to give the pass-
word. He afterwards removed to Isle aux Cha.\s, whele he died in 18 8 3;
Irs.
Taylor died in 1888. 'J hey had four sons and six daughters.
17 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
James. the eldest son, is the propJietor 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.
Iary A., one of the
daughters. married to James Taylor, lives at Isle aux Chats.
6-\gnes R., who is the fourth daughter, came to this place in IS89, and purchased
the residence of her brother David, who was about leaving for the 'Vest, Miss Taylor
has made maI
y 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
18 33, and before 1849 had crossed the Atlan tic with his family nine times, on a few
occasions as super-cargo, thus
aving 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, ar
d to enco'Jrage 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 th
vessel1eak, that for some hours he could not
see that the water in the "essel 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 51. Johns,
Que., and lastly on the Lachute Road, St. Andrews, where he died, 24th January, 18 75,
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 friend., in that
locality, hence he came to Canada. Mrs. Sharman, his second wife, died qth
November, 18 5 2 , 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-
sues in Carillon. He was married 26th October, 186 5, to ::\Iary Gordon. She died 20th
June, 18 75; they had two sons and a daughter. He nurried a second time, 25 th
}'ebruary, 18 7 8 , .Mary L., dc1Ughter of the late John Dewar; they have one son and
one daughter.
lr, 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 ARGEI\TEUlL.
179
'1'h e Carillon & Grenvi\1e Railway IS only a section of a road which was to be
built from l\lontreal to Ottawa; and though it commenced \\ith a fair prospect of
success, it ended disastrously for its projectors.
It was begun in 1857 by two brothers from E T'gland, 'Villiam 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, Sike!', DeRerg &
Co., of which firm, Alexander Sikes, a brother of the two m'lmed above, was a
member.
Labor on the road was commenced at different points,
lontreal, 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 favor3bly 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, Alex'lnder Sikes
took passage on a vessel for America, with a view, it is sUI'posed, of inspecting the
work in which his company had invested so much money: but the vessel, with all on
board, was lost. \Vhen this sad accident became known in England, the company of
which the deceased, Mr. Sikes, had been a member sent to their repH.sentative 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 be5ides the Sikes brothers lost heavily in this unlucky venture; none,
perhaps, more largely than Sydney Bellingham, M.P.P. for Argentcuil.
The or.ly completed portion of the road was th:\t between Carillon and Grenville,
and this coming into possession of the late Hùn. J. J, C. Abbott, solicitor for its
managers, was, by him, sold to the Ottawa Ri\er Navigation Company in 18 6 3.
JOHN :\IcGOWAN, the ptcsent superintendent of the ab Ive Railway, and one of the
prominent citizens and uusil1ess men of Carillon, was born in B3lmagh parish, Scot-
land. He carne to Montreal in 184 2 , and was first employed by a fanner residing
Ilear the city, with whom he remained two years. He then engaged as cler\.. to
Thomas Masson, Notre Dame street, Montreal; but at the e:"piration of three year!',
declining health compelled him to ab':l11don the store. IIis father's family was then
in this country, and in connection with his father, he bought a farm at Hud50n, P.Q.,
where he was engaged till about 1 8 5 8 . In the year previous, hc was married to Jane
McCuish, who died in 18 7 0 , leaving eight children. Four of these died in infancp
and two more after reaching the age of eighteen. In 1859, ::\lr, :\1cGowan engaged
to the Ottawa River Navigation Company, and for fi\'c years W:1S 10c.ltclI at Ottawa.
180
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
In 186 3, the Company purchased the Carillon & Grenville Railway, and the following
year he came to Carillon to act as superintendent for the Company.
'\"hile thus engaged, he has not been indiffere!lt to the public affairs of the
village, anJ has t.\ken sp
ci1.1 intereit i1î" schools. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the
School B.>ard when living in Hudjon. and is now Secretary-Treasurer of the dissen-
tient school of this vilhge. He W.lS :\byùr of the village in 18 93, 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. McGowan is a man of much energy and activity, and a
very proficient and careful man,lgcr of the interests committed to his charge. John,
his eldest son. who W.lS employed several years as purser on the steamer" Princess,"
the duties of which position he discharged to the unqualified approval of the Com.
pany and the public, has recently been aPPJintcd Captain of the new steamer
,. Duchess of York."
George, the only son by his second marriage, wh.:-> has lately attended a Com-
mercial Collegc in :\[ontre3.I, is now al home.
Isabella, his only daughter, was married in :May, f 893. to Ernest Howe, of the
firm of Howe & McIntyre, commission merchants of Montrèal.
JOH
HALSEY, the engineer on the C. & G. Railroad, was born uf English
parents in Dublin, and cam
to Canada in 1870. His father and grandfatha had
been in the Na\ry, and the f<<;>rmer servçd at the blockade of Kid, and in Egypt won
three medals for his proficiency and bravery, He afterward entered the Coast Guard
service, and moved to Dublin.
[r, John H:J.lsey served his apprenticeship as locomotive fitter on the Great
Southerr:. & \Vestern R.R., and received the mOjt flattering testimonials from the
officials.
r\f;er going to Montreal, he worked two years in the Grand Trnnk shop5, then
three years in Brockville for the Can. Centr.\1 R. R., after which he worked another
year in th
Grand Trunk shops at :Momrea1. He then accepted the position of
Locomotive Engineer for the Ottawa River Navigation Company, and hac; held it, to
their great satisfaction, for eighteen ycars. He was married, 22nd June, 18 7 6 , to
largaret, eldest daughter of James B
aton. of Her Majesty's Customs, Stornoway,
Island of Lewis, Scotiand. 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 th
Ingersoll Sergeant Drill Co. of St. Henri, since
:\larch, 1893.
KELLY'S HOTEL, which has bten known to the public for nearly fifty years, is the
only one besides the Sovereign, in Carillon. L3.1 ge as these two houses seem for so
small a place, they arc inadequate ill the summcr season to accommodate the number
applying for hoard,
JOH
KFLLY, the oldest English-speaking resident of Carillon, is a son of J.
Kelly, one of the early seulers of Grenville, and he came to Carillon in 1848. Patrick
.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
181
1fufl!hy, \:ho .had kept a public house.in this village, was now deceased, and :!\fro Kelly
marned hIS wIdow, and became propnetor of the hotel. Being active, and pos.iessed
of an enterprising spirit, as well a
shrewdness, he engaged in whatever kinds of
bu
ines;) beside3 hotel keeping presented to him an oPPQrtunity of making money.
In those days, before the advent of railways, the travel through Carillon far
exceeded w;1at 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 the
lumber 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 whcse
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 0f 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. ""hile
others 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 $15 0 a day - $80:) sometimes being realiæd betwt:en
Ionday
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 enco'Jrage charitable objects or public improvements. 4C Money
is power;" and when to this its possessor adds shrewdness and affability, he exerts
an influt:nce 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 j and a history of the scenes of political
excitement and political chicanery he has witnessed would alone fill a volume. In
18 75, he was induced with some others to place a steamer on the Ottawa, to run in
opposition to the old line between Carillon and Montreal, he advancing the money
for the purpose. The first boat purchased wa5 the" Manitoba," at a cost of $. 4,000,
which, after running fcr four years, was condemned by the in<.:pector. The company
then purchased the " T. B. MaxweIl," but after a while financial difficulty arose, in
consequence of which the shareholdas-with the exception of Mr. Kelly and Nelson
Burwash-withdrew, Mr. KeIIy 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. KeIly was a member of the Municipal Council of St. Andrews for a period
of fifteen years, but seeing the necessJty 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 faU of 1888, against determined opposition; he was
laJor
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 the finest
building in Carillon; he has retired from active business, having gi\en the manage-
ment of his business affairs to his son, T. P. K ell}'. The latter was married 5 th
182
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
Ft:bruary, 18 9 0 , to Emma Burrows, of PlOspect, Ont. They own considerable real
estate in this section, the taxes on which amount to a large share of all levied in the
municipality,
lr. Kelly's first wife died 19th September, 1870 j he was married, 27 th OctobefJ
18 7 S. to Julia, second daughter of the late'Villial11 Lawler, Esq., of Hawkesbury;
she died 18th October, 188 9'
The "SOVEREIGN HOTEL," which, as stated elsewhere, has long been called "The
Barracks," is a fine commodious stone building located near the Ottawa. Though
erected for an hotel in 18 3 0 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 la,>t three years it has been under the management of N. L. LADOUCEUR, all
active young n11n, who has discharged the òuties of his calling efficiently, and to the
satisfaction of his pa
rons. 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. He
was married, 17th January, 1893, to Victoria Clairmont of Rigaud; she died 24 th
::\Iarch, 18 94 j and :\lr. Ladouceur was next married, 15 th July, 18 95, to Helen
Deschamps of Montreal.
In 18 5 8 . 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 occup.nion throughout this section ever since his arrival. He married l\1dlIe.
::\Iathilde 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 ðlontreal 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 entcred the Bourget College. at
Rigaud, in 18 79- His course there was a very successful one j 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' Etemlard and Liz 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 th3.t of
Ir. J. L. Archambeault, the Crown Pro-
secutor, While a student, 1\1r. Ladouceur wrote for several publications, contributing
to the Afoude Illustré, under the 1l0"l de plume of Lorenzo; several of his poem s
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 Libera I 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
B
y City, where for a time he had editorial charge of the French newspaper
J
r ;í
i
I "!
". ,
I
E. \. B. L.\DOn'JTH
I
I
j
I
1
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUJL.
18 3
Le Patriote. Attachment to Canada, however, led him back to :\Iontreal, where he
was admitted to the Bar, 13 th January, 1893.
DENNIS GAHERTY, a gentleman well known among contractors and business
men, is at present a resident of Carillon. He carne from Dublin with his father about
1827, when he was but three years of age. In 1843 he 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 cau,;ed his services to be largely soughtj
and many difficult and dangerous jobs given up by other3 have been brought by
him to successful completion. He has also engaged quite extensively in running
boats and in boat building, h3.ving at different tim
s owned thirt een 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 51. Anns.
Mr. Gaherty has been twice married j the last time to
liss EI:E.n Davis, a
sister of his first wife. By the first marriage, he had two sons and three daughters;
one of the former is deceased; the other, D. G. Gaherty, is an
L D., who, on
account of ill health, gave up an extensive practice in :\lontreal, 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 year3 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
traveled route, make up a feature in the landscape of which the visitor never tires.
It W;tS the hope of the writer, th3.t he would be able to publish so:ne of the corres-
pondence and documents relating to the 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 DewJ.:-, on b
half of the writer, for inform.ltion
respecting the subject in question :-
OTTA\\A, 20th July, 1894.
DEAR
IR, DEWAR,
A t the request of
Ir. Brophy, I send you some inforI1ntion reg.uding the canals
in front of the County of ArgenteuiJ, the: most of which was extracted from printed
reports in this office.
Mr. B. says some valuable papers which belonged to his late f.lther, and which
would have given many details not now available, cal1not b
found; but h.= trusts
that some of the dates furnished nny not be too late for the object :\Ir. Thoma,> ha:.
in view,
Yours truly,
D.
coTr,
18 4
HI
TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Enclosed with the above letter \Vas the following brief but valuable history of the
canals :-
,. The Grenville Canal lies on the north shore of the Otta.wa, 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-st0ne. 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 Rlondeau canals, the original designs contemplated locks
corresp(.nding in size to those of the L3.chine Canal.
"Three of the lo
k'i 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, It appears, however, from information given by
parties engaged in the construction of the works, that the Grenville canal was
completed in 1829, the Chute au Blo:1deau in 1832, and the Carillon in 1833; and,
further, that on the 24th of April, 183+, the canals were opened, and the steamer
, St. Andrews,' with two barges in tow, ffi3.de 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
Carillor. 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 D..lm, in order to incre..lse 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 stranger::.
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 hlS since been quite sufficient in
quantity, the ,e Feeder" has fallen into disuse.
\s státed above, the canal was comtructed by the British or Imperial Govern-
ment, the Canadian Government at th3.t early day scarcely being able to afford the
outlay for such public WOI ks. 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 em;)loy
d on the canal. L3.bor was firs t
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.
18 5
occupied by the officers of this Corps during the time they were in C,nillon, 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 stIli 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 foundatio:ls of an old building, now,
owiug to the encroachment", of the river on the land, almost perpendicular with the
water. Trees and bushes ha\Fe grown up so thickly in and around these wans, 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 an 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 muney,
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 tht: pro-
prietor. But though he had such patrons, the business of 1\1r. 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
lr. 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 hi:; life, he was a Christia'l and an active supporter of the cause of temperance.
l\ir, 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 li\Fed at the Old Distillery, and which goes to show
the instinct and sagacity of the brute creation, and their wonderful powers of compre-
hension, l\lr. 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.
'lOne 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 shoTt time, very dejected and crest-
fallen; he was scolded and sent off again, his master repeating over and over the
words 'filld it.' In a short time he came 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 110t do."
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 blac!{smith shop. It was \.acant at the time the
canal laborers came here, an] they used it as a hlacksmith shop in connection with
their own work till the completion of the canal.
- 1
186
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
FORMER A
l) PRESENT E
[PLOYEES 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
[aster; he died about 1860, leaving three sons and three daughters.
"rilliam n., 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 Cushing, 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
i\[iss
chneider) 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 14 th June, J 894, to Margaret,
daughter of the late Captain J. H. Leslie.
DANIEL MURPHY, the present C01lector of Tolls on the Canal, is a son of Patrick
[urphy, who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1774 j 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 aftenvard returned to his native land,
entered the navy under Nelson, and was in the battle of TrafaJgar, Subsequently
he came to Quebec, where he was stevedore, and then conducted an hotel till about,
1 8 4 0 , when he came to this section and lived on a farm a while, in Chatham, which
he left to keep hotel in Carillon, He died here in J 848, leaving one son, Daniel.
His widow, a woman of much tact and energy, married Mr. John Ke])y, 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.
Iurphy should apply for his present position, that
of Collector. After some deliberation, he acted on the suggestion, and, aided by the
innuence of
[r. Kelly, received his appointment in 1872. It will thus be seen that
he has held the p03ition 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 matried
28th January, 1891, to Emma Jane, daughter of Patrick Kelly of Grenville.
'\YILLlA:\1 BROPHY came from Queen's County, Ireland, to Montreal in 1823,
About two years later, he went to Hawkesbury, Ont., where he remained three
HIS rORY OF ARGEN fEUlL.
18 7
years, and then removed to St. Andrews, in \\"hich village he worked several years at
his trade of shoemaker. About the beginning of the Rebellion, he moved to L3.chute,
and enlisted in Capt. Quinn's Company of Volunteers. He went with thé1.t Company
to Cornwall where he became ill, and died in 1838; he left one son and four daughters.
Iargaret, 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 :\lrs. Brophy, Anna
and Susan,-the former married to Rufus Lamkin, and the latter to 'Viniam ::\IcKeever
-live in Cambridge, Mass.
:\lr. 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 pla
e, and s till holds
the position. He has most carefully provided for the education of his childrel1, who
have proved themselves worthy of h is solicitude,
John C., the eldest son, received a thorough training at the private school of George
'Yanless of C:lrillon, and then attended Montreal College, from which he graduated
in J885 with the highest honors: winning the L'lnsdowne ::\ledal, 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 lears, and received the degree of D.D. Refore
returning to Canada, he visited France, England, Ireland, and other countries of
Europe. On his return, he accepted a Professorship in his Alma
Iater: and is now
Professor of Theology in the Grand Seminary.
The two remaining sons of Mr. Brophy-Thomas J. and \Yilliam P.-are both
employed in the General Post Office at Montreal, the former in the ::\loney Order,
and the latter in the Registry Department.
:\Iary 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 \Volverhampton, England, at the age of 18, enlisted at Charlton,
on the 24th April, 1820, in the Royal Staff Corps. He was made a corporal in his
COl1'pany, which was commanded by Co}. Duvernay, ::\lrs. Duvernay accompanied
her husband to Canada, and her maid was a girl named .Mary Ann
lcCue. Between
this maid and John :\lason, 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 :\Irs
Duvernay, who, cherishing the best wishes for their
prosperity, advised them. when the canal was finished, to remain 111 Canada, Hut
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 rt'e
188
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII..
Colonel to intercede more vigorously in her behalC so her husband was finally induced
to remain. The Colo\lel offered him any position on th
canal, not already filled, that
he might choose, and as a Lock Master was required at Chute au Rlondeau, he accepted
that appointment. He remained there until his children were old enough to attend
Scll('ol, when, for the pm pose of
iving them better educational advantages, he
ren!oved to Carillon. He act ed as Lock l\Iaster at the latter place for a number of
years, and then \VaS sllccedt.d by his son Henry, who still occupies the position. He
died 23 rd November. 18 73 j
Irs. Mason died in the January preceding. They had
eight children-two sons and six daughters. John. the tIdest of the children. is in
the employ of the Government,
s a mechanic, in Cttawa. One of the daughters
married James Barron of Grenville, Theresa, the youngest daughter, was married
m 1866 to Joseph Bryarton, bailiff of Carillon.
HENRY, the youngest son of Mr. and
lrs,
lason, after being employed many
years on the Ottawa, was appointed, 1st August, 18 71, to his father's position as
Master of Lock NO.2, Carillon. He was married 16th February of the same year
to Agnes Doyle of Hawkesbury Village, l.ike his father, :Mr. Mason is desirous of
educating his children, and has sent his
on Herbert to Rigaud College.
P. GiRARD, who lives in Carillon, is foreman on the canal, and also S
cretary-
Treasurer of the Yillage Council and Board of Schuol Commissioners. His native
place is Point Levis, Quebec, and there he learned the trade of his father who was
a boat builder. In connection with him, he built many of the fine boats now plying
the rivers and lakes of Canada. In the faU of 1871, he came to Carillon to build the
steamer ,. Princess," and in the following May was married to Mary Boyer of this vil-
lage j they have eight children-four of each sex. Since tÌ13t period, his horne has
always been at Carillon, though for a year he worked in Ottawa, an d was also three
years in the North \Vest, building boats for the North \Vest Navigation Company.
In 18 8 4, he was appointed foreman on the canal, and after the Superintendent,
Mr. George ::5impson, was incapacitated through illness, Mr. Girard performed the
duties of the office for sixteen months, or until the appointment of the present superin-
tendent, Mr. Herbert Simpson,
'Mr. Girard ic; a careful and efficient business man, and possesses the geniality
and courtesy of the people of his nationality,
FREDERICK PoL'L1
, who has a farm and a fine brick residence in Carillon, has
been an employee on the can:ll for many years; he was formerly foreman of the
mechanical department; he married Miss Boyer of Carillon. Godfrey, his eldest
son, is employed in the boot and shoe store ofMr, Mallette, McGill street, Montreal.
Alphonse, his second son, is checker for the Richelieu & Ontario Kavigation Co. 7
JOHN HODGSON, a native of the county of Vaudreuil, has been employed as
mechanic by the Government. for several years j he has recently erected a good
residence in Carillon. Mr. Hodgson was married 15th June, 188j, to Elizabeth,
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
18 9
daughter of the late James Begg;, of East Hawkesbury, Both Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson
are staunch and worthy memuers of the Methodist Church.
\V ALTER :\ICGREGOR, a young man of industrious habits, has been a faithful
employee here for the last eight years. His parents formerly lived in Carillon, but
remO\-ed to Ottawa in 1889, where his father has since died.
THO:\IAS .FAGA
, who owns the stone residence formerly known as the \Vanless
Academy, is employed by the G
)Vernm
nt as diver; it often being necessary to
descend to the bed of the can:!l 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-
patio:ì a comparatively safe one, though somewhat gruesome to the novice.
ALEX. BERNIQUIER and C. RAlo'FERTY are lock-men at No.3; the former has
been employed on the canal 10 yea.rs. During this time, he has spent his winters
in the lumber-wood5, where he formerly worked.
The river boats, also, obtain sewral employees from Carillon.
ISIDORE LEFEBVRE has been an engineer on the Ottawa 32 years. His eldest
son, Isidore, is assistant engineer on the steamer" Han," 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 skilìful mechanic of this village, has
been in the employ of the Ottawa" River Navigation Co, fJr 3 2 years.
Carillon, besides being supplied with three mails a day in summer, and two in
winter, has a telegraph and a telephone office. The for.ner is in the house of N,
Raymond; his daughter, Miss Donalda Raymolld, being the operator. The telephone
is in the office of the Callal SUIJerintendent.
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. 'V,
Company. He came to Canllon 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 l\Ir, Gauthier, who live at Carillon,
are also in the employ of the G. N. 'V. Telegraph Co. Victor, besides possessing
much mechanical ingenuity, is also quite a slcillful 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 184 0 , and
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 sum of
money was expended on the dams at the mouth of the "Feeder," in the spring of
184[, which, however, was not of permanent benefit.
In 18.p, John Brophy, Esq., C. E., was appointed Superintendent oftl1<: Carillon
and Grenville canals, a position which he held for many years.
19 0
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL,
Owing to the-constantly increasing traffic through the canals, the old-fashioned
system of working the lock gates by means of a capstall was too slow and tedious,
and
Ir. Brophy had them removed, and the 'willdlass 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 d
fect in the "fuddlillg" when they were constructed causing a
continual leakage.
On the night of the "Cattle Show" in September, 1844, the Government office
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 doHars, as pay day was near at hand. They
threw the chest out of the window, where the marks were visib
e, and carried it down
near the locks, where it was found in the morning, broken open anù 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
MUNICIP AL COUNCIL.
Mayor, John Kelly; Councillors, Mercien Desjardins, ex-mayor, André Yi\'arais,
Fred. Poulin, Gédéon Thibodeau, Emile Rochon.
M. DES]ARDlN.3, owner of a pleasant brick cottage in this village, has long kept
a boot and shoe shop here, assisted by his son Gédéon; 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, Eustaclte durivg the Rebellion
of '37, and was wounded in the leg while watching the combat.
:Mr. THIBODEAU was engaged in te3.ching [or 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 viHage, sister to l\Irs. Poulin and :Mrs.
Girard.
E. ROCHON has tong been a skillful blacksmith in this village; he has a penchant
for fine horses, of which he always has one or more,
A
DRE YIVARAIS, eldest son of André Yivarai
, was born in Brown's Gore. Ar-
genteuil County, in 1f!48; he lived there until March, 1886, when he sold his farm,
and bought from Robert \Vhite the one on which he still lives in Carillon. He has
been twice married, first to .\gnes Ploof, who died in 1883, leaving two sons; and the
second time in 1885, to Adèle Beaudry, widow of Baptiste King. Mr. \Ïvarais has
been Municipal Councillor of Cari1lon for the past five years. His father died here
in ) 894, and 1\1 rs. Yivarais, sen" resides with her son, who is one of the industrÏa'.J.s
farmers of the community.
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL,
19 1
\VILLIAM )lAN"SO
is proprietor of the bakery referred to elsewhere. He is a
native of Como, and was married 1st 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 1\1:-s. Manson have three children,-.one son and two daughters,
Among the several fine stone dwellings of Carillon is that ofT. Fagan, This was
erected about 1830, by Rinaldo Fuller, contractor, for an academy, and soon after-
wards was bought by John \Vanless, who lived in it, and conducted a private school
many years.
Mr. 'Vanless was from Scotland, and was a graduate of one of the Scotch U ni-
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. ""hile there, he
married a cousin named 'Vanless, and moved to Carillon. He was a fine scholar, a
strict discíplinari3n, 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 hi
memory, erected at their own expense a tombstone at his resting place in the 5t,
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 thc river;
it cost
h,350,ooo, On account of the great expense, tlll
re was much opposition to
the project, and for this reason, during the McKenzie administration, work on the
structure was wholly suspended j but it was resumed when the successor of McKenzie
came into office.
The Dam is 2,4 00 feet long and 12 feet high; its construction was commenced
in 18 73, the engineer being Horace l\1errill, late Superintendent of the Ottawa River
\Vorks; and the contractors were F. B.
lcNamee & Co. It was made of cribs fined
with stone, which was supplied by the neighboring farmers, at 45 and SS cts. per
yard. Near the middle, is a slide for the passage of timber; this is 28 feet wide, 800
feet long, and approached by 2800 feet of boom; an apron, at the top and foot of
the slide, regulates the quantity of water required, and "stop logs" sel ve the same
purpose in the passage of timber. A house, painkd red, covering the entrance of the
slide, is quite a conspicuous object on the 1>.1.01, and serves to attract the curio
ity
of strangers.
The structure was completed in the faU of 1881, and when the sluirc_ were
closed, and the w.Her had reache j its full height, it wa
fouml that i! rai:, I the
water at Greece's Point-six miles up the river-two feet.
19 2
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL,
In 18 8 3 a portion of the Dam gave way, and was repaired at an expense of
$20,000, Although the bed of the river, where the Dam crosses it, ii entirely of
lOck, 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
eXI'ended to add to its strength and durability, and it is believed it will now
effectually withstand th
assaults of water or ice.
Mr. )01111 Middleton, of Pt. Fortune, sl:de master, reports that in 1882, 73 rafts
passed through the slide j in the years following, the number varied considerably, and
in 18 95 0l11y 6 passed through, But the rafts of hte years have been much larger
than formerly; one composed of 50 cribs used to b
regarded a raft of gooj size,
while now one of 210 is not uncommon.
Kotwithstanding 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 of
the I )am, On the day the sluices were closed, a man named Dernier, who had been
employed un the work, slipped as he was walking on the Dam, fell into the river, and
was drowned.
/\. few years later, however, an accident occurred, which, though not attended
\\ ith loss of life, eseape 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 sevt>ral
barges laden with lumber. Just as the tug entered Lock No.2 at the Dam, tIle nearest
barge struck the end of the pier j the tug gave a vigorous pull, but instead of bring-
in6 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
nis 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 oflight to show them where to direct their
aid, the cries of Capt. Smith and his frantic appeals for help defined the spot. A
rope throw11 by dexterous hands falls on the barge at the Captain's feet. He is safe.
_\las! he is not; h
sees it, but the roaring of the grim monster, now but a few yard
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 h
1.') flown, the awful moment has arrived, yet, strange to rdate, his facul-
ties return,-reason resumes her throne. He knows that his wife has descended to
the caLin, and believes it to be the most dangerous place, He calls ner, and then,
HISTORY OF 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 ohject 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 10nJ afterward, Mr.
1ason, the
Lock Master, who had been roused from his sleep, discovered, as the mists from the
river rose occasionally an::l 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 roari ng waters of the Dam.
\Ve may add that Capt. Smith made two or three trips up the Ottawa, after hi') 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 51. 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 In3ian relics have been found here
194
HISTORY Q}o' ARGENTEUIL.
HUGH ROBERTSON came to Canada from Glasgow, with his wife and family, in
18 57. 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. l\Ir. Robertson had six sons and two daughters, cf whom all but
one son are now living. Hugh \Villiam, the eldest son, born June, 184 8 , in Glasgow,
was nine years of age \Vh 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
16th :\Ialch, 1895, and was interred at St. Andrews. Hugh, the subject of our pre-
sent sketd1 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 o(the eldest son, are still at home, The son, also, Hugh \Villiam, after spending
some t:me in the office of Molsons Bank, .:\lontreal, went to Owen Sound, where he
has a position in a bra nch office of the same Bank.
Mr. Robertson continues to keep his mills in operation, and also manages his
farm, which compri
es Isle aux Chats and half a lot in Centerville.
Town
of Lachute.*
This place, the chif-liell 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. :\1. 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 clllt/e, and was forrneriy written L3. Chute (The Falls), but afterwards the
two words were united, hence the name L::tchute. No one seems to kn0W how the
name of the Parish-St. J erusalc111 d' Arg enteuil-of which Lachute forms a part,
Lachute. Tow.n
hall be that portion of the parish of St. Jerusalem in the county of Argenteuil,
contmned wlthm a Ime drawn as follow!', to wit;
Commencing on the line dividing the
aid parish from the to\\nship of Chatham, at a point due
west of the south.west cnrn-=r of lot 1419 of the official plan and book of reference of the said parish
(IOJle-walk), thence northerly, along the
aid line to where it intersects the base of the mountam on
Jot 1692, and on said plan, eight hundred and fifty.eight feet English, from the centre of Chatham
road n<<;>r\.h.ö thenceTeas\wa
d, along the ba
of the said moumain (east of Leggo's farm house), to
\\h
le It Jlllns the North Rlv
r, tl
ence a
cend111g the Centre of said river, to a point formed by the inter-
ectJon or the northerly contllluatlOn of the ea!ttel n boundary line lIf lot 329 A on said plan with the
HISTORY OF ARGEl'TEUlL.
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 aU the best buildings being new. From no
one part of the corporation can a view of much of it be obtained, hence, on tra\'eJing
over it, one finds it much larger than he had supposed.
The main street, from the \Vest 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 Rll1k, Argenteuil
Hotel, the Academy, the establishments of J. Rob)' and J. A. Bedard, besides the
immense structures of J. C. \Vilson, are most imposing in appearanc(
.
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 future
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
e xtens i ve,
While we are told that, :n 1796, a man named Hezekiah Clark came from
Jericho, Vermont, with his family, and planted the first cabin here, the antecedents of
I r. Clark, and his motive in coming so far into the wilderness, are ieft as matters
only for speculation, It would, indeed, be interesting to know why he s0ught this
particular place for a home, inasmuch as many leagues of land just as fertile, covered
by forests just as dense, with scenery equalling it in beauty, lay between this plac.e
and Jericho. \Vithin half the distance from that town to L:lchute, lay a great part of
what is now the Eastern Townships, but then an unbroken wilderness. Why, then,
did he come so far? \Vas 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 obsen"ant of
Christian ordinances. \Ve can no more answer the question, than we can tell why
some of the piop-eers located on rough, stony, rock-bound land, when they coulù ju
t
as easily have procured the finest land in the country.
The most proùable reason that we can assign for the course he pursued is. thnt
he calculated the chances for getting to mar ket, and found that, compared with other
places, they were decidedly in favor of Lachute. In no other unsettled section, did
he find such a natural highway to other settlement') and to
lontreal, as was present-
ed by the North River and the Ottawa. It is possible also, that with that prophetic
said centre of Ii ver (
lorrisol1's Bridge); thence somherly, along the said last mentioned line to tlw
main road; thence to a point on the south side of s:lÎ.l road, where it is joined by the lines, between
lots 3 12 and 3 2 5 of said plan (Vme's); thence sourherly, along the conrinuarion of the said last.men-
tionetlline, to a point formed by its intersection with the easterly continuation of the
entre hne. of
Henry street on plan B of said parish; thence westerly, along the said last mentioned hne to a pomt
forme(1 by its intersection with the centre line of Isabella street on said plan B (Barron', bush) i
thence southerly, along the last mentioned line. to a point due east of the point of commenceml nt. !
tht"nce to said point of commencement.
19 6
HISTORY of ARGE
TEUIL.
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
great river, the utilizing of the admirable water-power, and decided that no other spot
presented such a fair prospect to himse:f and posterity. But whatever were the in-
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
\Va') skilled in woodcraft. Withùut these qualities he never would have come, nor
could he have nuintained his family, while surmounting the difficulties frequently
intruding.
His family, consisting of his wife, three sons and two daughters, came through
the woods with an Indian sled from St. Andrews, Dot even a cow path, at that time,
leading to the place of his future home. No house, not even a bark shanty was there
to J eceive them, and the first night was passed beneath the sh elter of a few Ilranches
of trees hastily gathered. The next day, with that tact and energy characteristic of
a woodsman, Mr. Clark constructed a hut, or wigwa.m, which answered the purpose
of a domicile, till opportunity was given to er
ct a better one. fradition claims, as
the site of this habitation, a spot near the present Lachute mills.
But who does not envy the lot of this pioneer? \Vhat 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 seeIl1s more akin to paradise than a
home in the boundless forest? The woods in summer! \Vhat 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 hrder and the condition of their wardrobe, yet, who ever
saw a pione:?r 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
brol1ght to a state of cultivation? And how many pleasant memories are associated
,,:\h those early struggles? \Vhat stories the old man will tell of the feats of labor
in chopping or logging in this spot or that on his farm. \Vith 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.
"Y e are not favored with an account of Mr. Clark's experiences while he lived
heJe, 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
abund:mce, 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
ta:.te, ev
n of an epicure, might he gratified. The seed planted in the new soil grew
as if by magic; alld the crops were of a quantity well calculated to satisfy and glad-
den the hearts of their possessor.
HISTORY Or' ARGENTEUIL.
197
How different, too, must have been his emotions when, in the morning, he stepped
forth from his cabin to begin his daily task, from those of the laborer dweHing in a
dilapidated tenement on a narrow street of a city. No vitiated, smoke-laden air for
inhalation here; no sound ùf cars or carts rattling over the pavements. but the pure
t
of heaven's air, exhilarating from its burden of ozone, and fragrant with the odor of
many trees and forest flowers. No discordant sou nds, but, instead, the songs (If
birds,-solos and duetts, and then the whole choral harmony, amusing and cheering
through all tbe 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 wi11 find too much dust
collected in the parlor; 011 the con trary, the inmates realize their emancipation from
the bonds of fa
hion. \Vhat liberty! \Vhat comfort I Pelfect 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. :\nd withal,
how much to encourage and spur to renewed exertion! No surly employer to issue
orders, and growl at the manner and amGunt 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 framè,
and, consequently, buoyancy to the spirits and happiness to the mind. Every day,
the expandiug clearing encouraged to another day of labor, and gave promise of the
pasture, the meadow, the flocks and herds, and We II fi\1ed barns.
But what of the Sal
bath? 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 t 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
bot, even though the labors of the previous week inclined them on the Sabbath
to take a needful rest. \\'ho 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? J' Wh
can doubt if, in thcir early
years, they had been taught to respect things divine, that in their present abode, their
6ratitude to the Author and Giver of their blessings increased, and that they remem-
bered the Sahbath to keep it holy?
Hezekiah Clark has no descendants
n this part of the country, but report says
that they are an intelligent and repntable class who occupy responsible positions in
distant places.
According to a brief History of Lachute referred to above, which was compiled
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." nut a sketch
of Lachute, by F. C. Ireland, published in Titc IValch1/lll1l of 3 rd September, 1886,
mentions but one family which carne within two years after the arrival of Clark.
He says: " The next pioneer was also one of the hardy sons of Vermont, who
I9 S
HISTORY m' ARGENTEUIL.
came about two years later, or in 1798. His name is familiar to most of the resi.
dents of Lachute to-àay.
"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
J.ll 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
whele is there to be found a family with more active frames, better developed
muscles, firmer limbs and stronger minds than the desce'udants, who s till live and
move among uc;, of these early piorJeers. The organ of continuity was so laJgely dev-
doped in this family, that they remained on the site of their early choosing, and
brought up
ons 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 McF'ulane; the latter on one owned by Mr. McGregor. Both have transmitted
to US the reputation of being energetic, intelligent, Ch
istian 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 OD 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
\\'01 k, and it was through his efforts that the Rev. Mr. Osgoode, mentioned an an-
other page, came here and organized a Sabbath School. He was a member of the
lethodist 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 180 1, his wife died, and it being the first time death
!-tad visited the new settlement, we can well imagine the gloom his advent created.
:\[r. Hutchins had one son at this time, whose name was Osman. He married,
..1I1d after living some years at Hawkesbury, Ont., moved \Vest. iiis father also
ma.rried again, and by this marriage had thl ee sons and five daughters: Hawley,
Phineas and Benjamin; Eliza,
laria, Catherine, Matilda and :J\Iary Ann. Of the
latter, Eliza was married to :Milo Lane, Maria to Geo. Glines, Catherine to Lemuel
Cushing, and
lary Ann to Geo, Holland, Matilda, who never married, died a few
years since in Montreal. Mrs, Cushing and l\1rs, Holland, both widows, reside in
that city.
Hawley R. Hutchins, the eldest son by the seco nd marriage, married J 5th Octo.
ber, 18 35, Harriet, a daughter of Dr. Rice, of St. And rovs. He engaged in trade
3. \\'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 12th June, 1:882, at the age of 62.
II1S'fORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
199
Phineas R., his brother, married Jessie \\'alker of Lachute, 4th May, 1838. They
had eight children, the most of whom, at the present time, are said to be in prosperous
cilcumstances in California. :Mr. Hutchins always remained on the homestead and
engaged in farming un til he moved with his family to the Golden State, where he died
15 th January, 1875, aged 75 years.
Benjamin, the third 50n of John S. Hutchins, has spent nearly all his life in busi-
ness in
Iontreal, where he is much esteemed. He is at present a broker in real
estate, having an office in the I\ew York Life Insurance building. He was but 14
years old \vhen he came to Montreal, and he worked for some time witho
t salary,
but he soon made his way upward. He was a Candidate in 1867 for tbe office
of Representative for Argenteuil County in the Dcminion Parliament, and was
defeated only by a small majority. l\Ir. Hutchins has been twice married;
first, in 1841 or 1842, to Miss Felton, of Sherbrooke; the seconù time, to Miss
Sherwood, daughter of Adiel Sherwood, Sheriff of Brockville, and an U. E.
Loyalist,
John S. Hutchins, the father of the children nJ.med above, was born 15th August,
1776, and died 4th May, 1865, at the age of 8ß.
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 I8! 2. 'Ve 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 fieldc; 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 :\Iontreal; 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 :\IontreaJ.
" * .\mong other settlers from the American side was a young man, han dsome 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 l\Ir. 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, whm,e 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 vanks of the North River at Lachute."
In the year 179 6 , JEDEDIAH LA
E, al
o from Jericho, purchased a tract of land
comprising several thousand acres, on which Lachute is located. Having a sister .1.t
* From a
ketch by F. C. lreland in TIte
Vt1lch11lt111 of 17th September, IS8u.
200
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Carillon, the wife of Feter :\lcArthur, he doubtless had been here before, and selected
the tract he desired to huy, as, at the time he maáe the purchase, he came on horse-
back, according to the custom C'f those days, with saddle-bags, in which was the gold
to pay for the land. All that we know respecting this pioneer, m3Y be summf'd 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 fat her of seven sons
and two daughters; only two of the SQIlS, however, settled in this country. He was
a college gr3duate, 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 j 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" L,me's Purchase" * is familial' to the
citizens of Argenteuil, and will continue to ve" 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 l\Iurray, the Seignior.
of whom the land was purchased, this p.uticular tract was to be exempt from the rent
imposed on other lands in the seigniory j but not so understauding 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 U Jarndrce & 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 lo\'rer court was re\'ersed.
Catherine, the eldest daughter of Mr, Lane, was married to John N. Hutchins:
Maria
1., the youngest child, married \Villiétl1l Gibson, a contractor j she is now a
widow, and resides in Montreal.
}edeùiah, his eldest son, settled in St. Andrews, and died there.
MILO, the second son, born in Jericho, Vt., 18th J lIly, 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 5-ince the above sketch of Mr. L1.ne was written show that he
}.IUTchasrd his tract from Major Murray, .seignior. 3rd December, 1796. The following shows the
names of several who pUlchased, the quantIty purchased, anù date of the transaction.
J. I ane sold (0 :-
,,;
Date.
61h Dec., 1797
28th Feb" 1820
I Ith Sept., 1799
15th Mar., 1800
" "
Price.
Æ 2 5
100
Acre
.
5 00
15 00
14 6 9
800
5
200
20ú
60
200
80
597
20a
P. Mc.-\rlhur. ...., ......
.,
............
Dudley Stone...... ... , ..
"
-
...... ......
r oel Leonard. . ,. . . . . . . . ,
'If. Clark,."..., .. " . . .
Roger Lane. _.. ..... ...
Joel Bixby.. .. .. . .. . .. ..
N. lliItings.. . . . . .. . .. ...
r. Bolù ry . . . . .. . , . ,. ...
\V. Thompmn. . . ., . . . . ..
17th Nov" 1800
7th '1Ir., 18.)1
2ht Apr, "
18th June ,I
29th Feb.. I80
I
th Aug.. 18q
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
201
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, Margan;t Ellen, who w
s
married to Thomas Cushing.
Mrs. Cameron, by a second marriage to \V, 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 Lac hute ; 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 con.jucted 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, and 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, 18th June, 1867, the Rev, Richard
Robinson, a
Iethcdist clergyman; she died 31st 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
íx years for Mr. Cushing 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, \Villiam 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, out that of Mayor, which was offered him, he declined. He married Miss
Charlotte Owens, a sister of Senator Owens; she died 17th 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
'lontreal.
l\1r. F. C. Ireland gives the following sketch ;-
"Two years after the Hutchins family came, and four years after the Clarks had
settled here, another hardy son of Vermont came to join his friends by the b.lI1ks of
the River du Nord at Lachute, This was 'VILLlA
1 POWERS; he held married another
Miss Cutler, 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. [heir
journey through the uncleared woods combined all the novelty and int.:idents ex-
perienced by those who had preceded them along the <;ame rugged pathway. The
14
202
HISTORY OF 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 am,wered with pleasurable gusto j 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 J 800.
" It was spring time, and all nature was beautiful around the wilderness, or so it
eemed 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 a
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 thdr 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,
nd 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 carne 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 ill bed, holding her beating heart lest it should break, or its 50und tell the
wolves where she was, Hours passed in this way, and that lor.g 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 jo}'ou
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 ()f the wolves in
the house was frequently related ùy Mrs, Powers to her children and grandchildren,
down to her latest day, and always wi
h 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 lJlessed 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 cwt, ; beef, $4.00; butter, 25 cents per pound; cheese, 12
cents; corn, 7S cents per bushel; wheat, $1.00.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
20 3
Roads, there were none; the North River afforded communication with St.
Andrews, yet the rapids and other obstructions rendered frequent þortages 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.
'Ve 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 bv the
Seignior. The mistake committed by the inhabitants of Lachute was no less sll
pris-
ing or amusing. To reach St, Eustache, which, beside5 St, Andrews, WclS the only
place where they went to mill or store, they travelled to Gralld Bru/é (St. Benoit),
thence to Belle Rivière, 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 Brulé,
In 180 3, 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 chrollicles of Lachute,
" the
lilitia Roil numbered 1 So able-bodied men; these were formed into three com-
panies, two of which were regular militia, commauded 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 wh:ch the pioneer could obtain money, and as this required a
great amount of wood, the land was soon denuded of fbrest, and, as the timber for
potash grew scalce, the inhabitants who relied on its manufacture for their subsistence
removed to other parts.
In the years 1810 and 181 I, a severe famine occurred, and the prices of provi-
sions went up to a degree that must have occasioned anxiety ill the heart of many a
þater familias. 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 } ield more
scanty crops, and this impediment to prosperity, united with the scarcity of timber
204
HIS10RY 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 fVatchmon 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, \VILSONS 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 through 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
f 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.-Co!. of Militia, He cam
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 Hasting
, 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 ir"s 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 thi:; place, Chatham, Gore and \Ventworth; later,
also, for Morin and Howard, In 1836 hI:: erected, and chiefly at his own expense, a
bridge acrosS the North River near his own dwelling, which has ever since been
known as" Barron's Bridge." In like manner, he performed many other acts which
contributed either to public or priV,1te benefit, and which secured to him the gratit!.lde
of his fellows. He died in January, 1864, lamented by a large community. John
Balron, a brother of Co!. 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 ARGENTEUIL.
20 5
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 hunor 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 Co I. D'Hertel, the former Registrar, 1\1r, Barron succeeded him
in office. He has also been :Municipal Councillor and Mayor of the parish many
years, On the 9th August, 1858, he was married to Harriet Cushing, eldest daughter
of the late Lemuel Cushing, 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 Cushing, Dunton & Barron, :\[ontreal
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 18.'
o, with his wife and three boys, left that city to make his home in Lachute.
He purchased a few acre;; of land of Col. Barron (at that time Major), on which he
erected a building designed for a general store. In this he b
gan a business which,
faithfuHy continued, secured to him a competenc
for his declining years. In the
early part of his mercantile career he was assisted by his two brothers, Rob
rt and
Thomas, who came to this country with him,
Long after he began trading, there wac; very little money in the country, his tran-
sactions wi th his custom
rs consisting chiefly of barter, as he accepted p.lY from them
for his goods in the products of the farm, but m03tly 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 wac;
from the new settlers in Thomas' Gore, North Gore, 'Ventworth 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
[r,
Ieikle pro-
206
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 18 3 6 , 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 custom ers and acquaintances-all
believing him an honest, upright, Christian man; he died in August, 1877; Mrs.
Meikle in August, 1870. They left five sons-] ohn, 'Villiam, George, Robert and
Thomas, and one daughter, Mrs. J. D, 'Yells. John and Robert reside in Merrick-
ville, Ont.; \Villiam in Manitoba; George, Robert and Mrs. 'VeIls in Lachute.
After conducting the business some years, Mr. Meikle, sen., sold out to his two
sons, George L. and Robert G., and retin:d 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
intere5ts of the ]oly Government. He was a candidate for the House of Commons
in 1887, but was defeated by J. C, 'Vilson,
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 citizcns of Lachute, is
a daughter resulting from this union. 'Ve 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 residenre here, there was a great scarcity of provisions
in the settlement, and a still greater scarcity of money, The family of
lr. Stearns
were not the only sufferers, and, fortunately for them, Miss Stearns had a valuable
side-s
.ddle, on which she had ridden all the long distance from their former home in
Vermont, which could be exchanged for provisions. The sacrifice was an unpleas-
ant one; the
addle 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 Co!. Barron wanted the saddle, and was willing to exchange
corn for it, so the bargain \Vas concluded, and discomfited famine, shame-faced, re-
tired,
1\[rs. 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 uEldertaken without them,
and he must go to-morrow. \Vhat could be done? Recollect, kind reader, that in
those days one could not jump into a buggy, rid
down to !\feikle's, McOuat's or
Fraser'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.
l\f rs, Emslie, who, though young, was an adept at spinning, received the plump
rolJs 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 husb.l.nd and father, on his way
to Montreal. :Mrs. Emslie is the widow of James Em')lie, who for 4.t years was an
earnest, faithful and successful teacher; sixteen years of this time he taught in Quebec,
the rest in L3.chute, 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 hOllse 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 shoem,lker
with him from Vermont, who, besides doing the work required by
Ir. Stephens' own
family, suppiied the wants of neighboring families, and thus brought to his employer
some profit.
208
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
!\Ir. 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,
"
ecessity is the mother of invention."
The fo]Jowing 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
a thirteen weeks' voyage, arrived at Quebec. On board the ship was James Orr,
a respectable Scotch-Irish farmer and Methodist local preacher from Downpatrick,
with his wife Sarah Swail, and their sons, James, Samuel, John, Edwards and
'Villiam. A daughter, Sarah by name, had married Matthew Coulter, and remained
in Ireland. James Orr came to Canada with his family, with the hope of bettering
their fortunes; but was not destined to remain long at their head. The family set-
tled on a leased farm at Laprairie, where the husband and father died about 181 9'
after a short illness (inflammation of the bowels), aged 2bout 56. Samuel, the
second son, being" lame on both his feet," was unfitted for farm work, and became
the apprentice ofa Montreal shoemaker, named Kiest. Earl}' in the twenties, the widow
and four of her sons removed to ArgenteuiI, and settled in Thomas' Gore, Samuel
remaining behind in Montreal. The shop where he acted as salesman, at the cor-
ner of Little St. James Street, is, or was lately, still standing. My father was well
acquainted with old Montreal, and pointed out to me many places of interest, as he
knew them. He told me that he helped to clear out the second place of Methodist
worship, when the workmen were done with it. It stood on St. James street, and
was long known as the "Medical Hall." I remember being in it when it was still
used as a place of worship. Rev, Robert L. Lusher was the first minister who
occupied the pulpit ( 18J 9). SO lopular was
Ir. Lusher, that though the church
was comparatively large, people \'.1:0 could not get in were oftentimes listening on
he outside. About 1839, I saw :\1 r. Lusher at an evening service in the third
Methodist place of worship; he was :1 broken-down, trembling paralytic; my father
said it made him sick at heart when he saw him, and contrasted what he then was
with what he had been. All of James Orr's sons except Samuel moved to Upper
Canada about 18 3 6 ; they have all passed away, but some of their descendants are
still in Toronto and H3milton. About 1826, Samuel removed to St. Andrews, where
he entered the employment of Messrs. Davis & Simpson, tanners and shoemakers.
In 1828, he commenced business for himself at Lachute, where he continued to live
HISTORY OF ARGE:STEVIL.
2C9
till his death, 29th March, 1875, when he had nearly completed his seven ty-third y('ar.
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 j
they came from the County Fermanagh, and settled for a while in the East Settlement,
but were attracted by the good reports ofIands in Upper Canada, where they went
about 1831. The Hicks family consisted, I think, offour sons-John, George, 'ViIliam
and Robert, and three daughters-Francis, Mary and Jane. Samuel Orr and Jane
Hicks were married by the Rev, 'Villiam Abbott atSt, 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
::\Iethodist Church, and were always ready to entertain Methodist preachers as their
guests. I have seen in that home, Carrol], Poole, Black, Adams, Pbyter. Arm-
strong, :Musgrove, Taylor, the two Barbers, Hatman, Shaler, Willoughby, McIntyre,
Constable, Greener, Brownell, Hun tingdon, and the two .:\lcDowells, and others
whose names do not now occur to me.
Samuel Orr was for several years superintendent of the Oid 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 \\'a
a kind of
annoury. Two Yolunteer 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 faU of the year, a report was started, without foundation, that a party
of rebels intended to invade Lachute. Guards were sent to the "dl1gway," where
the road lies between the hill and the ri ver, to intercept them.
[y 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.
'VilIiam Clark, in Ch:ltham, whose wife was a cousin of my father's, 'Vhile we were
there, an alarm was raised, which caI!ed
lr. Clark and his hired man-whose name,
1 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 f'mplicd out
210
HISTORY OF ARGENTE(;IL,
for him, III m\" presence. I thought the horrors of war were considerably miti-
gated by the chance of getting such luxurious fare. \"hen the cruel war was over
we returned home, and on the night of our return we saw from Carillon the flames of
the burning church of St. Eustache. It stood in ruins for some years, and I
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 cut
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 calami ty happened to the
family, The smallpox was communicated to them by a French family living at
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; only
one of them was at home, and he escaped,-a most convincing proof of the efficiency
of vaccination. All the other children, six in number, took the disease, and Sarah
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 bed-
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 call ed on John Meikle,
Esq., who said in all sincerity, that my father had not left his equal behind him in
Lachute; this referred of course to his reputation for honesty, morality and religion,
My mother died in her sixty-seventh year; her funeral service was conducted by
Rev. :\Ir. Robson.
The family consisted of eight sons and two daughters: Elias Samuel, born
in 182 9; Wesley Fletcher, born in 1831; James Edwards, born in 1833; George
:Matthe w , born in 1835; Priscilla Jane, born in 1837; Adam Clarke, born in 18 39;
William Edgerton Ryerson, born in 1842 ; Sarah Phebe, born in 1844; 'Vatson Coke,
born in 184 6 ; and Marcus Arthur, born in 1851. I will briefly mention some events
in my own life,
)1y education was limited to the common school; my first teacher was Jedediah
Lane j another, a 11r. MacPherson; another, Lachlan Taylor j another, John ,Yo H.
Brunton; another, Adam Walker. I attended also, for a little while, a French school
at St, .\ndrews, 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, \V. F., and myself,
as we have been spared nearly fifty-six years from that day, In that month of October,
18 39, revival services were held at Lachute, as a result of which, several young persons
joined the !\lethodist Church. Hen!"y Shaler and 'William 'Villoughby conducted
the meetings; they both lived for over half a century after,
Ir. ShJ.ler died at
Kemptville, Ont., less than a year ago, aged over ninety.
HISTORY 01" ARGEl\'l'EUIL.
211
There are but few living now who joined the Church at the time I reft r to.
Robert Kneeshaw, Esq., of Ingersoll, Ont., my brother and myself were among them.
Of myoId scpool-feUows, Dr. Christie, G. L. Meikle and Thomas Barron yet survive.
In the year 1843, my brother, W. F., and myself assisted in drawing bricks from the
front of Cha
ham to St. Andrews, for the Methodist Church j a church in which I
afterwards worshipped and preached for thirteen years. On the 8th day of March,
18 47, I entered the service of the late Charles ""ales, as clerk in his store. In 1854,
I became the junior member of the firm of Charles 'Vales & Co., which was dissolved
in April, 1864. On the 9th September, 1856, I was married at No. 10 St. Joseph
Street, Montreal, to Miss Jane Colclough '''hite, daughter of
[r. John D. \Yhite,
The issue of that marriage was \ViIliam Arthur, who died in 1860, aged 2 years and
10 months; James Edward, who alsJ died in childhood; John S::m1l1eJ, who died at
-\namosa, Iowa, in his 29th year j Alfred Elias, now known as Dr. A, E, Orr. of
:\Iontreal ; and Florence Lilian, teacher and artist. In 1860, I left St,
\ndrews 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 j 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 j he
now resides in Calgary, of which city he was, and is stilJ, the first :\Iayor, 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. He
was also engaged in country trade in Ontario, at Lynden and elstwhere j he now resides
in Calgary, is married, and has a son and daughter living. (
orgc Matthew spent
some time as clerk for Chas. \Vales & 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, ant.; he is married and has two
daughters living. Priscilla Jane studied at the Normal School in
(ontreal, and taught
at Rivière Rouge and in the Lachute Acad
my. She did not marry, but spent her
time in loving ministrations to the declining years of our parents. \fter their death,
she occupied the old home for some years. then went to
Iontreal and to Ontario j
she now resid
s in Chicago with Adam C. Orr. Adam Clarke, named afler the
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 wen asked their names;
Adam replied, I, Dr. _\.dam Clarke j" the reply caused the minister to smile. .\ pro-
found discussion arose Letween Adam and a younger brother on the origin of evil,
and the opposite forces of God and Satan. The younger Loy 1'1 opounded the question.
" Why does the Lord not kill the devil?" Adam's reply was : " I f he did. the Jews
,
212
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
would have no father." At the age of 18, Adam was a successful teacher at Hill
Head, Lachutc. 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 tomental advancement. On the paternal side, our subject came from the old
McLean family of Scotland. iu 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 Co..1mmon school of
his native country, Adam C. Orr acquired a good English education, In his father's
country store, he received his first lessons in business, but he left mercantile pursuits
to engage in teaching, which prcfession he successfully followed for thirteen years in
Canada. In 1863, he spent a term at the Normal School, affiliated to McGill CoIlege,
J ontreal, and
ubscquently, 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, Onto
It was in 1870 that he came to Chicago, where soon after he engaged as superin-
tendent with the Cillet Chemical \Vorks. On the 1St October, 1876, Mr. Orr was
united in marriage with Miss Cleo Petne. To l\Ir. and !\I rs. arr \\'as born a son,
Samuel Henry, who died at the age of thirteen lears. 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 unifurm. Both Mr.
and 1\1rs. On hold an enviable position in social circles, where true worth and intelli-
gence are received as the passports into good society. They have made their home
in Park Ridge since 1881. Socially, .Mr. Orr ij connected with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and with the Royal Arcanum ; he is also a member ofthe Astronomical
Society of the Pacific."
William Edgerton Ryerson, thus named after two members of the celebrated
Ryerson family. It is seldom that Sweet \Villiams blossom in midwinter, but this one
dId, as he was born in the month of January. He had the good fortune to be taught
WI iting by Mr. Gibson, a teacher of L:lchute, 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, Onto ; has been twice
married, and has several children.
\Vatson Coke bears the name of two distinguished :\[ethodists. He went to
Ontario early in life, and is now engaged in fruit farming at \Vinona. 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 m' ARGENTEUIL
21 3
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 \V ALDRON was my father's next-door neighbor i he had been a soldier
of the Revolutionary \Var, 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. 1\lr. \Valdron's wife was a Hutchings, and was said to have been
the first white woman at Lachute. The \Valdrons were, like many of the first settk'rs,
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 Sawyer,
a Luckey and others. But a succession of blighting frosts had caused such a fail Ire
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 I'rin-
cipal one of the few remaining H lodging places for wayfaring men," " Father \Valdron,"
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 It- l ve
communicated to them, had made them sad; they did thcir utmost to persuade him
to stay, setting before him the evil that
ould result to the cause if he left, and the
consequent good he would be the means of doing if he remained, \Vhen the hoUl of
devotion arrived, both the preachers engaged in prayer, one after the other, and made
the subject which lay near their hearts ground of earnest supplication. Ferguson
prayed first, and earnestly besought the Lord to prevent TIro, \Valdron from guing
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 tht:y
could not afford to part with Bra, \Yaldron-besought him to induce him to stay-
and to reward him for so doing with an abundant crop. He enumerated every J... 'd
21 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
of produce he could think of by name, and prayed that Bro. \Yaldron's hay and
potatoes, and wheat and rye, and oats and peas, and barley, etc., might be abundant.
Mr. \Yaldron 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, excePli1lg 01lÍOl1S. \Vhen this fact was mentioned to the preacher, ,e Oh,"
said Peel, " I forgot the ONIONS." To my personal knowledge :Mr. \Valdron 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 18 3 6 .
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
po:.sessed 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. \Vhen 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 W3S the
Minister of the Secession Congregation in the old stone church. I was sent to his
house on an
rrand, when I was about six years old. I remember well his venerable
appearance as he stood in the doonvay and handed me a tract entitled, e, 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, 18 3 2 ,
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, hy the Rev, \Villiam Brunton, Montreal; published by Thomas A. Starke,
1832. The following prefatory notes are reproduced from the pamphlet :-
,e 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 1fJaS resolved lmanimoltsly: That the Rev.
\Villiam Brnnton 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 he printed for the
benefit of the Society, It is now, accordingly, publisht:d by their authority.
"THOMAS BARTON, Vice-Preside/It,
"JEDEDIAH LANE, Secretary."
(Barton is a misprint for Barron.)
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUI L.
21 5
" 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 respectfulìy inscribed
lJy their obedient servant,
., THE AUTHOR."
The text of the sermon was Joel, 2d chap., 12th and 13th 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,
Iass., 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
18 37, 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 hOllr of my departure is come,"
In 1834, came another Scotchman, JOHN HAY, from Inverness-shire. He was an
e>..cellent 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 off
red, 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 5pent
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 \Villiam, now live in Ottawa,-the
formtr a retired merchant. the latter an accountan t.
John Hay, the son, who has always remained in L1.chute, 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 COllncillor for thirty
years, and was :\I.lyor of the parish until he resigned, dèclining longer to serve, In
18 9 2 , he was a candidate for the Legislative Assembly on the Liberal ticket, but was
defeated by the election of the Conservative candidate, \V. J. Simpson. '1'\\'0 sons
of
Ir. Hay
re doing a pro
perous business in a flour and fèet.! store on
[ain street
in this town.
216
HISTOR\' 01" ARGIo::'JTEUlIJo
J AMES 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 Watchmall, 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:
U His was a hobby to play the c1arionet, and, scarcely ever absent from church,
he led the choir with this musical instrument for abopt 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, \Vm. Fish and family, to Lachute from England in 1832,
H is father, however, soon moved to St. Andrews, where he was employed in the gl :st
mill as miller for four years. He then went to Cobourg, Ont., where Mrs, Fish
died.
James, in 1838, returned to 51. 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 \Vanless 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 Cot :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 mill" 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 wÍÚch 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. l\Iisfortune, however, has since deprived him of this pro-
perty-the accumulation of a life of industry aud economy.
Mrs. Fish died 2nd JJ..nuary, 1891. Their only child, a daughter, was marri
d to
F. C. Ireland. In 18 9 2 , 13th January, Mr. Fish was again married, to Miss :\1. E.
Barley, d:lughter of John Barley of Lachute.
HENRY HAMMOND, who owns a large farm near the village, 011 which the County
Agricultural buildings are located, was one of the pioneers of this County. He was
born in the County of Monaghan, Ireland, ill 1818. His father's family came to
* From a sketch by F. C. Trela nd.
HISTORY 01" ARGENrEUlL.
21 7
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 offa for their land, in 18.F, they sold it and
came to Lachute. Mr. Hammond says, even at that d.lle, the only buildings there
were in what is now the \Vest End of I achute were thp. Seigniorial )'Iills, a part of
what is now the Victoria Hotel, and a school-house, which answered the avo-fold
purpose of an educational institution and a place for holding religious worship,
\V olves still prowled in the surrounding forests, and occasionally made an attack on
the sheep-fold. l\Ir. Hammond was a Volunteer in the Rebellion ofl837,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 I1l0ney, in the first vears 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 falm. Henry I-Iammond was
married to
lis') Eiiza Bradford, grand-daughter of the Rev. Richard Bradford, of
Chatham, Their son, Henry R. Hammonà, who now has the management of the
estate, after graduating at McGill, studied law, arld was admitted to the B:u; but Lhen
decided to follow the more quiet and healthful ,.ocation of agriculture.
DAVID RAITT is another who may be styled a pioneer of L3.chute. He is a
native of .Fifeshire, Scotland, and in his youthful days learned the tailor's trade,
and afterwards enlisted at Edinburgh, 23rd October, 1835, at the age of 18, in th
Royal
Artillery, in which his services as tailor were called in requisition. He s.1.iled with
his company from \V oolwich for Montreal, and arrived there 20th Augu')t. 1839. He
then purchased his discharge, which reads as follows:
" Gunner David Raitt of the Royal .\rtillery has always borne a gClod char.lctcr
in the corps, and I believe him to be a sober, honest and i ndrstnous young man,
and one whom I conceive in every way to be trustworthy.
" J. rUR
ER,
.1 Capt. Royal .\rtillcn..
" Discharged in consequence of having paid the sum of f:.z 5 under item 12 of
the Good Conduct Regulations."
[r. Raitt previous to his discharge had been master tailor in the garrison at
IontreaI.
On the 7th January, 18,p, he came to Lachute, where he has ever since resided.
He bought 100 acres of land, on which he lived some years. and then selling it, he
Ij
218
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
age, 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.
:\Irs, 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.
James \V., one of their sons, learne.d the trade of tinsmith, and followed it till 18 9 0 ,
when he was appointed Secretary of L':lchute 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, 187 1 , to Janet Isabella \rValker,
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 .x athaniel Copeland,
ANDREW MCCONNELL who died in 1893, anJ 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, l\Iary, Andrew, \Villiam and Agnes, in 1819, and settled on a farm on the
Lachute Road.
The son, Andrew, was married to :\lary Jane Bradford, grand-daughter of the Rev.
Richard Bradford, 31st Octooer, 1851. He settled at Cushing in Chatham, on the
farm now owned by J. B. Clerihue ; he erected fine buildings, and lived there till 188 7,
when he removed to Lachute. He was a very successful farmer t 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 olde
t 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 J .achute. He had eight children-
John Bradford, Gilbert Smith, Richard George, Andrew \VilJiam, Jessie Ann, James
Quinton, Jennie and Hugh,
Gilbert, Andrew and James settled, a few years ago, in the North \Vest-first
at Qu' AppelJe; 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,
ISSI ; educated at \Vanless Academy, at Carillon; entered on his medical studies at
:\IcGill in 1869, and graduated in 1873. In 1871, he went through the Military
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
21 9
School at .:\Iontreal, and the same year was appointed Lieutenant in the 11th Battalion
of Argenteuil Rangers. Subsequently, he was for eight years surgeon in the Prince
-of 'Vales Rifles. He has taught many years in the
Iedical FacultyofBishop's College
-first, as professor of Botany, his collection of plants being one of the largest in the
Dominion; he has filled several important positions in the University. During the
summer of 1886, he made an extensive European tour, visiting the hospitals of
Dublin, London, Paris and Berlin, taking a Course on Bacteriology, under Prof. Koch
at Paris, He has contributed frequently to the M01ltreal JIedical .Iour1zal, and his
papers have been read at the !\fedico-Chirurgical Society. He was married in 18 75
to Th
odora Lovell, daughter of Robert ::\IilJer, publisher and stationer.
K ATHANIEL BOYD, from tht! north of Ireland, came to this country as a member
of the Royal Staff Corps. After the canal was completed, he settled in the north part
of Gore, and died there, not many years since, within a few months of roo years old;
l\Irs. 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 the
sons, and his descendants live in \Vinnipeg; his son Nathaniel is the present M. p,
for Marquette.
Stewart, the eldest son of the pioneer, married Margaret Hammond, aunt of
Henry Hammond of Lachute; she died about 1890, at the age of 93. They first
settled in Gore, bu t a few years afterward removed to Chatham, where Mr. Boyd had
bought 100 acres of wild land. On this land, and at that time, of course, he h:ld all
the 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 this
hardship: reared his family, cleared two farms, on one of which, known as the ::\Iile
End Farm, a fine tract, he lives with his son James. Though 83 years of age, he is
still very active and ambitious. So great is his desire for work, that he insists on
t3.king care of the stock, and threshing grain, daily, with a flail for over a dozen head
of cattle. He was one of the loyal actors in the Rebellion of 1837 ; he is
Iaster of
an Orange Lodge, a position he has held over forty years. His children-three sons
and two daughters-are all living, James, the eldest son, resides on the homestead.
'YilIiam 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 'V., third son, at the age of fifteen, was apprenticed to learn the trade of
milIer, a trade which-sometimes in connection with lumber business-he has fol-
lowed to the present. \Vhen about 21, he went to California, and was there engaged
in lumbering five years. After his return, he and his brother bought the old mills
known as the "
IcKenzie
IiIls,'J at St. Canute, with which they were engaged fifteen
years, doing an extensive business. They sold out in 1886 for $14,000, after which
John 'V. was connected five years with the new lumber firm of Owens, Lane & Boyd;
220
HI
TORY O}t' ARGENTEUIL.
he, also, in 18 9 2 , in company with \V. J. Simpson, M.P. P., bought the grist mi!l and
saw mill at Lachute, which, during the past fall, 18 95, they sold to J. C, \Vilson.
Mr. Boyd was married in October, 1892, to a daughter of Dr. Stackhouse of
Lachute,
JA\IES 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 Ínfant
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
10unlains, which is now owned by \Vm. 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 tþe 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 schcol-house where G. J. \Valker, Esq., now lives. The
only road to St Andrews was by way of Beech Ridge.
::\1r. Henderson, who is 82 years old, has spent thirty-five years of his life in :\1011-
treal. He gives a graphic description of an election tha.t 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 everyone
so inclined could drink to his heart's content, The elder :\1r. Henderson died in
184 1 , 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, \Vil1iam, is farming
near Montreal, and the youngest, James, is also farming in Brandon, Man. Mary,
the eldest daughter, and Elizabeth, the youngest, ar
married, and live in Montreal,
and Jean, the second, lives with her father.
JOHN SCHOLEFIELD, son of the Rev. \VilIiam Scholefield, a prominent clergyman
in England, came to this country when quitt young, and labored for many years as
local preacher. He married Ameiia, a daughter of Robert Kneeshaw, an early settler
at Lachute. They lived a while at S1. Andrews, and their son \Villiam was born
there; after this, they removed to Ontario, where :\1r. Scholefield died, not n11.ny
years later.
William Scholefi
ld, 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. Sumrnerby was accidentally drowned in his mill pond 3 1st :\1ay,
1886; his loss wa" widely and deeply lamented.
::\lrs, Summerby, his widow, and !\Ir. \Villiarn Scholefleld, were married 18th
August, 1887, and :\fr. Scholefield continued the business; but he died 9th January,
1 8 9 1 , :\1rs. 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-:\1innie Summerby and .\rnelia Scholefield, Another daughter by the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
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.
)'Irs. Scholefieìd if. devoted to Christian work, and has been President, Vice-
President, and
ecretary of the C. E. Society, and is now Corresponding Secretary,
BEl'JAMIN BURCH carne from Vermont to Lachute with the earliest settlers, the
Lanes, Hutchins. and others, and settled on land now owned by his grapdson, Alfred
Burch. The maiden name of his wife, whom he married in Vermont, was Annie
Burch. He took up 3
0 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, loth X Q\'ember,
1868.
Alvah Burch. one of the three sons mentioned above, married Miss Grout. of
Vaudreuil; she died leaving two sons, and he then married
largaret
Iatth
ws, by
which marriage he had seven children-five sons and t\\'o daughters. Soon after his
second marriage, he sold his farm to the Rev. \Villiam 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, .\lfred A. Burch.
Some years later, he went to Harrington, took up land, and was drowned there in
185ð, He had two sons and three daughters j one of the former died in childhood,
One daughter, nnrried. lives in -'Ianitoba. the other two in Grenville; one, married
to David Ogilvy ; the other is the widow of the late Richard HOJ.re,
Alfred A. Burch, the only surviving son, when quite young, went to the States, and
was married 7th August, 1873. in Slatersville, R.1., to :\Iargaret Smiley, of C Ilatha.m,
Que. In 188 3, he moved to )'Ianitoba; his wife died in 1892, and the foilowing
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 Fraser, youngest daughter of Amaziah Burch.
THO
IAS SHEPHERD, who now resides in L:1chute, is a son of \Villiam Shepherd,
who came from Yorkshire, England, to St. Andrews about 1825, and for a year was
in the employ, as fanner, of the Rev, Joseph Ahbott. About two years after his
arrival, he was married to l\1argaret Graham. In 1834. or thereabout, he bought 135
acres of land in the East Settlement, on which he lived till his d
ath. Mr.
hepherd
was one of the loyal actors in the Rebelliol1 of 1837, He had eight sons and four
daughters. Thomas. the eldest son, remained on the homestead, and was married,
8th February, 186.1-, to Mary Ann
haw. They have two sons and six d'llIghtcrs.
222
HISTORY OF ARGENTRUlL.
Mr, Shepherd sold the homestead to his eldest son, 'Villiam, and moved to Lachute
in 18 9 1 , The son was married, 1st of March, 18 9 2 , to Grace Griffith.
:Mr. Shepherd has been a very successful farmer, and has a fme property in
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 23 rd
of May; he was accompanied by his wife, two sons, the family of one of the latter.
and a daughter.
The married son, SAUCEL CAMPBELL, settled in November of the same year on
100 acres of an uncleared lot in Gore, on the shore of Clear Lake, but before he
came to this section, his wife (Nancy
1cLean) died in Lachine. He remained in
Gore a } ear and a half, then moved to the 11th Range, Chatham, where he lived four
years. His father, who resided with him, died during their stay in Chatham, and
willed to him the lot in Gore, to which he then returned, and lived there for twenty
years. He then removed to Papineauville, and afterwards to Grenville, dying in the
latter place at the age of 9 I. 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, 18 1 5; he, also, has been twice married: the first time, 6th April, 18 4 1 , to Jane
1\lcArthur ; six sons and four daughters were born to them.
(rs. Campbell died
6th February, 1888; and Mr. Campbell was again married, 12th July, 18 9 2 . to
Catherine A. Smith, widow of the late Captain 'Villiam Smith. Mr. Campbell is
now 81 years of age, and can write steadily, and walk five or six miles a day. He
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 the mills at
Dalesville.
PETER CA:\lPBELL, another son, lived with his father in Chatham tin the age of 17,
when he came to Lacnllte to learn the trade of miller, He worked five or six years
with James Fish j his employer then lea'ied 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 IUllluer business. He sold the miHs, 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. 'Vilson, this gentleman engaged Mr. Campbell
to resume his former vocation of miller, in which position he is now employed. He
was married 13th September, 1876, to Catherine
[atilda Palliser j she died 4 th Feb-
ruary, 1892 j he has been a member of the Town Council three years.
JAMES \V ALKER from Ayrshire, Scotland, came to Lachute in 18 3 2 j he was a
miller, and was first employed a year in the St. _\ndrews mill, and then a year in the
mill at Lachute. After this, he purchased of Johnson, a son-in-law of Benj. Durch,
the farm of 170 acres, which is now OW !led by his son, G. J. 'Valker. A portion of
:\1r. Johnson's present dwelling was erected by Johnson.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
22
Soon after settling here, Mr. \Valker 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 SO\-
ereign, Securing an old cannon, he charged it so heavily with slugs and a variety of
missiles, that it burst, injuring Mr. \Valker so badly, that one of his legs h3d 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 .-\pnl, 1868; :\Irs.
\Yalker died yd 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. Two daughters, Je
sie and Eliza, who married, res pectively. G. L. :\[eikle
and Thomas Patton, are now deceased.
GAVIN \VALKER has always remained on the homestead, and has been dosely
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
Iarch, 1868 i Secretary Parish :")t. J erusa-
lem, appointed 1879; Secretary School Board, appointed 1867 ; S
cretary .\gricultural
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 \V. J. Simpson, the present
:\I.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 ofrices :\[r. \\"alker 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, ::!9th October,
1873, to Janet 1\IcOuat; she died 25th January, 1890, leaving two sons anù three
daughters.
fr. \Valker's commodious residence, beneath fotatel)" trees. with it.. view of
interval meadows across the road in front, is peculiarly atlr.1.ctive. and suggestÍ\-e of
the comforts and pleasures of an old-time, model homestead.
In 1827, two orothers, JA;\rES and JOHN CAIDEP, weavers, from Paisley,
Scotland, settled in Lachute, on the b.l.nk of the North River, on land now owned
and occupied by the family of the late James PolIock. Finding that the}" could im-
prove their circumstances, they soon removed to Chatham, 111 the vicinity of I ).1.les-
ville, where, in the history of M t. Maple, will be found a sketch uf one of these
brothers, John Calder.
James Calder, whose wife was a
[i:3s
[acfarIane of Paisley, had thre
son.s.-
John, Robert and James, and two daughtcrs,-:\[argaret and Eli.laheth,
John, one of these SOliS, at an eJrly age, manifested a desire to preach th
Gospel, and had decided to enter the ministl y: but, owing to the circumstance;:) of
the family, and their hardships in the new country-due, in some measure, to their
utter ignorance of \Jioneer life-he was compelled to relinquish hi5 cherished d ,,; I .
224
HISTOR
OF ARGENTEUIL.
.-\.s 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 opprrtl1nity 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 r.ontributing 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 cf age, 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,
travel1ing 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 Lachme in May, 1875, In the following winter, while on a trip to Har-
rington, he fell ill, and retnrning 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
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 theresirlence of the late John
Douglas, Front of Chatham, while waiting for the train which was to take him on a
\Ìsit \0 his blOther John, then in Tiverton, Ont. The latter married Elizabeth,
second daughter of the late Finlay McGibbon of Dalesville, and now resides in
lontreal, 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
Watch mall. Of the sisters, Mary, the eldest, married Archibald Murdoch of
Dale
ville, and dierl in June, 1895, leaving a large family. Elizabeth married Mr.
\Vm. Heatlie of Stonefield,!and Susan married 1\1r. ,V. J. Thompson, of Lake View,
r.Q., all of whom are yet alive.
G. F. CALDFR, B..i\., 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 \Vanvick,
but now commonly called )Iount Maple. \Vhen the family left to reside in Lachute,
he commenced to attend Lachute Academy, then under the principalsbip of 1\1r, A.
Ionroe. It is needless to say, the lad was far behind those with whom he now had
HISTORY OF 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 tVatclullllll office,
which at that time was under the management of D. Kerr, and in 1880 returned to
the .\cademy, of which C. S. Rolid.lY, B.A., was then Principal. To this gentleman,
Mr. Calder feels himself deeply indebted for his earnest and painstaking efforts in
preparinghimforcolle
e. Reentered McGill in 1881, matriculating in Arts, recei\'ed
his degree of B.A, in 1885, and the same ye.\f obtained a first.class Academy
diploma from the :\IcGill .t\ormal School. He then accepted the principalship of the
Academy at Aylmer, Que.,.. and after teaching there successfully two yeats, entered
into partnership with W. J. Simpson (now l\I.P.P.), in the publication of the l1
llch-
mall, aad lemoved 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, :-'Iontreal,
and daughter of !\Ir. Jos. Roger, then of 'Vickham, but now of Lachutc. In 18 9 1 , he
was appointed a Commissioner of the Superior Court for taking affadavits, and in
18 9 2 was admitted to the Bar for the study of Law.
In politics. :\lr. Calder has always been an active Conservative, and is able to
express himself on the platform in c'ear and forcible language. He is a member of a
Chri
tian church, and an earnest advocat
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 wilh an array of facts and force oflogic that are not easily overcome.
Charles Calder, a younger brother of G. F., and assistant-editor of the Iralch-
mall, was born [3th May, -;:865. After attending school in Chatham and Lachute.
he spent four years in the Baptist College at Woodstock, Ont., from which place he
entered the IValdwlllll office in 189[. He was married 7th June, 1893, to Margaret,
daughter uf Archibald Graham, Cote du
lidi, SI, Andrews. In the publication of
the IValcnman, his labors are confined chiefly to the mechanical work j he is also
agent for several Fire and Life Insurance Companies.
The following obituary is taken from The IValchfJIall of 29th April, [8i o . Co),
Simpson was the father of the present member of Argenteuil, in the Local House.
Dt:ATH OF LIEUT.-COL. JOHN SI
IPSOX.
" Death has been vel y busy in and around Lachute for the last few' months, taking
many of lhe old and prominent residcnters. The last to fall under his stro\...e is the
gallant officer whose name heads this article.
II CO!. Simpson was born at Auchenterran, parish of Keith, Banffshire, Scotland,
on 9 th February, 18 I I, and dieù :It L1.chute on 29th April, 1890. He joined the Royal
Artillery in June, 1
36, and on the brt:aking out of the Rebellion in Canada, sailed
from Woolwich for this country, on the 7th April, 1838, and arrived in :\[ontreal on
the 15 th of June, After the close of the Rebellion, in which he too\... an active part,
he receiHd his discharge, and came and located in Lachute. Here \,e íonned a troop
ofC.l.vdll'Y, which was reckoned the best disciplined in the Province. and .\t the time of
226
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
its disbandment, the troop presented him with a sword, belt and sword knot, in ac-
1-.nowledgment 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 4 th 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 carefuUy 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. ::\Ir. Ahbott and the Conser-
vative party.
.1 THE FUNERAL.
" Lt.-Co!. Cushing, Command:uH of the I nh B.1ttalion, and all the Oftìcers and
men in the immediate proximity of Lachute, together with the B.md of the Regiment,
attended the funeral. Lt.-Co1. 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 thi> community. Th::: pall-bearers were the Officers of the
I I th 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. A.s the funeral cor-
tege entered the church, the organist began playing the dead marc!1 in Saul. After
the people had all got seated, :\1r. Mackie gave out the 276th hymn, a very appropriate
one, at the do ,e of which the pastor off
reclup a most feeling and impressive prayer.
Then followed an appropriate address, the preacher's text being taken from 39 th
Psalm and I sth Corinthians, at the close of which the 23nl Paraphrase was sung, the
Rev. ::\Ir. Higgins closing with prayer, a very solemn and impres5ive one.
.1 The officers present were Lt.-Col, Cushing, ::\Iajor Lamb, Captains \"cightman,
\Val1-.er, Adj. ::\[artin, Lieuts, Pollock, McPhail, l\IcCallum and McMartin, Sergt.
:Major Earle, and Capt. \Vanless of St. Andrews Cavalry."
\YILLIAM JOHN SnlPSON, 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 ::\[unicipal Council. He joined
the Rangers when quite young, as bugler during the Fenian Raid,,;, and subsequently
was Lieutenant of the same Company for twelve yeJ.rs.
.-
.
'
I
:
\-
"-
W\I. .,o,,
SJ:\II'Sfl
. :\1./'.1'.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
227
In 1881, he formed a partnership with Dawson Kerr, for the publication of TIle
Watchman, which continued till 1St January, 1892, when they sold to Messrs. Calder,
He was married .\.pril 22nd, 1874, to Miss :\Iary 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, 'Vhen 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 e'\.citing 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-
Ir. 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.
loreover,
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 Pri\ ate
Bills Committee, and has received, on several occasions, the grateful thanks of the
Good Government .\ssociation 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.
_-\.mong the measures he has introduced, are amendments to the ðlunicipal Code, an
act to abolish lotteries, an act to open the meetings of School Commi
sioner,> to the
public, and the extension of the franchise to spinsters and widows,
The following notice, which was taken froll'1 the
Iontreal U"i!/lCSS, was written
by a Trooper of St. Joseph du Lac. It shculd 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 JVII/lt!s, the death
of Mr. John Oswald, a native of Stirlingshire, Scotland, aged 86 years and 6 months,
at S
. Augustin on the 16th inst., and having served as a trooper under his command,
I feel it my duty to narrate, through your valuJ.ble 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 1St December, 1837, he was commissioned Lieutenant b\"
ir
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, he was appointed by
Lord Monck, Lieut.Col. of the Militia, until declining years caused him to retire,
very much esteemed and respected by all his troopers."
P ROFESSIO
AL.
Ir. John
Ieikle, sen., says :-" About this time (1831) also, the hr,>t d, rtor
arrived in the settlcment-Vr.
lcno\Vel1, who, however, did not TllUain l()ng. But
228
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
IHe\ ious to his coming the settlers had enjoyed the services of a Mr. Ellis, who,
though not an M.D., had much skill in medicine." 1\1r, Robertson succeeded him,
but soon remo\'ed to St. Andrews.
THO)I \S CHRISTIE. :\I.D., and the present member for Argenteuil in the Dominion
Parli<lment, is doubtle
s the oldest medical practitioner in the County. He is the
son of the late John Christie and his wife Eliz:lbeth 1\ ichol, both of StirJingshire, and
was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1824. He carne to Canada with his parents in
182 7. was educated at
IcGill 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 of his pro-
fessional career. Six thousand immigrants, it is claimed, are buried there, who died
from that dreadful scourge during the years I8-t.7 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 c.alled upon to fill responsible local positions.
He has been Chairman of the Board of School Commissioners of the parish, Secre-
taryof Lachute Academy, \\'arden 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 Watchmall, 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 trom 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 falher, with success shining brightly before them, while they
all seem to partake of the same sterling principles of character.
., The first really creditaLle-looking dwelling in Lachute was that erected by Dr.
Chri
tie7 and it still !otands-a most comfortable residence-suitaLle for anyone in
this last ql'ar ter of the 19th cen tur)". It is sh:.> ded by stately trees, while the grounds
contain beds of flowers of brilliant hues, and graveled walks; and it needs only a
fountain ot !>parkling 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,
Fdmund, George H. and \Vil\iam-
raduated from the
Iedical department of
lcGill;
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL.
229
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 I 88..J.,
His two brothers, Edmund and \Villiam, are practising in Chicago, and G. H. has
succeeded to his father's practice in Lac-hute. Thomas, the third son, has a fine
drug store here, and James P., the fourth, is in business in San Francisco.
Of the danghters, the eldest remains with her parents; the second is married
to Mr. Crawford Ross, merchant in Ottawa; and the youngest is married to Dr. .\,
D. Stewart. of Richmond, Que.
The following obituary of DR, \VILLTA
I S
nTH, who died at Lachute, 4th
ep-
tember, 1895, is copied from 7 he Watchman (Lachute) :-
"Dr. Smith was born in the parish of St. Jerusalem on ..J.th April. 1851, He
attended school for several years in Brownsburg, being with his aunt, Mrs. Stalker.
Afterwards, he prepared for McGil1 at Lachute Col1ege. During his course at
IcGi11, 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 matried to :\bry
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 11th Battalion .\rgenteuil
Rangers, and, finally, became their medical officer, He always took great interest in
milital y 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 wen
successful; for, while he never would swerve from a Plinciple to
please a friend, he did his duty in such a firm and kindly spirit, that he SOdn ,,'on the
confidence of the public, It was recognized, tint here WL1.S a man who had the cour-
age of his c
nvictions, and would do what he felt to be right, regardless of the ('on-
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 hst July, when a ,.aeancy 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 bv the poor of this town and
County, and he never refused to gi,.e his attendance through feLu 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, becaus
h
felt that the course then being pursued by the leaders of that party was not right;
his alJegiance was to principles first, and party afterwards. He becam
attached to
the Conservative party, and was looked upon as one of its coming leaders. L1.st
year, he was dected President of the
\rgentellil Liberal-Conservative .\ssoci.lt ion;
2"0
')
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 GO\oernment, and was ready again to sacrifice his party ties in order to maintain
his convictions of what was right. N everthe1ess, 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, exprtssing 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.
] )R. 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 j John Stackhouse, the eldest, who succeeded his father in the chair_
making business in S1. Andrews j and Gilbert, the yonngest, who was a photographer
in the same village, are both deceased.
DR. L. P. ALEXANDER RODRIGUE, third son of Pierre Rodrigue, was born
17 th December, 1869, in St. Scholastique, Que. He attended school in Lachute,
and in 188 3 entered the College in St. Thérèse, 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 1\1. 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.
Jo B.
IENZIES, 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.
\Y. \V, ALEXANDER, M.D., now occupies the office of the lamented Dr, Smith.
Dr. AleÀander was born in Prince Edward Island, and received his education at the
Prince of \Vales College, Charlottetown. In 1887, he entered the Medical Depart-
ment of McGill University, and received his degree of l\l,D" C.M., therefrom in April,
18 91. 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-
.ltions 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 Lachllte; 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.
23 1
Thomas, his eldest son, was married in Lachine, in 1838, to Margaret Baird;
he "as a member of the Lachine Troop of Cavalry during the Papineau Rebellion,
In 18 44, he settled in Lachute, and lived here tiII 1893, when he visited his son
Thomas in Morris, lUan., and died there, the 17th December of the same year.
He had two sons and three daughters, who arrived at maturity. Joseph, the
second son, attended :Military School in Montreal, and received his certificate in 186 9,
The year following, while holding the rank of Sergeant-Major in the 11th Battalion,
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 18 7 6 , taking his degree
from
fcGiII in 18 78, and was caIIed to the Bar in 1879. He was married in 18 79
to Lillian :l\Iargaret McGibbon, Mr. Palliser takes an active interest in all local
affairs; he drew the Charter when the Town of Lachute was incorporated in ) 885,
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. E. BAMPTON, Q.C., for several years has been one of the prominent members
cf the Bar in this County. He was born in Plymouth, Eng., and is a son of the late
Augustus Hampton, 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 }'ears on the Pacific, and at other stations, as an officer in the Royal Navy. He
took a Law course at l\1cGiII, graduating with first-class honors, and was calJcd to the
Ear in 18 79; he studied with D, Macmaster, Q.C., Bernard Devlin, and others. He
began practice in Lachute in 1879, and was married 13th August, 188 4, to Ann Louise
Pollock, third daughter of the late Thomas Pollock, Postmaster at Hill Head. 1\1rs.
Hampton died 29 th Kovember, 1891, at the age of 27, leaving three children.
Ir. Bampton was appointed Revising Officer for the County in 188 5, by the
Dominion Government, and Provir,cial Revenue Attorney, by the Quebec Govern-
ment, in 18 9 2 . 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.
TOSEPH EVARISTE VALOIS was born in Vaudreuil, Que. He spent three yeJ.rs
in th
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 Kotary 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. 'Vhile in St.
:-\cholastique, he was married in September, 1885, to Corinne, daughter of Joseph
Langlois, of that place. .NIr. Valois organized a Band in May, 1895; it is composed
of sixteen members, and he is instructor.
23 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTE17IL.
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 pap;::rs ûf J. S. Hutchins
by his daughter, Mrs. Cushing, of :Montreal, through whose courtesy they are now pub-
lished :-
RISE AND PROGRESS OF ELE:\IEKTARY EDUC
\.TION l
THE
SEIGXIORY OF .-\.RGENTEUIL} COUNTY OF T\VO :.\IOUNTAINS.
In 179 8 , 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
:\1ills-numbering about fifteen scholars-for the term of six months. In 1801, a log
school-house was built, half a mile above the Chute
Iills, and taught by a young
man six months, thirty scholars attending daily. [n 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 111S schooi 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 salarr 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 \V ooù was subsequently commissioned to teach
the school. The latter continued it for two years, and then resigned his position, in
consequence of the Bo lrd's reducing their teachers' salaries to twenty pounds per
annum. They, likewise, multipliLd their schools; and another was established, aLou
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.
fr. Carpenter succeeded 1fr. \Vood as teacher, and
taught for three years successfully. I would here note that, after the salaries of the
teachers were cut down to twen ty pounds, the trustees were obliged to raise the fee
of tuition from IS. 3d. to 3S. 9d. per scholar, each month, in order to provide competent
eachers, The school of which I have been particularly speaking has been continued
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
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 it was 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 p.uish, numbering altogether about three hundred and
fifty children. In the year 18 r 0, 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 2 r, in Lachute, in IS [0, copied from a document founä among the
papers of J. S. Hutchins:
1\ umber of children, 2 ( I.
John Kelly, Abiathar "'aldron, Francis Dureau, Silas Boldry, Samuel Orton,
Joel Bixby, Osias HosiJton, Benj. Burch, Benj. I. Burch, Asa Kimball, \Vm. Powers,
\Vm. Evans, Jonathan Burch, Jonathan Hart, Isaac Thompson, John Dunlap, \Vm,
Powers, jun., 'Yard Stone, Augustus Stone, Benj. Cutter, David Hubbard,--
Sampson, Amaziah Church, - Knot, J 01111 S. Hutchins) Nathaniel Davis, Phineas
Hutchins, Samuel Sanders, Jonathan Burch, jun., Hezekiah Clark, \Vm. Perkin5,
John Sparrow, D. Hitchcock, James Draper, Richard Dilly, Daniel Pool, Timothy
Pool, John Blanchard, Philander Stephens, Ebenezer Stephens, Cyrus Calkins, James
Thompson, \Vm. Thompson, Abiram Boldry, John Jacobs, Nathan Jacobs, Alex.
Reed, \Vm, McNall, Samuel Thompson, Curtis Stone, E. Blackman, Osias Black-
man, Charles Ellis, David Bell, James Hubbard, Aaron Stone, Aaron Hamblin, Uriah
McNall, Elijah \Voodworth, Joseph Herrimon, Rufus Herriman, Benj. Allen. \Vm.
:\IcGloughlin, David Taslin, Timothy Richardson, Moses Snider, J aIm Snider,
Samuel Blackman, Isaiah P. Barber, Robert Partlow, Isaiah Hyatt, B. Cramton, Asa
Sanders, Israel Brooks, Charles Perkins,
-\sa Starnes, Gideon Blackman, David
Brooks, Jonathan Brooks, Daniel Starnes, Nathan Brooks.
LACHUTE ACADEMY.
By J. \V. MCOUAT, SCHOOL I
SPECTOR.
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 manifestej their appreciation of such
instruction, by establishing a superior school governed by five directors. These
directors organized a school, outlmed a course of study, and appointed a staff of
teachers, and thus the pastor's pi ivate classes became the well-known public instilu-
tion, .1 Lachute Academy."
16
234
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
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 fo]]owing assistants: Dr. Thomas Christie and Mr, John
1\1. GiLson. John Meikle, Esq., was President of the Roard 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 gO\Ternment, 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 .1:75.
This Act of incorporation was obtained on the first day of July, 1856, when the
following gentlemen were incorporated a "body poJitic and corporate in deed and
in name," to be known as "Lachute College," viz.: "John Meikle, Thomas
Christie, Rev. Thomas Henry, Re\'. \Valler Scott, Rev. James Bishop, Thomas
Lockie, Thomas PoBock, John McAllister and Thomas Morrison, all of the village
of Lachute, County of ArgenteuiJ." Thus was Lachute Academy established, on
23 rd February, 1855, and incorporated by Act of Parliament, passed at Toronto, 1st
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 Philosoph)", 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 ,f,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 exceBent 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
receivc 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 i
the total cost of teaching, in 1856, being only æl20, Rev. 1\1r, Henry continued to
be connected with the Academy, for several years after its establishment, as teacher
and adviser, while Dr. Christie labored faithfuBy al1d 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 20th April, 1858, the directors resolved to erect an academy building in a
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
235
central place, and selected the site on which the old academy now stands, in the east
ward of Lachute town, midway betwcen two of the parish schools, Xos. I and YUI
These two elementary schools were united by the school commissioners, who buil
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;
[r. James
Emslie and 1\[r. 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 W0fk. Under these circum_
stances, the directors concluded to amalgamate the academy classes with the public
schools and make over the Govern ment grant, now Æ44, 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,
Ir, Alex. Stewart was principal
fter 1\[r. Reade from 1863-...., when he \Vas
succeeded by 1\[r. George Thomson of Queen's College, Kingston, in 1864. 1\[r,
Thomson held the position until February, 1867, when he was appointed SchoOl
Inspector, and Mr. G. H. Drewe became principal until February, 1868, when 1\[r,
Alex. Stewart was again engaged as principal until 1870. In 1870 1\1r. C. S. Holiday
succeeded .!\Ir. Stewart, and remained principal untii 1874, when he resigned and was
followed by 2\lr.
[urdock Munroe for one year, 18j4-5. Mr, Holiday returned in
18j 5, and held the position for nine year s, until 1884, in which year he accepted the
position of principal in Huntingdon Academy, and Mr. H,
[. Cockfield became
princilJal of Lachute Academy, which position he filled until 1886, when h
resigned
to accept service under the Montreal School Board, and \Vas succeeded by .Mr. J, ,V,
McOuat, until 1892. In 1892
lr. McOuat was appointed School Inspector, and
lr.
N. T. Truell, who now (1895) holds the position. was made Principal. Amongst the
numerous assistant teachers are :\[r. James Emslie and 1\1r, 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 " 'Vest End II of thc village, thus restoring the former
school, No. VIII. The upper portion of the c, 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 Director:; LlI1d the
23 6
HISTORY (,);t' ARGENTEUIL.
Parish Commissioners) until the incorporation of Lachute Town in 1885, when the
parish board withdrew, and re-established their former school, N(I. I, now called
I' 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
comp03ed ofthe following gentlemen :- Joseph Palliser, chairman; Hugh Fraser, jun.,
Thomas McOnat, Peter Cruise and Rev. \Vm. Sanders, while "'illiam Henry was
secretary-treasurer, and J, 'v. ì\lcOuat 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 e
ected 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 districis.
Amongst the benefactors of the school are Sidney Bellingham, the late John
Ieikle, and, in recent years, J, C. \Vilson, 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 s!udy not in line
with the Academy work. As a result of the .\cademy'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.
WTON 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 "Tays
.Mills, Stanstead County,
Iay 8th, 1866, and received his preliminary (ducation at
Stanstead 'Vesleyan College. At the age of fifteen he wellt to the Collège de St.
Jij'acÙltlle to complete a course in French, after which he pur sued 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 Engli sh and French schools,
1\lr. 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 IS92, to accept the
l'rincipalship 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.
Ir. 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 the first
head master to introduce an organized system of Calisthenic exercises into any of the
academies of our Province. On 27th Dec., 1892, he was married to Miss Julia
laude Fulvoye of St. Johm, Que., second daughter of Mr. I. B. Futvoye, Super-
intendent of the Central Vermont Railway.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
237
RISE A
D PROGRESS OF RELIGIO
.
A sketclz found amo '.r: the þllfers of the late J. S. lIlt/dills.
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 ob3erved for about one year. when an itinerant Metho-
dist preacher, by the name of Picket, from the Troy Conference, N.Y., found his way
through the woods to the settlem
nt, and commenced to preach the Gospel to the
people, formin 6 a circuit emb.acing L'Orignal, E. and \V. Hawkesbury, Chatham
and ArgenteuiI. A') there were no roads at this time for riding on horseback, nor
boats for crossing horses over the rivers, he wàlked from place to place, carrying his
portmanteau on his shoulders. He p reached 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
adl11ini
tered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in this place, in October, 1801.
1\1r. Picket was succeeded by the Rev. l\Ir. Sawyer, who traveled the Circuit for
two years, when he was succeeded by the Rev. 1\1r. l\Iaòden, and other ministers from
the same Conference up to the year 1812, when the war ùetween E 1 1g1and and the
United States broke out, and the ministers, being American subjects: were all obliged
to leave the Province, leaving the sheep without a shepherd, to do as best they could.
A Sunday School was foanded in this district, in the year 18IS, by the Rev,
Thaddeus Osgood, missionary from the Congregational Missionary Society, of Boston.
It numbered about thirty scholars, a"nd was superintended and taught by the writer
for seven years, subsequently by other3 ; and it ha
b
en continued through the sum.
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 menti01
ed places, there being no
other denomination, During the war, which lasted more than two years, divine
service was kept up by a wo rthy local preacher,
Ir. Kellog, assisted by the official
members of the Methodist Society, and the Rev. Mr. Bradford, Church of England
minister, who was situJ.ted in the front of Chatham. He visited this place on several
occasions, to administer the sacrament to the people, Though the place of meeting
was in a barn, the reverend gentleman, after the close of one of the services, declared it
to be one of the happiest seasons of his life. After the close of the war, the preachers
23 8
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 unb::>rn. The5e difficulties need not be detailed,
Suffice it to say, that they have all been overcome, and that the cause of religion is
slowly advancing."
U
ITED ASSOCIATE CO
GREGATION, OR FIRST PRESBYTERIX_-\.
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 l\IcOuat, gave an impetus to the cause of Christ
In this neighborhood. On arriving at
Iontreal, 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. _\1
ny 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 in::;truction 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 Presoyterian
minister at that time in the county. So many of the people waited on his ministry,
that he was induced to corne 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 l\Ir. Henderson, and as the congregation increased, they experienced a
desire to have a minister settled over them j but that was not ea')ily accomplished at
that time. In the year 1831, they invited the Rev. William Brunton of St. Therese to
become their minister; a.nd promised him an annual stipend of $264. He accepted
the call, and became their pa.stor. The people rallied around him in great numbers,
so tllat they were encouraged to build a church, and a subscriptio.1 paper was circu-
lated among them.
'J here was very little mon ey in circulation among the farmers, and the pe.ople,
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 \Vaterloo; 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 OJ.<' ARGENTEUIL.
.'!39
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 r833; it was built by \Villiam
and Andrew !\lcOuat. After the walls were up, they had great difficulty in getting
the sashes for the windows Ilnde and glazed. :\lr. McOuat came to the rescue. He
bought the glass and putty, and kept the joiner till he fmished the windows and put
them in; then the church wac; fit to meet in. Great was th
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 b
auty, yet it is a sub3tantial structure, characteristic of the men
who built it and of the times in which it was built.
For a number of years the congregJ.tion prospered.
Ir. Brunton labored
faithfully and successfully among the peùple, but in a felv years the Lard took him
up to the higher sanctuary. He died in the ye.lr 1839. The tombstone erected
to his memory by his congregation bears the following inscrIption, written by Dr.
\Villiam Taylor, of i\lontreal:-
" Sacred to the memory of the Rev. William Brunton,
linister ofthe United Associate Congregation ofL1.chute,
who departed this life 12th August, 1839, in the 73 rd
year of his age and the 45th 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 an ,J 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. He
was born in the parish of N ewbattle, County of Edinburgh,
Scotland, 4th
lay, 1767. He was ordained to the office
of the
Iinistry in 1795. He arrived in this country in
J 820 and after preaching the Gospel in various othel
plac
s, undertook the pastoral care of this Congregatio.n
in 18 3 1 , where he spent the last seven ye.us of hi';;
valuable life."
24 0
HISTORY OF ARGEXTEUIL.
Af(er Mr. Brunton's death, a dark cloud settled upon tl:e 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.
A.n inducement was held out by the Presbytery of Montreal, in connection with
the Church of Scotland, that, if they would join the btler, they (the Presbytery)
would give fifly 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, befor
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, principaHy 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 fùrty poul1ds- the amount they con tributed towards
building the church-to be given when they built one in connection with the Church
of Scotland. 'Vhen they commenced to build the Free Church, they applied for the
forty pounds, Mr.l\1cOuat said: " N a, 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 Scodand at this time, was about to pay a visit to the Old Country.
fhey requested him to present their case to the Synod at hon 1 e ; 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 Kew Glasgow; and l\[r. Andrew Kennedy, who was
placed at Lachute. At this time the congregation was very smaB, and could not give
him a salary sufficieut 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. 'Valter 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 \'ery much discouraged, but still were sturdy Seceders. True to
their principles, they stuck firm and fast together, and could not be bribed to leav
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.
2.p
they gave a call to 1\1r. John
Iackie, a licentiate of the United PresLyterian Church
of Scotland, He came to Lachute in the m.:>nth of I, ovember, 18 5 8 , and preached
to them that wimer. 'Vhen navigation opened, the Presbytery of Montreal-com-
prising three ministers-came to L1.chute on the 18th day of
Iay. They met in
the Church, after hearing Mr. Mackie's trials for ordination, with which they were
highly pleased, The calI that was presented to him was signed by fifteen members
and twenty-five adherents. The stipend promised by the congregation W3S forty
pounds-$I60. The Presbytery hesitated to place
Ir.
Iackie on so sm:1l1 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 litlle 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 to 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 IIlstructio;1s given,
showed that they appreciated the ministrations of their pastor. !n 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 peopl
, 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 18z2, educated at G.asgow 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 fen. 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.
Iackie, 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 Scotchm::ll1, and, while posses5ing a fund of
humor, he is quick to feel for the afflicted, and is always a welcom
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 l\IcOuat Mackie, is manager of the Gould Manuf..tcturin!;
Company, Boston, Mass.; the second son, Robert, is an engineer in Kc\V Jer
ef.
The second daughter, Mary, was married in 1887 to William Scott, Esq., of the
:\Iackay
lilling Co., Ottawa The four youngest daughters are still pursuing their
studies.
24 2
HISTORY 01<' 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 18....3, and continued to minister to the
spiritual wants of his people till the year 1862, when he was succeeded by the Rev.
10hn Eadie, who was pastor for seven years. After his removal to another field of
iabor, the Rev. \ViIliam Furlong was called to the pastorate, and labored for nearly
twenty year
. He resigned in the year 1892, and was succeeded by the present
pastor, RE\'. N. \VADDELI., B.D.
Mr. 'Vaddell, whose ability and geniality have rendered him popular with his
parishioners, was born in the township of Osgoode, Carleton County, Ontario, in I8Sï,
and educated at the Ottawa Collegiate Institute, McGill University, and tÌ1e Presby-
terian College, ì\Iontreal, graduating in 1887. He was ordained by the Presbytery
of
[ontreal, 23rd
[ay, 1887, and inducted to the charge of Rus5eltown and COyer
Hill, Que. After a pastorate of nearly six years, he was transferred to Lachute,
and inducted to his present charge, 9th February, 1893, He was married to
Iiss
Iary Jane Fras
r of
Iorewood, Ont.. in 18SS.
The REV. THOMAS HENRY descended from the Kenmore Cordons of Lochim"ar,
was born in the parish of Anwoth, Scotland, in 1798, and was educated at the Edin-
burgh University; he was married [2th August, 1840, to Helen Dawson of Alloa,
Clackmannanshire, Scotland. He taught in the family of Hannay, of Rusco, in the
Parish of Amvoth, 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 37th Regiment
of Foot. The same James Duff was the father of the present Duke of Fife, son-in-law
of the Prince of 'Vales. In 1840, the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland
sent
[r. 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. .-\.t
the Disruption in 1844, he severed his connection with that Church, clsting in his lot
with the Free Church. His congregation, with the exception of one or two families,
went with him, and, later, everyone 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 .-\.cademy, commencing that institution in his own
study, toe room at present occupied by his son, \Villiam Henry, as an office. It was
stlbsequently removed to the basement of Henry's Church, until suitable buildings
were erected for it,
Ir. Henry died in Lachute, 15th July, 1868;
lrs. Henry,
also, died in Lachute, 18th 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; 'Villiam, Secretary-Treasurer of La-
chute School Commissioners; Katherine Stein, teacher, of Lachute.
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
24-3
A:\TGLICAN CHURCH.
By REV. A. B. GIVEN,
A brief sketch of the Mi5sion of L Lchute, in the County of Argenteuil, mar 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 ::\Iontreal, and
seventy-six from Ottawa, via the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The population is esti-
mated to be about 1,7 00 . The first church services were held about the year 181 5
by a traveIling missionary, who occasionally officiated in a barn or school-house, as
opportunity presented itself. In the ye3.r 1868, the Rev. ::\Ir, Codd was appointt:d a
missionary, with headquarters at Lachute, and a number of townships, amung others
that of Arundel, then in the initial stage of its settlement, under his charge. Let us
bear in mind this f:lct, that this mission is still in its infancy, so to speak, as com.
pared with many other parishes in the Diocese of ::\Iont real. Real church life onl
'
began here, we may say, in the year 1878, when the Rev, H. J. EVclns \vas appointed
the first regularly constituted Incumbent of the
Iission. Regular services \\ ere held
by him at L:lchute, Lake Louisa,
e\V Ireland, Glen of Harrington, Arundel, 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 ::\Iaker." Deep regret was felt at Mr. Evans' departure !rom this ::\Iissior.
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. 'V. Sanders, B.A. (at the present time, Rural Dean), \\as ap-
pointed by the Lord Bishop of Montreal, Incumbent. Rev. ,v. S.1nders worked
hard and zealously for the cause of his ::\Iaster 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 arrangem
nt
was effected-to wit-the fornution of Arundel and parts adjacent into a s
parate
mission, the Rev, 'V. HHris being made the first Incumbent th
reof. This made
the work somewhat lighter, though arduous enough, and permitted ::\Ir. Sanders to
concentrate his efforts more upon his work at Lachute, Lake Louis.l. and Edin
J
thes
forming, at that date, the pal ish of Lachllte. 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 succe
d him,
The church work go
s on slowiy, but stecldily, we believe, in the name of Him who
hath said, " My word sh l.ll not return unto
[,
void, but shall accompli:>h that which
I please." Lachl1te itself is not a Church of England town, it is essentially a
Presbyterian settlement. The church is not strong-it is to be feared, for some tune
at least, we shall have to depend much upon outside help for assistance to maint.lÌn
her ministrations. Would that it were otherwise, indeed. fWd services are held
244
HISTORY O}O' ARGE
TEUIL.
regularly e,-ery Sunday, with an average attendance of 44. An occasional week-day
sen-ice is a) so held. Our people do well, on the whole, to maintain the church,
taking into consideration their numbers and their own plOperty. By the bye, the
church, which was always considered to be a " U !lion Church II at Edina, was burnt
down in the rear 1890, and so the services were consequently discontil
ued there.
L1.ke Louisa, in the township of \Ventworth, I 2
miles distant from Lachute, is the
only rC311r out-mission station belonging to Lachute, Here. service is held every
l1nday afternoon at 3 p.m. \Ve are
lad indeed to have a church there of our own.
Largdy, owing to the m:my kind friends in Montr.cal and elsewhere, this has
become an accomplished fact-built and paid for at a cost of $r :000. A piece ofland
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-I' Atise ye dead and come to
J lIdgment."
Iany thipgs are still needed for this mission -such as a "church bell,"
" font," surplices, etc, \Ye have, indeed. great cause to be thankful for the past.
:Many have helped us most willingly and ch eerflllly, and for this" we do, indeed,
thank God for the past, and we do, indeed, take courage for the future."
BAPTIST CHURCH.
Cùpied from Church records.
LACHUTE, 8th June, 1586.
For over a year, the Board of the Convention East have been am.ious to have a
Baptist Church organized in the thriving to\\'n of Lachute. At the earnest request of
the Board, Rev. ]. 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 1st of May,
and was nearly a month in the field. The L'JrJ 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 So to 100, as the few Baptists were quickened and refreshed by the
Holy Spirit. }ive believers applied for baptism, and were baptised by Pastor
Higgins in the North River, on the last Sabbath of May. Several l,ersons 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.
LA CHUTE, June 4, 1886.
At a special m
eting held in th
home of Bro. D. McPhail, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the advisability of uniting ourselves in a regular Baptist
Clmrch, it was agreed by the brethren present to h3ld Recognition services in Olivet
Hall, on Tu.:sday, 8th June.
HISTORY OJ.' ARGENTEUIL.
245
ORGAN1ZATIO
AND RECOGXITIOX SERVICES IN OLIVE r HALL.
The following persons responded to the call to a Recognition meeting :-Dales-
ville Church, Pastor J, K.ing, Deacon P. .!\IcArthur and Bro. John 'Campbell;
Osnabruck, Rev. J. Higgins; F:rst Church,
Iontreal, Rev. ilr. Welton, Deacon
Kennedy; Brethren J. S. Buchan and D. K,
IcLarin; Olivet Church, Montreal,
Pastor A. G. Upham, Deacon D. Bentley, \V. 0, Stroud, \V. D. Larmonth, The
new church was represented in the Council by Erethrell D.
IcPhail, P. Cruise and
_\.lex. McGibbon, also the student, Bro. .\lex. Dewar. On motion, Rev. _\. G. Upham
w3: s
ppointed Moderator, and D. Bcntley, Clerk. Prayer was offered by Pastor
Hlggms. The twenty.three persons present adopted the New Hampshire articles, as
a statement of their faith and practice, believing that to be in harmony with the
teaching of God's \Vord. There are in all twenty-eight b
ptised believcr-; who ha\-e
united in forming this Church, The request to Council is herè gi\'en, as follows :-
\Ve, the undersigned, having been led by God's spirit to receive the Lord Jesus
Christ as our persorJal Saviour, and having been buried with him in baptism on pro-
fession of faith, hereby pi esent ourselves before God, and one another, desiring to be
organized and recognized as a regular Baptist Church, and we do hereby adopt, as a
statement of our faith and practice, the summary of Scriptural doctrine, the X ew
Hampshire Confession.
D. McPhail, Alex. l\IcGibbol1, P. Cruise, Mrs. T. Jackson,
[iss \[argaret
McGibbon,
[r
. P. Cruise, :\lr. and Mrs. Wm. Ruchan, Miss
r. Cruise,
[rs. C,
Barker, Miss K.
lcGibbon, Mrs. Ja
. McGibbon, :\Iiss E. Campbell, Mrs.
. Dunne,
::\1r. R. S. Stackhousc. :\Iiss L. Stackhouse, l\Ir. A. .McArthur,
Irs. Peter :\[CGibbon,
Iiss
. McGibbon, Miss E. 1\lcGib:,on,
Iiss Maria :\IcGibbon,
[rs. .\. \lc.\.r l hur,
R. Dunne and fohn Cruise.
After hear
ng this request and the statement of the doctrine by the people, it
was moved by Dr. \Velton, and seconded by Pastor King, that the Council gladly
recognize the body of believers who have presented themselves to-day, before this
Council, as a regular Baptist Church, This was carried unanimously. The folluwing
committee-Pastors King and Higgin
, and Deacon Bentley-\\ele requcstel\ to
make arrangements for public Recognition serviccs in the evening, at 7.3 0 o'clock,
Rev. J. King addressed the Church members on their new röpon::.ihility and dutic<;
to each other. The
Ioderator, Pa
tor Upham, gave the I ight hand of fellowship to
Bro. Dewar (stuùent) in the name of the new Chu:ch, welcoming the L3.chute Church
into the body of Baptist Churches of Canada, .\fter prayer, the COlincil adjourned.
During the winter of 188 7, a gracious work was accomplished from special ser-
vices held by the Pastor, and John Currie, Evangelist, of Montreal. \bout thirty
persons professed conversion. The present membership is 5 r. .
Mr. Higgins remained as Pastor of this Church till the faJ1 of 1895, commandmg
the respect of the peoplc by his able exposition of the Scripture and his consistent
Christian life, and winning their affections by his kindly, genial manner.
The late Rev. Mr. King, oÍ DalesviJ1e, in his reminiscences, s
ys :-" John
Higgins was a remarkable boy. In his early years, by the d
ath of.1 11S parents, .he
was left a helpless orphan, but the Lord, true to Ills promIses! raIs.cd up for hun
friend
. He lived in Chatham with Andrew Duncan and hIS wIfe, who were
childless. Afrer he had been some time with Duncan, he camc to Sabbath School,
and proved himself a bright and diligent pupil. People felt interested in. him, and
predicted that, if spared, he would make his mark in the world. It W.:lS wlll
e attend-
24 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
ing this school, that he b
came 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 a.nd his. want of means to obtain an
éducation were obstacles in the way j but these dIfficultIes were overcome, when he
decided to give himself to the Lord's work-God p
ovided him mean.s and raised up
friends where he did not expect them. After attendmg school some tIme at Lachute,
he went to "T oodstock, where he studied the usual time under Dr. Fife, with honor
to the doctor and credit to himself. During the vacation at 'Voodstock, he went to
preach at Cote S1. George, wher
there is a small
hllrc
, an
his preaching was
blessed to the conversion of souls. After completmg Ins studIes at 'Voodstock, he
accepted a call from the church at Petite Nation. Between that place and North
ation Mills, his labors have been greatly blessed of God. He has since removed to
Thurc;o."
_\ good many years have passed since Mr. King wrote the above sketch of Mr,
Hiauins, during which the latter has labofl'd in diffc:rent places, with credit to himself
andthe 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.
"Then Mr. Higgins resigned his pastorate at Lachute, a call was given to Rev.
T. R. Cresswell, RA., who had just completed his university course in Toronto, and
\'as then in Montreal.
lr, Creswell was born in Derbyshire, England. He took a
Theological COUI se at Nottingham Baptist College, completing which, in the spring of
18 9 0 , he came at once to Canada, and entered Mc
laster 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, On1., and also the following SUII1mer, after graduating, in Montreal.
He then visited England, and on his return accepted, November, 18 94, the pastorate
at Lachute, and was ordained the same month. He was married, 3 rd July, 1895, to
:\liss 1\1. M. Howell, of Montreal. 11r. Cresswell is highly popular in the community;
his sermons are clear and logical, diction good, and his delivery fluent and effective.
.-\ 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.
otwithstanding considerable effort to obtain data with regard to the above
organization, we have gathered but the few fnllowing facts.
It will be seen by what has already been stated by :\lr. J. S. Hutchins, that the
[ethodists 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
contra
ted quite a large debt; but all contributed, as far as they were able, toward
defraymg the expense-none, probably, more generollsly than the late Thos. Jackson.
fhis
hurch 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
occl1pie
. 'Fhe old c.hurch was destroyed by fire with the store of P. H, Lane, Esq.,
near winch It stood, 111 September, 1894. A substantial and commodious parsonage
has also been erected contiguous to the new church.
HISTORY OF ARGEN'TEUIL.
247
As !:tated in the history of St. Andrews, Lachute became the head of the
Circuit ill 18 6 5. 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
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186 5 I \V nl. Shaw. B. A . . . . .. ... - -, ....... .",...... , , . . 220
Grenville united with it. I
1866 Joseph Kilgour, Wm. S. McCullough, B.A.... ..... . / 234
1867 r oseph Kilgour * t. . . . . . .. ...... ...... .. , .., .,.,.. 25 0
335 5 10 I 210 I 12 5 0
33 6 I 5 1 5 210 12 75
4 60 5 20 21
13 61
I f
· Korth Gore set off. t Grenville again set off.
The ministers who have had charge of this Circuit during the last few years are
th<: Rev. John \Valton, John Armstrong, J. V, McDowel1, B.A., \V. Craig and the
present pastor, Rev. Mr. Clipsham.
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 j the former, whose
name also is Thomas Jackson, is one of the prosperous and respected farmers of
Lachute. l\Ir. F. C. Ireland, in his "Sketches of Lachute," gi\'es the following ad-
ditional history of l\lethodism in this section of the country, which we règard as well
worth preserving :-
I'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. !\Ir. Madden had just married a daughter of David Breckenridge, Esq., of
Brockville, a 11Ian of considerable standing in the communÍly, 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. Hyatt, 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 ar.d his wife found a comfort-
able 10dg i '1g place for the night. The HyaUs 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 bridgeless
ri,-ers, from By town to MontreaL"
Ir. Ireland also records another incident: "The Rev. 1\[r. 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
ew
York. In crossing the Ottawa river at Point Fortune, his horse got into the water,
and was nearly drowned. 1\1r, Luckey also narrowly escaped, but '''as lucky enough
to get safe on the other side. Being fatigued, he went to a French house, to seek
24 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
rest and something to cat, His appearance was not very clerical just at that time,
His beard had grown out considerably since his last shave, some Wteks previously,
and when he asked for something to eat, the simple-mir.ded 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. 1\1r. Hibbard was another of the
itinerates who followed. On one occl!'ion, 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. :\lr. Hyatt,
being a local preacher, took up Ihe 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 hai a flourishing Sunday SchooL Olivet Hall, built
by Mr. James Fish, was used for some time by this School, but tinding it too small
for their accommodation, in 1877, Mr. Fish enlarged it by an addition at the end, 2{
feet square.
REV, \VILLIAM 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 16th l\Iarch,
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 'Vesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill., in 1880. He is a member of the
Committee of the Brooklyn .Methodist Hospital, and pastor of Brooklyn Sixth Avenue
Church. His sermons are illnstrated by large paintings, and among the titles are
such as these :-" The House that Rum built," " Mr. Tongne of Tattle '1'own,"*
R. C. CHURCH,
The first regular Roman Catholic services in Lachute were held by the Rev.
Calixte Ouimet, curé 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 péople.
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 tlie sacristy. He removed to Montreal, and was succeeded by the
Rev. Anthirne Carrière, on the 1st of January, 1894,
The Rev, !\ir. Carrière, who slill remains incumbent, was born at St. Benoit,
educated at the SeminalY 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
Iontrea1. He has recentJy 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 'V. C. T, U. of Lachute was organized by Mrs. Youmans in Januarr, 1883,
with
lrs. ,V. A. Leggo as president; :\11'5. H. Fraser, jun., secretary j and the late
Mrs. H. :\1. Gall, treasurer
It was, with the other unions, formed into a Provin-
cial Union in ::;eptembcr of the same year, 1883. '1 he 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.
. !he Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, a Union one, was organ-
Ized III 1889; MALCOUI :\IcCALLuM 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
Iethodist Church
formed an Epworth League, which, after about a year, fell through' but in 18 94,
was fe-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.
_\ Mechanics' Institute was formed in Lachllte, 1st of March, 1855, the trustees
being Dr. Thomas Christie, John Meikle, and Samuel Hills; John M
ikle was the
first president. It began with a membership of 21, and the 3.mount subscribed was
.l3 0 10S. It soon received quite an addition from the District Library Association
which united with it. From a Report to the Provincial Secretary, 5th January, [856,
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 .;{;I60 15 s .
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 evidf'nt that
the organization exi:;ted only in name. An effort on the part of a fe\v 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-pre:;ident 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. \Ve have no data to show when the first movement in this direction began,
but it is well known that it was lon
before the organization. of the Sons of Temper-
ance in 1852,
The erection of Victoria Hall by this Society shows that it mu;;t 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-
pt'rance 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 \V. 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 citiztns on
ala
days. A Band was formed by the Sons of Temperance, about the year 1855,
l11ce
which a similar organization has usucllly 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." \Villiam Hay was the first Master; \V. J. Simpson, M.P.P., filled this
office three years, and Harry Slater is the present Master.
I7
25 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEVI L,
MANUFACTURES,
One has but to gain a view of the \Vest End? or Lachute l\Ii.1ls, as the post o
ce
is named, to comprehend the fact, that Lachute IS a manufactunn
town o
no ht.tle
importance. Its water power.is unsurpassed;
p and dO\V
1 the r!ver on eIther sIde
are mills and factories, the dill of whose machmery, combmed wIth the roar of the
fal1s, is an index of the many industries by which hundreds of families are main-
tained.
By whatever road one ent
rs the west pa
t of the to
vn., the first object t
at
meets his eye will be the tall chImney and massl\ e stone bUlldmgs-the paper mills
of J. C. 'VII50n. They rise conspicuo
lsly-a grand wit!less, not only to the possi-
bilities within reach of a young man's mdustry and energy, but to the progress of
Canadian manufacturers.
J, C. WILSON".
The first view of :Mr. 'Vilson will assure the most casual observer that he pas-
esses more than ordinary ability; his clear penetrating eye. and quick, dignified
movements, at on<..e declare him a business man, and one whose executive ability
gives him the light to command. He rather enjoys relating the story of his early
struggles, and is pleased to remember th at, 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 Re
halkin, in the County of Antrim, Ireland.
and
oon afterward his family came to Montre::!], where his father obtained a
position as pattern maker in St. Mary's Foundry.
The taste of the yo
nger Wilson inclining to lI.echanics, he was apprenticed, at
the age of twelve, to leam 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
IcGill Normal School. Soon
after this, the family in which he then made his home moved to Reauharnois, 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 dipIr,ma
from the Normal School in Montreal, and having al
o 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 thcir offer
of t\V
ty dollars per month, for one month, on trial. To op.e knowing him, it is not
surpnsmg that he was highly popular with his pupils, and that he remained in the
school for three years.
. Oue of his greatest anxieties during the first winter was to save money enough to
dl
char
e certain debts he had contracted for clothing before leaving Montreal.
VIth hIS wages and several dollars earned by his mechanical skill during his even-
mgs! 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
Ir. 'Vilson, "have I felt prouder or more happy than I did when
I fulfilled thIs promIse, and my mind was relieved of these debts."
. Th
eflection,. that the J;>rofession of teaching gave little scope for the exercise.of
I11S ambl
l?n, !low 1I1duced h1l11 to abandon it, and going to Belleville, Ont., he obtam-
ed a positIOn 111 a book store. He rel.l1ained there some time, gaining that experience
.J. ('. \\ "SUX.
..
\
L
HI
TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
2; I
and knowledge of the businEss which equipped him for better positions. He \Va"
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 doJlars-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 w!th anotl'er yo
mg c;anadia!1 of good parentage, but with-
out money, who for some tune had been III vam seeklllg a position. Ther roomed
in the same hotel, and spent several days between sight-seeing and looking for
employment,
i\ t last, one morning Mr. \\ïlson received an offer of four dollars per week to
work in a subordinate position in a warehouse; but resolÙng that he would 110t
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, pubìisher,
and he at once entered and enquired for the proprietor. He w
s shown into his office,
when he made known the object of his visit.
"You ha,-e seen the advertisement, I suppose, that I I
ut into The IIerald yes-
terday for an a
sist.111t," said l\Ir. Strong, who, according to :!\Ir. \\Tilson's opinion,
combintd the qualities of sternness and dignity, "Ko," was the replr. " I came here
on observing your sign." "'Veil," he said, " I have advertised for a young man, and
if YOll will come in again this afternoon, I will tell you whethe
I want you or no1."
" 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:
" 'Vhat wages do you expect, sir? "
"Twelve dollars a week," was the reply.
" Here, look over some of these," said :\lr. Strong, h,mding him some letters.
With many misgivings, perceiving that they were applications for the po::!ition he
was seeking, Mr. Wilson took the letters and read. The first one did not allay his
anxiety, as the wriler offered to work for six doJlars per week; still, his crude style
and bad spelling might counterbalance the effect produced by his moderate dem,llld
of salary, The ncxt ]ettcr 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 letullled the bundle to Mr. Strong, who had been carefully observmg
him, and, no doubt, forming an estimate of his capability. "
o you want twelve
dollars?" he queried, as he took the letters. .
" I trust I can make myself of that value to you," was the modest reply.
" 'Veil, J'ou see what offers are made in these letters, 1>üt I can afford to gin
YOll
ten dollars per week." Though highly el:üed with the offer, he did not aCCl]>t it
till after a few minutes delay. On expressing his willingness to begin wOIk at
that salary, his employer said: .
" 'V ell, now, this is Friday; you will want a day to look about the cIty; "up-
pose you come next Monday? " . .
" Yery well," said Mr. Wilson, "I wIll do so j " he then departed much happIer
than when he entered.
His friend who had accompanied him was o
ltside, .anxiolls to hear his .rcpC'rt,
and was scarcely less pieased at the result than \Vllson hImself. He no\\ deuded t(l
accept the position first offered to Wilson, which conllnan
ed the salary of four
dollars per week. Not long after
lr. \\ïlson entered th
serVIce of Strong, the
)k-
25 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
keeper of the estab
ishment was taken sick, and Strong: insiste
th
t \V
lson should
manage the books tIll the boo
keeper recovered, To hIs surpnse, In gOIng over the
books he discovered the startlmg fact, that one account con tamed an error of several
thous
nd dollars in favor of Strong. The fact was reported to his employer, but he
was so reluctant to believe it, he asked 'Vilson to go over the account again very
carefully. Though perfectly satisfied th
t his figures were corr
ct, he did as requ
sted,
and with the same result as before, StIll doubtful, the proprIetor now called 111 the
:lid of an expert accountant, and his labors fully confirmed the truth of \Vilson's
statement, and Mr.
trong had the satisfaction of knowin.g !hat he was rich
r by
several thousand dollars than he had supposed. He now lllslsted that Mr. \VIlson,
\\ ith a proper increase of salary, should take sole charge of his books, and he shortly
after lett for a visit to Europe. Not long after his departure, a fire broke out in Bar-
num's :ðluseum, destroying a building on Fulton street and another on I\nn street,
both belonging to Mr. Strong.
'Vith the energy and promptness peculiar to him, Mr, \Vilson at once
et 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, dming his stay he] e, 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 Ne\v York for
10ntreaJ,
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 Legan to make paper bags
-the first ever made in Canada by machinery. The business proved a success, so
that
[r. 'Vilson soon repaid his old employers for their assistance, and uecame 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
.-\rgenteuil, 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
50 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 Plovince of Quebec II and for
twO years was its president. For the same length of time, also, he was pr;sident 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
Genera
Hospit
l, the Protestant Insane Asylum, the Montreal Dispensary, and the
Iatermty HospItal. He has taken an interest in the educational institutions of
:\Iontreal, and was for some time a member of the Board of Protestant School Com-
mjssi
ners, Religious and benevolent institutions have profited by his generous
donaUons,
He has always manifested a fondness for tools, a taste enhanced, no doubt, by
r
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HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
253
his use of them in his early days, He has quite a number which he then made and
exhibits them to his friends with no little priòe. Possessed of a.n accurate eve' and
much mechanical taste, he dislikes to see any work, no matter how trivial, bear the
appearance of having been done in haste, or with indifference to method.
The following story, which he sometimes enjoys telling, illustrates how well his
peculiarity of wanting his work well done is known to his employees :_
On a certain occasion he had at his mills, in Lachute, one of his favorite handr
men, a carpenter whom he had brought from Montreal to do some special work in
his office. This man, it seems, had been told that .Mr. \Vilson was just as particular
about his work in Lachute as in :l\Iontreal, and knowing how quick was his eye to
discern levels and uprights, and that everything must be done by level, square and
plumb, he thought to have a laugh at !\Ir, \\Tilson's expense.
The wood-work around a wash-basin needed repairing, and, on being ordered by
Ir. \Vilson to repair it, the man came into the office with a spirit level under one
arm, a square over the other, a plumb-bob in one hand, and hammer and nails in the
other.
,e \Vhat are you going to do with all these tools, Richa
'd?" asked :\fr. \Vilson.
"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, you want it level and square
and plumb. and, by golly, we OHlst use these tools on every job."
"Mr. 'Vilson saw and appreciated Richard's humor.
" Mr. 'Vilson is an ardent disciple of Isaac \Valton, :lnd annually seeks the seclu-
sion of shady river banks and mountain streams and lakes with rod and line; but
that he is stren uously opposed to the wanton destruction of the finny tribe, i') witness.
ed by the efforts he put forth in aiding to organize the Fish and Game Protection
30cietyof the Province of Quebec."*
He has five children living-three sons and two daughters. The sons are all
connected with him in business.
\Villiam 'V. r.., the eldest, has charge of the pulp mills at St. Jerome, and also
looks after the manufacturing and the factory, Montreal.
F. Howard, the second son, occupies the position of a
sistant c:1.shier in the
Head Office, 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 .-\nnie L.; the three boys being the eldest, and
the two birls the youngest of the' family living.
"LACHUTE PAPER MILLS."
The illustrations represent "Lachme Paper 1\1 ills" as the)' now are, in 18 9 6
erected at a cost of over $3 00 ,cùo. .
As stated in the sketch of Mr, Wilson's life, he was seized with the idea in ISj9.
that, to place his business in a front position in the trade, it would be necessary for
him to own his own paper mills, and he made several visits to different parts of the
Country near
!ontreal, where water-powers exi"t, knowing that a good water-power
and proper facilities for getting the raw material into the mill, and the prodnct ont of
it, Wele the first and most essential points to consider.
'*' For the last paragraph, as well as for some others in the :lh,vt.> <;k_ __ ') of \1 r. \\'il..on, \V :H
lndebted to "Borthwick's Gazetteer of :\Iontreal."
254
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
The Townships were visited, and the country east and west of Montreal, but
none of them seemed to suit.
As the Quebec,
1()ntreal, Ottawa & Occidental Rai'way had just h
en completed
from :\[ontreal to Ottawtl, and parties in the parish wae desirous of establishing
manufacturing industries there, Mr. 'Vilson was led tl) Lachute. "fteT surveying the
\\'ater-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 inhabitant-;, and the site on
which the paper mill stands to-day was a .forest of pines, oaks and mapJes, 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 PMish of St. Jerusalem d' Argenteuil, Tnomas B:uron,
Esq.. being the :\Iayor. At a meeting convened in the oJd Court House, where
the Council sat, :\Ir. WiJson 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 Iii tIe delay, complied with his request, and, certainly, they have
no reason to regret their action of the faJl of 1 g79.
In Jm
e, 1880, the first mill of the four, which the block of buildings now repre-
sents, was stane1. It was a great task to undertake-excavation.., flumes, wheel-pits,
quarrying
tone, and getting the siding in; but the mill-i. e., the building-was com-
pleted some time in November. The machinery was pldced in it during the Fall of
1880 and the \Vinter of 1881, and the first pJper run on the machine (which was a
double cylinder machine, made by Rice, Barton & Fales, of \Vorcester, Mass., after
:\lr. Wilson's special plans), on or about 1St April, 1881.
During the years 1881 a:1d 18:-;2, 1\1r. \\'1150n had great difficulty ill procllring a
proper forem-in for the mill i-he wa:; intent on manufacturing a class of manilla
papers such as were manufactured in the United States. Not until the winter of
18
3 di I he solve the problem, why he did not sllcceed in making the clas') of IXlper
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. 'Vlls3n was. The kind of
lime for boiling the jute stock was the secret of the trouble and the s
cret of the
success. Lime from :\fontreal, from Hull, and from L:t.chute was tried, but it did
not prove satisfactory. Not until Mr. Wilson ordered his first carload of lime from
Dudswe!l (away beyönd Sherbrooke), and bo:led his first boiler of stock with it. did
he succeed, and then the mystery was unravel1ed. The component parts of the lime
are a very important maller to consider in boiling jute or manilla stock.
The Lachute paper mill took a first rank in the Canadian market for manilla
paper:; from that time forth, and has maintained it ever since. Not onlv did he manu-
facture maniìla paper, in rolls, for his paper-b:lg machines in Monlrea1; but also made
"heet or ream paper for his growing trade wilh the grocers and general dealers all
over the country.
. In 1885, the business had grown so much, that it was nece
sary to build another
llllll, or add another paper machine, with all its attendant machinery. That mill
was commenced in :\Iay, 1885, and was completed in the fall of that year.
The first pJ.per made on the new machine (which was a Harper Fourdrinier)
was made on the 7th January, 1886, and after that had been running two or three
y
ars, Mr. Wi
son saw that it would be necessary, in the very near future, to add
sul1 another mill, and of much larger dimensions, The stone was there 0:1 the ground
waiting to b
quarried. The cut stone, of course, for trimmings for window:; and
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HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
255
corners-lime stone-is from Montrea1. So, in 1891, Mr. Wilson commenced the
largest add ition, and the completion of th
block of buildings, a
represent
d in the
p
otograph picture of thes
n
ills, Tail-races were curied out in 1891. In 1892,
sull further work was accomphc;hed, and the hwer flats of the addition were com-
pleted. In 1893, the whole mill was finished, and in 1894, 21st May. paller was run
)Ver the new machil
e. This new machine, a straight Fourdrinier. one of the largest
In the country, specially adapted for fast running.
[r. \Vilson prizes very much.
The business now has grown so much, that he contemplates, in the very near
futurr, placin þ the fourth macJ
ine in the. mill; .the building is already there (tint 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,
lr. \Vilson's idea of a perfect mill will be accomplished,
ot 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 tl,e 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,
'Vhen doub1ing the mill, in 1885, Mr. \Yilson 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, \vith 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 18 95), the steam-engine had to be drawn upon to supply the power,
or, rather, to help the power, and so the business g"Jes on without interruption.
About three years ago, he conceived the idea of placing not only the paper bag
machines that were in
lontreal, but a set of the most impro\ped, 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 thic; paper bag
factory there are fifteen paper bag m chines, and three flour sd.ck 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, 60,000,5 0 ,000, and
4 0 . 000 . There is a capacity in his paper bag factory of about three quarters of a
million bags per day, aad it is now turnif'g out an average ot about 35 0 ,000 bags da.ily,
'Vhile 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
1I0 people.
The town of L3.chute has grown since 1880 from 650 people to a!:>out 200:>,.
::\Ir. \Vilson has his private residence on the height of land behmd the mill, a
beautiful high knoll, and from his verandah a beautiful view can be had of the moun-
tains and of the town generally, Here he enjoys, with his family, about three
months every summer. .'
_\mong the efficient and reliable employes of Mr. \Vllson-and he
11l not long
retain any other kind-are his Bookkeeper, Harry Slater, and the Supenntendent of
his paper mill and bag factory, Robert Daw.
IR, SLATER was born in Lo"ndon, Eng., and came to Canada in 18 9 0 . He was
first employed by the ::\foff..'ttt Blacking Company, Montreal, as Bookkeeper, but
25 6
HI
TORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
eighteen months afterwards, he engaged to 1\1r. 'Wilson, with whom he has since re-
mained. He was married 2nd Feb., 1880, to Sarah \1ary \Venborn, Upper Hollo-
way, London. Mr. Slater is a .great reader, is familiar with the Eng
ish authors, and
withal, an acti ve Mason j he IS the present Master of the Argenteml Lodge.
ROBERT DAW was born in Bradninch, Devonshire, England, and at the age of
eleven commenced work in his native place, for Mr. 'Vm. Drew, in K.entham Mills.
In 18 7 8 , he came to America as Superin.tendent for the Hon. q-eo, 'Vest, a!so a
native of Bradninch, who had worked hlm
elf up from a machme tender tIll he
became proprietor of several large paper mills j he is now one of the most extensive
bag manufacturers in
his countrr, Mr. Daw came to Canada in 1
93, as the Supe
.-
intendent of Mr. 'VIlson. 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 :\Iilton, N orthamp-
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 professur of elocution. He also pub-
lished several books and translated others. Mr. 11 itch ell still has copies of books
written by his grandfather, the title of one of which reads as follows: I, Scotticisms,
vulgar Anglicisms and grammatical Improprieties corrected."
"Hugh Mitchell, A.:\I"
Iaster of the English and French Academies,
Glasgow."
His wife's.maiden name was Emily Nesbitt, and her brother was a surgeon m
the British Na\y. 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
'Vaterloo 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, Al chibald 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 Îarmers. He then learned the carriage-
maker's trade at Lachute with the Duddridge Brothers, for whoi11 he worked lill18S6,
when he elltered into partnership with them, the firm becoming Duddridge &
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
257
litchell. This con
inued till 18
8, when tl
e co-partnership was dissolved by the
death of
Ir. Duddndge. Mr. Mitchell was 111 busIness alone tiH 1892, when he took
his second son, John, into partnership, and as another of hi.. sons now works here
the firm is styled Mitchell & Sons. 1\1r. Mitchell married Grace, a daughter of
Ir:
Dewar, of Dalesville. His third son, \Villiam Mitchell, who graduated at :\IcGill in
1894, is now an M.D., of MansonviIle, P.Q,
litchell & 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 ::\Iain street, is that of TOH
HOPE, baker and confectioner; he is also proprietor of a Spool, Shuttle and Bòbbin
Factory at the \Vest End.
::\Ir. 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 :\Iontreal
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 wa.s very successful in his venture, and his business has been a progressi\"e
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 assistallts
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, B00kkeeper, 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 \\hich :\1:-.
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- \V ar contest at
Iontreal with the Hoys of
Glengarry:" He is a prominent Mason, and has been President of the Argenteuil
Lodge three terms. He has been a member of the :\Iunicipal Council six years, and
is a Deacon of Henry's Presbyterian Church. He was married 1 sth September,
1871, to Jane Ennis, daughter of James Ennis, of Tienland, Morayshire, Scotland.
Since the above was writter., a copy of the Calladillll jOltrllalof R,brics has
come to hand, from which we take the followipg 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, birch (yellow and white), maple, ironwood, poplar,
white ash, apple, persimmon and dogwood; the two last named hav
ng to be sought
for in North Carolina. In addition to the wood obtained from outside markets, be-
* Names of those comprising the Argenteuil Team which was victOlious: Roht. Sih'erson. John
Boa, Omer "aquelte, David Black, Eugène Thélien, Edouard The lie
, \Vm. .to.hn i\Joore, Hiram
Xiell, Duncan McOuat, Edward Berniquier, Capt, Charles Gardner. Samuel ehnor(l, J . I
David Lindley, Wm. John Rodgers.
25 8
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL,
tween 4 00 and 5 00 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 convement.
., 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 mins are finding it to their
advantage to patronize the home manufactory,"
HAl\IELIN AND AYERS is a name familiar in every h')usehold, not only in Argen-
teuil, but in the County of Prescott-their woolen mills being one of the most important
manufactories in this section.
THO
IAS HEì'õRY _-h-ERS 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 \V ooien 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 18 7 0 , they hired the :\icGill \Voolen Mills in Hawks-
bury, Ont., br eight years. In Ifl76, they purchased of different parties in L:lchute
about twenty acres of land and water power for their present mills. At that time
there was no road to the site of their pre5ent 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 18 7 8 , they constructed the dam and roads, and erec'ed a
dwelling j and the following year built the mill, and put it in operation in 1880.
::\lr. Ayers was married to Olive Paquette, a niece of Mr. Hamelin, in August,
187 I. He has had four
(Jl1S, three of whom are living-John Thomas, \Villiam
Henry and Ernest Francis L. All are active, intelligent young men, and take a
Ii vel y int crest in the business.
:\IR. FELIX HA:\IELIN was born in St. Hennas. \Vhen he was very young, his
father moved to the Seigniory of Longueuil, Ont., where he resided on a farm tin
April, 1865, when he died at the age of 9 8 , Felix, the eldest son, was early engaged
in the woolen manufacturing business, and spent some year:; in mercantile pursuits.
'''hen in the Coun ty of Prescott, he took considerable interest in public affairs, and
hi5 influence was often courted during election campaigns, He recently spent a
year in England in connection with his business. That both he and Mr. Ayers are
rem.ukably intelligent and s
.rewd business men, is obviou.., from the manner in
which they have enlarged their business and increased their capital. . 'Vhen th
y
formed a co partnership 111 Perth, twenty-five years ago, each partner 111vested hIS
entire capital-$20o. Since that period, they have made no division, their earnings
having been devoted t:'ither to the enlargement of the business, or invested 111 real
estate. Their property now-including real estate in different localities-is appraised
at $ 12 5,000, which is unencumbered, They have in their principal mill two roll
cards for farmers' work, four sets of manufacturing cards, one thousand spindles,
eighteen looms, and all other machinery n
cessary for finishing and dyeing cloths.
They manufacture a fine class of tweeds, flannels, blankets, paper and pulp manu-
facturers' felts, and lllbricatmg and printers' felts. When the l11ill is run to its full
capacity, it will manufacture 600 pounds of \vool in ten hours. The goods of this firm
are sold throughout the D.Jminion, from Nova S :olia to British Columbia. They
also h lve a mill for the purpose of !u
nufacturing pulp from spruce and other light
.
..
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
259
wood
, They employ from forty-five tu fifty hands, half of whom are married men
with families. The pay roll amounts to about $1,000 monthly. They lease water
power to other manufacturers, and still ha'"e 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 B:ll1nerman, of
Iontre.1l. After
being in operation a few years. it was leased for twenty-one years to the COIBumers'
Cordage Company, by whom it was closecl, and it now stands idle.
The iron foundry _ of
[COUAT & )IcRAE hac; gained celebritv in the entire
County of
-\rgent
uil. Thomas McOuat is the youngest son of Andrew McOuat,
mentioned on another page. He was m trried 16th 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 p:lrt of his life. He was married in the spring of
1864 to Margaret McLean Johnson, of Scotland. She died the 12th November, 18 74,
and he was next ma rried in June, 1876, to Elizabeth Scott.
The followll1g history and de..cription of their business is copipd from The
Wat.:hman's report of the County Fair held at Lachute in October, 1894. It should
be stated, however, that since the public1tlOn of that report, this firm has doubled
the size of their mac.hine and pattern shops :-
.. The exhibit of l\lessr:;:. McOllat & 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
lcOuat and John
IcRae came from Ottawa, in that year, to Lachute. Both
had been for years employed in the Yictori 1. Foundry, Ottawa,
Ir, McOuat as fore-
man pattern maker and machinist, and Mr. McRae as foreman moulder. They
brought with them not only their experien:e, but reso!ved to retain the name ' \ric_
toria ;' so the Yictoria Foundry, Lachute, was launched forth. It was born in a
building 28 x -1-5, on Foundry street, on the site of the present furniture factory, This
enclosed the whole foundry and machine shop, and wa., only one stor
y high. fhe
motive power W.1S neither electricity, then unknown as a motive power, nor was 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 bri
k 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 limes and abreast with
the ùem:mds of their patrons, the firm has nev
r hesitated to invest their
arnings in
the business and extend their works; so when an opportunity occurred, they seized
it, and two years laier 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. X ew 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 buildillg 28 X 45, one storey and a horse sweep,
they no\\' occupy a large, two-storey Luilding of two wings, one extending towards
the river 84 fed, besides outbuildings 105 feet in length. .1I1d 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
IcOuat & McRae lnve supplied forty tons
of new work therefor. Besides this, they t:ave done the work for a large number of
outside mills. They are now speciaUy well adapted for all kinds of castings, Tney
have also gone somewhat into
chool desks, and during the past year have supplied
r
260
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 de:;ire to show our
readers that, notwithstanding the croakings of th05e 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 manufactu ring 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 LachUle Road, about a mile west of the village of Lachute,
one reaches a branch road, which leads, as the sign announces, to Earle's :\[Ills.
Following this road for the distance of half a mile, the traveler comes to the
orth
River, near which, in a deep gulJy, stand the grist and saw mills of Earle Brothers-
John, Edward and Harland.
The grist mill wa" built about 1836 by Geo. Hoyle, who had been agent for the
Seignior, and had erected mills for him at St. Andrews q,nd Lachute. Through some
disagreement with the Seignior, however, Hoyle d
cided to put up a mill on his o\yn
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 cond'lcted 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,
J A:\IES 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 j but the place soon bec'lme
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-fa]], and finally reached Lachute in
safety; here, in a short time, joining Capt, Quinn's Company of Volunteers. He
afterwards came to the mills
and died here in :\[ay, 1886, leaving his wife, who still
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
18 7 1 to Mary, daughter of Stewart Boyd, of Chatham. :\[r. Earle is Captain of
Co. No.8 Argenteuil Rangers, and has been a member of the Battalion since J 862 ;
he has been Municipal Councillor of Chatham for six years, Edward, married to
Mary, daughter of \Villiam Boyd,
[ontreal, resides at the mills, and Harland, un.
married, lives here also; the daughter, Evelyn E., is married to John A. Patterson,
of Calgary, N. 'V. Territory.
In 1885 the dam was washed away, and in 1886 they buiit their present on
.
The lumber bu
iness is one of the important industries of the place, connected
with which is the steam mill of P. & A, :\IcGIBBON, 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 pres
nt steam mill in 1889. They have a
planing mill also, and prep,:1re a large quantity of lumber for finishing. The number
of logs sawn annually by this mill is about 20,ooo-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 transacling
business, has secured the esteem and good will of the community.
A blacksmith is a necessity in every community, and when he combine') skill at
hi!' trade with good judgment and respectability, he acquires no little popularity in the
place, Such an one is ALEXANDER RIDDLE,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
261
His father, \Villiam Riddle, was born in Scotland, but he removed to Ireland,
and several years afterwards-in 184
-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.
SIl\lOX McKII\Iì\IE, 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 homestea.d. )11'.
IcKimrne died 11th 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 buslt1ess. The author
of the saying, "Solemn as an undertaker," could never have seen )1r. McKimme, for
his humor is pleasant, and his greeting a smile. He was married 22nd August,
1859, to Janet Pollock.
ANDREW Joss, from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was one whose histor.y is identified
with the early history of Lachute. He came here with his wife and three sons-
William, 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 j they had four sons and two daughters.
Mr. Joss died 17th July, 1865' Three of his sons now live in Lachute j another
one, James, resiL 1 es 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 oflumber for building
and house finishing, and they have erected many of the dwellings in this section,
They also build bridges-the \Vestover bridge, constructed in 1884, and the Barron
bridge in 1892, are monuments of their handicraft. George Joss was married, 21st
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
litchell & 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 13th
June, 1888, to Carrie Hutchins,
E. H. McCoy is proprietor of the Marble and Granite business in Lachute,
which is well known. His grandfather, John McCoy, carne from Ireland to Hin-
chinbrooke, Huntingdon County, about 1820, and
onducted 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-
yince Line, till 1872, when he removed to Huntingdon village, and was engaged dur-
mg the rest of his life as Auctioneer and Agent for the Law firm of McCormick &
Major; he 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
lr. 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. 1\Ir.
McCoy was married in 1886 to
lary, daughter of the late John Arnott, of Lakefield ;
he represents the East 'Yard of Lachute in the Municipal Council.
Besides the m:1l1ufactories above noticed, O. B. LAFLFUR has quite a large
Furniture Factory on Foundry street.
DAVID CHRISTIE is one of the citizens of Lachllte 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 011 a farm in the
north part of Gore, ahout 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 \Tictoria, B.C.; 'Vm. H. is clerk in Lachute
for J. R. McOuat.
NEWSPAPERS.
For the history of the newspaper enterprise we are again ind
bted to the pen of
Ir. 1 reland.
He says that a citizen of .c\rgenteuil, living in
Iontreal, sent a man here from
that city, with the sum of $50, and letters of introàuction to the principal citizens,
which resulted in sufficient money being raised to start what was caned the Argenteuil
A dz'ertiser,
"The understanding between our
[ontreal lesident and the Advertiser man was,
that the paper should be non-politic,,-l and purely independent, and run on these
principles, so as to be a means of good to the greatest number.
" The establishment of this Daper caused a pleasant furore of excitem
nt in the
county. It was the first newspaper started on the north side of the Ottawa River,
between \lontreal and Ottawa, and was designed to aávocate the interests of the
Ottawa Valley. and be a welcume visitor, once a week, to every home in this and the
adjoining counties.
" It was in June, 1872, that the first issue of the ArgmtelÚI Advertiser appeared."
But, according to the further account of :Mr. Ireland, the editor of the Ad'l!er-
IÙer, after a time, abanùoned his non-political attitude and became a most active
champiun of the Liberal party. In consequence of this, Tile IVàfchmall and Ottawa
Vahey Ad'lJocafe was established in 1877, with Dawson Kerr as editor and proprietor.
'Yo J. Simpson (the present M.P.i".) was for some time connected with this
paper, and, in 1892, it pas;;ed int0 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 ad vocate.
In 188 7, or thereabout, another paper, called TIle Indeþendent, was started in
Lachute,
everal copies which are before us show that it was a vivacious little
sheet, but decidedly bellicose in character. Its publicLHion was not long continued,
and the lYatch1llall has remained the only newspaper in the COUlllY until recently.
HISTORY m' ARGF.NTEUIL.
26 3
In 1895, the proprietor of Tnt Ntws (St, Johns, Que.) began to issue the
Lachute Ne'ltls-a sheet which devotes considerable space to the affairs of Argenteuil.
The publication of another paper, called the Arl;enteuil Ne'ZtJs, has just been com-
menced in I.achute, but we have not as yet had the pleasure of seeing it.
BRIDGES AND RAIL\V A y,
,. 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
ettlers,
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 10 begin theIr work. In ten years time another
bridge was built, which was known as Power's bridge. This name \\" as 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 :\1 r. Hoyle, an eccentric but
very enterprising Englishman, built a bndge at the mills, on tile site where Fish's
bridge now stands. For twenty-five years there \Va
not a single bridge across the
river, \\ hile, fifteen years later, th,ee bridges were built, each one being opposed, and
a strong and, in some cases, bitter rivalry existing between interested p_uties." *
For several years, Lachute has had good railway accommodations j there are now
four passenger trains each way daily, three of which stop nerè regularly, the other
only occasionaliy, and there are two regular freight trains.
Phileas :\lonette, the first station agent appointed here, still holds the position.
The railway first took shape under the name of the Quebec,
lontreal, Ottawa
& Occidental Railway. It was graded as far as Lachute, :l11d the stone abutm
nts
for the bridges here were constructed in 1873 and 1874. After that, work wa..; sus-
pended for some time, but in the fall of 1876 the rails were Liij as far as Lachute.
The Q. M, O. & O. Railway being unahle to complete the ro3.d, 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 L3.chute for a number of years,
_\ dispute arose between the Government and
lJ.cdonalù, and the Joly gm,-crn-
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 P:nish of St. Jerusalem d' .\rgenteuil,
which then included the town of Lachute, voted to the Q.
I. O. & O. Company a
bonus of $25,000. This was as an inducement to have the road come by Lachute
instead of through Sr. Andrews. This bonus never \V.1.; 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 .\bbott, legislation was passed at
Ottawa exempting the parish from payment.
lERCANTILE ESTABLISH:\lENTS,
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 tlte
· From Ireland's sketches.
26 4
HISTORY o
' ARGENTEUlL.
place j yet, tl
e fact that .they a
e all acco
ded s
fficient p3.tronage to encourage their
continuance 111 the bus111ess, 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,
con:iguous 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 1\1 r. Meikle in his history, "was opened by
Ir, Robertson in 1813."
The following paragraph is from a sketch of l\Ir. 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
1r. 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, hi:) brother-in-law, Mr. John Taylor, a
clever and energetic young Scotchman, began a store in the west end, near the mill,
and did alaI ge business. Up to this period, the citizens seemed contented to trudge
on in the old way of doing business by buying goods on CI edit, 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 protìt, there was quite a revolution among the
country people in favor of ::\lr, 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 ::\Ir. l\leikie, 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.
Xot far from this is the imposing brick store of J. R, 11cOUAT,
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 carne 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. 1\IcOuat six years.
In 1881, 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 Comn1'Ïs-
sioner and Town Councillor six years,
McFAUL BRos.-James C. and John M. Their great-grandfather, Archibald
McFaul, came from County Antrim, Irelanà, 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 Wïlliam, in \Vallace, Ont.; he had four sons and three daugh-
ters. Archibald, the eldest son, married Mary, daughter of Jamts Carpenter. and
HISTORY OF ARGEN I EVIL.
26 5
lived on a farm in Chatham till his death, which occurred 12th 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
[cPhail 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 <.Ind five daughters.
James C. left the farm in September, 1891, and en
ered into partnership in l/lchute,
with Robert Banford irr the latter's store, remaining here till September. [893. He then
bought out Banford, and took as partner his brother, John M.; tht'Y are still here in
John street, duing a good business in general merchandise, dry goods, groceries,
boots, sllot'!=, etc. John 1\L was married to Annie Stuart, 25th September, 1894.
ROBERT KETTYLE, SEN., a soldier who fought at \raterloo Ill1der \\' ellington, and
received his discharge soon after, having seen 2 [ years' service, W.1S l>.>rn in the
north of Ireland. He come to Canad.l about 1830, and: receiving a location ticket,
took up a lot in \Venlworlh, 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 daugh:ers :
Robert, the son. was a young man when his father came to this country. He j0ined
the Cavalry in
lontreal, also married in that city, and had three sons and three
daughtns. He finaliy settled in Lachule Ilear Hill Head, where he died about
1885. Robert, his son, followed farming till 1885, when he opened a grocery in
La{'hute, which he still conducts. He has been married twice, the last time in
188, to Harriet A. Knox,
A. J. PERIARD was born at S1. Renoit. He learned the tailor's trade, and spent
ten years in Montreal and Ottawa; he came to Lachute in [880, and opened a mer-
chant tailor's establishment, which he has ever since conducted. He was married
June 22nd, [880, to
liss Drown, daughtercf James BrowlI, contractor, of ,Montreal.
.Mr. Periard was reared a Roman Catholic, but was converted to Protestantism about
t\V.enty yeats ago, since which he has been actively engag
d in Christian w.lfk. He
has preached, and still preaches, in different parts of the County on (he Sabbath. He
also did much in the way of Christian labor in Sunday
chools and like gatherings
while in i\Ion treal.
WILLIAM BANFORD is a courteous and public-spirited merchant on
rai
5
reet; he i
t
e eldest son. of \\ïllia
Banforò, of whom. a sketch
s given i
th
hIstory of Lqngnal.
e was bon.l m
85I, and began 1115 mercantile life a<; clerk
for D. J. ]alllIeson, of \ ankleek lIlli, with Wh<:)111 he remained two years. He then
came. to Lachute, and was cler.k for James FIsH & Co. two years, after which he
renlamed four years as clerk 111 the employ of P. H. Lane, Esq. About 1880 he
purchased the:: store of Mr, Lane. This was burnt in the fall of 189.J. and he then
ren-,oved to 11ls present store.
Ir, Banford was married in 1879 to E!iza Fraser of
Bethan y, '
X. MCGILLIS & SON, from Lancaster, Ont., have a hardware store on I\Ia'
street. Norman McGillis, who came with his family from Scotland, was one of tI
early settlers of Lancaster. He had five sons arid five daughters. Neil :\[cGillis, his
second scn, has been engaged many years in mercantile business in L
ncaster and
for some years has been one of the Board of Aldermen of that place. In the fall of
189.l he purchased th
?tore and stock of A. J. Fraser in Lachute, which is now in
c
arge of Mr, McGIllis' son; they keep a full line of hardware, tinware paints
oils, etc. ' ,
ROBERT CRESWELL has a fine brick Llock on .Main street, in which he has a flour
18
266
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
ani! feed store. His father, \Vm, Creswell, came from Donegal, Ireland, with his
family to Lachute in 1852, being 13 weeks in crossing the Atla
tic-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 j he died
about 18 6 4.
'J he following obituary is copied from an Illinois paper, published in
Iarch,
1 ð93 :-
., Mrs. Sarah Creswell died here at 2.30 last Saturdav morning after a few days'
illness. She was hem in Ireland in 1816, and came to Canada in 1852, where Mr.
CrEswell died about 1864. She moved 10 Illinois with her children in 1872, and
1iv
d <it Randolph; eighteen years ago she moved to H eyworth. She is the mother
of eleven children, of whom nine are living, viz., William and John in :Montana'
James at Paxton; Robert in Canad.
; Mrs. Matthew Smith at Lytleville; Mrs. T. :rl
Minton at Downs; Ì\lrs. Isabella Happins in Ohio j and Maggie and Jennie at l
ome.
l\lrs. Creswell belonged to the Episcopal Church."
Robert, the second son, was married 1st November, 1866, tJ Eliza Miller. He
followed harness-making teu years, and was also engaged in farming till 1875, when
he er.gaged in his present business. He has another block near the one in which
he lrade
. .
JOHN STEWART is proprietor of one of the meat markets with which Lachme is
well vrovided. His father, 1?onald Stewart, came from Stirlingshire, near Glasgow,
to Lachute in IF32. He was III the employ of James Walker about a year, then went
to Ontario, where he was emvloyed as miller for several years, He returned to
Lachute, and married Janet McIntyre, whose family carne from the
ame place in
Scotland, and at the same time, that Mr. Stewal t did. After his mauiage, 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
18 77. Margaret Barron, and engaged in farming till 1887, when he bought a good
house in this village, built a commodious hrick shpp, and has since been engaged in
his present business.
DA VID \VILSON is proprietor of a meat market at the west end of Fish's bridge.
He carne from \ orkshire, England, in 1872. He was married 13 th April, 1881, to
Agnes McFarlane, fron: Paisley, Scotland, and settled in Lachute in 1838. He was
employeã three years III the market of Patenaude & MacA(thur, and then, in the
winter of 189', opened a market himself.
Besides the establishments above mentioned there are several others, the stores
of the GILES BROTHERS, BOYCR, 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 carne here in 1893, during the past summer
( 18 95), 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 builùing 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 O}O' ARGENTEUIL.
26 7
JA)IES Cl:RRIE is proprietor of the Victoria Hotel, the only one at Lachute Mills,
and the oldest one in the town-a portion of thè building being one in which Milo
Lal1e conducted an hotel when Lachute was in her infancy. It has a large share of
the patronage of the trave1ling 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.
l\I r. Currie's grandfather on the maternal side, John 'Villiamson, was a soldier
under \Vellington, fought at \"aterloo, and \\ as in several other engagements. Aner
serving twenty-one Yt:ars he obtained his discharge, came to Canada, settled in Gore,
and served in the Rebellion of J837-38. Mr. Curri
'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 COTPe 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, he was married
to Elizabeth Williamson. He sold out in 1844, and bought a farm in \Ventworth, on
which he lived till his death in J879' Hehad three sons and 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 Be
ch Ridge, and engaged in farming, meam\-hile
erving
three rears in the St. .-\ndrews Parish Council. In 1880, he sold his farm anå
engaged in his present business in Lachute. He was married in January, 1860, to
Catherine, daughter of Valentine Swail, of 'Wentworth. They ha ve one son, Valentine,
married, and living ill British Columbia, and three daughters.
An imposing building is the "i\rgemeuil House," towards the upper end of
Main street, of which PIERRE RODRIGUE, the present Mayor of La chute, is proprietor.
The house is brick, 70 x 40 feet ill size, three stories beside:; 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 sittinfI rooms, thirty-five bed rooms, a large office, and dining
room with st:ating capacity for 100 guests. The grounds and stables connected
therewith are equally spacious.
Mr. Rodrigue was born in St. Scholac;lique, 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 17th 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 1871 and bought the " Bee
Hive "-the hotel of Alvah Burch in L3.chute, This was burnt 7th Jan
ary, 18 9 2 ,
and, the same year, :Mr, Rodrigue built his present hotel. He has been "pery success-
ful financially since corning 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 I89.J
was elected Mayor, and has b
en 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., m3.rried to Mary Poitras,
and L. P. Rodrigue, being employed in the hotel. Alexandre is an M, D,
The daughter of :\Ir. Rodrigue is married to Charlei Charlebois, proprietor of
the Lachute .Foundry.
There are two other hotels near the railroad station, of one of which ALFRED
AFLEUR is proprietor. This building also is of brick, three stories, 6:> x 40 feet
111 size. Commodious stables are attached, in which 1\1 r. Lafleur has a good
number of horses. He is a native of Ste. Adèle, County of Terrebonne, where he
\
as engaged in hotel keeping and lumber l>usiness. He spent ten years in connec-
tIOn with the lumber traffic in California and the ""estern States-three years in
268
HI
TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Marquette, Michigan, where he and his father erecteù several houses. He came to
Lachute in 1878 and built his present hotel, which he has ever sinc:e conducted.
The other hotel11ear the R. R. st<:..tion, and also on Foundry street, is that of
?\IOISE PAQUETTE. Mr. Paquette was born in St, Scholastique, lived on the homestead
farm till 18 7 8 , when he came with his father to Lachute, built his present hotel, and
moved into it in 1879. His father, Moise Paquette, died 14th December, ]891, at
the age of 68, Like the other 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 SA)IUEL HILLS was the nucleus.
Mr. Hills was from New Hampslllre, and after li\-ing two years at S1. Andrews,
he came, about ] 830, 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 bU3iness, besides conrlucting 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 m:1kers, and other
men were employed, till it was said the Hills would have a village of their own.
The founder (If this business had four sons-Frederick, Samuel Scott, William
Matthews, and Reuben \Vatson. The latter died at the age of 14, and Frederick, the
eldest, died at Hancock, N.H. Saml
el S. and William, each of whom had a good
farm belonging tú the homestead, contmucd to
ether the manag
ment of the tanner.v,
Samuel married Elizabeth Hastings, and 'Vi liam man ied her sister, Frances J.
Hastings, who died 10th August, 1891. \Villiam was also, for a time, conducting
quite a business at Portage du Fort; but he relinquished it and confined himself to
that at Lachute; he is now connected with an extensive luinber firm in Montreal,
though he still has a residence in Lachute.
Samuel S. Hills always lived in Lachute, and died here 16th April, 1878; he had
three sons and two daughters that grew up.
Frederick 'V., the eldest, lives in the dwelling occupied hy his grandfather; he
married Miss E. A. Grant, and has two daughters. Watson S. reside. at Brainard,
linn,; Julia is deceased; and Mary F., married to Albert I Green, resides in ::\Iinnc-
apolis, Minn. George H. was married 18th 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 .888, he bought the brick house
and lot where he now li\'es, and, in :::892, opened a store. His dwclling and store
are those elected and occupied by Samuel Orr, noticed on a former page.
SA;\WEL ED
mND S;\IlTH, one of the enterprising and leadin g farmers of Lachute,
resides in this locality, \Villiam Smith, his great-grandfather, came from Yorkshire,
England, and was the first settler at what is now Dunany, in Wentworth, He recei\.ed
a grant of Lot I, Range I, for marking out a road by blaLed 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 :\Iayor of \Ventworth
and \[ajor of Militia; he was a loyal actor in the events of J 837, and was at Grande
Brulé with the Yolunteers. He died 11th June, 1893, aged 96, and so remarkab
y
healthy had he been, that he never employed a physician till his last illness, HIS
widow is still living; they had twelve children, six of each sex, that arrived at matur-
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
26 9
ity. Jame
, 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 no,v 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
24 th January, r887, 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 30th 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.
Ir. Smith is 1st Lieutenant
in Company No.2 of the Rangers.
JOHN :\IcGREGOR came from Dumbarton::;hire,
cotland, to L:lchute, with his
family, about 1826, and bought 100 acres ofland, which is now owned and occupied by
Robert Beatty. Sub
equently, he purchased 90 acres adjacent to his first purchase,
which is now owned and occupied by the widow of his son, John :\IcGregor. He moved
to the latte farm, and lived there till his death, about 1864, at the age of 87; Mrs.
McGregor died abou t ten .rears 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, huildil1g and repairing many mills. He
was married in 1846 to Ellen Hay; she died r6th April, 1885. '\Ir. :\IcGregor's first
permanent residence, after marriage, was at Erownsburg, where he bought a saw mill
and carding mill, which he conducted for twel ve years. He then, about 1860, sold
them, and purchased 80 acres of land in Lachnte, which he sold to David Pollock in
18 9 0 . 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 :\[argaret Parker, of Montreal.
Xear this locality is what may be termed a Ius/IS llaturæ, a singular change
having occurred in the physical features of quite a tract of territory since the country
was 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
ryt:. The sand, like snow, drifts with the win.1, and a fence crossing it does not long
remain visible or effective aga.inst 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.
P.-\RISH OF ST. JERUS.-\LE
I D'ARGENTEUIL, E.\.ST SET fLEMENT,
BETHANY.*
This parish, as will be seen below, WLl.S not erected till long after Lachute had
become a thriving village. As stated in the hislory of St. Andrews, it embraces the
larger part of the Seigniory of .\.rgenteuil, and besides the town of Lachute, it contains
other districts de')ignated as the E1.st Settlement and Bethany, which will be noticed
in the proper place.
· That tract or parcel of Ian:!, situate in the seigniory of Argenteuil, in the County of Two Moun-
tains, in that part of the Province of Canada called Lower Canada, bounded ami abutted a:; follows,
to wit: on the south by the southern line of lot numb
r fifteen in th
we<;t settlement, the rear of the
27 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
PATRICK STRACHAN DUNBAR, Mayor of the Parish of St. Jerusalem d'Argenteuil,
was born in Fones, Morayshire, Scotland, 7th 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. !vir. Dunbar came to Canada with his parents in
18 3 2 , and settled in Brownsburg; the family remained there for two years, and then
came to Jerusalem, wnere the son has ever since resided. He was employed on the
first railroad ever built in this County, anrl 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 tne line of the present C. p, Railway-then the :Montreal, Ottawa & Occi-
dental-through this parish, and, in 1872, took-part with the late Thomas C. Quinn,
Provincial Land Surveyor, in running a trial line from Grenville Bay to St. Therèse,
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 t}1e Parish for
thirty-two years, and has fined 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 daug11ters. 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 ;1.l'd
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 separating 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 les" to an angle; thence,
alo;:g the northerly 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 nOlthwest 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
Jine between the ea't side of the middle settlement and the tract ofland kno"n 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 oflot 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 Otta.wa
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 nor.h-
eastern angle of the said seigniory of Argenteuil north, twenty degrees thirty minutes east, seven
miles, eight arper.ts 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 angle 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 Cour.cil of the 15th July, 1852, minus: The limits of the town of Lachute
by 48 V., c. 72.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
27 1
been a :\fagistrate 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, 18q, 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 Ottawa. He was married 30th October, 1338, to
Margaret, youngest daughter of the late Andrew \Valker, of Lane's Purchase. He pur-
chased a farm adjoining that of his fathu-in-Iaw, remaining there until 1848, when he
bought a farm in this section from Chauncey Davis. He had eight daughters and
four sons, of whom 3even daughters and two sons are now living. The daughters are
all married, and Catherine, wife of Simon McGilvray, and John Alexander, are the
oniy children of the family in this County. Mr. Crozier was at Grand Brulé 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 so
n afterward went
to Lachute to live a retired life, but died there 1st June, 1895, after only a week's ill-
ness. The AEolltreal Witlless said 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, and always remained in
this section. On 21st 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, whù was alone. In July, 1890, he bought his present farm,
on which he has since made many improvements. He w.as a member of Capt. Bur-
wash's troop of Cavalry ten ye:àrs, 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 ::\Ir.
Iorin on the head
with a stone concealed in a s!ocking, intending only to stun him, but the blow proved
fatal.
The son, David Thomas, who was a carpenter by trade, came to Canada with his
mother, about 1833. In February, 1843, he was married in .Montreal to l\Iiss Janet
Craik, sister of Dr. Craik, Dean of the l\Ieùical Faculty, McGill University. In 18-1-9,
he came to this parish, acd bought the farm now owned by his son DJ.vid j he died
here 20th :\lay, 1873, and Mrs Morin 17th April, 1890. They had five sons and
five daughters j three of the latter are deceased. Thomas, Da.vid, John, Jane and
Janet, the latter married to \Villiam Davidson, lives in this parish-Robert C, on
Beech Ridge, and William in Prescott County, Ont. Thomas, born 31st Dec., 1843,
remained at home until twenty-four years of age, when he went to NevadLt, where he
remained about five years. On his return, he was married 12th February, 1873, to
Iary, daughter of the late James Gordon, of River Rouge. lIe then came to Ills
present farm, adjoining the old Itomestead; he has two daughters and one SOil,
who allli\'e at home. David, born 7th July, 1850, remained on the homestead j
27 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
he married l\[iss Dunbar, daughter of Patrick Dunbar, Esq. ; they have one son. Mr.
::\Iorin has a fine farm, and in 1890 received a bronze medal and a diploma from the
Quebec Government in the competition of that year.
(\
DREW \V ALKER came to Canada from Barrackshire, Scotland, with his family
in J833, and first settled on Lane's PÜrchase in Lachute, where he and Mrs. \Valker
both died, on the farm now owned by Henry Drysdale. Tiley had five sons and four
daugh ters; among those now living are Margaret, widow of the late Robert Crozier;
Alice, widow o( \Villiam Blow, livÜ1g in Manitoba; and George, living in Ontario,
ANDREW, the fourth son, born 4th \Iay, :::82 I, was r
larried in 1851 to Catherine
.\., daughter of Capt. Dunbar; they had e!ght children-five sons ::Ind three daugh-
ters, of whom all but one son are no\\' living. Mr. \Valker remained on the home
stead until 1895, when his son Andrew bought the farm of his late uncle, Robert
Crozier, in Jerusalem, and 1\1r. and Mrs. \\Talker, I"dired, are now li"ing with him.
Mr. Walker has been very active in the affairs of the County, having beèn Municipal
Councillor of Lachute for twenty-one years; he was ",Iso a member of Major Simp
son's company uf Cavalry, having been sergeant at the time they receiv
d the Prince
of ""ales at Carillon. George Dunbar, the eldest son, lives in Hill Head; Janet I.,
married to James R:1itt, lives in Lachute; Catherine .\., 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 l\lanitoba; and ì\!aggie, 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.
!\Ir. Cleland Lought the farm now owned by his son, \Villiam J" and for the last
eighteen years has shipped milk to :Montreal, buying from a good many in this
vicinity. Mr. Cleland is now retireõ, and, with his wife, remains on the old
homestead with their second son, \Villiam. The latter still continues the milk busi-
ness; he was born January, 1867, and 23rd June, 1893, was married to Mary, d:wghter
of \Villiam Brown, of Martintown, Ont. Jant>, the eldest, is married to Malcolm
Smith, of Beech Ridge; Mary E. to Thomas Smith, lives in Montreal. Robert
James, the eld
st son, was born 1857, and always remained at home. In [887,
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 builclings, and m 1de many improvements on it; with his brother, he continues
the milk business commenced by their father.
J AMES LEISHMAN, Ju
., eldest son of James Leishman, was born in Upper
Lachute, 26th May, 1864; he remained at home until 1886, and then \\rent to Cali-
fornia, where he remained eight years in the lumber business; on his return he
bought the farm of John )lcGilvray, Jerusalem, and is now living here with his sister
Mary.
EAST SETTLEMENT.
_-\. Po
t Oftice was established here in 1871, and given the name of Genoa; James
Gordon was appointed Postmaster, which office he still ho
ds. !\ir. Gordon COIl-
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 184 1 ,
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 13r
d given to the \Vesleyan Metho-
dist Conference by ::\lr. John Burwash, and it was built by the
Iethodists 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 hy 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 BarL"'er, Drcl.per, and Hyatt, U. E,
Loyalists, who came here about the beginning of the present century. Barber was
quite a large land owner, having ab0ut 700 acres; he built a three-story, stone build-
ing in 1850, on the fJ.rm no\\' owned hy
] rs. \Vm. Black, intending that his sons
should occupy it with him, after being married. They, however, being dissatisfied,
left Ihls p1rt of the country, and none of the descendants of the above-named men
now live in this section.
.-\ 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 hid from the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad to take away the
gravel ùug by the large gang of men employed during one summer. Ahout twenty
miles of the C. P. R, were b..1llasted with the gravel, and a great many carloads w.
re
taken to
Iontreal. The gravel pit is quite a treak of nature, being a high ridge with
leve1land on either side. rhe ridge is about half a mile long and three acre5 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. .-\t the bottom is a very fine quality of build-
ing sand in which are found springs of pure cold water.
THO;\IAS :\IILLER, a cabinetmaker by trade, was born in Scotland, and came to
Canada about 1800 j he remained about ,seven years, then returned to Scotland, and
married ::\liss .\nna 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
RO
lge, rennining several years on the farm of Gregor
IcGregor. He then came to
this place, anù bought the farOJ now owned hy his son, Thomas G. :\Ir. and Ml's.
Miner both died here. THO\IAS G., the eldest son, born in 18.6 at River du Loup,
was married in 1851 to :\Iary E. Green, from County Sligo, Ireland: they have five
dau
hters and four sons, all living. Catherine, the eldest daughter, Ii '..es in Chicago j
Mary and .-\manda in Montreal j ð1artha and Eliza are at home. Of the sons,
Thomas, the eldest, John H. and William, are in California, and James, the YOllngest,
remains at hom
,
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 18
6, and first
settled in Sr, Canute. \\'hen 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 V,)luntecrs, Capt. Quinn's Company,
going with them to St. Scholastique. He was in this Company when orders were
received to march to St. Eu,tache. :\lr. Griffith afterward went to Thomas' Gore,
where he was married to Mary, daughter of the late \Villiam Hume
Hill Head. They
had eight sons and fOllr danghters, of whom five sons and all the daughter
are still
living. William, th
eldest, is a farmer in Watertown, N, Y.; Henry is mining in
Nevada; John \V, is Professor in a San Francisco College j Isaac lives at home; and
Albert L. is in '[ontreal; Eleanor, married to Roderick
lcDonald, lives in Vide Sac j
Mary J., married to Henry Hadley, lives in ::\lontreal; Sarah A. is at home j and
Grace, married to \ViIliam Shepherd, lives in East Settlement.
274
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 \Villiam 'Valkeï; he
afterward bought the farm now owned by his son Robert, where he died 7th May,
18 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
?wned by John Graham, Thomas' Gore, and remained there five years, when he sold
It, and in 1872 bought his present one from the late 'Villiam Todd. He has three
daughters and two sons; Julia A, is married to John McOuat, and lives in Lachute;
l\lary 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.
'VILLlAl\I BLACK, born 1830, was a son of Handyside Black, who came from Scot-
land j \Villiam, 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 \Villiam
Dickson, 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
Aggie, John, 'Villiam 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
\rgenteuil, having already began to
purchase thoroughbred stock.
'VILLIAM TODD was born in Roxburyshire, Scotland, in 1808, and came to
Canada in 1830, with his wife, Elizabeth \Vilson, 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 J ames Pollock. He remained in Lachute six
years, and afterwards-about 1841-cam,= to this place, and bought the farm now
occupied by James Armstrong, and lived here a number of years. 1\1rs, Todd died
in 1860. They had four sons and one daughter; the latter is deceased, \Villiam,
the eldest son, is in \Visconsin ; Thomas lives in Lachute; Andrew, on the Lachute
Road; and Henry in this place. Mr. Todd was married a second time, in 1865. to
:l\Iary, daughter of Andrew McLean, of Montreal. After selling his farm to 1\1r.
Armstrong, Mr. Todd bought the cottage of James Gordon, at the four-corners, :1nd
died there 18th April, 189
. aged eighty-six years. Mrs, Todd still lives here,
JOSEPH ROGER, whose father also bore the name of Joseph, was born in Scot-
hind in 1795. He came to Canada in 1833, and the same year bought the farm in
this place now occupied by his children i he purchased this of Isaac Hyatt, one of t'ìe
first settlers in this section. In 1836, Mr. Roger was married to Miss Jean :\IcOuat;
they had seven children, of whom three sons and three dc1.ughters-Joseph, Janette,
:\Iargaret, \Villiam, Elizabeth and John-are now living. l\lr. Roger died 18 7 0 ,
ageu seventy-five; Mrs. Roger in I 888, a
ed 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 exc.eption of one furlough.
liss
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, :\1r. Roger was married to
li
s
Jane Mc(juat in Scotland, and had two children when they came to Canada. SIX
more were born to them after coming here j four sons and two daughtel's are now
living. Mr. Roger died 24th May, 1892, aged ninety-six years, and
lrs. 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 thp. celebrated missionary, Dr. McClure, of
Honan, Chin
lives in Upper Lachute. Margaret, married to Andrew Todd, and
David, live on the Lachute Road, \ViIliam, 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 \VOOD, 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; :\Ir, \Vood
was obliged to go 011 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, \Vood died in 1881, aged seventy-seven, and Mrs. \Vood 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 durïng the time, After his final return to Canada, he went into
partnership with Robert Summerby, and erected a ste:1m 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, 1\Ir. \Vood was married to :Miss :McGregor, daughter
of John McGregor, of Lachute Road. They have four sons and one daughter living.
Mr, \Vood has made many improvements on his farm, and it is now one of the best
equipped in East Settlement, .
. WILLIA
I ROGER, second son of Da.vid Roger, was born in this Settlement in
1833, p.nd 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
Montrea1.
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. :\lr. Roger has taken an active part in the
-\gricultural 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.
J A;\lES \VILSON came from Roxburyshire, Scotland, to Canada, in 183(', 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 \Visconsin. He was married 6th January, 1891, to Jessie B., daughter
of Simon McKimmie, of Lachute. They have two daughters. In 1892, 1\Ir. \Vilson
obtained the farm, his father dying in that year.
\VILLIA:\l 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.
Irs, Todd
died in March, 1889. In 1881, 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.
27 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Ir. Todd was married the second time, in June, 189 I, to Ida Catherine, daughter
of Charies McGregor, of River Rouge; he has two sons by this marriage.
FELIX BIGRAS came to
his place in the eariy years of its history, and settled on
the farm, then entirelv covered with bush, which is now owned by his son Peter,
The latter was born {n 1855, and has always remained on the homestead; he was
married in 1876 to )1iss P. Touchette, of Cote St. Louis. They have two sons living,
l\Ir. Bigras has nude many improvements on his farm, and, il1 1895, was app.:>inted
Director of the Agri'-:lIltural Society of Argenteuil. He, as was his father, is a mem-
ber of the Belle Rivière Presbyterian Church.
The following sketch has been kindly given us by a young friend of l\Irs, Gordon,
it having been writlen at Mrs. Gordon's dictation :_
MR. and :\IRS. GORDON came out from Scotland about 1835, and settled in the
bush in Geiloa. They had to erect a cabin at once, which was square in shape and
co-r-ered 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 )1rs,
Gordon was helping, she puJled so hard on the pry, that sheecould 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 puJled, then
nlo\\ ing the land and sowing their seed. As their fields became larger, they
ome-
times worked in harvesting till eleven o'clock at night, binding their grdin and putting
it in to ., stooks" 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. \Vhen they had drawn in all their grain, they threshed it ,,,,'ith a flail, anêl,
after being ground, it was carried on Mr. Gordon's back to the mill at Lachute.
"'hen 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 pl.1ce they had
to keep their potatoes was a hole in the ground, well covered over. Their only means
of traveJling was with a horse and a little, low, flat-bottomed traineau, with a bundle
of pea-straw for a seat, and .1F> robes. They had to drive to Montreal with a h >rse
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 $
.5o per hundred, and of butter I 2
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 )1r. 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 carne 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.
\Volves 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 ARGENTEUlL,
277
She was :lway from home, and had about t\,penty miles to walk, Sl) she started
early in the nloming, 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 fri
nds, They wanted her to remain all
night, but she was anxious to get home, so she went out <1gain, till she came to a
bush where she lost her way, and presently saw a wolf among a loi. of sheep. She
was about to strike him with the sickle carried in her hand, but save a loud scream
instead, which so frightened him that he ran off, She then Went on, reaching home
about 12 o'dock at night.
In the winter evenings, :\Irs, Gordon often sat up while the others were slceping
sewing and knitting for the chiidren; she often spun one hundred pounds of wool in
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, :\lr. and Mrs. Gordon sold their homestead,
and built a pretty little cottage at the four corners, which is surrnunded by trees.
They have a small piece of gïOund which they cultivate themselve
, 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 ubiquitolls John Smith found his way hen", and pitched
his tent,. in or about the year 1819, on the lot now owned by J, \V. \Vebster, of St,
Andrews. A few years later, he purchased the lot now owned and occupied by his
grandson, \Villiam Burne, Finding clay on this, of the right kind for m::mufacturing
brick, he purchased the necessary machinery and began the wc:rk. Many of the
dwellings in this section wel e made from the brick purchased at this yard, and Mr.
Hume, who ice; still engaged in the enterprise, turns out annually from one hundred
and fifty to two hundred thousand of superior quality. :\Ir. Smith, evidently,
\vas 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
diHant.
Among the first settlers here were the PAULS, who came from :\Iorayshire, Scot-
land. The family consisted of the father, mother, one daughter and four sons, named,
respectively, Jane, Jame
, Alexander, John and David, They first st.-ttled in Chatham,
and, a few years later, came to this place. James, who married Janet Ker, afterw.uds
r('turned to Chatham, and died there.:, leaving children. Alexand.:r, another of the
four brothers, married Margaret Lowe; and John,
Iaria 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 9th April, 1856, on the farm
now owned by Mrs. Jame-; Kettyle. He was married 28th June, 1882, to Isabella,
daugLter of the late Henry Griffith, of Yide Sac. In 1887,
fr, Paul went to \\"ater-
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 ofeighty-fi\pe .teres,
on which he has erected new buildings and made mallY improvements.
27 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
JAMES R. EARLE, third son of James Earle, was horn 14th September, 18
9, on
the farm where he now Jives, In 1883, he was married to \Iary, daughter of the late
\Jexander 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. l\lr. Earle is living on the old homestead. He has been a Councillor of the
parish during the last eight ye:Hs.
THO
IAS :\IORRISON W,1.s 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 LJ.chute,
[r, Mornson
went to the Hill Settlement, where his youngest son, Robert, was born in 18
I. In
1870, the latter bought his present [;um-the old Sleyberg place-in Bethany. He
was married the same year to Mary Ann, daughter of
he late \Vm. 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
Farro, Upper I.-achute. The other children are at home. Mr. Morrison has made
many improvements on his Ltrm. He has been Director of the Agricultural Socicty
of this County for se\'eral years, and also valuator of this parish. Th
people of
Bethany and vicinity built a cheese factory, in 1895, on
1r. Morrison's farm. It
is man.1ged by J. R. Ro<.:s & Sons, of Hawkesbury.
JA;\IES K. FRASER, youngest son of \\ïlliam Fraser, was born
-\ugust 3, 1861,
and ha<; always rem;1.lned here. In 1891, he was married to Kathleen, daughter of
\\'m. Henderson, of Arundel, and the same year took his father's farm, known as
" Highland Farm," Bethany Road, on which he ha:3 made many improvement
. Mr.
Fraser has served as School Trustee for se\'eral terms. He has kind1\." provided for
the comfort and instruction of several orphan5, and four have, at diffaent times,
found a good home in his own family. l\Ir, and Mrs. Fraser have one son and one
daughter.
VIDE SAC,
ALEXANDER SMITH, from Ayrshire, came to Canada a short time previous to the
\Var 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 a þrods-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. Sub.,eqJ.ently, he changed this lot
with Colonel Barron for one Dear 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.
\Villiam, 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, and died in
1882, aged 68. They had fi\'e 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.
'Villiam 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.
2i9
Mrs. Smith was particularly desirous of having their children well educated, con-
sequently, both she and her husband \\'01 ked hard to provide the funds requisite for
this purpose, Walter, the youngest son, after leaving the "Mantreal 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 188[, to Janet,
daughter of John Nicol, of Lachute. He is one of the influential and respected
farmers in Argenteuil, and takes an interes: in whatever affects ner moral, social or
political welfare. He is devoted to farming, and, in 1889. was a warded a pi ize on
his farm hy the County Agricultural Society. He has been a member of the Parish
Council for several years, twice has made out the'Yaluation Roll for the parish, and
is President of the County Association and Yice-President of the Provin<:.ial 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.
AHCHIBALD BOA, youngest son of Andre\v 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 1\1. ,,,., daughter of Thomas Buchanan, In 1867, he
bought the farm now occupied by hi
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 l]]inois. Lydia H., the third daughter, married to 'VilIiam A. Gurdon,
Ìives in East Settlement; and Alice \V. and Jessie, the two younger, remain at home.
ANDREW BOA, the eldest son, after spending f,ome time in Mal1itoba and in
different parts of the United States, returned home and took the farm in 1893. He
is an enterprising farmer, and for scver.ll 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: dnd Paul, the youngest, are in Illinois.
HILL HEAD.
This locality, which is located about four miles from Lachute, on the opposite
iùe 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
hrothers 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 [892, and Mr. Dre\v suc-
cet:ded him as J'ostmaster. \Ve regret that disappointment in not receiving the
data necessary prevents our giving a biographical sketch of Mr. PoIJock.
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 sa\v mill here in a
romantic litt
e glen. These mills, which were formerly known as the l\1cOuat Mills,
are now owned by Thomas Hammond.
About 1820, \VILLIAM 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 Lought 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, and faithfully performed all his duties as a worthy
280
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL.
CItizen till his death, 13th Octoher, 18ó9' He had seven children-two sons and
five daughters-that arrived at maturity, but two of the daughters are now decraied.
James. the elder son, has always remained on th: hom
sted.d-a b
auliful and
productive farm of 235 acres, with commodious, suhstantial buildings.
Ir. Drew
was married 17th April, 1862, to Elizabeth, daughter of \Villiam
IlIir, of Lachut
.
They have but one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, living, She has a l\Iodel School
Diploma, and has taught successfully several years. Another .laughter of :'\[r.
and ::\lrs. Drew, Maggie, died in 1895-a great bereavement to the family and a
large circle' of friends. Mr. Drew joined the Troop of the lat
CuI. Simpson, and
remained in it till it was disbanded,
James Drew, the other son of 'Villiam Drew, the pioneer, married in April, r863,
Eliza Pollock. He has a fine farm on Beech Ridge.
Among other valuable farms at Hill Head are those of Georg'
.i\10:-riso:1 and
l\f r. !\1cOuat.
\djacent to Hill Head is "THOMAS' GORE," a section comprising two ranges of
lots, which is also inhabited by an industrious class of farmers. Arnone; these are
James Berry, Thomas Hume, Henry Padgett, John Smith and others.
Tne most, if not all, of the"e Ii ve on the homesteads selected by t'heir fa thers,
and ha ve brothers and sisters residing here, and in other part5 of the Dominion.
Chatham.
(Erected into a township by Proclamation, 13 th July, 1799')
This township is bounded on the north by 'Ventworth, east by the parishes of St.
Andrews and St. Jerusalem d' Argenteuil, sou th by the Ottawa and west by Grenville.
At just what time the first settler located in Chatham, or who he was, are ques-
tions w
are unable to answer, uut from information obtained frllm different sources
we are led to the cunclusion that the advent of the fir::.-t pioneer* must have been
about the ueginning of the present century.
\Ve 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 LOl S PATI"
TE.D AND SOLD IN THE I PART
TOWr-;SHlP OF CHATHA1\I. .
I
LOT. RANGE ACRE
.
- ----
I
Pierre L. Panet . , , . . , .... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 5 200
do . . . . . . . . . . . . .... .. . . . . .' . 2 5 200
do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 200
Guy Richards. . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . 4 5 200
Pierre L. P anet . . ,. . , , , ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . 5 5 200
do . . . . . . . . . . . .......... . . . . . , . 6 5 200
1'. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland. . . . .. . . . . . . 7 5 200
'!aria and Louisa Sutherland, . . , " . . . . . . . . . . 8 5 200
do . . . . . . ... . .. .. . . . . . . 9 5 200
do ...... ... . . . . . . . . . . . 10 5 200
do . , , , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II 5 200
do , . . . , ...... . . . . . . . . 12 5 200
do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 5 200
do . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 14 5 200
do . . . . . . . . .... .. . . . . . . 15 5 200
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
281
TABLE OF L01S PATENTED AXD SOLD IN THE
TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland.".. , . . . . . .
do , , . . ,. ... , ., ..
do . . . , ., ..., . , . .
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson.,..., , . , , .
do ...,.......
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland...,.. ......
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. , " . ... . ..
do , . , , " ., . . ,
do . , . . . . , , . , ,
John l' horn pson . , , . .. ..,. . . ., ..,. , , , . , , " . , . ,
John Thompson, jun. . ., .." . . " "" ...... . , . ,
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. ...... . .. .
do , . , . . . . . .
T. A. Stayner and Louisa Sutherland. .". ...... . .
,V m, F ortu ne . , .. .... . . , . , , , , . . ., ...",.." .
1'homas Barron,.., ...... . , " ",......",.,.,
'\ïlliam Fortune", . " . , . ... . , . . ... , " ,.., ".,
do , , . , " ,.., . , ,. ..,.,. ..,... . . . .
do , . , , .. . . ., "".. , . , . ,. . . '" , , ,
'1'. A. Stayner."... ...,'. .,.. .... ...,'." ,...
\V illiam Fortune..., ...,.. . . ... ..."...."."
do . . . , .. . , , . .. . , ,. .,.,.. . , " . , . ,
Maria and Louisa Sutherland. , , . . , . . . " . .. . . .. ..
Thomas A, Stayner.", .,. , '. . . ,. . , , . . . , , . . , , .
do , , . , .. . , ,. , , . . .. .". . , ., "".,
do , , .. , , , . , . . . . . . , , , .. . , . . . . .. . .
do . . .. . . . . , , ,. . . ., ,.. ,.,. ., . . . .
Maria and Louisa Sutherland,.
".,....,.,.,.
do . . , . . , ,. .." , . , . . , . ,
T. A. Stayner. , .. ,.,. . , " ,. .. .... . , . , . . " . , , .
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. . . .. . . . , . .
do . . . , , . , . . , . ,
d3 , . , , " . . . , , ,
Thomas A. Stayner. .,. ...... .... , . " . " .....
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. ",... . , .
do . . , . '. , . , . , ,
T. A. Stayner. ... ..,.,. ,....." ...... .,."
Daniel Sutherland and John Robertson. . , . , , , . , , .
do . , . . " .....
John Robertson. , . , " ...... .,. . " ,..,.. . . . , , ,
J ames Heat! y . , . , " ..,." , . , ,.. , . .. .""""
John Robertson... . ., ".", .,."..,.,.,.,...,
John l\leikle,... ." , ,. ,.,... ,..,...",...,.,
J ames 'V álker , , . , .. ...... ..".. ,.,... ,. , . . , .
do ..,.., ...... ...... ..,... .... ,.,
do . , , , ,. .",.. .,.,'. ."... , . .. .. .
Thomas Barron...... , . , . .. .".,. , , . , . , . . , . , ,
James Walker. , . . " , . . , '. .'" ,. ........., ".
do . . . . .. ,..... , , . , ,. , , . . ,. . .. . . ,
Ifenry McDowel",... '" . " ...... .. , . , . ., . , .
James Walker" . . .. .."" """ ...... . . , , . . .
Maria and Louisa Sutherland .,..,.."..,. ."."
do , , . , ., """ ",.,
Ma Uhew Johnston. , .. ...... . . ..,...' . . ., . , , . ,
J ames Baxter, , , . ,. ,.. , .. ...... .,.....,."..
19
PART, LOT. RAr\GE ACRES.
- - -
. . . . 16 5 200
.. .. .. .. 17 5 200
.. .. .. .. 18 5 200
.. .. .. .. 19 5 200
.. .. .. .. 20 5 200
.. .. .. .. 21 5 200
.. .. .. .. 22 5 200
.. .. .. .. 2" 5 200
.)
.. .. .. .. 24 5 200
W I 25 5 100
2
E
25 5 100
.. .. .. .. 26 5 200
.. .. .. 010 27 5 200
.. .. .. .. 28 S 200
.. .. .. .. I 6 200
.. .. .. .. 2 6 200
.. .. .. .. 3 6 200
.. .. .. .. 4 6 200
...... .. 5 6 200
.... .. .. 6 6 200
.. .. .. .. 7 6 200
...... .. 8 6 200
.. .. .. .. 9 6 200
. . 10 6 200
.. .. .. .. II 6 200
.. .. .. .. 12 6 200
...... .. 13 6 200
...... .. q. 6 200
.. .. .. .. 15 6 200
.. .. .. .. 16 6 200
.. .. .. .. 17 6 200
.. .. .. .. 18 6 200
.. .. .. .. 19 6 200
.. .. .. .. 20 6 200
...... .. 21 6 200
.. .. .. .. 22 6 200
.. .. .. .. 2" 6 200
.)
.. .. .. .. 24 6 200
.. .. .. .. 2S 6 200
...... .. 26 6 200
...... .. 27 6 200
.. .. .. .. 28 6 200
.. .. .. .. I 7 200
.. .. .. .. 2 7 200
.. .. .. .. 3 7 200
.. .. .. .. 4 7 200
.. .. .. .. 5 7 200
...... .. 6 7 200
.. .. .. .. 7 7 200
.. .. .. .. 8 7 200
.. .. .. .. 9 7 200
.. .. .. .. 10 7 200
.. .. .. .. II 7 200
W J 12 7 100
E
12 7 roo
282
HISTORY O}' ARGENTEUIL.
TABLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD IN THE
TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM.
Maria and Louisa Sutherland,.,.., ,.. , . . .. ,."..
Larety Tooley, . , . ., ...... ". . ., . , .. ."". ",.
Guy Richards"",' .,..,. ...... ..., . , ., ......
John NIcE wen,.,.,. . . . . ,. . '" . .. .,....
George Brown , . , , ., .,..', """.",...".."
John Robertson.",.. ...... , . . , , , ,.,."...., ,
do . . . . .. .,.." .",.. . ... . .. ....,.
'fhomas Phillips. . . , ,. ".,., ,. . . ., .,.,.. ......
J ona than P. 1\loss , . , , .. .............'"" ...,..
John I{obertson... . .. .".,. ...... . . . , , ,. ......
do , . , , ,. .. . . .. ,..... ,..". . , , . , . .
Lemuel Cushing. . , . . , . . .. """..",.',.,....
John I{obertson,..... ..,... ...... . , ,. .... . , . , .
do . . . , .. "..., .,... .' , . " ,..",
do , , . . " ,.... . , , , .. .,. - .. ..,."
James Goodland".,., ..., .".. - ."." . , , . , . , .
\Villiam Howden..,.,. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .. ....,.
John H.o bertson . , . , . . ., ,. . . .. ,." . . . ... .,. . ..
do " ..,.. .. . . . ., ."...
do . . . . .. .",.. ...... , .,. , ., ,... . .
James 1\1, Perkins...... . . . . " , , .. . .., " ",., ,
Lewis Hreigher". , " ..,... .... . .. ,.,.,. ,.".,
John ltfeikle . , . , ." ,.,.",.".,. ,. , , ., .,.,..
Thomas Barron, . , . .. ".... . , ., . . . ...,.. .....,
\Villiam l{ichardson.."" . . . . . ... . .. , , .. ,....,
Andrew 1\1 cConnell . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. ...... ......
Henry Purse,..... " . . .. ...... .,.",."...,.,
J ames lien. y . . . . ., ..,.., ,.,.., ..,... . , , , , . . . .
uwis Stalker. . . . ,. ",... ...,..
. , , . ,. . . . . ,...
Slater Clark...... ....,. .... -. .,., .' . .,.,. . . .,
'fhomas Barron. , . . " "..., ...." ...." . , , . , . ,
I
enneth McDonald. , . . .. .,..,. , , , .. "",..,..
Maria and Louisa Sutherland.... .. . ...... ....,.
Lewis Stalker.,. , . . . . . .. ...." . . . . .. ........
Archie 1\furdoch, , ,. ,..... . . . , ,. .,..., ,. " ",.
James McKenzie. , , ,.. ."... .,.... ..,.., ......
Archie Murdoch, jun.." ..,." "..,. ....., . . . .
Willian1 Hutcbins. . . . .. ,..... . . , . " . . ,. , . . , . .,
( -harles Green. _ .. ... . .. ,..... .,.." ...... . , , .
do , . . , ., .,.... . . .. ".". ,." ...,..
Archie Murdoch,...., ,..,.. ".... .,.... .'"..
James l\1:cIntyre . , . , ., .,.... .,. . . , . , . . . " "..,.
John I{o l>ertson, . .. ., . , ., , . " . , , . . ",.,. ""..
do ..,... ......,..,..,....,.......
do . , . . " ..,. ".. .. . . . . , ,. ,." ,. . ,
J ames Calder. >, , ,. ...... ..,.., .., . '. .",....
John Robertson . , , . .. ,.,., . ,." . , , . , " . , . , , , , ,
do . , . . .. .,. , .. ",.,. . . . , ,. . . . , . , ,
Legal Representatives \)f John Quiry............
John Robert son, . . , .. . . .. . . .. ".... ..., . , . , . , ,
do . . . . .. ....,. ,."., ,. ., ...,....
do . , . , .. , . . . ,. . .. . . . . . . . , , . . .. ....
Thomas Stayner... . .. ..,.., ..., . . .. ..",..."
John Roberlsor,... . . .. .. . . . . .,.,..".,.,.,..
do , . ., ...... . . . . .. ",. . . . ., .., , , .
PART.
E !
\V-!
\V!
E 1-
2"
E .
w-
\V
E !
E 1
2"
W!
Ef
W-
Ei
Wi
EI
2
\V
E
\V-
E . 1
')
W-!
LOT. RANGE ACRES.
13
14
15
16
16
17
18
19
19
20
2(
22
23
24
25
26
26
27
28
1
2
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
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
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
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
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
100
100
200
2eo
700
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
100
100
(00
(00
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
100
100
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
TABLE OF LOTS PATEr\TED Ar\D SOLD IN THE
Towr\sIIIP OF CUATHA:\I.
John Robertson. , ., ..,.,. . , .. , , . . .. . . . .. ",.,.
do . , . . , . ,.., ... . ,. ...." . . . ,. .,..
William and John Roger and Andrew Todd..",..
Alex:1nder f\lcGibbon . ... . ,., . . . ., ... . . .
John Robertson.", ,.., . . . . .. .,.,.,.......,..
do . . . . ,. ."....,.".. ..,
M:alcolm McIntyre,..... . . . . .. ,.., . . . , .. ,.....
Donald 1\1cPhail....... .......... .........._
Peter De\\'ar, jr . . . , " .. ., , , ,. . . . . . . , . . .. ...."
Danie I Dal e . . , . .. .,. . " ... . . ., ,... . . . " . . .
'''m. young,.,. ...... .,., . ....,. ...... ....
do . . . .. ...... . . ., . . . . .. ...... . . . , . .
Duncan :f\lc Arthur. . . . " ...... ..,." . . .. ......
John Loggie. . . . . . . . '" ...." ...... .,
Peter l\lcFarlane... , ., ....... .."..,.........
John McArthur. . . . .. ,..,.. ".............,.,
Peter Grant. , . . . , . , . . . . . , ,. . . . . . . . . . . .. ......
'fhon1as I )uncan , , . . ., . . , . " ....., ,..", .... . .
Donald :f\lcMartin. . . . .. ......",.", ",... . . . .
Peter Gilmour. . . . ,. , , ., . . . . .. . . .. . , . . " ,..".
Francis Duffy. . . . , , . . . , .. . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . .
Thomas Spencer. . . . .. .'. . ., ...... ...... .,....
Geo. Blair,.,.,. ....... ...,.,.. .. ...... .".
W m . Blair, jr ...,. ... . .. . , . , . . ,. ."... ,.,...
John l\lorrow,... , . . . . . . . . . .. ................
Henry IJixon . . . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . " .... . . . . . . . .
do . , , . . . . . . . . . ,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .".
Frank Connor. . .. .". . . . . . . . . ..., .." ., . . . . . .
Iathew Connor. . . . . , " .,..,. ...,.. ... . . . . .". .
Henry Connor. , .. . . .. .... ... .....,.... ......
James Kenned y . . , . . . .. ...." ....,........" ,
Allen Cameron, . , , .. ' . . . " . . . . . .. ..,. . . .. . . , .
I )uncan McCalhnn. , ., , , " . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . .. . , . .
Robert Mc Naughton. . .. . . . . " ..,. . . .. . ... ....
Richard Farren.". . . .. .". . . . . . . . ,. . . ., .....
Hugh Smith. , .. . . . . . . ,. .., . . . . . . . , . ,. . . . . ., ..
Peter Tesmin.,.. .... .,.. .... . .,.. .'.. .... ....
D. Siñclair.,.,.. . . .. . . . . . . . ,. .,.", . . " . . . . . .
J ames Pinkerton.". . . . . .. ..,... ...", . , ., . . . .
Walter Kirconnell.... ...... . . .. .. .. . . ., ...,..
Hugh McCallum.,. .. . _ . . . ., .,.. . .. . "
Arch, McArthur. , " . . . . . . .. . . . . " ...... .,..,.
Alex. l\lcGibbon. ... . ... ....,..............,.
John McFarlane,... ...... ........ ......
Joseph Sale. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . , . . .. ...... .. . . , . . . I
Duncan McPhail., .. . . . . . . . .. ............ .,. I
do , . .. .. ...............,.....,.
::\Ialcolm McGregor,.. '" . . .. .". . _ . . . . , ,. . , "
John McGibbon........ .... ,... ......
Donald McKercher. , , . , . ,. . . . . ,. .........,.,.
!)uncan f\lc:f\IarlÍn.... ........ .,.", .... .",..
do . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. , . . . . , , . . . . .
GeoTl;e l\1 oncrie ff , , . , , . . .." . . .. ...... . . " . . . .
Peter McArthur. . .. ...... .....,., , ,. . . ,. . . . .
Thomas Duncan. . " ,..... . . . . " .,.." .,.. . , , .
PART.
E !
Wi
E!
\Y
W!
E I-
.)
E!
w-
N
S !
E
w
w !
E . ]
:!
LOT. 'RANGE ACRES.
2
3
4
-1-
5
6
7
8
9
10
II
12
13
q
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
21
22
23
24
24
25
2b
26
27
28
I
2
3
4
4
5
l>
i
8
9
10
II
12
13
13
14
IS
IÓ
Ii
18
19
20
20
21
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
. 28 3
200
200
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
.200
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
100
100
200
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
284
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII..
TARLE OF LOTS PATENTED AND SOLD IX THE I
TOWNSHIP OF CHATHAM. PART.
,Villiam Blair. . .. ,.,. .,.,.. . . .. . , ,. ,. . . ,. . . . .
Thomas Carpenter.,...... .... ,.,." ...... .,..
T ohn Calder. . . . . , . . . , .. , , .. . . . , " . . .. . . .. . . . .
} ames S wecney . . . . . . " ,.., . . . .. ....., , , . , . , . .
Iatthew Connor. . ., . . ., .. , , " " . . " .". .... , .
Legal Rep. of John Burke. , . . . , .. , , .. . . .. ......
John Howe"..,. ".. .."..'",....,.. .,.."
'V. Anderson. . .. .,., ... ....,."............
.;-\rthur McArthur. ,. . " . ,.. . . . .. . . ,. . . ., .",..
James Campbell,..... ....... .... .... .... .,..
Joseph 1\lcCallum.... .". ..,. .,............,.
Sarah Eaton, widow W m. Mason. . . . . , . . . . ., . , , .
John Sinclair..,... ",... ,.,."..', . . .. ",...
\\1 illian1 Myers.... . . .. . . , . . .... " . . " .... . , , .
Nathaniel Hammond. . . , . , . , ., . . ., """ ."",
Legal Rep. W m. Lenthall,.... ..,............
John Kein.". ,.., , . . . , , ,. . . , ,. .' . . " .... ,."
\ lexander Petillo..,. .,..,..... .", , . " ......
'fhomas Barron. . ., ...,.,.,..".....,., part of
.\ndrew Walker.". ,.., .,.. .... . ... .,., ......
'fhomas Barron. . ., . , , . " . , , , . .. ..,. . . , . part of
Francis Millar. . .. ,..........,....... ... , , .
Robert Meikle.... .... .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. Sou th
of
Peter McArthur. . .. . . . . ,. .. ..., . . . . . North ! of
Tames Hairshaw. , . . . . .. . . . . . . " . . " ,.,... . . . .
Thon1as Owens. , ,. . , , , . , , , . ..,. , . . , . , . , , , . . . .
\Villiam Gaustick. . . . . . . . . ., . , ., . . . ." . , .. . , .,
Thomas Owens. . . . . . ., . . , .. . . . . . , .. ., . '" . , ..
Daniel Bonner. , , . . . . .. ,....,.......", -.' , . .
David Marshall. . ,. , , . . . . . . , . . . , . . . . .. , . .. . , . .
J ames South (Sergeant) ,... .. . . , .. . . ... .... . . ..
Samuel 1\lu rphy . . , . ., . . ,. .. . . , . .. ".........
Patrick Kelly.",.... ,. . . . . . . . . , . ,. . , . . . .
George Carpenter. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . , , " .. . . . .
:\lartin Shannon.... .. . . . . . . , . .. . . ..,. .. . . . . ..
J ames Goff. . . . . . . , , . , . , . . ., . . . . . . . . ,. . . . . . . . -
James Con nor, . . . , , . , , , ,. . . . . . , ., , . . . . . . . . . . ,
John Barnet.,., ..,.".."............,......
Martin Oates. . .. , . . . . . . . . .. . . . . , . . , , , . . .. ,..,
John F itz patrick. . ., ...... .. . . . . . . . . , . , . , . . . . . 1
Richard Seddon. . .. . . , , , . " ............,....,
James Douland . . . . . . . . . . , . . . , . . . , . . . , . . . . , . , ,
Michael Shea".", ...... ..., . . , ,. ..,... ,..,.,
Patrick 110ynack...... . . , , " ,..,.. ...... , . , . .1
John Kelly",." .'" " . , " , . . , . . , . .. , ,. ".".1
Tames Kehoe. , .. '" , ., ..,... "" ". , , . ,.,.. .
j ames Carpenter, , , , " .,.... .,.... ,.",. ...",
David Bateman. , . . ,. ...... . . , , , ,. ."", . , . , , ,
Samuel Moore."... "., ". ..,......",...".
Jeremiah O'Brien,..", ,."" ,.....,.........
Alexander 11illor,..... . ...,.. ."". '" . ., . , . .
Eliza Holmes,..... ,.,... ., ...", ..",. ..".,
Widow S. \Voods."... ,.....".." ..,....,..
James
1. Perkins,...... ...... .".., .",., ,..,
Duncan McDougall,.,.,. " . , , , , ,. ,.,.,. ,"'"
John McDougall. . . . ,. ..",.. ..",..,.....",
W
E
E!
W
!
E 1-
2"
N!
S !
S 1
2"
E!
W-I
2
W!
E I
2
W
E
E
W
.
E I
')
E!
WI
2"
w
E!
E
Wt\-
W!
E 1
2
Wi
E!
W-i
E
E!
W!
E!
wt\-
\v !
E!
E!
I
LOT. RAr\GE ACRES.
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
I
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
8
9
10
II
II
II
12
12
12
13
13
14
14
IS
15
16
17
17
18
19
19
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
25
26
26
27
27
28
28
I
2
3
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
II
II
II
II
II
II
I I
II
1 I
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
I I
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
II
12
12
12
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
100
100
200
200
200
65
100
35
100
50
50
100
100
100
100
100
100
200
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
200
100
100
100
100
100
100
200
200
100
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
28 5
"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 th,<: loyal inhabit3.nts 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 the piratical Ìll'l'aders of the Prov-
ince. Many of the above mentioned men refused to join the ranks with th e others,
openiy declaring that they were not going to fight against their own friends. Of
course, no action was taken against them, but they were mJ.rked for all time, and as
their principal employment and means of subsistence was the clearing of land and
making þotash, as the timber began to get scarce, they found it convenient to leave
for other parts; and, for year:,;, their names have been almost forgotten, and I
will mention only a few, viz., the Bennetts, Bates, Parchers. and Smiths. Their
vacant places were soon filled up by a better class of men, many of whose descend-
ants still occupy the old homesteads, and are a credit and an honor to any country;
among these may be reckoned the Schagels, Fullers, N oyeses, Br"ldford
l Ostroms,
Casses and many others,
,. The early settlers were often put to great straits for breadstuffs; whene\er the
crops failed from any cause, there were no means of supply, except by the /latural
ltigh'loay-the Grand River,-and nothing but canoes for transport to and from
Lachine. The trip was often very much protracted, especially by the boats getting
'wÙulbolt1ul.
" Any scarcity in the matter of cereals was made up by the plenteousness of fish
and game, In each year about the first of June, the shad (or, as they came to be
called, 'Carillon Beef ') made their appearance, when each t
lIl1ily, in a short time,
could lay in their yearly supply, For many years, the North River furnished fine
specimens of s{1lmo/l, when they regularly ascended that river to spawn; that, of
course, was before the river was obstructed by dams.
"The system of agriculture was, for many years, of a very primit ive character.
While the country was being cleared, all their dependence was on the llew land crop,
.\fter a time, when the land required breaking up, the 'hog plough' was intro-
duced j but that implement did little more than cut a,
d co';rer, and it was not until
the' Scotch' plough was introduced, about the year 1825, that anything approaching
good farming was done. And from that time, the improvement was ,.ery rapid, so
that in a few years there were as good ploughmen in the County of .\rgenteuil as in
any part of Canada.
" Among the early settlers the state of religion was, for many years, at a very low
ebb. A Methodist minister, travelIing from place to place, would hold services occa-
sionally in private houses (no other place of worship being then available), and at
stated times camp meeting:; were held in the open air, at which all ministers within
a re3sonable distance were expected to attend. After a time, a large building was
er(cted, which was intended to be used as a place of worship and also as a school-
house. The Methodist denomination had the honor of erecting in the township of
Chatham the first building dedicated solely to the worship of God; this was in 18 3 0 ,
and it obviated the necessity of holding ctlmþ meetillgs, the last of which, I think, was
held in the year 182 9.
" _\n Episcopal minister, the Rev. Rich. Bradford (grandfather of the late Sir
John J. C. Abbolt), resided in Chatham on a farm now occupied by D::>nald
I.
Dewar, and supplied occasional services in 51. Andrews; this was prior to the arrival,
in 1818, of the Rev. Archibald Henderson, As you will, n0 doubt, have the as
i"t-
286
HIS10RY OF ARGENTEUIL.
ance of abler pens than mine, I will not enlarge on this, or the two following subjects,
:eaving 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 povel ty of the settlers and other difficulties in the way, it was kept
open only a few months in surÌ1mer, 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 I 820, when a society was formed allowing the ase of wine, beer
and cider, After a time, more stringent rules were adopted, but for many years
there was a determined opposition j 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 t.
mperance literature, until a very different feeling was
brought about, and many strong opponents silenced. 'Ve have not yet got prohi-
bition, but we expect it j 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, a.nd which was the principal element of discord ill the
whole of Lower Canada, or from some other cause
but in the early settlement of the
County, there was something remar kable 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 look 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 j but it was not until after the Rebellion of 1837 that the
:French sEttled among the English.
" The causes which lfd up to the troubles of 1837 are, of course, 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 aftenvard by steamer-landed
at Carillon, and carted by teams of horses and oxen to Grenville, and thence shipped
to By town.
" [ 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 Kings
on 'i'ia the Rideau Canal to By town, thence by steamer to Grenville;
and as the roads o-..er the intervening link between Grenville and Carillon were too
rough for a delicate man like Lord Sydenham, 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' (\\... ;1 was used as a tug for barges between that place amI the upper
locks), commanded by Captain Lighthall, of Chute au Blondeau fame, and was
taken through Carillon Canal, at the rate of about tlzree miles all hOltr. Think
of this, ye votaries of rapid transit, who cannot travel without a parlor, PullllllUl
and llillÍ'Ig 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 ha ve fallen
to us in pleasant places. "Youni truly,
U COLIN DE\V AR."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
287
As the ÐEWARS were as early settlers in this part of Chatham as any of whom
we have heard, we insert with lJleasure the following letter :-
" OTTAWA, December 27 th , 1
93.
., _-\s 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, w
lO lived about the year of Our Lard 720, and held his yearly festival on
t:Je 7th January.
" His principal Church or Priory in Scotland, and which was most closely con-
nected with his memory, W<i.S in the upper part of Glendochart, in Perthshire, and
which takes from him the name of Strathjillall, There are well authenticated records
which establish the fact, tlut 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 II I 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 pos.;ession of Alexander D
war, of Plympton, Ont., who, being then i
his 87 th
year, was iaduced 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 núme.
.. Hêving 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
faì1ily, consisting of six sons and three daughters, also his brother Duncan, his wife
and O'1e child, togeth
r 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, arrer examining tþe ship's papers,
and finding there was no \'aluable cargo on board, and being satisfied that it was
only an emigrant vessel, allowed them to proceed on their voyage j 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 charJe 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 hi:; unlucky
stars, as a British man-of-war was more to be dreaded than a French, on account of
that abominable sy
em, the' Press Gang,' which was thell 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 th<tt
the Privateer had been captured, and great sorrow was felt for the fate of Lieutenant
McDonald. On leaving the vessel at Quebec,
he passengers separated, going to
different parts of the country. The two families of Dewar, with six or seven other
families of the Harne 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 ARGE:XTEUIL.
C, :My grandfather lived for a time on the farm that is now caned '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 m'ljority.
" 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
CaldweIl's Manor, and settled on what is known as LQLNo-=.. 4, front of Çhatham,
which is now in possession of Mr. Fitzgerald. His family of five daughters ana four
sons, and of which I am the youngest, were born there. :\ly 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 :111 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
ettled on
lots Nos. I, 2 and 3, his house standing a little in rear of 1\1r. 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 16th, 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 185
. His son Peter married Ann Gordon in 1849, and died
in 1851; His daughter Eliza Jane married'Vm. Douglas in 1846, and after a few
years' residence in Chatham removed to the State of New York.
e( Of the re
t 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 J 857. Donald died in June, 1854, 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 :McIntyre in April, 18..J.o, 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 l\Iargaret 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 ARGENTEUlL,
ß9
" \Vhether 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 fwm 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.
"\Vhen 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 11th 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 j
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.
" .:\Iy 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 shúw :
"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 frolH shore, and floating out into dangerous water. My
sister, seeing her danger, made a gleat outcry, which not only brought my mother to
the scene, but was aìso creating a panic among the younger ones.
Iy 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 }'ears afterward,
.:\fy 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.
"\Vhen 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 Wm. Cook, a contractor on the canal, and removed in the spring of r830
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
29 0
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
f.mn 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 Fraser, 26th October, 18'54; died loth July, 1858. Mary, born q.th April,
181 I, married James Thomson, 3 0th December, 18:H, and died 28th September, 18]2.
Helena, born q.th November, 1813, married Robert Thom'ìon (no relation of
!\] ary's husband), 2nd January, I 83
, and died 26th November, 1887, leaving a
family of two sons and two daughters, who reside in Ottawa and vicinity. Margaret,
born 2nd January, 181S, died February, 1883; Catharine, born 3rd January, 1821,
died 19th )[ay, 188.3,
"Of his four sons, John, born 26th April, 18 I 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 honr!:, and died 14th AUg'..lst, 18-1.1, He was a young man
of great promise, of agreeable and gentle disposition, quiet and unassuming manner;
he had a splendid voice anll was fond of music i heavy, muscular build and splendid
physique, !!'tanding over six feet in height, and weighing 220 lbs. 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. I Peace to his ashes.
Honour to his memory.' Peter, his twin brother, lived on the farm with his father
until his death, 22nd
:O\'ember, 1847. Daniel, born 28th March, 1819, was drowned
in July, 1827, as previously narrated.
" I was the youngest of the family, and was born 12th 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 schcols was
made by boiling the bark of the soft maple i 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 1 was thirteen years of age, and never returned.
.,
-\s [ did not relish a farmer's life, I left home, and served in a store three years;
but on the death of my brother Jolin, 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 13th Sept-
ember, 1854, was marriec1. to Elizabeth, the youngest daughter of Charles Benedict of
St. Andrews, who was born I I th August, 1823' \Ve went home, and lived there until
the spring of 1863, when, having sold the farm in the fall of I
62 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 1 Ith October, 1866, leaving to my
care four son
, our third son, James, h:1ving died Plevious to his mother, of scarlet
fever, 24th January, 1
65' During my residence at St. Eugene, I received the appoint-
ment of Commissioner for taking affidavits in the
ue
'l 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 I
" 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 1st 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, :md remained with his successors
for over t\\'o years after he sold out; and am r.ow and have been for five years in the
Water 'Yorks 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, 1
0 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 contaminateLi
with the Imt of office, who have in them that 'righteousness which alone exalteth a
nation.' In religion, I can worship with any who love the Lard Jesus Christ in sincerity,
but [1m identified more closely with the Presbyterian denomination, and have endea-
vored, although with much f
ebleness 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 1st November, 1855, served his time as
a machinist, afterward taking a course of mechanical dr2wing 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, daughtn
ot Ald. :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, 189[, to Mary, youngest
daughter of l\Ir. Wro. Robertson, of Ottawa.
" Char]e5, born 13th 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
Eiectric Railway. He married Aunie, youngest daughter of Mr. Arch. Acheson of
Westmeath, 91h June, 1886 i they have three children.
"Colin, the youngest, born 27th October, 1863: is a graduate of
IcGill
ledical
College, and has been a practising physician and surgeon in the city for the last six
years. He married, 1st January, 1890, Laura, daughter of Rufus Fil
r of
[ontreal,
and they have two children.
"Yours truly,
"C. DE'V AR."
'Ve think the mill referred to in the above letter of !\Ir. Dewar de "erves further
notice, inasmuch as it performed a most important function in its day, and proved a
gr
at 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
ridham of Grenville, who refers to it in speaking of the masons who were employed
10 the construction of his own house; it is thus learned that the mill was built ir
18 35. Its location was near the Ottawa, not far above Stonefield, on a small
trear.
which was then much larger thl.n at present. It was famed for the excellence of the
Clatmeal it manufactured, and was patronized by farmers even from Glen
arry. .A 11
.Iged citizen in the vicinity remembers that many teams were often waitillg 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 wr.en his parents
came to Canad:1. His father had lived on the Duke of .\rgyle's estate in Scotland,
2:)2
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 hewas in the
full enjoyment of this Highland costume when the vessel was stopped by the Priva.teer.
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, and was an active, esteemed
member of this community, serving it for some time as School Commissioner,
Irs. Dewar died in 1895; they had four sons-Peter, James, Duncan and Donald,
and four daughters-Annie, Christina, Mary and :\iargaret ; Peter lives in this soc-
tion, James in Minnesota, and Duncan is decea
ed. Annie, the widow of \Vm. Scott,
lives in California; Christina, widow of Geo. Noyes, in this loca
ity; Mary died in
infancy; Margaret, married to James Rawring, :ives in British Columbia.
Donald Dewar resides on the homestead
a fine farm with an attractive brick
lesidence 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. .\fullen, of St. A.ndrclvs parish.
l\Ir. Dewar in a later letter says:
" I believe I did not mention the fact of a sawmill having been built on lot No.
3, a short distance up the river from Mr. Chishl11m's distillery, and a little below my
father's house; it was the fir
t 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 W,lS 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 fath
r sEttled on his farm in 1807. ),1r. Duncan Dewar
remembers seeing the remains of the dam when he was :t boy, and is of the opinion l
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. II
Great changes have occurred in the appearance of this I )C.lltty since the days
when !\Ir. Dewar lived here j 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 stiil be seen, that were then in front of the
dwelling, are now in the rear of its mins. This house was erected about 1830. by
'Villiam Cook, a Scotchman, who had been a contractur in his native land. On
coming to Chatham he took a large contract in the constructiùn 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 :;1.
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 r 798, 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
293
returned to his native land, and, in 1836, came to Canada and settled at Beech
Ridge. His son, JOHN FITZGE
ALD, 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 j and Edward, married in 1880, to Mary Ellen Barron, 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. Fitzgerald died 29th January, 1896.
]A:\IES MILLER came, in 1831, with his family, from the County of Monaghan,
Ireland, to Carleton County, Onto Four years later, his son, James MiIIer, jun.,
moved to Pembroke, where he remained till 1870, successfully engaged in lumbering
and farming. He then came to Cushing, 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.
liJler 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 th e 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 Rigauå, Que., and
ame to Chatham in 1865.
Previous to this, he attended college in St. Andrews, ar.d worked some time for
McLaughlin & Son, lumbermen, on the Ottawa, being wi1h them, altogether, as derk
and foreman, twenty-one years; he was also foreman on the CariIIon 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 187I to Miss Dinah Sauvie, of Montebello.
Mr. Filion, for a number of years, has been engaged in the iumber business
with his brother Joseph, his fine farm, meanwhile, being to a great extent managed
by
rs. Filion.
ANTOINE ROBERT, who has lived here for nearly thirty years, has the honor of
Leinc: 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. Barron mentioned in the history of Chute au Blondeau, who performed
the ftat of riding on horseback, through the wilderness, to Toron to, to obtain the
patent for their farm. It is but just to say, that the industry and perseverance of Mr.
Barron emulate those of his maternal relative, His father, Joseph Barron, lived on
the old homestead at Chute au Blondeau, and died there a few years since, He had
six sor.s 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
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
294
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
same township. Edward B:1rron, in 1882, married the widow of John Thompson,
daughter of the late John Mason, lockmaster, and s
ttled in 'Chatham. Mrs. Barron,
by her first marriage, had five children, of whom two sons and one daughter are now
living. By the second marriage, .Mr. and Mrs. Barron have one son and one daughter.
1r, Barron's present farm was fOlmerly owned by Dr. Jameson, one of the
s.ucctssful and pron 1 inent 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,
wa
born in \Vexford County, Ireland, in 1789. He joined the army at the age of
17, entering the 87th 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, 14th September, 181S. 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
apoleon 1. 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 9th December, 1831.. III f833, 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 the 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. \Villiam 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 9th October, 1868.
The REY. 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 c,)llnty. 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 ca.me to Canada, and was Chaplain
in the 49th Regiment, \Ve 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 Co!. Robertson his estates on the Ottawa and North River, the first
comprising 5,000, the latter J ,000 acres. He left two sons in the States; the remain-
der of his children, four sons, Richard, George, Charles, and 'Villiam, and two
daughters, afterwards MiS. 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 !"oettled 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, wh:J 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 U? 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 ARGE
TEUIL,
295
mature age, were George
I., Henry, now living in Brandon,
Ian.; Charles,
who was accidentally killed on the railway a few years since; and John, now living in
Lachu te, where he has a lime kiln. The daughters were Eliza and
Iartha Jane; the
former was Illarried to Henry Hammond, the latter to the late Andrew McConnell.
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 Brulé.
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 J 84 6 , 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
[udd)' Branch. The
brothers then dissolved partnership-Henry and his nephew John (a son of George
Bradford) taking the saw mill, and George prepared to build a large steam miJI near
his o\\"n dwelli'lg. This he er
cted on a smal
bay on the Ottawa in 18 7 1 -7 2 , and
for a few years did a large business manufacturing lalh, shingle, and all kinds of
lumber, which he sold to dealers and others, These mills were destroyed by fire in
18 77, when they were owned by the Owens Brothers, of
tonefieìd. _-\t one tin1P,
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.
M r, Bradford has been an ardent disciple of Nimrod, and during IllS 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
huntiJ1g tours, and many times he has spent weeks alone in the forest.
He has five sons now living-John, George, 'Villiam R., Edmund* and Frederick
Xorman. Thlee of these live in Hawksbury, one in L:lchute and one on the home-
stead. Of the three daughters, Edith mélrried to James McAllister, Postmaster at
Chute au Blondeau ; Gertrude to Jas. Cook, farmer, of Arundel; and Martha to Joseph
Thompson, a farmer of Portland, Que, The N oyeses ha ve always been acti\"e citizens
of Chatham.
..., THO:\lAS NC)YES was a U. E. Loyalist, and before coming to Chatham lived in
ew Hampslllre. On removÏ1.g to this place, accomp
nied 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 \Villiam, his brothers,
built the large brick house now owned by Edward Barron. This they sold to Mont-
marque!, 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 :\Iiss Fanny Roe, of
IontreaJ. Benjamin, his
youngest brother, and Ida, his youngest sister, remain with their parents on the home-
stead.
'It Killed in a mill in 18 95-
29 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
John, the second son, and Cha.rles, fourth son of John Noyes, sen" live in Butte
City, Montana, the former being one of the pioneers of that place, \Villiam, their
brother, lives in Muskegon, :Mich. Benjamin, their youngest brother, when last heard
frpm was in Africa.
George, sixth son of the same family, was married in 1868 to Christina, daughter
of the late Colin Dewar, of Chatham, and moved to .Minnesota, where he died in
18 7 0 . 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
Georgina.
Of the two daughters of John Noyes, sen., Frances, the eldest, unmarried, lives
with her brother Thomas. Lydia, the second daughter, married Mr. WilJiams, of
Burlington, Vt., and died at that place. \Vhen 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 Jt1mber
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 Ottawa,
to St, Philippe, the travelJer comes to a good farmhouse and commodious barns.
Descending a smalJ hiB, 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
hiJls, the upper part of a wind mill frame looms in sight. The whole surroundings..
the creek, the rond, 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, I vory and Calvin, were the only ones who remained in this
section. Rinaldo lived on the homestead, and had two sons and one daughter. The
latter, Marion, married to Daniel, a son of their neighbor, John Casso
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 and
all h is feed by water power, and the same motor is employed to thresh his grain.
He keeps a large stock of cattle, and under his able management his farm will soon
be in condition to sustain more. l\Ir. 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 for
hydraulic purposes-on a fine farm, resides the widow of [vory 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 Sep-
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
ear1y home, married, and raised a large family, but was accidentally killed while
engaged in lumbering, His family afterward sold their homestead and went to
the \Vest.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
'J97
Passing onwa.rd toward St. Philippe, through a low lying belt of thick, second
arowth forest, we arrive at another fine level farm, attractive from its intensely rural
spect and quiet seclusion. This is the home of Mr. John Casso
JOSIAH CASS, his grandfather, was one of the U. E. Loyalists who left the Genesee
Yalley 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-
ned, and some years later, yet previous to 1800, carne 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 ]and, 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 1\1r. Casso 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, Le,'i 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 m1ke
raids on the flocks of Messrs. Cass, Fulltr and others, the former having lost ten,
and the latter twenty, sheep, at different times, in one night.
1\1r. 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 E!izabeth 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,
fanning implements, wagons, five hor
es and five cattle all being burned, without
insurance. He has the respect of his fdlow-citizens, and has b
en a School Com-
missioner a number of years, and Assessc,r 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 þrocès-vcrbal, which is dated 1821, being the oldest known in this part of the
township.
CUSHING.
1\0 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
frem 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 Cushing, a name which belonged to its founder, who, for half a
century, was a leading spirit in the County of Argenteuil. \Ve cannot give a more
complete biographical sketch of Mr. Cushing, than will be found in the following
obituary, copied from the .Montreal Herald of .May 20t
l, 1875 :-
" MR. LEMUEL CUSHING, 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
29 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
the pioneers and settlers of a new country, he had to struggle hard, and to overcome
difficu1ties 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 \Varden of the County. For more
than fifty years, he actcrl 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 himseìf 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 51. Benoit.
\s a
business man, he was eminently successfu1. Three times he became owner of the
celebrated Caledonia Springs, and, about fifteen years ago, purchased the property
now known as Cushing hland, 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
Tohn S. Hutchins, of I.achute, by whom he had thirteen children, and he lived to see
åll his sons- eight in number-established ill 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 flOm his funeral sermon is copied from the Argelltcuil
Adzoertiser, of 9th June, 18 75:-
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 weB-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 Yalley, 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 intensest
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 Ii \ es who thinks
most, feels the noblest, acts the best. A man of strong individuality of cha:acter, he
made his influence felt throughout the community, whose development and progress
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 justne:ts, and uprightness in anyone who exhibited these virtues. As a citizen,
he occuçied positions of puhlic trust; and how cGnscientiously he discharged the
duties which these entailed on him you all know. To him this church and parish
are deeply indebted. From facts which have corne to my own knowledge, and on the
authority of those who are competent to speak upon the matter, it is due to him to
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 advancement
HISTORY Q1t' ARGENTEUIL.
299
and prosperity, and, so long as these walls stand, they will bear witnesc; to the interest
which he took in the welfare of the congregation. In him, both my predecessors and
myself had a warm friend, who, ill reason of his large and v.tried experience, W.1S
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 loving
husband, and a kind and affectionate father.
" He is now gone; quietly he feIl asleep, having finisheå his work, and the place
that
o long knew him shall know him no '/lore; but his memory will Ii ve, 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 whatsoeva our hand findeth
to do, 'for there is 110 device, 110r work, nor wisdom, in the grave,' to which we are
so rapidly hastening."
It is but just to say that, in his marriage, ::\1r. Cushing obtained a companion in
every respect worthy of the position-a woman, kind, intelligent, pious, active and
determined; 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 ance;;tors, combined with her early Christian
training, eminently fitted her for the station she hac; been called to fill. Mrs. Cushing,
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 gi ven many a poor orphan and widow cause to bless her.
Of the children of Mr. and
1rs. Cushing, seven sons and two daughters are now
living.
James Brock (Col.) Cushing. the eld-=st, has been more closely identified with
the history of this COU:1ty than any of the other children-as they went to Montreal
and engaged in business quite early in life. James B. entered his hther's store as
clerk in 18 5 6 ; about five years subsequently, Mr. Cushing, with his two sons, James
and Thomas, formed a copartnership in mercantile businesc;; but, a few years later,
Thomas withdrew, and, not long afterward, the father, entering political life, removed
to Montreal, and James continued the business alone till 1891, when he also removed
to Montreal. He was very active and influential while he lived here, and the fine
stone store at Cushing is but a single instance of his enterprise, In 1866, h
organiæd
a 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 unanimollsly
chose Mr. Cushing for their Lieut.-Colonel. When his father removed to Montreal,
he resigned his local offices-that of Postmaster, l\Iunicipal Councillor, J, P., etc.,
and Col. Cushing became his successor, and, during the last few years of his re:;idence
here he was .Mayor of the Township. He was married 31st March, 186 9, to Elizabeth
T. Hill, daughter of the late Francis l\I. HilI, Barrister, of Kingston; he is now in
real estate business in MontreaJ.
Lemuel, second son of the late Lemuel Cushing, was long a B:urister in Mon-
tre
i.l, 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 Cushing estate, including Cushing Island, l\Ie,; Cha:-les,
the fifth son, has long been a leading and popular notary in Montreal, and is the
senior member of the firm Cushing, Dunton & Barron, which does a latge business;
Fred., sixth son, is a brush manufacturer, and lives at 1.1.3 Metcalfe street, Montreal;
William M., seventh son, is a merchant, notary and J, P., in Elkhorn, .:\Ian. ; George
3 00
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, Cushing, one is mar-
ried to the Rev. Donald Ross, Professor in Queen's College, Kingston; the other to
1r. Cochran, and lives in Denver, Colorado.
A factory for the manufacture of edge tools was erected at Cushing about the
year 18 5 0 by a man named Forsythe. Oil of smoke was also made here, and sent to
England
o 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. James Cushing also erected a saw mill and grist mill here j the former is still
in successful operation, but the latter, being out of repair, has fallen into disuse.
, DERRICK OSTROM frpm Ut
ca,
. Y., settled here in the early part of this century,
on a 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, wa
evidently in anticipation of a dainty
meal. Mr, Ostrom got his gun, and by the lIght of the lantern held by his better-
half, 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 18 2 3, he had added three
lots to his estate. He left three sons aI1d 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, 'Villiam and
Derrick, each received a lot, but they soon sold them and removed to Alumette
Island, where \Villiam is still living.
The following sketch from the pen of Mr, Colin Dewar gives a more complete
history of this family :-
"The old' Militia Act' of Lower Canada, which was in force in J 837, 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 milital y tactics, but f1 om being in favor with the officer commanding the Bat-
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 hankerillg after a military experience l\f1der the com-
maud of such officers.
" The Government, knowing well the axiom that' one Y olunteer is worth more
than ten pressed men,' got over the difficulty, by allowing all enrolled companies of
volunteers the privilege of choosing their own officers, and all such companies to
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.
3 0 [
Schagel, and Lieut. Levi Brundage; besides, one company of sixty men, under the
command of Captain J 01111 Stephens and Lieut. George
I. Bradford, designed for
active service, being stationed in Barracks, and thoroughly drilled. The barracks
was the house now owned by
lr. Fitzgerald.
The Government supplied all Volunteers with arms, ammunition and clothillg; .
the latter consisting of white blanket overcoats, heavy dark cloth trousers, with reJ
stripe down the scam, 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. Ceo. 1\1. Bradford is the only officer of these three
companies living at the present time, the others having long since pas<:;ed away.
\Vhen the company in the front of Chatham was organized, JOHN OSTRO
I, 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 :State
, but
left their homes, and came to Canada with other U. E. Loyalists, at the breaking out
of the Revolutionary 'Var. On their arrival in Canada, one son settled in H
stin(T5
County, near Belleville; the others were separated, going to different parts of d::e
country, and they have long since lost trace of each other. The father of the subject
of tJ1is sketch was Derrick O
trom, who arrived in the township of Chatham, early in
the first declde of this century, and purchased a block of six hundred acres of land,
in what was then the "Cùl. Robertson grant," and on which he built a residence for
himself, which, for many ye:us, was the finest in the township, and fM ahead of Co!.
Robertson's, which, up to that time
had taken the lead. It stood on rising ground,
in a c0'11manding position, on the top of the hill, in a beautiful situation, and was a
well-known landmark, until it was burnt down a few years after the f.lmily removed
from Chatham. It may here be mentioned, in reference to Co!. 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 shillgled allover, from top to
bottom, and fc-lstened with small flat-he.l.ded. hand-nnde nails.
Ir. Ostrom not only c:trried on the business of farming, but also kept a general
country store for many years, in a house afï:env,lrd sold to Mr. John -'lullan. He
died in 1823, leaving a widow, three sons and three daughters, \'il., John, \Villiam
and Derrick, Jennie, Christie and Elsie.
On the settlement of the estate, John, the eldest son, received one of the farms,
on which he ha:i b
lilt a house and suitabl
f.lrm buildings, and on 5th September,
18!9, was nurried to -'lis') Dorcas, dlughter of D
nnis Par:mns, Esq., who Iud
recently come from the United States and settled in Chlth.un.
\.t this time, Captain
Ostrom was eng.lged in the square timber business, and was, for many years, one of
the most succesiful pilots on the Grand River, that industry being then nearly at the
zenith of its prosperity. Mention has been made in a previous .uticle of the quantities
of shad ascending the river in the spring of the year, and, at that season, it was the
cUstom fur all well-to-do farmers to take adv.l.l1tage of this circumst:tnce, and provide
their families with a supply of this excellent fish, which was always a treat, either
fresh or sal ted. It W.l.S while attending to this import.lllt duty that Captain O
trom
lost his life on the 2nd June, 18"'0, at wh:lt was known as the ,. Fishing GrJund"; plat-
forms, or, as they were called, stagillgs, which were erected at differe'u spac
s along the
bank, which, at that place, was a perpendicular rock, along the face of which these
staging,; h,ld to be built and secured, and were thus hanging over the river, and near
the surf.lce of it,
Owing to the forll1:ition of the ne\v canal and Jam at tlut place, th
whole face
3 02
IIIS10RY 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 that 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 SCJOPillg, 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 scooþ in swinging it round,
or the breaking of part of the staging caused him to be thrown off, and into the
surging, seething swell
, 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
he pùir.t in a few minutes, hoping he would be
found floating on the surface. But, alas! he had sunk long before reaching them.
,\fter 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
n active man; he has been Clerk of the Commissioners Court a
third of a century, Secretary-Treaslller of the Municipal Council sixteen years, and
of the 130ard of School Commissioners twenty.
ROBERT TAIT, son of a "Nor-\Vester" 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 dril!ing the militia to resist the rebels. At the burning of Grande Brulé,
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 struclUre, built afrer 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 quan ies, 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 intelfered 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 ARGE
TEUIL.
3 0 3
from its former towering height, are as a link binding the present to the past-a past
full of the hallowed remembrance of the self-d
nying lab3rs, energy, persev
ranc
,
piety, and realized hopes of worthy forefathers, in providing for themselves and suc-
ceeding generations a fitting hou
e 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. \Villiam ::\Iair, an alumnus of Glasgow
University, and for some six years after his Licensure, Sabb
th Lecturer in his college,
Coming to Canada, he Wd,S ordained and indu
ted to thi:; cha,oge on the 26th July,
18 33. At the time of his advent to Chatham, a scho ,I-house, fitted up to serve both
for school and preachin
. stood besid
the highway, somewhere near where No. I
District School now stand:;. Here the first congregations gathered to hear the Gospel
proclaimed by their own settled p:tstor, and who had come to cast in his lot with
them. The charge was a large one. Grenville and Hawkesbury villages were regular
preaching stations. c, Eighteen miles in front, and as far b.1ck as I can win," was the
way in which he usually described hi;; parish. That he did win, far back
is manifest
from the church records, for, besides the Elders in Chathc!m, Grenville and Hawkes-
bury, two, Messrs. John Crawford and 4\.rchibald McCallum, were ord,1Ïr
ed to this
oftìce, in the Augmentation of Grenville, on the loth August, 18 34; and other two..
.Messrs. .Archibald Kelc;o in 1837, and John Doig in 1838, both living in the vicinity
of Lachute, were appointed as coadjutors in the same office. The first Elders of the
charge were Messrs. Neil Stuart, Peter Stirling, Farquhar R'Jbertson, and Archibald
Campbell. To follow out minutely the whole history is not within our present scope,
but 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. ::\Iair, carried on at so great C05t to himself, have con-
tinued 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, \\"ILLIA::\1 ì\IAIR,
Born on the 29th of March, 1793.
Died on the qth 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
Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ to an attached congregation; and with untiring zeal
endeavored to imbue their minds with the heavenly spirit of his Divine ::\laster.
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 indt'ed, 'I The memory of the
in whom there is no guile." just is blessed:'
jr-.o. i. 47. Pnov. x. 7.
The Rev. James Black, an M.A., of GI
sgow University, was the next minister of
this charge. He was inducted on the 4th Septemh
r, 186 L During his incumh
l1cy
3 0 4
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEU1L.
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.D., at present one of the professors in the Theological
department of Queen's College, Kingston, was the next minister. His education
both in Arts and Theology was taken in Queen's College, Kingston, of w 1 ,ich 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
pulpit:
IN MEi\10RY
of
:MARY R. HILL,
wife of
REV, DONALD ROSS, B.D.,
Minister of this Congregation.
Died 26th :\Iarch, 187l,
æt.35'
" Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." REV, xiv, 13.
Ordained :md inducted to the pastorate of the congregation on the 3rd October,
186 5, 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 18 7 6 ,
Mr. Ross demitted the charge. For several years thereafter, he \Vas 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 REV. JA
IES FRASER, B.A. In Arts,
he studied at Queen's College, Kingston; in Theology, at
Iorrin College, Quebec.
Called from Litchfield in the Presbytery of Ottawa, he was inducted to the charge of
Chatham and Grenville in October, 18 77. .
His ministrations have now continued almost twenty ye3.rs, during which period
he has steadily gained the affection of his people and the esteem of the public.
[r.
Fraser's sermons are always prepared with scholarly care. He married Miss Tredwell
-a daughter of tbe b.te C. P. Tredwel1, Esq., of L'Orignal--a lady who vies with
her husband in self-denying, devoted labor in the :\laster's vineyard.
The Methodists erected a stone church at Cushing 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, Cushing, who built another church at a short distance from the
former.
ROBERT NICHOLS, who has a pleasant brick residence and good property here,
carne 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 industlY and probity have gained for him much influence in trÜ
locality. About 1846, he was married 10 .Esther Gascon; they had seven childrell.
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 th{
daughters is married to 1\1r. Davison of 51. Philippe, another to Robert Dobbie 0
Lachute.
I r. Nichol has been School Commissioner, and for many years Sergeant 0
militia.
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUlL,
3 0 5
SAMUEL 'VEBSTER, one of the aged citizens of Cushing, IS a son of Samuel
'Vebster, one of the heroes who survived the battle of 'VaterIoo. Not long after that
famous victory of 'Vellington, Mr. 'Vebster 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 l
e went to N o'1treal, where he was married to Euphemia, a daughter
of Dr. Spink. In 18":4, he ca'lle 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 uncl
, Peter Spink, at St. Denis.
In 1850, he was married to Amelia Gardner, and the same year he bought the lot at
Cushing 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 l\Irs. Le Roy's death:-
" My father, Dr. William Spink, who had a w-ooden 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 iu 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 havè
forgotten, that became insane, Mother's maiden name was Euphemia 'Vatt; their
children born at our home on Perth Road, Scotland, were: Andrew, Tohn, Ellen,
Euphemia, Peter, Jane, 'Villi.'lm, Thomas and Catherine. All these, sa
e Andrew,
who remained with his uncle, l\f r. Patrick, sailed from Dundee in the brig' Todrls '
in 1817. In nine weeks and four days, we came to Quebec. Uncle Thomas 'Vise
Spink wanted to keep my brother Thomas and myself, when the family were about
to sail for America, but mot}ler 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, Quehec. \Ve spent a day with
Ir. :Miller,
and then sailed to l\Iontreal in the 'Lady Sherbrooke.' Andrew, who was left with
his unde, 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 no\y living are Peter,
Thomas, Margaret and myself."
Near the store of.Mr. Cushing, on the left, is " BtHnside COllage," with its beau-
tiful grounds and
hrubbery-the home of ED:\IUND NEVE. Thi5 property formerly
belonged to the late 'V m. Forbes, Canal Superin tendt"n t, and the cottage wac:; a
work of his own design and erectiop.
Mr. Neve is a son of the Rev. Frederick S. N eve, who for some time had charge
of the Anglican Church in Grenville. He came to Canada from Kent, Eng., about the
year] 840, and first was assistant úf the Rev.
Ir. \\11itwell at Philiusburg, Que.; he
then was stationed at Clarendon, Huntington County, and thence, in 1859, came to
Grenville. He was suptrannuated in 1871, and subsequently resided six years in Sr.
Andrews; he died in Ig78, in Montreal. He had three sons and five daughters; his
second son is a melcham in L'Ùrignal. :\[r. 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 THo
IAs '''ElR.
[r, 'Veir, who is by trade a machinist, carne to this country from Glasgow in
1872, in charge of the material for two iron bridges at Ottawa. After the compk
tion of those bridges, he carne to Grenville in the employ of \\ r. Goodwin, who
had the contract for the construction of the bridges, and worked on the canal.
3 06
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
He was married to Ì\1!SS Davison, daughter of Joseph Davison, of Grenville.
In 1881, he came to Cushing, where he has had charge of the post office for the
past seven years, though he was hOt appointed Postmaster till 1893; he is also
telegraph operator here, and has a small grocery.
H:1RATIO E. HARTLEY, who has been quite an extensive dealer in catt1
and
horses, came to this section with his father, Christopher Hanley, 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 fl)r :l while on the Rideau Canal at
Ottawa, and was tl1en 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 father died 4th August, 1877. Horatio was uurried in 1876 to 1\1ary M.
Dinsmore.
At the time the factory was erected at Cushing,
Scotchman named JAMES
\VATSON. a brass finisher by trade, who had b
en a soldier in the 93rd Regiment, was
employed to set up the machinery. Afrer the factory was completed, he returned
to
Iontrea1. leaving his two young children at Cushing with a nei!l1bor, :\1r. John
0' Brien. N" ot 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 1\1r. O'Brien
till old enough to earn his own living. He was married in 1876 to a daughter of
Samuel Webster of Cushing, and lives in a pleasant cottage near the Presbyterian
Ianse.
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 Cushing.
He is son of John Pinkerton, of Chatham; he was married 1st January, 1887, to
:\Iary J. Sittlington, also of this place, and has three children, all daughters. Mr.
Pinkerton's residence here is situated opposite the preuy village of Chute au Blan-
deau.
JAMES Roy GASTON came to Canada from County Antrim, Ireland, in 18-t3 ; he
soon settled in Cha
ham, buying the farm on which his widow and children now live.
He was married 22nd June, 1858, to
Iargaret .McFarlane, of Perth, Onto
That he was a valued and trustworthy Govel nment 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 th
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, preceJed 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 lad Jer
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 j George has charge of the lighthouses here; \Villiam
is in Chicago; Alexander, after spending five years in the same city, returned home
in 1895. Leonard';\1. and Andrew E. live at home, also the daughter, Eliza L.
On a lOad le3.ding north frùm the Ottawa, and about a mile distant from it, livè a
few thriving farmers, one of whom, Jacob Scha
el, has been noticed in the history of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 0 7
Carillon j of the others, two brothers, ANDREW and 'VILLIAM GRAHA:\I, art> grand
sons of an early pioneer.
Andrew Graham came from Scotland to Chatham, about the year 1816, and
bought 120 acres of land, which is now owned by his grandson, Andrew Graham;
two sons and two daughters accompanied him. 'Vith the help of the former, he
cleared up the greater part of his land. Tne youngest da.ughter, 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 abl1l1da'lt cropS-3. fact attested by a fine herd of eighteen cows, a
good number of other animals, and commodious buildings. Mr. Graham was
nnrricd in 1865 to :\Iary Smith. He and one of his sons, William Archibald, have
1ately purchased another farm, which they work together,
"Tilliam, a brother of Andrew Graham, also a thriving farmer, lives adjacent j his
mother and si- ter, Christina Elizabeth, live with him.
In this neighborhood al:;o dwell descend:1l1ts of DANIEL BRYNE, who carne from
:Kilkenny, Ireland, to Ricnmond,Ont., and in 1816, three years later, he came to
Chatham, and bought the land now owned and occupied by his son \\ïlliam 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. SchageI's company during the Rebellion. He dIed 3rd May, 1879-
Mrs. Byrne died 3rd
\.pril, 1852.
\Villiam Byrne, the son, was married 28th April, 1851, to Catherine, daughter of
the late John Byrne, of Grenville; they had four sons and three daughters; of these
ouly 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.
GREECF'S POINT AND STONEFIELD.
Greece's Point, which though but a scattered hamlet, eight miles west of Carillon,
is at thè western terminus of the Grenville Canal, hence, a place of cdl1siderable
business importance. .\ line of rLlÍlway, specially for the me of lumuermen, ais 0
connects the place with Grenville. It is vested with much historic interest, as it is
suppo:.;ed by many to be the spot, or very near the spot, where Daulac made his
heroic stand. The sceneryauout is very pretty, an attractive feature being the
eievated farms across the Ottawa at Little Rideau and Chute aa Dlondeau.
Greece's Point, from the e3.rliest settlement of the cOllntry, has become an
important part in its history.
On the 31st December, 1788, a IOC1.tion ticket, signed by the Surveyor General
of this Province, W:IS granted to Brig.-General Allan l\I cLean, 84th Regiment, author-
izing him "to improw and settle certain lots of hnd, comprising 5,000 (tive thousand)
acres, located in Chatham, County of York." On the 29th l\[ay, 1790, this land was
conveyed by deed of sale to
[ajor Lachlan McLeLU1, First Major of His
lajesty's
60th Regiment of Foot, who, 16th September, 1803, conveyed the same to JOHN
\VILLIA:\[ 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
3 08
HIS lORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
but about I,COO acres, which are leased to occupants by the agent employed by
Ir,
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 aLout, 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 time between the auctioneer and himself, until,
most unexpectedly to
Ir. Greece, it was struck off to him at $600.
A few days after this he set out to vie,,,- 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. \Vithout 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 rep!y 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./; 2.3 00 ; and, in
1862, it sdd at public auction for '/;10,05 0 ,
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 \Velden, 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.
\.t
his suggestion, the Post.cffice here was established with the name of Stonefield, and
he also named one in Grenville, Eden Dale; the position of which, and the name abo,
were sub
equently 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
\nglican Church at GrenvilIe.
REUBEN \VELDFN is the prtsent agent of this estate for l\Ir. Greece.
Thomas Welden, his fiither, came from England to Chatham in October, IS.p.
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 \Vilson, on rdurning hom
olle
evening with a span of ho:-ses from St. A ndrew
, wa, followed by a pack of these
marauders. His horses were good ones, and he urged them to their 1itmost speed,
but tl:ey and Wilson himself were saved only by his two dogs, w!lÍch fell vic i 115 to th.e
rapacIty of these brutes, In the quarrel which ensued among the wolves over theIr
feast, \Vilson 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.
1\Ir. \Veldtn, from the North River, moved a few miles farther west in Chatham,
to what is now known as the Noyes neighborhood. Here, on land owne<l by.the
lat
John Noyes, and now occupied by Philabert Filion, he found good clay for m3.kmg
bnck, and as. that had been his bU'iiness in England, he, in company with
Ir. Noyes,
oP.tned
nck yard. Their brick were of superior qua1ity, and most of the many
bnck buIldJllgs found in !his section of country were made from bricks of theIr
InanuÜcture.
HISTORY 01<' ARGF.NTEUIL.
3 0 9
About 1846 Mr. \Yelden 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 1\1rs. \Velden, wcre spent in the famiiy of their son Reuben
in Chatham. They left four ;)ons, James, Reuben, \Villiam and Fred. C. Three of
these, inteJIigent and re
pected farmers, live in this County. \Villiam is Harbour
Master at New York.
Reuben married Rowena, a daughter of the late C. \V. 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 CA:\1ERO
, from L0chaber, Argyleshire, Scotland, W,lS the first s
ttler
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 Cam
ron, His nearest neighbour was l\Lljor
Macmillan, nearly five miles dÜ,tant, in Grenville; but Indians frcquently Cc:ime 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.
-\nn'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
lay, 1882,
at the age ot 82. His wIdow, who was born on St, Patrick's day, 1805, and is, there-
fore, 91 years of age, still survive.;;. She usually converses with her son Allan in th
Gaelic tongue.
[r. and :\Irs. Cameron had five sons and two daughters-Allan,
John, Hugh, Daniel, Charles, Mary and Flora. D.tl1iel died recently. Flora m:1.rried
Thomas Johnson, of Calumet, who died suddenly two or three years ago.
Iary
married Donald :\IcVean, and both she and her huslnnd 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. :\Iany 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.
:\[r. Cameron says that of the many animals he has seen in the forest, n) sight
was more b
auliful or interesting to him than the following :-
He and an Indian, one day, had stroll
d 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 me3ns of cscape. They reared their
eXIJansive 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 h
rd, and hurriedly passed on, leaving them unmolestcd,
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.
3 10
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
About 1819, OWEN OWENS, of Denbigh, \Yales, came to :\Iontreal, and a year or
two later to Chatham, settling at what is now Stonefield, on land still owned and
occupied by his son Thomas Uwens. 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, and 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 mi)e from Stonefield.
\Villiam and Thomas remained on the homesteað, and, in company, engaged
largely in mercanti!e 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 188 4,
Thomas Owens built the store mentioned above at Stonefield, in which he now trades,
doing an extensive busines:. 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 S
. Andrews,
The firm, which was long known under the name of ., T. & ,V. Owens," is now
designated as that of ., ')', 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 m the employ of the firm twenty-five years.
\Villiam Owens always LOok 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. Cushing
Captain. In 1881, he entêred more actively into the political arena, as is sho\\'n by
the following paragraph, copied from a Montreal paper of 1893 :-
"A large and influential portion of the Conservatives are hoping that Mr,
\Villiam Owens, ex-M.P.P. for Algenteuil, will receive the appointment to the vacant
seat for Inkerman in the Senate. .l\Ir. Owens, in 1881, redeemed the County for the
Quebec Conservative p:uty in the Quebec Legislature. In 1886 he was re-elected by
acclamation, and in 1890 carried the county by 700 majority.
lr. 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 j 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 the Senatorship, 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 \Vas 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 bet
veen the present house of the late John Fitzgerald and the
river; he afterward bUIlt the stone house now occupied by Mrs. Lennon.
In 1824, ::\1r. Derrick took up 100 acres of Lot II, Range I ; in 1827, he was
Hl
T()RY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 11
married to Alice Shields; they had six children-two sons and one daughter grew
up, Mr. Derrick belonged to Capt. Ostrom's Company during the Rebellion of 18 37 ;
he died in December, 1877; Mrs. Derrick died
ovember, 1874. Joseph, the third
son, was married in S
ptember, 1872, to Mary
Ic.-\ndlew, and has remained on the
homestead. He is one of the well-to-do fanners of Chatham; he has added J 00 acre::;
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 l\Ia} or of the town
ship. He was also appointed Justice of the Peace, but has always declined to serve.
THOMAS FOREl\1AX, a memher 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 Joldier; they had three
sons and one daughter that grew up. The scms -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 \Yorks at St. Ann j 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
!'mall causes. He was married in October, 1875, to Caroline Douglass; they have
four children-two of each sex.
GEORGE FOREMAK, 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 educá.te 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.
Irs. Forem
ll1's maternal grandfather, Archi-
bald Canning, came to Canada about 1825. He was a stone-mason, and followed
is
trade many years in Ch3tl1am and vicinity. He die-d in Stonefield in 18SI. His
widow, 92 years of age, is still living, and, what is remarkable, she has never llsed
sprctacles. Two of her SO'1S, 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 leside at SLUnefield
GEO. LINDLEV, a young man from L-=eds, Yorkshire, England, came to Chatham
abou
1830, and bought 100 acres of Lot 10: 1St Range, and soon afterward sent for
his father's family. His father had been a cloth manufacturer in EngJal1d, employed
many hands, and when he came to this country, he brought quite a quantity of fine
broad cluths 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 circum
tances. Only four sons and two
àaughters settled in this country. Michael, the youngest son, married Jane Dowd,
and settled on the homestead; he belonged to Capt. :::ichagcl'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
'I tug-of-war II contest between the
\rgenteuil boys and those of Glengarry.
3 12
HIS:.rORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
EDWARD 'YHELEHAN came from King's County, Ireland, to this part of Chatham
in 1844. He first worked for Mr. Cushing several years, and, in 1855, bought of him
100 acres of Lot II, 1st Range. The first setller 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.
Cushing, he reserved a sma1i piece, and on it built another house, in which he died
in February, 1856. His wife died in November, 185q. Mr. \Yhelehan was married
in 1849 to Mary Dunn. He lived here till his death, 24th March, 1894, in the
80th year of his age. He had nine children, of whom three sons and four daughters
are now living.
1\1rs. 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
18 3 2 . 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 II th Range of Chatham. 1\1r.
Dunn, after his last marriage, settled on the farm of his father-in-law, where he lived
till 1845, when he removed to Brownsburg and worked at his trade-shoemaking-till
186 3, when he went to Montreal, where he died in 1867. Mrs. \Vhelehan's youngest
son, Edward, and daughter, Margaret, live with her on the homestead.
CHARLES H. \Y ADE is one of the respected farmers of this section. His father,
who owned a farm in Hawkesbury, sold it about 1857, and came to Greece's PoinL,
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-
marr:eù respectively to William Kirby and 'Yilliam Cook-live in the township of
Grenville, Que. One of his sons is a merchant in Grenville village. Charles H.
'Vade, 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. \Vade was
Elizabeth McFarlane. They have three sons and one daughter. \Villiam, the eldest
of the fonner, is one of the trusted employees in the Dominion Cartridge Factory at
Brownsburg, Que.
ROBERT SITTLINGTON, V)Ckmaster 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 S0n and three daughters now living. His eldest son, Capt. John
Sittlington, died in Stone field in IS88, aged 28. He held the Captaincy of Company
X o. 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, a
d his relati .res, but by a large circle offriends and acqu'
intances.
He was buried at Stonefield with military honours, His brother, \YILLIAM 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 SÜtlington's
eldest daughter, Mary Jane, was married 1st 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 I
les, soon after that place was first settled, and
remembers when it was principally forest. His father, \Viniam Dawson, one of ti1e
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, !\frs, Ryan,
who survived him. Mr. Dawson's death took place about 1890, in the 68th yeal
of his age, and that of l\Irs, Dawson in March, 1895.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 1 3
Edward Dawson left Mille Isles at the age of 2 I and came to Si:Onefield, Chatham,
where he engaged on the Canal works with the contractor, James Goodwin, Esq.
This was in 1873, "and 1\Ir, Dawson remained in 1\1r, Goodwin's employ till the work
was completed, being married in the meantime to 1\1iss Lizzie Canning in July, 18 75.
In 1876 he bought
far
in
lock
., front of Cha
ham, where he still resides, being
engaged in connectIon WIth hIS fa
rr:mg on the PublIc Works.
Ir. and 1\1rs. Dawson
have six sons and two daughters hvmg.
About five miles north of Stonefield, in Chatham, is a settlement known as
Ogdensburg-a name derived from an early settler named Ogden, a relativf' of Capt.
Ogden ofVankleek Hill. Other.early settlers there were the Mullins, Strongs, Fos.
ter, Hatley, McPhadden and BlaIr, but they have all left,
J A!\IES HEATLIE and his son 'VILLlAU, Scotchmen, located there several years
ago. Both are much respected men of Chatham, and the son is a munic
pal 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 TÚWNSEND, 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 vi)]age 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 lexel, 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
rt'cord, was a man named LEVI LEVITT. He came from Dunham, in the Eastern
Towmhips, about the year 1820, and built a house on the site of the present Roman
Catholic presbytery. He was a single man, anà brought with him only his axe, some
biscuits, and half a quintal of codfish. There was no road at the time, consequently
these anicles 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. 'Volves caused him great
annoyance, and, about the time of the Rebe)]ion of 1837, they 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, 12th June, [845,
and came directly to Carillon, where he remained with his uncle, Patrick Murphy,
four years. On the 29th 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 convcnicntly fenced off into three and five acre lots. He has comfortable
21
3 1 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTFUII..
buildings,
Jnd, at different till1e
, has taken a prize on his farm, at the County .\gri-
culturai Fair. Other land which he has purchased, located not far from the home-
stead, makes him now a farm of tWG hundred and ten acres.
Ir. Brearton, in J 838,
before leaving Ireland, took the temperance pledge from Father .:\Iatthew, and has
faithfully kept it to this day; and, though his flOsted hair and whiskers bespeak
advanced age, his fresh complexion, en.ct 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 eightfen 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. L
avitt. He claimed to have had no nourishment in all
that time, sa\"e water and a dozen beech nuts-aU he could find.
The next setller after Le
l\ itt was Jam
s Smith, a man from the States. between
whom and l\fr. 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.
1\1r. 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, sisler of Archie
Iitchell who
was a Commissary in the British service at the time the battle of \\"aterloo 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 COUll try,
so that they were regarded by their less fortunal
neighbors in Chatham with a certain
degree of awe and respect. They arrived at Chatham about J 824. One of the sons,
Columbus Cochran, was a man of gre;lt enterprise, and he erected a brewery and dis-
tillery ht're, bought a large tract of land, and was about carrying out other ],lans
when he was accidental1y drowned in the Ottawa. Jane, one of tl
e daughters of
Robert Cochran, was married to James Patton.
Some years after the death of Columl:us Cochran, the remaining members of his
father's family sold the homestead, and it is now owned hy \\'lLLlA:\1 DAVIDSON, one
of the prominent and respected farmers of St. Philippe. His method of f1rming is quite
in advance of the old style, He has all the improved farming implements; keeps
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. Befure coming
here, Mr. Davidson had considerable experience in market gardening at COle St. Paul,
and still gives some attention to this industry. While at Cote St. Pa.ul, he was
married to an intelligtnt Christian lady, the widc\\ of \Villi3m Broml y.
John Davidson, his father, who lives in this \iicinity, may be classed among those
settlers who came after the migration of the squatters or potash ma.kers. He anived
in Canada from Yorkshire, England, in r 833, and n-mained at Cote St. Paul a few years,
where he married Hannah Bromby. He
elved in one of the Volunteer companies of
fontreal 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
Ir. James
ichols, 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 0..' ARGENTEUIL.
3 1 5
J.UIES PATTON, from St. Andrews, in Scotland, came to this country about 18 34,
After staying with his brother Robert at Van's Corner a year, and working in different
places till 18 37, he bought the land at St. Philippe now owned and occupied by his
son, Robert C. Pallon. He was married about this time to Jane Cochran, but the
Rebellion soon called him from the peaceful pursuits of an early settler to thuse 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 :1ge of twenty-eight. His youngest son, Charles J "
who is a physician, lives in San Francisco, California. Mr. Patton died 26th l\1
y.
18 77 j Mrs. Patton 16th 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. H,
has been J\1 unicipal Councillor seven or eight years, and
a School Commissioner three or four. He was married to Agnes Dobbie in 186 5.
Besides a small shop or two, there is one good-sized general store at St. Philippe,
which is the property of PIERRE CARRIÈRE & So
.
Ir. Carrière came from St.
Scholastique to this place in 18 55, took his uncle's farm at Staynerville, giving him a life
lease. Five years afterward he went to California to f'arn money to pay for additional
land he had bought. Aft
r an absence of nearly five years he returned and paid for
his 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, rented
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 1\1 arch, 1890, when he sold it and bought the store in which
he is still engaged. The first wife of Mr. Carrière, Bridget O'ReiIly, died in 18 57,
leaving one daughter, who is now married. In 1865 he married Marie Cyr, by which
marriage he has four sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Anhur, who is with
him in the store, received a good academic education at St. Scholastique and Lachute.
He was married in January, 1893, to Lia FOUCLl.ult. Mr. Pierre Carrière is a member
of the Dissentient School Board, Board of Health, is .\ssessor, a Director of the
Laurentian Granite Quarry, and has been Municipal Councillor several years.
TAYLOR L<\FRAMBOISE came to St, Philippe from St. Scholastique in r879, and
opened a small carriage
hop on his arrival, but his business has so prospered that he
has enlarged his premises, and now usually employs a dozen men. He has a paint
shop, harness and blacksmith shop, so that he is prepared to make all kinds of vehicles,
and he annually sells a number of fine buggies of the most impro,-ed and latest style.
He is also an undprtaker, and agent for all kinds of agricultural implements, besides
being Manager and Secretary of the Laurentian Granite Quarry Company. The
enterprise of 1\1r. L...framboise has brought him success, and he has erected 1. neat
and attractive residence here,
.\t a distance of about half a mile west from the village of St. Philippe, on a good
farm, lives B. CHAMBERS, jun.
His father, James Boyd Chambers, came from the County of Tyrone, Ireland, to
Chatham in 1841, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his son Thomas,
There was only a rude hut on it and a small clearing at the time, and he soon erected
a more comfortable house, which is still standing, and he also, with the assistance of
his sons, c1eared up the farm, Mr. Chambers had received a pretty fair education in
his early days, which was of good service to him in this country. He was a School
3 16
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Commissioner for some time j but his principal business was buying and selling
cattle and sheep- a pursuit he followed for thirty-five years. He died in January,
18 93, in the 90th 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 100 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 fr(lnt of Chatham, He was married loth September,
18 75, 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. Anyone 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,
4 8 miles from Montreal, and 72 miles from Ottawa, reckoning from StaynervilIe
station. It contains thus nearly the whole of the township of Chatham: from the
township of , Vent worth to the north, to the Ottawa River to the south, Its territory,
c0nsequently, 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 5t, Philippe, numbering
23 0 . families and 1,400 souls, are nearly all of French-Canadian race. Th
re are
only about a
core 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 p:uish 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 Moun tains, where they were already too cro\\"d-
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
fanners, and spend more money for their table, clothes and carriages. Let that be
said tn 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, i\1auricette, Laurence,
Pilon, Foucault, Rochon, Giroux, Ouellet, Carriere, Cleroux, Robert, Morin, Lapointe,
etc. Some of those families, in the course of time, left the place, but others are
represented there nmv 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, \Vellingham, BJ.xter, 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 naïve and strong faith
of their mother-country, In th::tt point of view, the free soil of America was some-
what harmful to them.
'\Thence 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 1836, they were obliged to
go to Saint André 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, p05sibly 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 1836, were also attended
to by the missionaries while passing through Grenville, and holding service in the old
wooden chapel of that mission, situatèd 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. André and Grenville, according to the case.
The Canonic
l 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 Bishap
J. E. B. Guigues, first bishop of By town, and the civil erection, on the 6th of August,
1861, through the means of Mr, Justice Lafontaine. Those proceedings gave it a
regular anù legal exist
nce, and contributed a great deal to its spiritual, moral and
material progress. One could guess already what it was to become later on, .\ccord-
ing to the contents of the decree, that parish contains that part of the township of
3 18
HISTOFY OF ARGENTEUlL,
Chatham which is limited to the south by the Ottawa River, to [he east by the
hne that separates the township of Chatham from the Seigniory of Argenteuil, includ-
ing that palt of" I'Isle aux Chats" which is situated in Chatham, to the north by
the township of'VentwOlth, 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 c1lracy 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 certifica te of ma rriage between J os. Lacombe and Olive Leclair, dated 2 I st of
July, 1856, are the two first parochial documents of St. Philippe. The three first
wardens elected were: :Martin Sarrazin, Amable Trudeau and \Vm. Byrne. The
warden in charge for the balance of the aforesaid year was Martin Sarrazin. The
fourth wardt'n elected was Léon Bricot-Lamal'che) 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 Spl ing, 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 1\1ay, V' 58. He left behind him the name of a great
preacher of the Roman Catholic faith-dead at the present time,
The second palish priest of St. Philippe was the Rev. Laurent Jouvent, a French-
man by biIlh, afterwards a vicar-general of the diocese of By town. He carne hither
in the first days of June, 1858, and left the parish at the end of
Iarch 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 20th Kovembel', 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, aud 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
a
ri\'ed here on the 17th of N"ovember, 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 carne
here at t\lichaelmas, 1877, and left the parish at the end of October, 1880, now-
Septemb
r, I 8
4-a professor at Bourget College, Rigaud. (See reg. fo1. 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 l\Iichaelmas, 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 C011struction of the present
stone church. He was esteemed by his people, specially on account of his sympathy
for sick people.
The seventh parish Pliest was the Rev. Peter Godin ChatilIon, a French-Cana-
dian, who arrived here at Michaelmas, 1886. He returned to the diocese of -'10ntrea[
on the 3rd of October, 1894. to become a chaplain of the Monastery of the Good
Shepherd, Sherbrooke stleet.
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 ARGENTEUlL.
3 1 9
signed till the loth of May, 1859. The contractor of the building was Rinaldo
fuller, a farmer of the neighborhood. The peW5 were made by J. B. Beauchamp.
The brick ch3.pel, 45 x 31 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,
e"\.c1usively. 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
511m 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 thè town, containing 35 acres, wa:; bùught f\'Om the Rev, Ar
hur
Reignault by the trustees, on the 3rd of February, 1859. The little steel bell, bought
by Rev. F. 1. l\Iancip for the Church Curporation, was sold in 1892 to the mission
of Eardly, connected with _\ylmer. The wrought iron cross of the steeple i" kept as
a relic in the small cemetery established in the vault of the present church.
The mission of Grenville, from July, 1856, up to the appointment of the first
parish priest, Re\'. D. 1. 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 wililOut any curate, and afterwal d5 from :\Iichaelmas,
18 9 2 , through the meacs of a curate, Mr. Dieudonné Belanger. who went to say mass
there once a month. The records of l
aptisms, marriages and burials of that mission,
during those twu intervals, Wère then kept in the parochial registers of St, Philippe,
The mission of S. Joachim, Chute à Blondeau, wa" attenùed to by the parish
})riests of.5t. Philipp
up to 1st Janm.ry, 1887. The records of baptisms, marriages
and burials of the said mission were also kept, during tl1.1.t perioJ of tim
, in the
parochial registers of St. Philippe.
Up to the present time, according to the testimony of the old people and the
regi<.;ters of St. Philippe, there have been twelve episcopal visits: the first in June,
1
57, by Bishop Guigu
s. who put up that time at Joseph Leclair's, whme stone
hOllse at the entrance of the village is still in existence. It is in that same house that
the missionaries of Grenvi!le 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 j the third on the 2nd of June, 1864-; the fourth on the 6th of June,
1866; the fifth 011 the 1st of July, 1872, always by Rishop Guigue5 ; the sixth on the
3rd of June, 1875, by Bishop Duhamel; the seventll on the 9th of July, 1879 j the
eighth 011 the 23rd of JUlle, 18
I ; the ninth on the 3rd of July, 1884; the tenth on
the 24-th of July, 1
87 ; the eleventh on the 28th of Jun
, 189:>; and the twelfth on
the 23fd of July-all of them by Bishop Duhamel.
leanwhile, the chapel, that had become too small, called fur 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. "he diocesan Bishop, on the 23rd of
June, 1881, ba\'e to the parishioners the order, to get themselves ready to construct
the new church in the near future. Tile five wardens elected to put the said
decree into execution were: Gédéol1 Sarrazin, chairman; John Robert, Leon Bruot
Lamarche, Joseph Dowick, and Toussaint Lacroix. Later on, Gédéon 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 I 15 x 50 feet outside,
and the vestry 36 x 26 feet inside. The contract was given to Athana<;e L'luzJn, of
Bizard Island, for the amount of $1 1,800 cash, and the work began on the 25 th
3 20
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 15th of the next May,
under the direction of Bishop Duhamel, Archbishop of Ottawa. The building \vas
completed the next falJ, 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 j three
belJs 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 15th of June, 1889,
and was presided over by Bishop Duhamel. The big belJ, weighing 992 pounds, was
given the names of Mary, John the Baptist, Joseph, Anne, Joachim, Victoria j 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., ùf St. Eugene, and lady; \V. Owens, M.P.P., of Lachute, and 1\1rs. John
Lennon, of St. Philippe j H. Berthelot, N.P" of Lachute, and Miss Sauvé j 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 Honoré De3jardins, of St.
Philippe; Cyrille Perier and widow Isidore Legault, St. Philippe; John Fitzgerald,
sen., and lady, Chatham j John Fitzgerald and lady; John Robert and lady;
Augustin Prevost and lady; Toussaint Lacroix and lady; Célestin 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 d!9I, 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 12th of
Novenlber, 1891, in presence of a great 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
$3 6 2, 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 gatf',
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 1st 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 Coté, the wife of Cyrille Périer, of St,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 21
Philippe. Six schools were in full working in 1894. French and English are taught
simultaneously in one school. The three present wardens are: .:\1. Morin, chairman j
Pierre Carrière and Ambroise Blais, with Hyacinthe Paquin as secretary-treasurer.
All the Catholic people to-day are dissidents,
The village c.f St. Philippe, all French and Roman Catholic, numbered, in I 89'.J.,
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
puhlic improvements have heen 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
truggle of Dollard 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 exrlorings 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 Stan stead, 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, \Valter 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 19th 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
Dale5ville, 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 I I months j Mrs. Smith died 16th
December, 1884, a
ed 72 years and 6 months. They had twelve children, nine of
whom-seven sons an1 two daughters-grew up. Johnson, the son living on the
homestead, married 20th 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 employ
d by a thrifty, intelligent farmer.
Daniel, another brother, married in November, 1882, a widow, l\Irs, H. ;\,
Hooper. In 1880. he built a powder mill at Brownsburg, which has since become
the property of the Dominion Cartridge Company, and
lr. Smith for several years
has been their agent. He lives at BlOwnsburg, and is widely known as a public-
spirited, energetic gentlc;;man.
Jacob, anuther son of Captain Smith, married 24th N o';ember, 1862, Elizabeth
Chambers; he settled near the homestead, and died there 11th September, 1891.
3 22
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
His widow still resides there with her children, of whom they had seven-fo'.u sons
and three daughters. l\Iillie, one of their daughters, in 1890, at the age of 13,
received a medal from the Montreal IVdness, f0r 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, and in 1850 settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his son, George
ß. 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, he
married Mary Bothwell j they had :hree children-two sons and one daughter-0ut
one of the former died in infancy. Mr. Martin died in July, 1859; :\lrs. Martin in
January, 1891. Their only remaining son, George Broke, received his second name
after Captain Broke, who command
J th
British ve3sel ,. Shannon," which captured
the United States ship" Chesapeake," near Boston, in the Americ:ll1 \Var; Captain
Broke being an old and esteemed friend of Mr. l\hrtin.
George E. \1artin, the son, hac;; always remained on the hom
stead with his
sister, l\lary Jane. He has a good-sized farm, as well as a good library, In 1867, he
joined the Argenleuil Ran,ge
s, and Ius passed through the different graries of pro-
motion, till he now holds the rank of Major. In 189[, he was appointed Secretary-
Treasurer of the Ch"tham Council, and two years later, Secretary- freasurer of the
School Commissioners of
Iunicipality NO.1, comprising the first six rang
s of lots
in Chatham. The rural abode of Mr, l\lartin and his sister, and the possession of a
library, lnve enabled them, without the ùÜ:tractions incid
nt to a less secluded life,
to profit Ly extensive reading-.1. fact pleasurably apparent to those who meet them.
STA YNER VILLE.
A little more than a rr.ile from St. Philippe, and at the railway statIon, a post
office has been established with the aboxe 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 \VILLlA:\1
CARB)ROUGH and
""ILLIA:\I 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 Bradfurd 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. Farish, merchant
of St. Andrews, took a cuntract for supplying the Volunteers with clothing, and 1\1r.
Scarborough was employed in cutting and making it, and from that time forward
obtained all the work he desired.
\Villiam, his son, who now owns the homesteaù, when a boy worked some years
for his neighbors, Levi Leavitt and Robert Allen. He was employed by the latter
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
3 2 3
during the Rebellion, and as Mr. Allen belonged to the Cavalry, and was stationed,
sometimes at the "Barracks" in Carillon, and sometim
s 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 3ays
he was kept pretty busy at that time, and during the days when the fight occurred at
St. Eustache, and the Y olunteers marched to Grand Brulé, he ha:.l 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 d:e river on the Upper Ottawa, he was
left entirely alone for ten days. One of the men cut his knee, and from wan t 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
place wher
he could receive proper medical aid. ]n 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 burnillg 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, 'Vhile thus jour-
neying near the mouth of the Gatineau, his boat was suddenly entangled in a great
mass of ftoodwood, swept down by the breaking of a darn above. After much diffi-
culty, he succ
eded in gaining an island, from which he was rescued. But
1:r. Scar-
borough seems to have borne the hardships and surmounted the difficulties of
pioneer life successfully, as he i3 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 j 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 hor
es in pound, and with the poundage thus
secured bought rum for his men.
Subscquently, )Ir. Davis bought the lo
adjoining
Ir. Scarborough's, which i;;; now
owned and occupied by his pephew, 'Villiam 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 \vould
find it necessary to remain over night in the woods, not being able to pick their paths
through thc 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 1\Ir. 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, þy 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 sevéral years, these
animals and lynxes were very destructive to the sheep of these two pioneers- the
latter, on account of the stcalth with which they carried off lambs, being more dreaded
than wolves.
3 2 4
HISTORY m' ARGE
TEUlL,
The children of 1\1r. 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, \VILLIAl\1 DAVIS, came t3 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. l\Irs. Davis died in 18 94.
In this neighborhood, on the 6th Range, is also the fine farm of David, the fourth
son of DAVID MCOUAT.
In 18 79, 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 ISO acres m:He in the adjoining Range. He was nurried 4 th
November, 18<) I, to Ellen Kerr.
BRO\VNSBURG.
This pleasant little village or hlmlet, 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 18 I 8, he received a grant of land at what
is now known as Brownsburg, shows that he was here at th:Ü 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 descend:mts 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 21st May, 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 reache1 St. Andrews, on
coming from England, they had only money enough left to purcluse a single loaf of
breJ.d. B
fore closing his career, however, he surrounded his Ll.mily with all the com-
forts of affluence, and was able to rdieve the nec
ssities ofm.my others. He left \ut
two daughters, one of whom married Alexander
lcGibb3n, the other mJ.rried James
Duddridge. .
ALEXANDER MCGIBBO
was a distant relative of John :\IcGibbon, the second
settler at D.lle
ville, and he cam
to that place very soan 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 W.lS an excellent singer-
talent
that was often e"ercised at religioJs m
ling
antJ socill gJ.therin
, after he Clm
to
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 2 5
Dalesville. Possessing considerable ski11, 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 SOOI1 after he
carne 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., 11th
June, 1845, and came into possession of his father-in-law's estate, ,consisting of the
mi11s 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 Postm3ster-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, II months; 1\Irs, l\lcGibbon died, 10th May, 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
lanå, 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, 30th June, 1886,
to Mary Jane Warwick; she died 27th July, 1891.
Duncan McGibbon was married to Annie, daughter of \Villiarn Buchan of
Geneva, 20th June, 1888.
\lexander 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 l\IcGibbon, another son of Alexander McGibbon, died at Butte
City, Montana, 15th April, 1887 ; and James \V. McGibbon, another of his sons, died
16th 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 18 I 2, 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 he
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. l\Ir,
Macdonald took an active part in quelling the Rebellion of 1837, and at that time
Was Captain of a Company of Militia; he died I nh July, 1879; his wife died 15th
January, 1890. They had thirteen children, of whom twelve glew up. Two sons,
George and James, and two daughters, Mary, and a widow, l\Irs, 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 l1l:clens of a village; but the little village
3 26
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 l\1r. McArthur, who is the
Postmaster of the place, and H. E. THO
IPSO
; the store of the I
tter being an
imposing brick structure that would do credit to a city. 1\[r, Thompson was born
in HochelagJ, his grandfather, who did a large business, bemg 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,
)lontreal and G.
. ,V. Telegraph Companies, and, afterwards, was on the Quebec,
Montreal & Occidental Railway. SubsEqut'ntly, he was for ten years station
agent and telegraph operator at 81. Philippe. He left this in 1890, to engage in
trade at St. Philippe, recei\-ing 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 19th September, 1893, to Eliza Nichols of Slayner-
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 regubrly 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
[ethodist
Church," in 1852.
JOHN McLEOD, the village blacksmith at this place, de5cends from one of the
pioneers of Harrington. His grandfather, Hugh McLeod, als.) a blacksmith, came
from Sutherlandshire, Scotland, to that township among the early settlers, and
\Vor
ed 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 SlJl1,
married Bella Dewar, bought 150 acres of land near his home: and still lives on it,
engaged in fanning. He has fi ve daughters and four sons. John, second son,
married :\Iary McLeod, 26th June, 188
', and for the last five years has plied his
trade with ample encouragement at BrowlIsburg.
DOl\IINION CARTRIDGE FACTORY.
Traveling wt'stward 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 DO:\IIKION CARTRIDGE CO:\IPANY. 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 pre-
sident ; capital $ 1 0,000. The erection of the buildings was completed in 188 7,
and work commenced.
1\1r. 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 hld been connected with the
Hamilton Powder Company; he is now General Agent for the Cartridge Company.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 2 7
.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. \y, Kelly of Lowell, l\Iass , in whose charge are th
details of the whole
manufacturing dep:Jrtment.
'J here are 23 buildings connected with this manufactory, besides the fac:tory
and office; the former is So ft, by 140 ft. in size, and four stories in height. The
boarding house is 100 ft. by 30 ft" three stories, and contains forty bedrooms; it is
h
ated 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 uuder conc;ideration
by the Company, and, no doubt, will be carried into effect.
The fine boarding house at Brownsburg is under the able management of l\IR
.
R. HARDIE. who belongs to a family deserving special notice in these pages.
J ..-\:\IES 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 btfore th
ir
arrival the victory of \Yaterloo had been \\'on. On receiving his discharge, he W.1S
awarded a pension and a grant of Lot 27,1 Ith Range, in the rear of Chatham. On this
land he settled in 1832, and for a number of years often had his early miJitary ardor
and courage rekindled in the \V:1r he was obliged to wage against the bears of ChathLun.
He died in the house of his son George, with whom he lived, in December, 18 7 8 .
He had a large family of chilùren, but only six of them-three sons and three
daughters-settled in this "'ection, Thomas and Rob
rt, the eldest son;;. 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 School1Joard of this [\[ llnicipality; he died in
August, 188.? 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, 9th !\ovember, IS7c.
)[r. Hardie, who had pre\'iously followed farming, has been in the employ of the
Cartridge Company about seven years, During the greater portion of this time
:\[rs. Hardie has had charge of the boarding department,
James Carpenter, the eldest bro
her 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 year
. Ten of these he has spent in the emplùy of J. C. \"ilson, 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 11argery Sweeney, and bought Lot 24, loth Range of Chatham, on which he
lived a few years till the death of his wife, He then rented his f.um. married again,
anù 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 fonner is chief of the detective secret sen ice
of :L\lontreal; 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 successflll in the dis_
3 28
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
covery of criminals, and in bringing tham to the Bar of Justice. In the execution of
this work, he has traversed land and sea j 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 unp}easant experiences, and the years in which he has witnessed so
much of the dismal side ofIife, Mr. Carpenter is a man ofremarkably 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 \V ADE, a son of Charles H. 'Vade, of Cushing, is one of the efficient and
trusted men of the Cartridge Company, in whose employ he has been for six years.
He was married sth July, 1890, to Katie Alma O'Byrne, of South Indian, Onto
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, 'Villiam McAlIi
ter, 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 \Vright. 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.
\Villiam, his eldest son, married Christy Green, d:lUghter of Charles Green of
Brownsburg, in September, 1860. About 1866, he bought 100 acres, east half of Lot
II, Range 8, at Brownsburg, on which he still lesides. Mrs. McAllister died 13 th
June, 1877; they had four sons and three daughters that grew up. James, the second
son, a young man highly respected, died 13th December, 1877, aged 22 years, 6
months. George, the third son, who is employed in the factory, was married 25 th
June, 1894, to Sarah Delacourt, of Montreal.
Near the Cartridge Factory also resides \VILLIAM: POLSON, who, in April, 18 94,
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
Polson, belunged to the 21st Highland Regt. of Infantry, and was in active service
during the American Revolution, the war of ISI2, and in Spain. He was Sergeant,
and while at Gibraltar, when in charge of a fatigue party, th
y met a squad of Span-
iards, who attacked them. The Spaniards were defeated, and a brass pistol, which
Sergeant Polson took from the body of the Spanish commander, is now in possession
')f 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
anada,
and for several years was Barrack Sergeant at St. Helen's Island, Montreal, but was
finally drowned by the capsizing of a boat, when cros::;ing the St. Lawrence. He
left one son, John Polson, who married Alice Smith, daughter of a man who had
lately come from England and settled at St. Philippe. Mr. Polson 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 piace he shipped on a whaling
vc:.ssel, 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.
3 2 9
He left seven sons and two daughters, of whom \Villiam Polson, who has always
remained on the homestead, is the only one living in this section.
e
'T!1I A valuable Granite Quarry was discovered a little west of Brownsburg in 18 9 2 .
A
mountain of considerable size, apparently being a solid mass of an excellent quality
or' granite. A. Trudeau, of St. Philippe has the honor of being the discoverer. A
company called the Lanentian Granite Quarry Company, compos
d of A. Trudeau,
p, Carrière, T. Laframboise and Joseph Brunet (Montreal), was formed in 18 93-
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, m3.Y be.
seen on the right a tract of sterile, stony land, covered with a scrubby growth of
tamar.lC, On this inhospitable looking tract, ARCHIBALD l\IURoocH, from Moray-
shire, Scothnd, settled as a pioneer about [833. He came to this country about
1825, and was in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company five years, " where," says
fr. King, "he became well acquainted with the hardships of that region: having, as
well as other þoor fellows, to carry heavy loads, exposed to cold and hunge:r 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 better place, where, after enduring many hard-
ships, he began to thrive,"
After leaving the North-\Vest, Mr. Murdoch returned to Scotland, and the vessel
on which he sailed oeing wrecked, he lost his trunk, a gun he highly prized, and his
watch. He was not satisfied, however, with hi') 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 7th Range, which
is now owned by his son George. As stated oy .Mr. King, here he began to thrive,
and, in time, possessed a fair competence. He was a man of intelligence, as well as
reat energy-qualities which, combined, are very likely to secure success. He was
married about the year] 834 to :\Iary Ann Bain, daughter of a bookbinder in the
town of Forest, Scotland. He died in Sèptember, 1869, leaving three sons anà two
daughters.
Archibald, the eldest son, after two years spent in Illmb
ring, married 15th Sep-
temÌJ
r, 1864, Mary, daughter of John Calder. In 1868, he bought the old farm near
Dales ville, known 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 11th 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,
no doubt, contributed materially to his prosperity, His farm, noted for being the
home of the Rev. D,l.l1iel I\f cPhail in his youth, has many points of picturesque
scenery, 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
Hapti"t Church. Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch have five sons and six daughters living,
yet they have experienced sad affliction. In November, 1887, their eldest son,
Archil, aged 22, a young man universally r
spected, was killed by a fJlling tree in
:\1 ichigan. His body \Vas 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.
22
33 0
HI
TORY 01" ARGENTEUlL,
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 100 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, wh.o 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 :\1 ary 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 wooJlen mills of the MORRISON BROTHERS, alld the saw mill of La.ne & Owens,
which, with a number of dwellings, form a diminutive vill
ge, A creek which crosses
the road here provides good water power for the mills, and the business done in
former years, a::; well as at present, renders it a place of some little importance in the
township. ·
Peter McOuat built a saw mill, where the wooll
n mill now stands, about I838
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 \Villiam
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 trected by
John Hutchins, but it did not long cOlltinue in operation. He then, about the year
18 4 6 , built a saw mill, which was llllder 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 31st October, 1828, \0 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 îor 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, out 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 t887, 22nd December,
'Villia.m 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 exceUent
quality and appearance.
Several of the family of l\1cOuats 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 0... ARGENTEUIL,
33 1
of the MCOUATS is fixed by the Montrose wars in Scotland, but from tradition and
other evidence, it is clearly e.stablished
hat they P?ssessed a valu
ble property kno...'n
as the B
r?s of Clyde for eIght ge?eratIon
prevIous to. that date, ther
being only
one SurvIVing son 111 each generatIon dUrIng all that time. The son of the eighth
generation served for several years in a dragoon regiment under Lord \lontrose,
At the close of the MOl
trose wars, he returned to his estate to find 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, \Villiam and \Valter; of these, all may be dropped
except William, who was the fat
er 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, \Yilliam
Catherine, Elizabeth, and Marion. He leased another farm, named "Balfunnina,'
where he lived fourteen ye:HS, during which time his first wife died, He afterw:rd
married another lady of the same name, Jean Edmond, by whom he had three sons
and four daughters, viz., James, Peter, \Valter. Jean, Janet, Christian and Margaret.
He lea
ed a third farm, and took his brother \Valter into partnership, leaving \Villiam
at " Halfunning" farm. Coming back now to \Villiam, 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
carne to Canada, and settled in the County of ArgenteuiJ.
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 1\1rs. 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-
pear!? 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 yea.rs previom 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 \Valter having learned the
mason trade, wrought for some years in GlasgO\v. \Villiam, after working with these
two for a year or more, went to the Highlands to take charge of a lime works. Enter.
ing the works in 1818, he remained in charge for thirteen years. Andrew, at the age
of 17, was indentured to 1\11'. 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 \Villiam at Lachute and taking John
with them, they proceeded to By town to work on a contr.lct for Mr. Thomas McKay,
on the Rideau Canal. In June, 1831, while laying the last stone of a lock at Mud
Lake, \Valter got his knee joint crushed, which resulted in his death, He was interred
near Mud Lake, and a stone erected over hi') grave by the Government Staff.
John and "Andrew, being seized with ague,. returned as speedily as possi
l
to
Lachute, and were unable to work during the remamder of that year, In 1832, WIlham
and Andrew built a house for :\11'. John McRuer, and another, for Mr. Thos. Pollock,
both of Hin Head, In 1833, they built a house for Mr. Colin Robertson at his
33 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
"Struan Farm." In 1834, Andrew bought his farm from Mr. Robertson (west half of
Lot 7, 7th Range, of Chatham, aùout three miles from Lachute), agreeing to finish
the ground flat of his farm house. This, together with about .L3 0 worth of work done
prtviou
ly, paici for hie; farm and left him a balance of 1:5. This farm-now 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
)lis using either axe or plow, but by judiciously exchanging skilled for unskilled
labor,
In 18 35, \Villiam and Andrew contracted to build the Cedar Mills, and the fol-
lowing year 'Yilliam built Mr. James McOuat's house on the north side of North
Ri\.er, ab:we Lachute; and Andrew built a house for Mr. Wainwright at Cote du
Midi, and uui!t 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 pairs for
McLaughlin of Ottawa. He went to Burlington in 1838, where he built three pairs
" burr," and at various times afterwards put in seUs in the St. Andrews' Mills, St.
Scholastique l\lills, the mills of Geo, Brown of Chatham, and several others.
PETER MCOUAT, of whom iittle is s::Iid 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 182 7
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 il1ustrates 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.
" 'VeIl, but how are you going to take your lime home? "
" On my back, indeed. 'Vhat 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 for her home, eight or nine
miles distant.
In 18 37, Mr, McOuat took up 200 acres, Lot 8, Range 7, at Brownsburg, on
which is the present house of his son 'Villiam, and later he bought 200 acres more,
adjacent to it. He was an energetic and efficient business man, well known in diffe-
r-::nt 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 31st 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 Henry's
Church at Lachute. He was married, 9th January, 1862, to Mary Duddrifige, a
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
333
\\:oma
l oí 1110st amiable and excellent qualities; she died in .\ugust, 18 7 I. They had
SIX chIldren-two sons and four daughters; the two former died in infancy. Two of
the. daughters, :J\Iary and Margaret, live with their father in a very pretty cottage
whIch he erected on the homestead. Mr.
IcOlIat has a retentive memory, and his
fund of anecdotes-humorous or otherwise-relating to pioneer life would alone fill
a volume.
Contiguous to the home of \ViIliam McOuat is that of James, son of Andrew
:.\IcOuat, noticed in the sketch above; the latter was married to Elizabeth Robson;
he died 14 th December, (856. They had five sons and three daughters who arrived
at maturity. James, the son who remained on the homestead, was married, 29 th
February, 18 7 2 , to Jane McOuat. The homestead consisted of 100 acres at this
place and 100 acres in a:1other Range, to which he has added 3 00 , making a fine
farm of 5 00 acres. Mr. McOuat's enterprise and success in the agricultural line is
interesting, and rarely equalled. He has a commodious brick house, equipped with
modern conveniences, with all the outbuildings requisite for systematic dairying and
farming. A new barn, with galvanized iron roof, which he has ju<;t erected, is 100
by 43 feet in size, with 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
gai pipes. \Vater is conveyed to the kitchen in 4-inch metal pipes. He also has
another barn with tin roof, 30 x 40 feet in size. Mr. l\IcOuat believes in progressive
farming, and adopts new systems and purchases new implements, only after he
become well convinced that they are an improvement on the old ones. \Vhile
adhering to this principle, he has become possessed of many agricultural implements,
which indicate his determination to practise first-class farming. His brother, John,
who is a man of influence here, resides on an adjacent farm, and with him lives
his mother, who, though of very advanced age, has a clear recollection of the scenes
through which she has passed, and graphically describes them.
J OHN STEWART was one of the pioneers who settled in this section. He came
from Perthshil e, Scotland, in 1830, or the following year, and about two years later
bought 80 <:Iefes of Lot 6, in the 7th Range, to which he added 9 0 acres adjoining it,
some years afrer\\' a rd. He \Vas a shoemaker, and followed this trade, although he
cleaft:d up the land he had purchased; he died about the year 1881. He had four
sons and three daughters who grew up. John, the eldest son, bought the homestead,
and has since lived on it. In 1856, 19th July, he was married to Mary Ann Brown;
she died 4 t h July, 1868, and he next married Elizabeth McLeod, 6th June, 18]2,
fr. Stewart has fourteen children living, and has recently received a grant of
100 acres of land from the Provincial Government. By ris first marriage he had
seven children, but only five-three boys anti two girls-are living; by the second,
he ha., fi\'e br>ys and four girJs. He has taken much inlerest in local affairs, and has
served as School Commissioner 13 years, and Valuator 16 years; he is a staunch
Patron of Inc l ustry.
IOUN r
IAPLE.
About two miles west of Brownsburg is a post office with the name of
Iùu'
t
Iaple, which was established in 1881. The land in the vicinity, though stony, IS
comparatively level, and there are m:my good farms hereabout.
JA:\IES CALDER, a silk weaver from Paisley, Scotland, was one of the tirst who
located here. He came to Canada with his brother John, in 1827, and bought
334
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
15 0 acres of land in Lachute, which is no\\' owned and occupied by the family of
the late James Pollock. Seven years sllbse.quen tly he sold it, and bought. 200. acr
s
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,
especiaJIy,-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 14th April, 1880 i Mrs. Calder died
1St October, 1873. They had three sons and two daughtels who grew up.
James, the youngest son, received one-half the homestead,-Ioo 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
hey 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, 17th 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 úf two years each. A recent copy of The
Watchman announces the death of Mr. Calder. He died 16th March, 1896-a 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, Patlick 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 (me son and three daughters
who grew up.
Margaret, the eldest daughter, was married to \Villiam
1ùtt, 29 th April, 1845.
He had been a soldier in the British service, enlisting at Chelmsford, England, 14th
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
Brulé in 1837, and received his discharge soon afterward, after twenty-one years of
service, in which he was commended for good character. A year pr
vious to his
marriage he bought, in this part of Chatham, the west half of Lot 2 I, 8th Range, to
which his family, since his death, have added the other half. He died 29th N ovem-
bel, 1866, at the agt of 94. He had seven ch ildren -two sons and fi ve 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, DAVID \V ARWICK is Postmistress at :Mount Maple. Her father, James
)IcKenzie, from Morayshire, Scotland, came to Lachute about the year 1834. A
) ear 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
chi]åren-three of each sex.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
335
Jane, the second daughter, was married, 9th January, 1857, to David, son of
John \Varwick, one of the pioneers of Chatham. Before his marriage, Mr. \Varwick
had bought 3 00 acres in the 7th Range-a part of which is still owned and occupied
by his widow. He was appointed Postmaster at Mount 1viaple in 1881, when the
office was established; he was also School Commissioner several years. He died 29 th
December, 1882, and Mrs. \Varwick was appointed Postmistress.
Though but a child at the time, Mrs, \Varwick 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 husband,-, being away with the Volunteers. Mrs. McKenzie would
not allow a light in the house after dark, fearing that it would be more 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"jen 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. \Varwick 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. \Varwick, who now lives with her, has a
farm on Manitoulin Island, in Lake Superior, and has lived there for many years,
JOHN \V ARWICK 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 \Vm. Forester. He engaged as pilot on one of the
boats plying the Ottawa, and died from cholera in 1832, He had three SO!lS and one
daughter. John, the youngest son, married Mary Murdoch, and about the year 18 5 2
bought a farm of 100 acr
s in this locality, which is now owned and occupied by
his son, \Villiam J. \Varwick; but he died a few years subsequently. Three of his
sons and one daughter grew up. \Villiam 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 2[0 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 f.'ums in this section is that of DAVID BLACK. \Vm. 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
art of whicI
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 .I.ots
18 and J 9 in the 6th Range of Chatham. !Ie has cleared
nan y acres of thIS, of
stumps and bushes, and made many other l.mproveI?ents 'Ylllch. port
ay Ius energy
and skill as an agriculturist. Besides enlargmg and lmprovmg 11ls resIdence, he has
erected a barn 100 x 30 feet, a cow stable 100 x 18 feet, a horse stable 45 x .zS feet,
and a granary 40 x 20 feet. He has 32 head of cattle, 9 horses and 34 sheep, and
33 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
besides the usual fanniFlg implem
nts, 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.
1\1r. Black has nine children--four sons and five daughters. Robert, the third
son, who lives on the homestead, was married 25th April, 1894, to Ellen Pollock.
DALESVILLE.
In his annals of this place, the Rev. :Mr. King says :-" This section should have
been left to wild animals, and as hunting gronnd fer 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 wÍlh boulders, will imagine that there is much truth in l\1r. 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 difficullies may
accomplish,
A ride along any of the roads leadin s 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 peculJiarr
interests of the inhabitants, and from every point of compass will gather a bûdy 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 even tually learn that the vari(,us roads which branch off here and there
from the main rcad 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 :\lcKERRICHER, from Glenlyon, Perth-
shire, Scotland. He carne some time between 1820 and lð25, and, no doubt, attracted
HISTORY OF ARGEKTEUlL,
337
to this section by its resemblance to the hills and glens of his native shire, he took
up Lot 17, 111 the loth Range. .For 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 g1ad to know that some
other human being was near, he repaired to the Spot whence the sounds proceeded,
and found a man !lamed John ::\IcGibbon, who had come from his own native place,
GlenIyon, PerthshIre, and taken up Lot 16, loth Range, adjoinir g 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 Mc..\rthur. Among others
who scon followed were Peter and Alexander McGibhon, Malcolm McGregor, John,
Hugh and Duncan McCallum, Donald and Duncan ::\IcPhail-all fram Glenly.on.
JOHN :\[CGIBBO
came to Lachute in 1820, and lived thele 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 dissatist
lction and differences among 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
otherwi
e 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 vcry earnest in his efforts to do
good-often preaching in private houses before the erection of the Baptist Church,
and after that he held service in the church when thel e was no minister present, He
died comparatively young, and the day of his funeral was a solemn one in Dalesville,
-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 Jatter married Elizabeth Brown, of Glengarry, Onto
and remained on his farm till fie died, 19th November, 188 4. They had seven
children-four sons and three daughters. John, the eldest son of the familv, in
18 75, bought 3 00 acr
s on the adjacent 1 (th Range, 011 which he now resides, This
land was first granted to Stewart Ovens, who had been a British soldier,
Ir. K.ing,
in his graphic pen pictures of carJy
ettlers at Dalesville, says :_
"Then there was Sergeant Ovens and his little wif
1 R.lchel. .\ nurtiallooking
man was the Sergeant, as he proudly raised his head, stood en-'ct and elevated his voice,
to reJate hIs experience on battlefields in Sp:1Ïn; he had been in sixteen battles,
e!Jid
s
s<::veral skirmishes, without receiving a wound." He also received a pensIOn, I.n
addition to the land granted him j he Jived 0/1 this land till his death, After hIs
decease, hi:; widow removed to Ontario, with their two sons and d:mghter,
John l\IcGibbon, who now owns the Ovens farm, married, loth ::\Iay, 1881, Isabell:!
Hairshaw, and is one of the industrious and prOSI)erOUs yeomanry of this section.
Of the cemetery mentioned above, .Mr. King thus writes:-
" That hurying-ground has become a very interesting place; in it, aI?d in tl
c J!ves
of those who rest there, may be read a history of the Settlement from I.ts begmmng,
near half a c
ntury ago. There was laid there, not Jong ago, the remams of a
.U1
close on 90 years of ag
. He was an Irishman named Kerr, who had been a so.ld
er,
and fought the French in Egypt, under .Abercrombie, He had nevcr been a Chnsuau
till a short time before his death, when he was converted and died happy."
'William, another son of Peter McGibbon, was married 30th October, 187.8, to MJ.ry
Lothian. He had previously been in Nevada, and, after his marri.lge, agJ.1I1 spent a
few years there, in the lumber busines
. He returned in the f.'111 of I. .13, and settled
33 8
HISTORY Ol<' ARGENTEUIL.
near the old homestead on 200 acres, L'lt IS, Range 9, which is generally known as the
'" McFadane 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, lñe lYatchma1l (Lachute) of March
19th. 1896, contains the following :-" As anticipated in last issue in announ.
cing the death of \1 rs. 'Vm. .McGibbon of Dalesvilie, the separation between
hushand 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 fath
r 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 ùrother of those named abo\'e, on leaving the homestead,
spent four years in ::\lichigan, and after his return lived three years on the homestead
with his mother, of whom he bought one-half of it. He was muried 2nd May, 1888,
to Catherine, daughter of Alexander Calder. He has boubht, since his first purchase,
200 acres, Lot IS, Range 10, known as the" Malcolm McGregor Farm. " His present
quantity of stock, and the thrift and energy he displays, augur a prosperous future.
A!exander, another brother of the above, has recently returned to Dalesvil1e
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
IcGibbon's :\Iills, living there. This aged couple, who were highly respected,
passed away in the fall of 1895.
.\lexander, 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:
"' :\Ialcolm 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 Aprii, J 869, at the age of 86. His wife died a few years previous,
:\Ir. King says: CIA 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, anj the young people would
gather round her chair, to get a shake of her hand and a few kind, cheering words."
_\RCHIBALD MACARTHUR, one of the pioneers of this section, was a man of marked
individualiïy 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
difÞcult both to undel'stand and to render his id
as intelligible to others. L
Hning,
howevt:f, 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. Rut Mrs. ::\IcMartin,
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
1r. McMartin. Mr. Dewar, of " l3ellevue,"
Carillon, however, a few weeks later, offered him $12.00 to work for him in haying-
an offer too ttmpting to be refused. He had learned the blacksmith's trade in
HISTORY OF 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 all,Hved Flynn to keep his entire wages
t 6 per cent. mterest. At or near the end of the second year, Fh"nn became
Insolvent, and the young Scotchman lost all he 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 Lièvre 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
12th Range. On going to see it, however, he found that his nearest neighbo; would
be miles distant, hence he left the land, and for $60 bought 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 sel1 him 200 acres of her own land, in Osg00de, for $[20.
He paid her tht 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 he 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 wolve.. were killing many sheep at Dalesville, and 1\1r. MacArthur was
warned by his neighbors th,lt he must shut up his sheep or they would be killed,
1'ot acting promptly on this advice, that night the wolves killed eleven of them.
1\Ir. MacArthur died 1st February, 1878; Mrs. MacArthur, 29th May, 1882. They
had eleven child. en-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
fontrea', and engaged
as clerk. The following year, he went with the firm by which he was employed
to Perth, Ont., and remained there till May, 1849. In August following, he
opened a store in Dalesvtlle-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 15th
Iay, 1849, to Nancy Stone;
she died 20th
lay, 1888. l\fr. MacArthur was appointed Postmaster here, in [854,
when the the post ûffice was established, and he still holds the position. lIe has
b;:;en Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner a number of years, and has
been
ecretary-Treasurer of No.2 Schooll\] unicipality of Chatham,thirty-eight ye
rs.
During the forty-se\'c'n years that he has been engag
d in business, he has expenen-
ced some of the vicissitudes of fortnne, yet he has been universally respected, and
to-day cúmmands the esteem of his fellow-citizens as a relia.ble business man. He
has, in hi:; business transactions, dealt to some extent in real estate, and, at pre-
sent, owns 1668 acres in Chatham, and
OO in \V entworth. . .
His brother, REV. ROBERT STUART ì\IAC.-\RTHt;R, D. D., is a'man m whom his
countrymen, as well as his family, may well feel pride.
He was converted at the age of nine, and at thirteen years join
the chur
h of
his mother, When only sixteen he was accustome
to c?nduct re
lglOus meetmgs,
nd spoke to the people with an unction, force and IIHelhgel.1ce \
lllch foresh
do\\ed
the coming di\.ine. He prepared for college. at t
le Canadian Llter.ary Institute at
'Voodstock, Ont,: was graduated at the Ul1I\perslty of Rochester m 1867. and at
34 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTF.UIL.
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
writer-he supplied different pulpits, and became well known as an effective serm:m-
izer. After receiving and declining flattering and enthu<'iastic 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 l1pon 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 durir,g 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, I here
were signs of improvement and of advancement along al1 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 amou
Hing to the amazing sum of
$7 1 ,000. From the commencement of his labors to the present time, there has been
extraordindfY growth in numbers and financial strength. The edifice in which his
people now worship- a magnificent structure on 57th Street, betwl en 6th and 7 th
Avenues-is the m03t costly church that was ever erected by Bavti<;ts on this
continent, During his ministry of nearly twenty-five years, the church has given for
beneyolent and missionary purposes more than two million dollars.
Dr. Mac.\rthur 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 j 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 cla'>Ses in the com-
munity. By pen and by voice the pastor speaks upon all social, economic and
national questlOJH, believing that the Gospel means the salvation and purification of
every form of life. During his pastorate Dr, Mac.-\rthur has received into the church
over 3000 per:;ons ; its present membership i.i over 2000. The influcnce of this great
church reaches out in every direction; and its pastor, Dr. R. S. l\Iac:\nhur, i.. widely
known as one of the most eminent and popular divines in the American pulpit,
JOH
MACARTHUR, another brother, búught. in 1850, a farm of 200 acres, near
the homestead, on which he still resides, and the greater part of which h
has himself
cleared and brought to a state of cultivation, which enables him to keep a good
s
ock, He was married 27th June, 1855, to Elizabeth Dewar, from Scotland.
Archie, their sec nd son, a graduate of McGill, is now principal of the !\[0unt
Royal School.
Iontreal.
:\Ir. :\lacAnhur well recollects the (;hopping out of the present road, in J 838,
leading from Hrownsburg to Dalesvi11e. Previous to this, in c0ming from Lachute,
the settlers had followed concession lines, which were all marked by blazed tree
.
ARCHIE MACARTHUR, third son of the pioneer of the sam
name, spent a few
years .in California, and after returning, married 8th April, 1868, Catherine
IcGeoch.
She died about five years later, and he then married Christina McGibbon, 22nd Septem-
ber, 1874.
oon after his first marriage he bought a farm of 200 acres at Brown's Wharf,
Pl.ant.agenet, Ont., where he resid
d twcnty years, and during quite a portion of
this tIme he was a member of the Board of Health and chairman cf the Board of
HISTORY OF ARGEN'l'EUIL.
34 1
School Commissioners, He \Vas quite an extensive dealer in wood nearly all the
time he resided there, and afler selling hIS farm, about 1882, his time was confined to
the wood traffic, Having purchased the claims of the other heirs to the paternal
homestead in Dalesville, he removed to it in 1889, ar d still resides here.
Of his sisters, Catherine, the eldest, the widow of John Loggie, live.., in Glen-
garry,Ont. Elizabeth, the widow of E. Hendrie, lives in London, Ont., and Annie
Elizabeth, married to Daniel !\I cKerricher, resides in the same city. J essie, married
to Duncan 1\1cISerricher, liv
s in California. Jane, married to John McGregor,
lives on the RIver Rouge, In St. Andrews.
DANIEL DALE, ,e good old Dan Dale," as )[r. King speaks of him, came to Pt.
Fortune from Belfast, Ireland, in the year 1818. Some years later, about 182 9 or
18 3 0 , he moved to Dalesville, where he soon afterward erected a saw mill. About
18 3 8 . he also built a grist mill ; they were the first mills here, and though simple and
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 jn mills, was
married in 186 3 to Christine, daughter of .James Dewar. After living in Harrington
two years, where he had a saw mill and grist mill, he purcha
ed the mills and 100
acres of land in Dalesville, with which he has been engaged many years. He has
pllt 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
of country-one season 14,000 bushels of oats being brought to this mill from Gore.
1\1r. Campbell is a man of influence in this place, and has been a Municipal
Councillor and School Commissioner several years, and is nmv Chairman of the
School Hoard. He is a staunch supporter of the Baptist Church, and is now a
Deacon. He has eight sons and three daughters j three of the former are married.
WILLIAM
iORROW and three of his brothers came from Ireland to Can.\da about
18 3 0 ; two of them settled in Hawkesbury, Ont., and \Villiam and the other located on
adjoil11ng lots at Dalesville. PrevIOus to thi
, however, \V.lIiam was employed two
years by Commissary Gen. Forbes of Carillon, and he then took up the west half of
Lot 16, Range I I, in Chatham, and some years later became proprietor of the other
half of the same I.ot. He died here about the year 1847; his wife died 2lSt .\ugust,
18 77 After the death of her huc;hand,
lrs. Morrow experienced much
orrow and
many hardships. Her eldest son liveJ with his grandmother in H,l\vk sbury, and her
eldest daughter was helpless. Her house was burnt, and she then moved into the
barn; SOOI1 afterward, she, one day. Iwarò the timbers cracking, and seiÚng her invalid
daughter, she had barely escaped from the door, when the barn fell with a crash. In
her desIJondency, she sometimes threw herself on the grave of her hu-;band, praying
for deliverance by death from her great trouhles. Rut He who ne\"cr permits
affliction without a wise purpose had stiJl work for her to do, and strength and
ability were given her to rear her family, and in after ye.us she enjoy, ù the comforts
of which she had heen so long deprive, I. It was no unusual thing for her to w.llk to
Lachute, about eight miles distant, and carry a pail of butler, and
lr. \forrowoften
brought 100 Ibs. of flour on his vack flOm the mill at TIrowllsburg.. Thc
had three
sons and two daughters, the younger SOilS, Hugh and rhOm,lS, hemg tWill... Hugh
34 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
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
cFaul, and in 1881, he bought the claims of Ihe other heirs to the Mcl<aul home-
stead- 200 acres-and subsequently purchased 200 acres more, for all of which he
has paid with money made from his falm. 1\1r, Morrow i
a striking example of
thrift and industry, and generously acknowledges the credit due Mrs. .Morrow for
the help she has contributed towards their proslJerity. In her younger days, Mrs.
Morrow had an opportunity of vi
iting 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.
DONA.LD DEWAR, from Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland, came to Dalesvil1e 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 261h
January, 1889, to Margaret Robertson, from Glenlyon, Scotland. His father, James
Dewar, who Jived 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.
A
TOINE BRUNET, who can boast of a progeny of nineteen children, i5 a citizen
of this place. He was born at Belle Rivière, and came to Lachute in 1853, where
he attendee! 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 1n Arundel, where he followed his
trade, and then in 1893 removed to Dalesville. He has been twice married: first,
in July, 1862, to l\Iarceline La Belle, of St. Andrews; she died in 1879; and 8th
September, 1889. he was married to Catherine !\1cAuliffe. Of his mi:1.ny 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, anù while thus engaged in New
Glasgow, Moses \Villiams, 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, howe\'er, he decided to engage in farming, and with this object he settled
on a lot in \Ventworth, 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 Dalesvil1e, he settled on a half lot in the 12th Range, where
his widow still lives.
1\1r. 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 15th December, 1893. During
the last two years of his .life he was blind, and, as he had always been a great reader,
SlJme member of his famIly, after this affliction, was often engaged in reading to him,
He had four sons and fi ve daughters, bu t ouly three of the latter are now living.
The other c
ildre.n are married, save the youngest son, Alexander, who lives on the
homestead wIth hIS mother.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
343
Another family of pioneer3 is thus mentioned in the writings of the Rev.
[r,
King when he was stationed at Notfield.
" Tidings carne lately from DalesviIle, of the death of Arthur ::\1cArthur son of the
big miller of Glenlyon. He was one of the first settlers in the rear of Ch;tham he
and his br<?ther Duncan, with their sister Margaret, located five miles east of '1 he
Chapel. Arthur and Margaret never married; Arthur was for a løng 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 hy death'
it is to be hoped he died in the Lord. His death was a duuble affliction, since h
was the only earthly dependence of those mentioned. Such are the ways of the
Lord, and who can comprehend them? I,
DALESVILLE B
\PTIST CHURCH.
In giving a history of this church, we have thought proper to copy brgely from
the writings of Mr. King. He left with ::\1r. G. F. Calder, of 1he lV(.1tch1/l11Il, 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 )ears of
his life. It has been our desire to use only such portions of the l\1SS. as show the
condition uf different churches and communities where he labored, the progress of the
country, and the lives of individuals who were wOlthy examples to others.
If he was Baptist in his views and sentiments, ::\Ir, 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 \Vas persuaded
to attend the Baptist meeting on Niddery street, where, according to his o\\n \Vords,
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 \Vord 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 remarkablc
memory, read much, especially the Bible, and Etored away a large stock of usefu I
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 111 the
by-ways and lanes of the city the way of salvation through Chri!:.t,"
The above account of his early history is taken from a
1emorial Sermon,
preached by the Rev. John Higgins in p<tlesville, .1 ith September
1893' fhe rt.main-
ing part of his biography is drawn chiefly from his own manuscript. _
'Vhile 1\Ir, King was traveling about. E
inbllrgh and otlyer places III Scotland,
engaged in evangelistic work, he was not mdlfferent to the h1St
)fY of thos
p
ace
he
visited, and in later years, published several well-written articles, descnpu \l: and
344
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
historical, of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Falkirk, Kirkaldy, etc. Not long after beginning
his labors as an Evangelist, in speaking of mcetings held in Bristow Street Church,
Edin burgh, 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. 'Vhen he rose to speak, it was soon discovered
that he' was no ordil
ary man; it was evident that hc had not studied in the divinity
hall, yet nature had bestowed on him a great gift. He was one of nature's noblemen
-his theme was missionary work; the duty of Christians to send the Gospel to those
who were perishing in their SillS. 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 baclc. 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 caned 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 chUich 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, mcn were wanttd. 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 'l\1ohawk,' in company with Mr. Edwards and the Rev. John Girdwood, con-
tending with the waves of the A tlantic, 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 should break his eng.lgement 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 mc 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
w
ence he sailed, his description of his fellow-passengers, their life on ship-board,
sail up
he St. .La\
rence, and h
s impressions of the new country and its people, all
re1
ted 111 a VivacIOUS and fascinating manner; but space forbids, He sailed from
Gleenock 1St C?f April, J84[, and landed in Quebec, after a six weeks' voyage; and
the n
xt day witnessed
ad disaster caused by the falling of a portion of the cliff,
crushmg houses and their mmatcs in the Lowcr Town,
He says :-" When we landed in
lo!ltreal, we wcre received and heaJtily wel-
comed by the ,'enerable Ebenezer Muir, and the warm-hearted and affectionate James
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
345
Iihlt, both deacon
III 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
stre
t, at the head of McGill, near the Hay M::rk.et. 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 I )octor and others that I should
spend the summer and fall up the Ottawa, preaching the Gospel, as I had oppor-
tunity, and return to
Iontreal 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:
.1 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 Enghnd, and the other the Scotc 1 ) 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."
P assil1g over a page in which he describes people he met and his passage over
the rivC'T 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 wac; not at home, having remained to spend the Sabbath
with his son John, who was pastor of a Baptist church in the villa
e of St. Andrews,
Canada Ea!:>t; but I was kindly received by his son \Villiam and the old lad)', and
for the time being; was made welcome to make my home at their house. The ncxt
day being the Sabbalh, 1 preached to a large congregation, in the house of Nicholas
Edgar, from John iii. 3 j this was the first timf' I had preached in Canada.
" There was in Clarence, at the time, a Baptist church, but it was in a disor-
ganized stale; neither the OIdinance of the :;upper nor di'\cipline were attcnded to,
They, however, met on the Lord's Day to hear the Word 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 5ummer time, on Sabbath morning,
came people from different parts of the neighborhood to hear the Gospel. As 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 \
as a beautiful sight to s.ee a flcet
of these primitive boats, loaded with people from dlffLrent parts, appro.lchmg Fo,<'s
23
34 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIJ..
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 veople by
Andrew Shirreffs, or, as he was called, ., Daddy" Shirreffs. Hp. 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.
"\Vhen 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,
whil
I remained in the place. To this I cousented, 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 Ii umble 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 lOW over after my school had dosed 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 sp
ctators-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
caned, there was then a sm3.11 Baptist church, Instead of the handsome chapel in
which they now meet, they then met in the school-house j the :Methodists also using
it one-half the time. In what is now called the vinage, at that time there were very
few houses and only one store; now there are several houses, stores, a town hall, a
Roman Cady/lic church, Anglican church and a Baptist chapel. Traveling between
Lochaber and Pdite 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.
ometimes I would get a Jide from Papineau vi lIe to
the
ation and walk the rest of the way, and often was half up to the knees in mud.
Occasionally, i
deed, I did procure a horse at Locraber Bay, but getting a saddle
was another thll1g j horses were plentiful enough, but saddles were few and far
bet\\"een; 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 011
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 remaim.d in the right place. but I rf'collect one day, as my horse
was descendmg a clay hill into a gully, he slipped, and the saddle quickly turned
HISTOR Y OF ARGENTEUIL,
347
nder his belly, while I was pitc
1ed, head foremost, i
to a pile of brush by the way-
sIde. The
mly damage I sustamed was a large rent In my coat, which I had to go
back five mIles to get mended, and then I resumed my journey. 'Vhen I traveled
that ruad there was no Thurso and no mill at the Blanch; but it is not so no\V-
great changes h
ve 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
ears, the old school-house was still standing, in which I had the
pleasure of preachmg to the people, but many with whom I had been acquainted
were gone-good old James Lamb and his wife, Donald Lamond and the wom:m 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 frum want of ability
or some defect in their moral character. Among the r. rmer was Mr. Gilles, who
settled in Eaton, in the Eastern Townships, and .. ho has been very useful in the
vineyard of the Lord; Titus Merriman, who became pastor of a church in Potton ;
the two l\IcLeans-Allen and Hector-the former went to Michigan, the latter to
Canada 'Vest; Archibald H. Ca.mpbell, who became pastor of a church in Chatham,
C.'V,; and Peter l\IcDonald, a man of good pans and an excellent preacher, who has
been settied over different churches since leaving college. There was also Aaron
Slaght, pastor of a church in 'Vaterford, C.'V., and a young man named Leach, who,
after preaching a short time, fell a victim to consumption, leaving behind t.im 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 Fntmalt, but who has since died, Another man, Charles
Smith, from St. Armand East, C.E., was one of our students. He was partially
paral} zed on one side, yet, as he was a gGod 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 l\lcLaurn, who has since died; Peter
'Vilson, John Dcmp5ey and ,V. K, Anderson, now in Breadalbane-men whose praise
is in an 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
Ir. Kipg's nar.
rative :-
"When the sno\V disappeared and as the spring advanced, melancholy tidings
reached us from the banks of the Ottawa-good, old Mr. Edwards was no mor
These
tidings took us all by surprise, as he had been in the city that winter, apparently in
the hest of health and high spirits. 1\Ir. Ed\vards was a wonderful n
al\; .h('; had
not the advantages of education m his youth, but he possessed an actl\e 11,!ll1d and
sound judgment. His information was extensive, He read much and studied well;
one could not be long in his society without perceivi
g that he W.1.S born to be a
leader among men. He was a fluent speaker, yet, Ius sermons, .lIke tho
e of all
untrained men, were not systematicallf arranged, though s0und 111 d. .:trm
and
34 8
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 mi
sionary spirit. He did much to promote the cause of Christ along the
Ottawa; in sLImmer's heat and winter's cold he travelled about, preaching the glad
tidings of salvation. 1\1 any a time he paddled his canoe up and down the Ott
wa,
and, at other times, journeyed on foot over bad roads and in places where there
were no roads at all to communicate the "\Vord 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
one.
"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 irnpressed 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. H is 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 1\1r, Fraser, 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. l\Ir.
Gilmour was the means of the formation of the Baptist Church in Montreal, while Mr.
};'raser settled with the Baptist Church in Breadalbane. If 1'1 r. Edwards had done
nothing more than induce these men to come to Canada, he had done a good work j
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 B:-itain in 1839, He was sen t by
the Ccmmittee of the Baptist Missionary Society to solicit aid to enable them to
carryon their missionary operations in Canada. He was very successful, having
obtained seven hundred and fifty pounds sterling. He was at that time very well
lcceived, 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 WI iter. 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,
1r. 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 I)f reìigious meetings in
POint Fot tune He says :-
"After this meeting, I was intending to return to
Iontreal, 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 1his time, pastor of two
churches-the two churchef:, 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. A'S I had no horse
I was taken to Chatham by Archibald Campbell, a deacon of the church who re-.ided
on Cal illon Hill. He took me to the house oî l\IaJcolm 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
Ir. Edward
. when in
Edinburgh, in speaking of the Lord's WOl k in certain parts of Canada, mentioned the
Rear of Chatham as a place where his son John was pastor of a Baptist Church.
Little did I then imagine, when listening to him in Bristo Street, that I should \"isit
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 nut high enough, and so with the Highland
of Scotland. yet
they had a f,lint resemblance to both; they had a romantic appe1Tance, and the
uncleared parts were covered with timber to their very tops. The ground was co\'erul
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 he so. Rut
though the country was rocky and ul1inviting, it was not so with the people; they, at
that time, were siml,le, warm-hearted and truly pious-t he pride of life, the vain show
and fashions which rule society had not found their way, at- that time, to the b.Lck-
woods of Chatham. They seemed to feel towards each other as brothers amI sister')
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 was,
when the little church first plankd here in the wilderness went from hous!.. to house;
when every man was a teacher, and, in his turn, acted the part of an elder: when men
held forth the \Vord of Life, not in bbck broad-cloth, but in home-made grey, an(] for
want of shoes in summer went to meeting with bare feet.
" J"hey were talking of a great work of gracL that had taken place in Chatham, a
few years bef,)re I came, through the labors of :\[essrs. Gilmour and Fraser, when a
number of the young people, and old ones, too, had made.l profession
f religion-
this they called the (;reat Revival; and, indeed, it WJ.S a great and glorIOUS work of
the Lord; for, in that ) ear, seventy-nine were baptised and add
t.o the Church.
Shortly after the revival, they were visited by a Baptist Doctor of DlV\I1lty, an unnsual
occurrence in these parts-he was Dr. Cox, of Hackney, England. He had hr'ard the
report of the marvellous work of grace, and wished to see some of the young convert>
"They met in the old school-house, and gave the doctor an account of th.:tr
convelsion and Christian experience. He and 1\1r. Gilmour lodged ill the honse of
Deacon 1\IcFar1ane, who had the horn of .111 ox, which was blown at me.ll time to.( all
the men from the field. The doctor, thinking it was used to call the p
oplè to me.:t1l1
,
took it as a memento of the place, Mr. Gilmour hlowing it, as he ."l.nd the doctor ro 1-
along ill the bush on their way to Grel1\'ille Head. rhe doctor
emg very cùrpul.l. It,
and the weather very warm, and the mosquitoes, moreover!. e
m\l1g to h
' t: a de\..lded
preference for the blood of an Engli!'hn1.ln, he found hIS nde thr()l1
1 th w j"
attcnced with much discomfort.
35 0
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, anr1 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 p!:'ople gathered in the chapel to hear the
preaching, and I was much imet ested 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 nOlice 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 j the stove-pipes leaked and
snwked-all which made it very disagreeable. The next night there were more people
at the mleting, and tht:y 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 th3t the Spirit of God was at work; sinners
began to inquire 'What shall we do to be saved? '
" It \\as our practice, after sermon, to invite any who felt concern for their souls
to remain to COlnerse 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. E\'ery night, for we
ks, some one
was brorght 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 considerab:e 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 da)', as we were
con
ing 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 reviv
l since the formation of the church. The
bettlement had in it at that time more inhabitants than now; several of the families
were large-such as the McGibbons, the l\1cGregors, the McKerichers, the
[CArthurs,
l\IcPhails, Youngs, Loggies, Dales, and many others.
[any 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 \\'arm-hearted Christian.
"The most of the people in the neighborhood of the Chapel were Baptists, or
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
35 1
held Baptist sentiments; but there were a few connected with the auld Kirk-these
felt displeased when anything was said about baptism, I had with me at that time
Campbel
& l\IcKn
ght's transldtion of the Ne\v Testament for my own private
use, ThIS book havmg" been seen by
ome one disaffected to the Baptists, it was ce;:-
ported all over the place that the BaptIsts had got a new Bible j and of course this
was an awful thing j 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 10 hold meetings in \Ventworth, an adjoining township. Close to that place, in
Chatham, lived Duncan McDougall. He was a Baptist, and had been a member of
the Church in Chatham before they had any ordained minister, thouuh he
vas not
a member at the time of my visit. He was one of those who taught a
d 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. 1\1r. Edwards should be p1.stIJr of both an open and close communion church
at the same time. I preached a fe\\' nights in No, I School-house, and also in a few
private houses-the Lord blessing the effort to the c01l\'ersion of souls; and I had the
pleasure of baptising .,even persons, the stream flowing through the farm of Arthur
McArthur being used for this purpose. Among those baptised was an old soldier, a
Highbnder, who was in the Forty-!>econd at \V..1terluo. In that battle, George was
very nigh ending his days-a musket-uall went through his bonnet, barely missing his
head, and he was one of four-all that were left of the company to which he lJelonged j
yet these wonderful escapes did not lead him to repent::nce; 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
littie church \Vas broken ullAnd most of the members joined the Chatham Church.
\Yhile Duncan had charge of this church, he was very attenrive, and did all he
could to keep them together; and, indeed, they were in a better state than they
afterward were, for bl ing 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, tlIty were always faithful to perform all their Christian duties.
'e At len
th, navigation opened, and I pro pared to return to Montreal. I 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 (unns of the church at
Chatham, consisting of a small b:-l O of coppers,-and many of them bad.
.e My vacation, wh!ch I imendt'd should last only two weeks, had continued
till l\1ay j but I felt that what I had lost ill one way I had made up in another-
having gained mOle knowledge of human nature and more courage to preach the
Gospel.
" In the fall of that year I was informed that l\[r. Edward; had resigned the
charge of the churches at Sr. Andrews and Chatham, and had gone to Canada 'yest,
meetings being conducted in the Chatham church by John <- 'alder and .\r
hl
ald
Campbell. At length, in the month of Novemher, the Church at Chath<un mvJted
me by letter to come and labor among them, ofTerÌng to raise LZ5 a year tow.uds
my
alary. The committee of the BaptIst l\[issionary
ociety thollgh
this too
smaJl a süm, and informed them that thev could not coment to my cOl11mg unlt.ðs
they added my board to the sum of L25 ; and said if they w.o
Jld
o that
the
Society would also give L 10 a year, for a year or two, to help. 10 tlus the Chat-
ham Church agreed; and it was arranged that I shou!d ho.ud at the house of
35 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Deacon McGibbon. His son Finley being in Montreal, I packed my small stock
of personal }Jroperty into his sleigh, and proceeded with him, in the latter part of
December, to Chatham, where I received a hearty welcome.
" I was then in my 26th year, and in the enjoyment of excellent health. I found
the Church in rather a cold s;ate, 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 j these were held from house to
hous!", 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 tegun to plough, "'hile 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, 'Vhat 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
?ther people. This led them in to <;lebt and danger, so that instea? of toiling for
mdependence, many of them were tOlling for the storekeeper-and nllght be thank-
ful if, at the end of the year, there was not a balance on the books against them.
II This unpromising state of things led many to think of removing to more fa\'ored
sec
ions, 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 faU into ruin.
. "In regard to the Church, though they had greatly changed in some of their
VIews and practices since the first Baptists 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 mad.e a law prohibiting believ-
e!s fr?m uniting themselves in marriage with unbelievers. They were, no doubt,
nght 111 regard to their views respecting marridge; but it is doubtful if the 'V ord of
God would bear them out in excommunicating church members for taking such a
tep. They claimed to find spiritual authority for the exercise oÍ such stern discipline
111 the passage which reads: I If he will not hear the Church, let him be unto thee
as. a heath
n man and a publican.' But a Church should be sure that it is the
wIll of Chnst for which they are con tending, before going to the length of excluding,
for a Church may err. 'Vhile the Church adhered to this rule it had made, w1th
regard to marrying with unbelievers, manv were excluded. and much harm was done,
for. not only was the individual lost to the Church, but often the entire family to
WInc!l he belonged-a]} 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 agaI.n III a. new country the battles in polemics of their forefathers, di
covl:red
an error 111 theIr theology, and, like wise men, at once set about correcting it, for
Mr. King's historical narrative next as')ures us that-" At length some of the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
353
mer;nbers began to inquire into th
propriety of excluding for the marrying with un-
behevf>rs, and came to t
e conclu
lOn, that though it was not expedient for Chri<;tians
to connect themselves wIth unbelievers, yet a5 marri.1Q:e wa,> a civil con tract betwcen
a man and wo.maI
, and ,!e
ther against the law of God nor man, it was wrong to
exclude for domg It. ThIS idea spread among the members, until at last, in a church
meeting, it was agreed
}' a l.arge majority, that if there was nothing else again<;t 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 excelIent 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 e\ery 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-
withsta,
ding, the Gospel way of salvation was new to them, and the mode of
baptism and Church order. They came out, however, to he:}r 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 werc added to the Church, Since that time, several others have heen bap-
tised in the same place. through the labors of the Rev. John Dempsey-pastor of
the Church of St. Andrews.
\.fter the revival. we were visited by the Rev. Daniel
McPhail, pastor of a Baptist Church in Osgoode, C. 'V., who came to visit hi;; rela-
tives in Chatham. His father, D,l11iel 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, \vas baptised, élnd added to the little
Church, where he soon began to exercise his talents, and though but a child among
the Elders, he soon excelled thema11 in speaking. He had a strong desire for th
conversion of souls, and was much pained at the c')ntention<; and frequent di<;pute'
of the Elder brL thren. Daniel McPhail soon became a pO\verflll 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 te.trs-pkading for
two special objects: that God would direct him to devote his whole life. to the wùrk
of preaching Christ to a perishing world, that some faithful mcs<;eng,'r n\lg!1t be se,nt
to his aid in Ie Iding the unrenewed young p
ople around him to the SavIOUr. l'or
the purpose of obtaining the aid so much desired, a few, with him, set apa.rt a whol
night for prayer, and when they separated it was day-break; their pleadll1g,> were
answered quickly and fuHy. The news soon spread th:lt Bros. Gilmour, of
[ontr
aI,
and Fraser, of Breadalbane, were on thei r way to assist them; the gre3.t awakenllh..
had beCTun."
This WJS the beginning of the Great Revival, mentioned by
[r. Kia
on
L
former page, and which occurred before he came to Ch..ltham. .\Cter
[I'.
[cPhall
had closed his visit to his relations in Chatham, and \\'a.. about retllrnmg home, he
invited Mr. King to accompany him, and make a tour through the se
tio,
of c.llll1tr}
where he labored. Mr. King continues: "Accordingly, we started 111 111., !'lcIJh for
Osgoode-a township which at that time had not been long
ttled, though th
I
nd
in it was good, and formed a striking contr
;t to that in the
e,.1f of Chatha.m: "-
II The people among whom
[r.
[cPh,1111abored were dl1efly f!om the Hlghl Lnd
of Scotland-a hardy and industrious race, and, like all the IlLJ,' nJ . -. \\" .
354
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
hearted and kind to 5trangers. Their Baptist chapel was a log buildii1g, and in
this I preached in the morning of the first Sabbath after our arrival, and in the
afternoon in a plivate house, on the bank of the Ca'>tor--which house, if I mistake
not. belonged to a man named McDonald, whose son is now a Baptist minister.
As my st
y 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 mmd. 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 1\1r.
Edwards speak of :1\Ir. McPhail in Edinburgh, and now I had the pieasure 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 \Vinchester,
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 \Vest \Vinchester-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,
\Vhile in \Villchester, I 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 tlaere. The glorious doings of the Lord
t 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 fine
township, and the people doing well; they had fine farms, good houses, and large
orchards.
Iany of them werë 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 thi" place, a stone chapel, and a house for
the pastor. "'hen I came to SlJUth 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. \Y. K. Anderson, who, for a time, became
pastor of the churches of Kemptville and South Gower. The people here seemed to
have a strong attachment to Mr. McPhail, to many of whom he !>tood in the relation
of spiritual father.
" From SOllth Gower we proceeded to Osnabruck, fronting the nobie St. Law-
rence. In the third concession, back from the river, there is a Baptist church, which
then met in a schoúlhouse; hut they now have a good chapel. Many of the people of
that settlement were of Dutch and Irish origin, and before the introduc
ion of the
Gospel were living without G8d and without hope. We lodged in the house of
George Morgan, or, as he was called, Captain l\lorgan--Captain of
lilitia. He was
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 tlement.
\rhile leading a careless life, indifferent to the interest of his soul, he somewhere
h
ard th
t 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 abuut him
who could. In this trouble he asked his wife if she could fmd a Bible, for they had
none in the house--except a few detaciled leaves of the New Testament, tied together
with a string. This was sought for, and at last found among some odds and ends
o!", a sh
lf.. They looked it through, but could not find what they wlnted; still, in
Ins meditative moment<;, thoughts of a new birth continued to haunt Capt. Morgan's
mind. H
re
olved that he would procllre a whole Bible, on the first opportunity,
cost what It mIght. .\t length, he heard of a man in a distant settlement, who had
HISTORY OF ARGENTE.UlL,
355
come from t.he States, that kept Bibles for sale, and he started off to get one, But
when he arnved they were all sold; the man, however, promised to procure one and
send it tt) .him-a promise which he
ulfilled, net forgetting to charge enough for it
to repay himself for the trouble. Havmg at last become the owner of a whole Bible,
he and his wife sat dúwn 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
n
w, ho\
' 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
I aster, 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 into a blacksmith's
hop,
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
-:\1 organ, he thought, would be the most likely to entertain him. It seems that the
blacbmith mentioned the name of Capt. Morgan, as he had heard that the C Lptain
had a tract urging the duty of infant baptism, and that he had been searching in his
new Bible for confirmation of the principles ad\"ocated in the tract, without finding
any; hence he concluded that the Captain must be friendly toward.. the Baptists.
,. While the Elder and blacksmith were talking, Captain l\Iorf;an chanced to be
passing the shop on his way home, in his sleigh. The blacksmith called him in, and
infolmed him that a man wi"hed to stay with him over night. The Captain at once
offered to accommodate him, bnt on his way home, having learned tlut his gUl'')t was
a Baptist preacher wishing to preach in the place, he began to regret Ius ha
ty offer
to entertain him. 'What will my neighbors think and say of me?' he thought, 'for
introducing a Baptist preacher iuto the neighborhood?' He feared-so little did
he know of Baptists-that fhe minister would do or say something that would
offend the people. Another- thing also troubled him-he had a. kC6 of I um
under the seat of his sleigh, and he feare j tha
this might be seen by the E.der.
'\'hen they arrived at his home, the Captain managed to. remove the k
g. and
give it to his wife to put awaJ with,Hlt letting the Elder s
e It; hut when she asked
what man he had with him, al
d he answered, 'A Baptist preacher,' she said: 'Oh
George! whv did YOll bring such a person to our house? ' .
" He told her he did not like to do it, but he could not well do otherwise, and
that, as he seemed a good sort of man, she must do the best she.
ould
ll1der t
e
circumstances. As the Captain was one of the trustees, he had no dlffic.ulty 111 ohtam-
ing the llse of the schoo house, for which the Etder had asked for a meetlllg; but
s for
announcing the meeting, he could not think?f do
ng it, as .he had
reat fe.1: of I.n
ro-
dueing a Baptist and of being blamed by hIS neighbors I.OT so domg. 11'e J.Jder,
when as1.ed who would introduce him, uttered these sub Imc words: '
I}' Gud .md
m}' Bible!' Accordingly, in the morning, he set out. to vis it. from house t? house, and
to announce the meeting for the evening. It was hIS practice, on e.ntll mg
a I
ousc,
to inquire if any in it feared the Lord; then he would read a portion of SnlpturL'
35 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
and offer prayer. In some houses he was well received, while in other
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 wou
d kneel, so little had
the people, at that time, even the form of religion, At length the evening arrived,
and the schoolhouse was we11 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 j he
thought the preacher had been made acquainted with his whole life, and that some
one had informed him of a11 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 fir
t
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.
" A.5
I r. McPhail had to return to 05go
de, he left me in 05nJ.bruck to find my
way back to Chatham as I could. HLtving no conveyance of my own, Capt lin
Iorgan 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 Marti.
town, arnving there that evening; there was no Baptist church there, an 1 only three
Baptists, wilh whom we stayed. From this place we went to the Rear of Roxborough,
and remained over night with a man named John Fraser, who had seen a good d
al
of the world. He was a Scotchman from the Shire úf Moray; in his youth he had
been in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, in the North-\Vest. \Vhen 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. 'Ve spent a happy evening with him and his family in religious
conversation and siDging hymns of which I had a number that were new to him. He
brought out hi" fiddle, an old companion, and which, like himself, bore the impres:;
of a
vancing time. It had ministered to his folly in the day when God was not in
al.l 11ls thoughts, but then, as its owner's mind was changed, it WL1S made, under
11IS hand, to give forth sweet sounds of praise to God. John, being fond of old
Scotch tunes, proposed to sing a hymn to the tune of Auld Lallg SYIlC, but though
I had no objection either to the fiddle or tune if used in the service of Christ, we
found that such was not the case with Capt. Morgan. Both the fiddle and the
tu.ne brought to him painful recollections of the time and scenes when he was SpOI ting
WIth ungodly companions in the broad road which leads to ruin. In deference to his
feelings, therefore, the fiddle was consigned to : ts box and the tune was unsung.
., It is now a long time since [ 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 p3.st0r, which I S<:.W fit, at that time, to decline. This good man has
lately gone to join the Church above. Great changes 111ve taken place in Rux-
borough; not only has the wildernes'\ been turned into a fruitful held, but after a
great. revival, a church \Vas formed, which has a fair prospect of being enlarged and a
ble
smg .to the place. I preached in a schoolhouse to a large and attentive congre-
gation. Since then, however, they ha\"e a smail but neat chapel, which is entirely paid
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
357
for. From Roxbor
ugh I proceeded to what was called the Indian Lands where
there was a Baptist Church. It was Jocated in what is now called N otfield: This
was an old church, but it had little influence in the neighborhood. '''!tile they had
a large field in which to labor, they slept-and wlâle 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 MT. 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 ::\IcIntyre, a deé1con 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 da T k and bright times, its sunshine and shadow.
It was a long time without any regular pastor, and, in its early days, suffered some
troub:e 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, 1\1r. Rainboth-much to the regret of
the young people-left and settled with the Osnabruck Church,
" As Deacon James McIntyre 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 Rom,:m 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 Pre
cott 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 pre.sent, so that I
had little opportunity of forming acquaintance with the Brethren, findll
g n
n
there
whom I knew, save myoid friend Sandy Campbell. Breadalbane, wlllch IS m the
township of Lochiel, was settled by Highland Scotch, who gave the. name to
he
Settlement, from the fact that most of them came from Bread dbanc, Il1 Pt:rthslurl',
Scotland.
" Probably there is no other rac
of people und
r the s
m more
ttached t
the.
country than the Scotch, especially the Highland
rs. N othmg but dire. nece:'"lty \\'111
drive them from their native glens and mountams, when: every spot IS sacred frum
association with the heroic deeds of their foref.lthers. But when they must go and
make for themseh es a home in a distant land, they delight 111 gi\,ing it the name of th.:
place of their birth. .
"When I filst visited Breadalbane, many of the first settlers wcr
alive, and,
though advanced in years, were healthy and active. Such \\ as Pet
r ?tcw,lrt, Duncan
MCArthur, Allen McDiarmid, John :\[CLauren, Allen McKay, :\flll:l.l"
[cJ auren,
35 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Duncan Ray, Duncan Campbell, the Lothians, and a number of others, with
their wives.
"\Vell might it now be asked-the fathers, where are they? The little hillock
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 cOllgre-
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 chapd, 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 occ
sions. manifested His power in the conver!ìÏon of souls, and angels
have often borne to Heaven the tidings of souls born anew, causing joy among the
redeemed in the presence úf the Angelic Host. There
ood old Mr. Fraser labored
many years and with good success; he was succeeded by \V. 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. \V., where
he died. Their next pastor was 1\1 r. :\IcKee, during whose pastorate a great revival
took place j 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, \Y. K.
Anderson, returned. Often has the writer preached within tl
e 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 åust is dear to us, and we take
pleasure in looking on its decaying timbers and stones. As
lr. 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 I preached a number of sermons, saw many people, and, I hope, was the
means of doing some good. The country through which I passed w
s 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 recei ving 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. \VilIiam Dick, of Ottawa, and Mr, McPhail,
from Osgoode.
.,
Ir. Dick had been placed in Ottawa City by the Baptist Missionary Soc.iety,
as there were a few Baptists there; he was a learned man and a good preacher j 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 pur
hased a lot which had been deserted by
a man who had gone to Canada \Vest. On It was a house and bun' but like much
of the land around this place, it was very stoney, and of little value for f
rming pur-
poses,
(( I repaired the house, which was a log one, and moved into it late in the fall.
I was now
vhat, in
cotla.nd, would be called a laird and a landed proprietor; I
could now SIt down 111 my own house and walk over my own estate. But, still, there
was a want: it had been decreed that it was not good for man to dwell alone.
Feeling the truth of this in my own case, I had been reflecting on the subject for
some time. There was a young woman in the place, a daughter of Deacon McGibbon
and granddaughter of Archibald McArthur, pastor of a Baptist Church in Glenlyon:
Scotland-known there as Ahle/ler .Lflair, She had endeared herself to all by her
kindness, devotion to the church and assistance in the Sabbath School and in
protracted meetings, and to this young woman, after gaining the assent of her parents,
I was married that winter.
" In the catechism of the \Vestminstcr assembly of Divines, it is said that G
d has
foreordained whatsoever comes to pas". However much some may question the
truth of this assertion, I must say that my going to Chatham and my marriage seems
to confirm it, for before I was known in the place, before she had ever feeD 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 very person she had
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
in the interpretation of dreams explain, This circu:nstance came to my knowledge
only some time after we were married.
" Time rolJed 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.
.e There lived, in the 8th concession of Chatham, a man named Hendrie, a Scotch-
man, by trade a carpenter, from Elgin in Morayshire. \Vhen he lived there, he did
considerable business, but failed, and came to Canad.1. James W.tS an intelJigent
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. .\bout this
time, a great deal of dissatisfaction arose in the community with reg.ud to the
location of a new school-house; bitter things were said, friends were estranged,
and animosity among neighbors generally prevailed. The School Board nd.tur.llly
came in for a share of the abuse, and especially J.unes Hendrie, because he
was supposed to 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 p
reserved. part of his land, having parted with the rest to one of his sons,
" It was Saturd:lY night, and the family had retired after completinr. their usual
work preparatory for the Sabbath, and were. in deep sleep, when. it \Vas .discovered
that the house was on fire. There was but lIttle chance to save It, and It W.l<> soon
in ashes i poor James Hendrie and his wife were consumed in it. \s it was sup-
posed that he had cOi1sider
le mone.y at the time bel?ngi.ng to the School Corpor-
ation there '":ere strong SUspICIons, heIghtened by certain clrcum
tanc
s, that the tire
was i
1cendiary and was started with a view to r'Jbbay. However this llJa) be, the
3 60
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
end of Hendrie and his wit;: was sudden and awful. In the evening preceding the
fire, James was shaving. and his wife asked a person present, 'Didna' he think her
uudeman looked young yet?' Little did she think that neither she nor her
udeman would ever see the Sabbath for which they were preparing, and that instead
f 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
1'om Hendrie saying, 'The honse is on fire,' which they supposed was a warning
addressed to themselves. It is remarkable that some years after this, the son of
James 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 pleasi!lg to turn from such painful e\'en ts to a revival of ) eligion, 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 conn try had rewarded him with a r ension. 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 j 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 \Vas 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 yonng 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
fl
m .home, indulged immoderately in drink-a fact that was proclaimed by Bac-
chlllahal; 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,
3 61
was one young woman, wh? had expressed a desi
e 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?e 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 b.egan th
meeti
1gs, and after a few nights' preaching, a young woman
expressed an mterest In Chnst, and soon after that the young woman before men-
tioned, and fron
that time the work went on. It was soon evident that a greater
than man was at work i-the congregation increased in number, the Church members
became interested, and rendered much aid in speaking to anxious souls and in holdinC1
prayer meetings. One night, after the sermon, I requested those who had found
peace in be1ieving in Chris [ to sit by themsel yes in a corner of the chapel, so that we
might have some idea of
heir number. To my surprise and great joy, the most of
the 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 wcre examined -by a committee appointed for the purpose, and such as gave
evid
nce of a change were baptised according to the command of Our Lord and
thc 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
I.milding, 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 follO\ved
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 influenc\..
of parents and friends, others were induced to join other bodies, AU through this
work I received no help from any other minister, nor did I feel that I required any;
for the members of the Church were alive to the good of souls, and did their part in
carrying on the work. Tbis 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 themselves.
" The bles
ed effect of the revival was fdt all through the summer and the next
winter. I was induced to commence a new series of meetings in a school-house about
five miles west of the chapel. Quite a numher in this neighborhood had formerly
made a profe
sion of religion, and had united with diff
rent denominations, but were
now generally careless and indifferent, ".\fter preachmg a few nights, the congre-
gation increased in number, and it was evident. that the spirit of qod was at work.
This meeting continued five weeks, when tlurty-seven were lJaptIsed.
&c A bout this time died Duncan McDougall. Duncan was a member of the first
Church, and a man well acquainted with his Bible. He had a
alent for e
horting,
which improved greatly I i practice. He preached a great dC.llm the back country,
24
3 62
HlSTOFY OF ARGENTEUIL.
and with great acceptance, For years he travelJed 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, 3nd there is reason
to believe that his labors were blessed to many. But 8.t 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 MiJler' of Glenlyon,
She had been a member of the Glenlyon church, and, after coming to Canada
married Duncan McDougalJ, 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 an
memory failed, and, from
an affection of the eyes, became blind. She could not recognizè 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 18 6 4, 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-, many listened to the \V ord and were blessed. A your;g man, whose
brother had attended the meetings and been converted, said he did not kl
ow 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, \Vith 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 29th 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 ministels. 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, \V. 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 paslOr of the
church in Montreal, under whose pastorate that church increased more than it had
at any formtr period."
Not long after this, he says: I' \Ve were startled by m.ws 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, J 01111 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.
3 6 3
the Ottawa Association, In his younger days, he had been pastor of the Baptist
churches in Dalesville and St. Andren's, after which he became pastor of a church
in Peterboro. After laboring there a while, he removed to Clarence where his
hOllored 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 aU, 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
lcNaughton,
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 N otfield, Roxboro and RiceviIle, in Ontario. A few years previous I
had received a call from N otfield, 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 can. Thus a connection of nearly thirty years with the church in Dales-
viIle 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 j t:le roads were almost impassable,
and owing to the dry summer of 1868, food for both man anå beast \Vas 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,
bny managed to bring
cows and sheep through the winter by cutting do\\-n 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 Daiesville 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. 'Vhile at
otfield, in the year 1872 or 1873, he thus speaks of the death of Peter
lcGibbon :
" About this 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;
e
died 17th January, 1873. lie was a native of Glenlyon, Perthshire, Scotland, and III
the year 1817, in company with others, came to Canada and settled in the Rear of
Chatham, then an unbroken wilderness. Like others, he had here to endure all the
hardships of Lush life. which, though new to him, might !lot !lave seemed quite so
severe as it would to a weaver as he had ueen a shepherd 111 IllS young
r days, tend-
ing his flocks on the mountain
of Scotland, lIe was married to Janet, daughter of
Archibalö
lcArthur, pastor of the Baptist church of GleJ
lyon, better. known as .the
:Muller :Moir. Peter came to a knowledge of the truth 111 1835, dllnn
the rcvl\'al
which look place under the preaching of John Gilmour, William Fraser and John
3 6 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Edwards. He took an active part in the building of the chapel, anå Îor some} eats
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, Finley, 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 j 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 1st, 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 Peter
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 Kev, :Mr. K.ing 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 18 93. He was
pastor of the Dalesville church over fony 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. The Rev,
1\lr. Higgins, in his memorial sermon, says:-
" Physically, Pastor King was tall, stout, a large
strong-looking man, and for
many years he possessed a splendid consti tution, well adapted for hard toil among
the rocks, hilìs 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 w
s a calm, easy, fluent speaker. Nature and grace ãid
much for him, and few speakers could excel him as a plain, practical preacher, or in
platform temperance addresses. \Vhile 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
Irs,
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 18 35.
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 Theo-
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 Ualesville, and has been pastor here until quite recently,
HISTORY OF ARGEN fEUlL.
36j
EDIN A.
.-\.bout four miles west of Dalesville is a post-office with the name Edina, which
was established in 1874, \VILLlAl\l TOl\lALTY 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 18 34
or 18 35 on Lot 25, 11th Range. He came to Montreal from the North of Ireland in
:::83 0 , and a little later went to SilIery, where he married Catherine Grey from Sligo,
Ireland, and then came to Chatham, as stated above, He died in April, 1862 ; his
wife, ::\Iay 12, 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 Toma1ty, 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 Sligo,
Ireland, and settled on a farm here of 313 acres, which he has lately divided between
his two eldest sons, Arthur and \Vi1ltam. 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 Tm.IALTY, was married 22nd May, 1873, to Grace
Jane Green, of Harrington, and afterward spent three years in California, He was
employed, after his retnrn, 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 gi\yes
evidence of prosperity; he has been a member of the Board of School Commissioners
four or five years.
_-\.LEXANDER CALDER, who has been active and influential in local aff,"LÏrs, is a
resident of Edina. His father, John Calder, from Paisley, Scotland,
\Yea ver by trade,
came to Chatham in 1827 and took up Lot 24, loth Range, on which he lived till
18 37, when he removed to Lot 8 in the sam
range, on which he lived till his death
in 18 7 2 . In November, 1829, he was married to Catherine
lcUonald, by which
marriage he had seven sons and three daughters: Alexander, who lives in Edina;
Rev. James G., pastor of the Baptio;t Church in .\lvinston, Ont.; \Villiam, livin
n
St. .c\medée, Ottawa County; Robert, living in North Nation
liUs; John, who IS m
the United States. Peter and Archibald both died young. Of the daughters, only
Margaïet, the wife of \Vi11iam McQuaig, is now living; Bella, who married \Villiam
Mott, died in the summer of 18 94; and Kate, who married Malcolm
lcIntyre úf
Upper Lachlltc, died about fifteen years ago.. . .
.-\.lexander, the second son, worked on a farm and m the lumber woods III his
youthful days, till his marriage, 27th April, 1858, to Jane Mullen, wh
n he settled on
his own farm of 87 acres-Lot 20, Range lo-which he purch.ased m 1
56, and on
which he still resides. He is Master of the Orange Lodge at thIS place; IS a member
of the Hoard of Health; has been Vaillator six years, Rural [nspector eightcen, and
a member of the School Board since 1868,
:\llJRDOCH GRAHA
I was one of the pioneers who came from Scotland and settled
in the Rear of Chatham previous to 18 35, He took up a lot. i
the I 2th Rang
, and
like others who settled in that Range, concluded, after hvmg there a whII
, to
migrate, and bought 100 acres in the I nh Ra
1ge,.on which he lived t\
enty rea.rs,
when he removed to Petroli
, Ont., where he died III July, 1879. :\Ir. Gra.h.ull \Vas
3 66
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 18 37. TIe had six children-three of each sex. Murdoch, the third son, married
Catherine Conlin 16th 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 :\Ion-
treal about the year 1842, and after working in that city a year or two, came to
Lachute, where he married a widow,
lrs. Sarah Kerr. Her maiden name was Moore.
Her father, Samuel Moore
an early settler at Dalesville, had been a soldier in the
British Senicc, and dl ew a pension, His wife was the widow of a soldier who fell at
'Vaterloo. 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 j several years
by Owens at Stonefield jalso by Eddy & Booth, of Ottawa. He died 1st February,
188 7; his wife died the 8th of the same month, in the same year. He had two sons
and four daughters; his wife hy her first marriage had one son-Joseph Kerr.
Jane, the eldest daughter of Mr. Broadfoot, was married 22nd May, 1876. to
John Y. Smith, a carpenter, who had recently arrived in this country from England.
In 1889, he bought 200 acres-Lot 19, Range lo-at Edina, where he still reside
,
though his own time is spent chiefly in Montreal, where he foHows his trade.
Grenville.
PROCLA:\IATION OF THE 28TH JANUARY, 1808.
This township is bounded on the north by Harrington j east, by Chatham;
south, by the Ottawa; and west by the Augmentation of Grenville. Its 5urface is
generally rough, being traversed by the Laurentian 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.
o 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.
\n expans
ve 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 o
much importance-a rmdez-vous for raftsmen and lumbermen; but the great
decrea
e 111 the lumber business has, of late years, rendered it much more quiet. Its
eputatlOn half a century ago is said to have been none of the best. But however
fhis 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.
3 6 7
. The geologica! structure of Grenville is giv
n in the report in the first part of
thIS volume; but smce that report was first published, some effort has been made to
develop the mines a
d quarries in the mountains of this township, which are doubtless
of value. An Amencan company was for some time employed in the rear of the
township in obtaining mica; but, though considerable quantities were obtained, me
work for some reason was abandoned. _-\n asbestos company, recently formed are
about erecting extensive works at Point du Chêne, in the _-\ugmentation of Gren
iIle
and there is good reason to belIeve that the mines and quarries of this section wi1Ì
yet be regarded as the most valuable of its possessions.
GRENVILLE VILL.\GE.
/ ERECTED I
TO A
rUNICIPALITV, 16TH DECEMBER, 18 75.
ARCHIBALD
lc\hLLAN, who for many years was a most prominent and influential
man in Grenville, was a native of Loch.lber, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and his father
and uncJe fought under the banner of Prince Charles. \Vhen quite yonng, he was a
clerk in an East India House, in London, and while there, in '780, witnessed the
Lord George Gordon Riots. In 1802, he determined to come to Canada. He was
very popular with his clansmen, and when they learned his determination, many
wished to accompany him. He, ther.efore, chartered three ships to convev 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 associates;
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 in Glen-
garry and Lochiel, Ontario, where they obtained free grants of land, without difficulty,
and found a company of Highlanders who had already settled there. The Ottawa
Valley, from Grenville westward, was little else than an unbroken wilderness, and
presented few attractions to induce anyone to settle there. The lands acquired by
Ir. l\IcMilhn and his associates were located in the Townships of Grenville, Temple-
ton and Lochaber. Mr.
IcMillan gave the latter its name, as the settlers came from
Lochaber, Scotland. It was in the year 1810, that Mr.l\Ic:\Iillan took u
his residence
in Grenville, having remained until that pel iod in :\IontreaI. H
was responsible for
the cost of survey, fees of office, and other expenses, amounting to something over
$35 for each grant of 200 acres. To relieve themselves from e\.pense, the settl
rs
made over to him their lots, and he contracted to hold them until the IMtent5 were
issued, as they were liable to be escheated to the Crown for non-settlement. This
forfeiture the Government threatened to enforce, so that he was obliged to make con-
siderable improvements on some of the lots actually settled; yet, notwithstanding, a
number of them returned to the Crown. All the lands are now occupied by a thrivinb
community of settlers. \Vhen Mr. :\[C
Iillan fir::.-t came to Grenville he mO\ed int
a
good-sized log house, which he had erected the year previous. It stood just opposite
the Hawkesbury 1nills, and was called the" Old _\bbey." At that time his nearest
neighbour on the one hand lived in Hull, and, on the other, was Allen CamL
on,
whose house was five miles distant in Chatham. The only road between the two pomts
was a foot-path along the river side which, in the winter, could be travelled with sleds;
on the opposite side of the river there was not even a foot-path. .
To transport freight from :\Iontreal, in summer, was a work involyi
g both tH
e
and labor, Everything had first to be carted from Montreal to .1 achme then, 111
bateaux, rowed or poled up to Carillon, and then hauled up
he rapids by r0pl... ;-:--lhe
latter being a difficult and dangerous task. 011 one occaSion, when Mr.
Tc!\hll.1n,
3 68
HISTORY O:F ARGEN1 EVIL.
-
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 considerabJe 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
l\Iilitia. 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 Mcl\lillan was the first postmaster in Grenville, and received
his appointment in 1819, andhe1d it until 1829, Hewas 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 exçavated, 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 hand
, and go home. Major McMillan and George
Hamilton, Esq., the plOprietor of the Hawkesbury Mills, and who was generally
known as Judge Hamilton, were \Varm friends. Judge Hamilton belonged to a family
highly connécted in Ireland, and \Vas himself a thorough gentleman of the old school.
He \Vas very fond of company, and whenever he had visitors of s()]ne 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 :\Icl\lillan was also on very friendly terms with. the officers of the Royal Staff
Corps, when the canal was in process of construction, and u!'ed 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"' Old Abbey,:' as a hint to Judge Hamilton.
One of these occasions was rendered still more auspicious by the pr
sence 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
Mc:\1 illan. The latter and his eldest son, .Alexander, who was an advocate, died in
1\lontreal from cholera in 1832.
Major McMillan had nine children-six sons and three daughters-who arri\'ed
at maturity. The eldest daughter in 1822 married Thomas Kains, who had been a
Paymaster in the Royal Navy. For several years he \Vas Captain of the steamer
"Shannon "which ran between Grenville and Byto\Vn (Ottawa). The second daughter
married '''m. 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, l\Ir. Kains took command, and
marched towards St. Eustache; but on reaching St, Andrews, they heard of the
de.feat of th.e I
ebels, and returned j he died in 1 87ï. George, his eldest son, is a
rallro
do
ClaI1l1 S1. Thomas, Ont. ; Joseph his second son, has retired from business,
also lIves 111 St. Thomas; John, the third sun, is proprietor of a fine farm near St,
rhomas; Robert, t
le fourth son, after having studied medicine and practised much
H1 Europe, s
ttled 111 St. Thomas, where he now enjoys a g<?od practice j Robert,
the fifth son, IS a Surveyor General, and resides ill Yictoria, B.C.
/
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 6 9
The sons of Major McMillan, with the exception of the one who died in Mont-
real, lived in this section, and most of them engaged in the lumber busine;s, Here
Duncan, the youngest of them, still resides on the old homestead. He is an
octogenarian, but still retains the dear intellect by which he has cver 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 to Chambly, to escort from that place to Montreal some lead-
ing men connec
ed with the rebellious party. But on the road to Longueuil, the
escort was fired on by a party of rebel:; 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
se\'erely wounded. After the rebels had been driven from St. Charles and St. Denis,
on the Richelieu, those piaces were occupied by several companies of Imperial
troops, and Mr.
lcMillan and another trooper were al so sent there, their duty being
to carry dispatches to Sorel, Chambl}' and other places, They were there but a
short time, however, when they w
re le1ieved by two other troopers. Early in the
month of December, 1837, the Company of Cavalry to which 1\1r.
lcMillan 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 51. EU:5lache, 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
f Mr. Mcl\1illan: "I saw in the evening,
after the fight, about twenty-five of these poor deludèd people lying in the church-
yard, just where they had been shot; it was a sad sight. The same evening I S1.W
the body of Dr, Chenier lying in what was called a hospital. He had on a strip
d
cambric shirt, and two small red spots on it showed where the bullets had passed
through his body; he was a very Ilood-Iooking man. Our Cav,llry 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 ofS1. Benoit. As we approached the village, some of the Rcbels met us, hold.
ing up white flags. The village was occupied that night by the troops, and the I).ext
day wc were ordered bJ.ck to the city. Our cavalry and the (lueen's were appointc.i
to accompany Sir John Colborne as guard. Sir John rode on horseback, b
lt 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 Co1. Dc Hcrtel ofS1. Andrew.;;
he was a fellow trooper, and we rode into town together: I?uring t.he. re.st of the
winter and the following summer we underwent a course of drIll and dlsclplme, and
occasional outpost service. As fall advanceà, sympt<;>l11s of another. Olll.ureak beg,m
to c;how themselves in the direction of St. Scholastlque and N.tPlervllle, on the
south side of the St. Lawrence; but they were not of long continu,U1ce. I carried .a
dispatch from Col. McCord, :\fontreal, addressed to <;01.
e. Hertel,. who. W.l'" on 11Is
way to Sr. Scholastique with a portion of the Argcnteml
llhtla, ordering hll11 to return
home with his men. I arrived at S1. Scholastique in the evening, and Co!. De Hertel
came in a little afrerwards. The next day we aU returned home, assurcd that the
Rebellion in that direction was at an end. Soon after my return to :\[ontreal, it wac;
reported that a large body of sympathizers h
d crossed ov
r from.. the State:;
in the direction of Napierville, to join the Canadian R
bels. Sir Juhn COlb'JrP.e,. at
the head of two regiments of foot guard
, the pst Regiment of DI.Lgf "n, :'Ind 0"....r
37 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Imperial Troops, crossed over from :\Iontreal to Laprairie, and proceeded on towards
Napierville, I accompanied these troops as guide. It was late in November, and
the roads were a sea ot 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.
ext morning word came that the sympathizers had re-
crossed the line, and that the Rebels had disappeared. The troops marched into the
village, tl1(; horse taking the lead I was that morning to carry a despatch from Sir
John Colborne to headquarters Montreal, announcing what had taken place. \Vhen
1 arrived at the wharf at ì\Iontreal, 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 N apièrville. During the
winter and following spring, I was employed in the office of Co!. Harcourt of the
Guards, who was appointed commandant of all the Volunteer and i\lililia forces of
::\Iontreal. In the summer, I retired from the Cavalry service, and accepted a clerkship
with a wholesale firm in the produce line, in i\Iol1treal, with whom I remained three
years."
About this time the late :\Ir. Mc:\lillan's family, which had been living in :\lont-
real several years, returned to Grenville, and induced Duncan to accomp.1l1Y
them, to take charge of their lands in this township, since which time Grenville has
been his home.
In 1851 he visited the grèat Exhibition in London, and, at the same time, visited
Scotland and Ireland. In 1
59 he succeeded his brother-in-law. Geo. K.ains, as
Crown Lands Ag
nt for Grt:nville 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 ofC. E. Greece, Esq. They have five sons and three daughters.
CAPTAI
EDWIN PRIDHA:\I, who for many years was a prominent figure in
Grenville, may be numbered among her pioneer
. Fortunately, he lefl 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
cCJlmtry. 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
les.s, and the interest added thereto would have been correspondingly greater. Capt,
Pndha.m was born in Half Moon street, London, Eng., 17th December, 1795. After
a
tendll1g school till he was
ixteen years of age, his father obtained a si tuation for
111m ?n the London Docks, where he was employed at making out accounts and
clerkmg. Not long afterwards he expressed a wish to his father, that he might learn
to be a cabinetmaker, and his father having a hrother in the Engineer Department
of the I3-oyal Arsenal at \V oolwich, th rough his uncle's influcnce the young man was
placed 111 the Government cabinet shop, to learn the trade. :\1r. Pridh2.111 savs :
" 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
o.nce to the office, and put down my name, This was in March, ) 815. rhe first
tlJn
1 \
ent home I told my f1ther what I had done. He did not say anything
agamst )t 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 1
tion, and that now. I must make the best of it. \Ye sailed in a large transport vessel,
named the' Phæmx,' on the 5th of l\Iay, 1815, acornpany of soldiers embarking with
us. The voyage was long and tedious, so that we did not arrive at Quebec till the
15th 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
w;as a
r
a t treat to us to obtain fresh fish, after living so long on salt provisions,
On arnvmg at Quebec we reported ourselves to the Governor, and to our astonish-
ment, he told us no instructions h3.d been sent out to him about u
. .-\.fter talking
a while to us, he said he would write home to the Government, and ascertain what
was to be done for us ; and as it would take two or three months to get an answer,
he would advise us to go on to lVlontreal 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, ,l1ld
provide provisions for us. 1 he 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 lìight, we were twelve days in reaching Montreal. Arriving there,
everyone had to look out for himself. 1 happened to fall in with :\Ir, John Fry, the
principal l1'aster 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 ca.rpenter. .\fter 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 commence
work next morning. My employer was finishing a large stone building opposite ::;t,
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 I8J 5. 1 here were two Presbyterian churches,
one small Methodist chapel on the narrow street that ran down by the big French
church, and one Epi
copal church, I had been brought up strictly to the Church
of England, but while I was at \Voolwich, which is nine miles from London, where
my parents resided, I attended the Baptist church, and felt a determination to sene
God in future, so on the fir.st 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
\Vednesday and Friday evening meetings held there, and then became one?f t
e
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
cpt 'm-
ber, 1818, I formed the acq uaintance of a young woman whose n:llne was Ehzabeth
McKercher, and whu lived in Lachine,"
It is ûnly necessary here to say, this young la?y and
Ir. 'pridham w
re. married
on the 26th January, 1820. Lack of sIJace forbids the relatlOn of the II1cld
.nts of
the next ten months, which are narrated in the biographical sketch, but
Ir. Pndham
was living on St. Hemy street at the time he next mentions, .He says: " 9 ne Sa tL
r-
day evening, Mr. l\Ioody, a man with whom I was well acquall1t.e
, came !n
nd Id
to me: ' I have been engaged to.day to go up to the country, to finish th
mSlde \"(
rk
of a new house belonging to a 1Ir. Grant, I have to get another man to go with
me, and if you like to go, I will engage you; I am. to &et ?S 6d ($(.50) p,er d.\y, nd
you will get 55 6d ($1. 10) per day, a house to live II
,. and. fircwoo
. [at onc
agreed to go, He said a boat would be down from 10ll1t l'ortulle m .a few d \} .
which would take up our tool chests and baggage. The boat, however,. did not c()m
further than Lachine, and so we got two carts, and convey
d our
hm
s t
cr(", on
Saturday, thc 1 I th of November. The next day there bCll1g 1. fair ea ,t wmd, the
37 2
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 ,"ery 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. '
e reached it,
nearly frozen, about three p.m., two and a half miles above the pomt where we
')tarted. 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 1\1r, 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 pOlk and a barrel of flour, and we went to work. After working here foul'
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 tweh.e in size, but as 1\1r. 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 bO:lrded 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 Scigniory, 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 Æ50o, 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
Evans, who owned a farm near S1. Scholastique, and they went to live there, but two
years aftem'ards 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 )vhole distance, a5 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 al riving, however, I heard that a son had been born to us during my absence,
and I wa.s much pleased to find that the report was true. In the spring of r823, 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. l\Iacmillan, of Grenville, had a house to let,
at the head ?f the canal, I went to see him. It was not a regular dwelling house, but
had be.en bmIt as a store house for the lumbermen; it was two stories high. l\Ir.
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 ,{;IO a year, for the
four followl11g years, for building a stable and shed. These terms I accepted, and
mo"ed into the house Igth March, 1823.
"A steamboat had been bJ.ilt that winter, at Hawkesbury, by a 1\1r. Mears; it was
to run fro!TI Hawkesbu
y to Hull and By town, but it was a very poor affair. The
first year It made one tnp per week, going up on Saturdays and returning on 'Vednes.
days.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3i3
" \Ve had been in the house only about a month when the river befTan to rise
and the water came into the house to the depth of eighteen inches on th:' first floor'
and we could neither get in nor out without a canoe. The current around it, also, wa
very stn;mg. As.I had fitted up the house for an. hotel, I had to go to .Montreal, on
foot agam, for a lIcense. \Vhen I left Iwme the water was not in the house, but when
I returned I h
d to enter by means of a canoe, This state of things continued until
the first week In June, and as our second child was born during the high water, it
may be imagined that our situation was anything but pleasant.
" On the second of June, there \Vas a terrible hurricane, and the river was so
rough that the waves dashed into the second stOfY windows of our house, and nothing
saved the house from destruction by the wind but a very large chimney built at the
east end of it, During this heavy storm on Sunday, there was no one but my wife,
myself and our two infants in the house. \Ve were much frightened, as a great many
trees were blown down ill different directions. At this time there were only t\\'o
houses at the point, besides the one in which we lived. I had done no business for
some time and now there was a quarter's rent due, which, in addition to the gloom
cast over me by the storm and high water, made the prospect very sad. But the
water soon began to fall, rafts began to come down, aud the canal laborers commenced
work, and thus business became brisk, and so continued till the close of navigd.lion,
when work on the canal ceased, and the two companies of soldiers moved to
Iontreal
for winter quarters. There was a little bU:.iness during the winter, however, as people
were always passing up and down the river, and so I made enough to pay the rent,
and had someth in g left besides.
" The next spring, the water did not rise so high, it being but nine inches in depth
on the floor of our house, and remained only a fortnight. That summer there was
a good deal of lafting, and the usual number of laborers 011 the canal. The steamer
continued to make one trip per week, and another small steamer was put on the river
at Lachine to run to Carillon via Vaudreuil. Busines3 was very good, so that, besides
paying the rent, 1 was able to save something. In the faU of 182-l, )lr. Macmillan
induced me to buy a village lot from him, which was situated near the first lock, it
consisted of half an acre, for which I was to pay L;100 ($.{.oo), L;6 ($.:q) annually,
till I could pay the principal.
" Having bought the lot, l began to make preparations for building; as soon as the
snow fell, I hired three or four Canadians to get out timber, which cost me nothing as
woods surrounded us on every hand. By the 2nd of February, I had enough timbcr
cut and squared, to enable me to go to framing the building, which was to be fifty by
thirty. two feet in size, and two stories in height. It was ready for raising by the
middle of :March, and as there were very few people living on this side of the river, I
had to get men from Hawkesbury to help raise it. The first day we put up all
he
frame except the plates, and as no one came over from Hawkesbury, the next mornmg
we undertook to put on the plate;; ourselves. In doing this,. we knocked off too many
of the braces, and while the men were moving a long plate It struck a bent, pushed It
over, and dowr: came all the frame together, Two men were badly hurt, one had
the calf of his leg torn off, and a splinter ran in to the side of the other. I sent to :-";t.
Andrews for a doctor, and he came up and dressed their wounds. The one who hid
the wound in his side, a Canadian, got well in a few weeks, and the other, a Scot('h-
man named McDonald, was getting on nicely, when we were startled o.ne mor.nmg
to find him de
d, It seems that he became frightened from some cause In the mght,
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.
"Åfter some days I had the cJ.rpenterexamine the fallen frame, and get out new
374
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
pieces to replace the broke.n ones, and
lso to l
ng
hen the frame to fifty.-six
eet.
"'hen this was dOl1è, we trIed a second time to raise It, and succeeded to satisfactIon.
] n 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 Poin 1. The year 1825 was a sad year for us, for in addition to the
disaster of the new house on the 12th of July, our cJdest little daughter, two years and
t'-vo months old, died, and Mrs. Pridham was also very sick, yet between the two
houses we did a pretty fé1ir 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 ch
rge 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 1\1ay, 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 l'oint. In the early
winter previous to our removal, I walked to Montreai, and obtained a settlement of
my account with the merchant with whom I had been dealing, and found lowed him
above L'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,
] 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 \Vest 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 1\1r. 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.
ill1erest. 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 L'IOO.
" Tl
T!: year I did a good business, so that I was able to payoff some of the debts,
In the wlI1ter of Ü-27-28 I got about twenty acres ()f the farm C I Jt over, and the next
summer got it ready for a crop. The next winter, the Quebec Government granted
L'sooo to open a road from Grenville to Hull. and Thomas K3.ins alld Benjamin
Papineau were appointed commissioners to look after the work, arid payout the
money, Mr, Papl'1eaU having the upper half, and Mr. Kains the lower half of the
road. Thi
winter I got out lumber to build a barn in the village, having succeeded
so well dunng 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, 1\1r. Stayner, the new
Dep. .P.ostmaster General, came here and found me in possession of the Post Office.
e vIsited every Post Office in Canada, which was not many, there being but eighty
Jl1 the two Provmces, 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 a
point
ent. In the year 1815, when .I c
me over, Mr. St3yner was on the
vessel m WhlC
I cam.e to
anada, he then bemg m the Commissary Department. I
becal!1e acquam
ed wIth hm1 on the voya!?e, though h.e had quite forgotten me till I
mentIOned the CIrcumstance of our meetIng. He saId he would make inquirJ res-
pecting me of the officers on the canal, and if they gave me a good character he might
appoint me postmaster, On the 1st of Apri:, about two weeks after he was here I
was gazetted postmaster of Grenville, and I have held the office ever since. The m
ils
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 corne 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. :\Ir. :\Iears,
who \vas postmaster at Hawkesbury, dId not lIke that, as he had to send his mail for
:l\Iontreal 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. 1\1r. Stayner approved my course, and I learned that Mr.l\1ears
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 19th April that year, and immediately after her first trip Mr. Mears
wrote to the Postmaster General that the s
eamer 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 By town (Ottawa), asking him to inform me at what
time the courier I had despatched on the 5th of April arrived at his office. He im-
mediately wrote me that he arri ved on the evening of the 6th. This letter I forwarded
to ::\1r, Stayner, and he then wrote a letter to Mr. .\lears, 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 <I829), 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 falll\Ir. Stayner visited my office, and a
rrentleman named Noah Freer, of Quebec, the attorney of Mrs. Taylor, who had charge
f her late husband's estate, came with him. He wanted some one to look after 1\1rs.
Taylor's lands in Grenville and collect the rents, and said 1\1r. 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 1\1rs. Taylor's lands. Till the winter following, I
was kept quite busy looking after these lands, ascertaining who lived on them, com-
promising with them for the rent; .they. owed, a.nd granting I
ew leases, whic.h were
to continue in force ten years. 1111S Winter I did a good busmess, and, happIly, got
clear of debt. In the spring of 1830, the steamer began to run three trips a week,
and the road flom Gren ville to Hull was opened up and made passaÞlc, "'here the
river interfered, they established ferries, so that people could now trave
with horses
and carriages. In the summer I employed a sur
eyor to tr
ce out the JlI
es 011 !\Irs,
Taylor's estate, the whole quantity of Jand beJongmg to her 111 the townshIps \\',lS fi'-e
37 6
HISTORY 01<' ARGENTE.UlL.
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 "as 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 cholel a, 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 doiug 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 j but we were
oon to experience misfortune. In Decem-
ber, J 833, our little daughtu Mary was so badly scald(d, 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 eveniug
being fine, the fire was seen at St. Marlin's near Montreal, and as far up as Bucking-
ham. Fortunately I saved everything belonging to the po
t office, books, etc. I
had nO\y 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 mawns I had engaged to build it were building a mill for 1\1r,
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. It 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 .L 1 5 0 left
with which to purchase goods, so that I had to obtain them largely on credit. 'Vhen
we had t hem 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 Sure,' and in this manner met the bills of
om merchants as they came due. In the winter of 1835-36, I put up a stable and
granary, 7 S by 24 feet, "hich gave ample room to store the grain, of which I took in
a great deal from our cllstomers, 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 palt of 1\1r, Pridham's autobiography, being more confil
ed 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 reaìized some profit, besides
clear
ng off his l
nd. In 1831, he was gazetted Captain of Militia, and in 18 3 8 ,
açpoll1ted. Captall1 of a company of Volunteers, which numbered seventy-four, They
use? to drIll every Monday during the year 1838, after they were organized, and also
durll1g the year 1839' In 1853, Mr, Pridham was promoted to the rank cf Major,
. .Th
s
lands were granted to her late husband, Col. George Taylor, who had been an officer
In the Bntlsh Army, He also purchased several more lots from settlers in Grenville. This land
or a pOI lion of it, is still held by his heirs.
HISTORY OF ARGF.
TEUIL.
377
and,. the same year, was gazetted Lt,-
ol. of Militia: In
833, he was appointed
JustIce of the Pe
ce. H
devoted c
nsIderable attentIon to hIS farm, and it is worthy
of note that he dId not declare farmlOg an unprofitable business, as many farmers of
the present c1aim.
An account he keI?t of this b
anch of his business for a few years, between 1845
and 1850, shows that Ius farm, whIch was not a large one, gave him a net profit of
nearly $300 ann
ally. .In April, 1864, his wife died,. and about two years subse-
quently, he marrIed a wIdow,
1rs, 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 13th Februa-ry
188 5, leaving eight sons and three daughters, Edwin, Frederic, Daniel, Charlcs'
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 OTJerator in St. Paul,
linn. Edwin was for a long time in the for-
warding business in Montreal, and is now in the same business in the 'Vest.
Frederick is a superannuated employe of the Montreal Post Office; Daniel is a ra/
way employe (adjuster of claims) in Denver, Colorado; Charles, deceased, was purser
on a boat; Richard is a mail cierk in Manitoba; George, now deceased, was a Post
Office clerk in 'Vinnipeg ; 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 Greuville village ever since
it was incorporated in 1875; was 'Varden of the county ten or twelve years, and
once, in acquiescence to a requisition sizned by a \'ery 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, 'Vilson.
In 18 79: 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 180 7. 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 Ii ved there for a time, but it is said that
Mears, the proprietor of the Island, failed to keep his promise to deed it to hill1, 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 lots of
land near Calumet, which are now owned by Thomas Johnson and Nicholas
\Vhinfield. Scarcely had he and his boys cleared the ground required for their
potatoe patches and cornfields, when, late in the fall, one day, ayoung frishman, with
sad countenance, emaciated frame and tattered apparel, came to the hou
e and
craved the hospitality of the family. Having been sick, he said, and unable for a while
to work, he wished, if they would kindly permit him, to remain until he recovered.
when he wuuld gladly work to repay them for their trouble and expense. It was a
univ
rsal custom in these early days, among the pioneers, never to refuse to help
those who seemed in need j and James Anderson, the young man referred to, fOl
nd
an asylum in the house of l\1r, Cook. He was a
trangcr ; no one kne\v. anyt.hlng
respecting him, save what he saw fit, himself, ,to reveal.
e spent the entIre wmter
with Mr, Cook, never being asked to Wor1\:, and workll1g only when he felt .so
inclined. He was there provided with a comfortable homc, and common humal1lty
25
37 8
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 b
en 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 arra.nged that his eldest son and one younger should go with the raft, and
that young Anderson should accompany them. As Mr, Cook had complied with the
provisions of the law, and made the improvements on his IGts 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 \vas 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 particu!ar time Satan entered into the heart
of this wily YOllng man is not known, but it seems that the prospect of obtaining two
lots of land for nothin
W.lS 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 haà 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 thesc days, it can easily be imagined,
could be obtained only through the most indefatigable efforts, and after much lapse of
time i and so to avoid further vexation and expense, Cook granted Anderson peaceful
possession of his ill-gotten land, and began to make improvements on anoth
r lot
adjacent, the same on which his grandson, Elisha Cook, now resides.
Tradition says that Anderson spent hi
life here. He never married, and in
consequence of his litigious proclivities, was usually involv
d in a la\v suit, and,
naturalJy, died poor, The descendants of Cook claim that :\lïs. Cook was the first
person who ever sowed wheat in the tow"nship. On cleaning out a box for some pur-
pose, she f
und a small quantity of wheat ill it, and a sudden whim to sow it occur-
ring, she selected a spot for the purpose in an encìosed 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 'Vest,
'VilIiam, the one of Hiram Cook's sons who remained here, was appointed Seclctary-
Treasurer of the Council when the village was incorporated in 1876, and still holds
the office.
CHURCHES.
AKGLlCAN CHCRCH.
The earliest records that can be obtained of religious work in Grenville are those
m connectio
1 with the Rcv. Joseph Abbott, the first Church of England clergyman
who settled In St. Andrews. 'Ye are ignorant of the date of his first arrival in
Grenville, but it is said he left this 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 )'1r. Abbott was here in April,
183 1 :
HISTORY OF ARGEN1'EUIL.
379
" EASTER :\IO
DAY.
GREXVlLLE, 4th April, 1331.
" At a vestry meeting held in the school house of this place, this day, pursuant
(l to public notice, were present :-
" Rev. Joseph Abbott, Thomas K.ains, Esq., Ed. Pridham, Owen Owens. John
" Taylor, Henry Atkinson, James Anderson, Joseph Hambly, Jas. "'heeler, Joseph
., Marsha.), \Vi\liam Cousins, Samuel Ogilvy, Edward Moreton, Robert Anderson,
" Christopher Edie, James Williamson, William Williamson, David \Vi1liamson, Ralph
., Horner, Benj. Patterson, Robert Reason, l{ichard Ritchie, James Loughlin, James
" Cousins, Thomas B. White."
Edwin Pridham and Joseph Hambly were appointed church wardens.
Mr. Abbott, having been appointed Bursar of McGiH University, left for
[ontreal
in 1845, and was succeeded in Grenville by the Rev. E. G. Sutton, who \Vas followed
in September, 1847, by the Rev, Charles Forest, whose successors were as fùllows .
Rev, Frederick S. Neve, in 1859; Rev. J, H, Dixon, in 18ï I ; Re\". John Rollit
(July), in 1875.
!\Ir. Rollit resigned in December, 1886, and was succ,=eded by Rev. A\' J. Greer,
who was followed by the present incumbent, Rev. \Yilliam Harris, in 1889.
The church \Vas erected in 1832, at a cost of $1100; of this slim the Lord Bishop
first gave $200, and subsequently $100 ; Col. Taylor first. suhscribed $.[00, and after A
ward $40 ; members of the Royal Staff Corps were aho liberal sub;;cnhers,
PRESBYTERI:\
CHURCH.
A Presbyterian church edifice was erected in GrenvÎlle during the ministration;;
of the Rev. !\h.
lair, while that clergyman was pastor of the church at Ch3
ham.
As the church here has e\'er since been supplied by the mini"ter located at Chatham
the history úf the church at that place is believed to contain all that would be of
general public interest.
ROMA
CATHOLIC PARISH OF GRE
\lI LE.
HISTORY OF ITS FOC1'õDATION, BY IÜ:v. J, GASCON.
The history of the Rom.ln Catholic parish of Grenville is so intin1.ltelv con-
nected with that of the whole County of Argenteuil, thJt it is impossible to stud,' the
progress of the former without admirinf{ the rapid development of the lal ter. I:e
ide i,
it is an immutable principle admitted by all nations, that the found.llion of happi-
ness and true progress are only found in religious and Christian spirit.
Grenville was only an immense forest. inhahited by a few bold adventurers, when
the first missionaries came thither to pitch their tent and at the samc time erect the
cross of Christ. Attracted as by an invincible loadstone, colonists gathered imme-
diately and settled around this symbol of tÌleir Redemption, around which they made
a rampart with their hearts and bodies against all outside attacks. Char med hy
the beauty of the country and the fertility of the soil, those first pi()necr
set cour-
ageously to work, resoh,ed to make a "home for themselves."
Of course, we may presume that among the first \\'ho came to ". ttle in this
part of the county of Argenteuil, there were men of different creeds and nation,ditie.,
Irishmen, Scotchmen, EpgJishmen, Frenchmen vied generousl}' one with the other, hut
the struggle was peaceful, fair and loyal.
1any of them were ignorant of the te:lchin
3 80
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 {If 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 RlJman Catholic Church of Grenville do not run any farther back than 18 39.
The first official act was signed on the 17th 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
Re\'ds. J, B. Bourassa, \Vm. Do'an and J, D. Charland. Rev, H. L. Girouard
became their successor in 1840, Revds. J. N. Papineau and Lefaivre in 184 1 , and
Revds. Fathers J. Henkendries, \Vm. Brady, Morrisset and J. Colgan in 184 2 . Revd.
lr. Colgan was then appointed parish priest of St. André, and administrator of the
mission of Grenville, up to the 2nd of May, 1845.
Revs. J. Théoret, 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. :\1. Bourassa continued the apostolic work of their devoted predecessors. Rev.
Ir. Bourassa, who, some months ago, celebrateà with great pomp the 50th 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 foUowing words of the Holy Writ: "If God is for
us, who will be against us?"
Rev. 1\1r, Bourassa remained in charge of the Grenville Mission till 185 I, when
Rev. Father Tabaret, O.M.l., succeeded him. The Roman Catholic people of
(
renvine 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 karned
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,
Lrchbishop 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 fOlever among thp.m. Rev. p, Molloy, O.M.L, so
well known and so dear to all the citizens of Ottawa, was a devoted assistant to the
Rev. p, Tabarel. 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.
1. Byrne, J. David, A. O'Malley, J. Gillie, G. A. Ebrault, J. J,Collinsand Trudeau,
0.:\1.1. Rev.
. lou.vent was then appointed missionary on the 28thof
Iarch, 18 5 8 ,
whe
e he remamed tIll 1862, A devoted priest, a loyal and honest citizen, he was
destll1e
to occupy a more important position, Several years later he was chosen
to b
VIcar General of the diocese of Ottawa, He filled this important position up to
th.e t.Hne when he. returned to France, his native country, His successor to the
mtsSlOn of GrenvIlle \Vas the Rev. .Mr. Mancip, parish priest of L'Orignal. The first
official a
t beari
)g his signature is
o the date of the 30th March, 1862. The Colony
of Grenville, which had already eXIsted for several years, made great strides in the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
381
way
f progre
s under the a
ministration of Rev. 1\1r.
Iancip, Up to that time, the
r
hglOu5 services were
eld In a small chapel, situated on the shore of the Long
Sault, a few steps only, It appears, from the spot where DoIlard des Ormeaux and his
sixteen companions generously shed their blood tor the salvation of New France.
Tha
g]o
ious soil, where a
.e undoubtedly buried the relics of tho
e brave and r ious
soldIers, ]S at present
othIng more than a pasture for domestic animals. No stone,
no monument of any kmd to tell the place where the mortal remains of those brave
men are waiting for the great day of the general resurrection. Yet the devotion of
those 17 heroes, writes an historian, excels all that ancient and modern history can
show to us. It tells us to what sublime heroism the spuls of the first colonists of
Montreal had risen, those soldiers of the Virgin .Mary, more anxious about Christian
martyrdom than about human glory. \Ve look with impatience for the day when
gratitude and patriotism will determine the exact spot of that illustrious fight, and will
erect to the 17 heroes of " Long Sault " the monument which their generous sacri 4
fice deserves. '} he reader will forgive us for the present digression, inspired, not by
a spirit ofvainglor}', but in the hope that the heroism and virtues of our ancestors
related to, and remembered by all, wiII enlighten and guide future generations.
In 1862, as the Roman Catholic population of Grenville had considerably in-
creased, they resolved to erect a church adapted to the wants of the people. The way
was opened, and the parishioners of Grenville went boldly and rapidly forward. They
would not let the missionaries enjoy alone the delicious fruits of sacrifice. After
much deliberation, the place of the ancient church was abandoned; and they chose for
the construction of the new temple a spot near the village, admirably situated at the
head of the" Long Sault." The work of construction Was completed in 186 3. the
pastor and the faithful could look with pride upon a pretty stone church, built owing
to the pious devotion of the former and the great generosity of the latter. At the same
time the mission of Grenville WAS converted into a canonical parish. unner the title of
"Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs." The new church was solemnly dedicated by His
Grace, Bishop Gingues. The ceremony took place in presence of immense crowds
of people, who were greatly affected when contemplating the results of their labors.
Their enthusiasm was certainly qnite natural, for the colony of 18 39 had made
great strides during that short period of time. The colony had given place to the
mission, and in that day so much longed for, the mission wa.. being replaced by a
canonical parish. The events accomplished during that period are far in the past,
and HOW there remain only a few venerable witnesses of the beginnings oj the Gren-
ville mission; but tradition has transmitted from the fathers to the sons the pIOUS
memory of the devoted missionaries who first ministered to the Catholic peoJ'le of
Grenville. 'Ve must here pay a grateful trihute of praise to the foJlowin
gentlemen,
who, in the religious and civil order, left hehind them some ,.ery precious examples
of disinterestedness, generosity, and patriotism. They always advocated good under-
standing, union of an men of good will for the benefit of the country. Who ha.. ':1 ot
heard of the good citizens of whom Grenville is proud, Messrs. John Howard, PLl.lflC.k
Kelly, Thomas :\lackam, Peter Trainor, Charles Johnstone, James Burns, sen., Urplllr
Pilon, James Barron, James Grace, A. B. Philion, l\Iichaell\Iorane,
lartin Lowe. Joseph
Seguin, John Johnstone, and manr others, who for manr reasons comman?cd. the
esteem and respect of their fellow-citizens. Henceforth, young people may lJe msplred
with their example, and, in their turn, walk in the way so nobly tra.ced. . .
Rev. Mr. Foley, now par ish priest of Almonte, was the first parish pnest of (.r.en-
ville. Beginning a new parish always requires of the priest who takes charg
of It a
considerable amount of work, a constant disinterestedncs;, and much self
cnfi.ce.
'J he first parish priest of Grenville was endowed with all these quahtle
III no
J
2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
small degree. A man of duty, he devoted the three yea
s of h
s
inistrr, l1fJt only
to the spiritual, but also to the temporal welfare of hlS pansluoners. For this
reason, the people .of Grenville cherish a fond remembrance of their .first pa3tor,
:\Ir Foley was appomted a canon and a member of the Chapter of HIS Grace the
.\rchhishopofOttawa. . . .
Rev. J. L. Chemiz succeeded Canon Foley 1ft 1874. People are loud 111 theIr
praise of that good man for his wise and prudent administration. He left the parish
in the m.)))th of July, 1877, and had for his successor Rev. M. O. Bérubé, now p.aris.h
priest of L'Origna1. Rev, Mr. Bérubé, whose courtesy has become proverbml, lS
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. \Vhen, in 1880,
his superiors appolI1terl him parish priest of the fine and important place of L'OrignaJ,
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 same precious
e
al11ples of disinterestedness, devotion to soul
, and public spirit and love of
I'rl gress.
From 1880 to 1883 three devoted priests were ",uccessively parish priests of Gren
ville. Re\'. J. 1.. Fr;Jncæur was appointed the first in 1880. He remained there three
yt ars, and during that time worked energetica11y for the spiritual and temporal welfare
of his parish. Rev. D. J. Halde succeeded him on the 15th of May, 1883, and Rev.
E. Dacier, on the 22nd of May, 1884,-all of whom left behind them a good name
and reputation. Zl.:alolls prit sts as they were, they had onl}' the ambition of working
faithfully and successfully in the vineyarJ of the Lord, and winning souls to God,
Rev.
ressire Sauvé arri,'ed at Grenville in the month of ( )ctober, J885. In
appointing
rr. Sauvé parish priest of Grenville, Archbishop Duhamel was aware
that he was pUlling the fight lOan in the right place. His kindness, his piety, mod-
esty and chality ha\"e become proverbial in Grenville, J. B. Hormisdas Sauvé W
IS
born on the 17th May, 1851, of truly Christian parents. After a briJliant course of
studies at the Colleges of Montreal and Oltawa, he listened obedient])' to the voice of
God, who called him to the priesthood, \Vhen a student at the Seminary of Ottawa
he held first rank, owing both to his ability and, irtues. He was ordained to the
priesthood on the 30lh of December. 1884, and appointed curate to La Pointe
Gatineau-a position which he occupied up to the month of October, r 88 s-when
he was appointtd to Grenville. A virtuous priest, he was also a Joyal and disinterested
citizen. .\s a priest he WdS 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 pari
hioners.
In 1870, when a regiment of Pontifica
Zouaves "-as enlisted to defend the illus-
trious Pope Pius IX, Messire Sauvé, although still a young man, was one of the first
to generously offc:r the sacrifice of his life. He \Vé:tS the first Canadian wounded
under the walls of Rome, at the time of the capture of that city by the Piedmontese.
It beco
es
he priest to recount the"e things to hii parishioners with e,!thusiasm,
always keepmg 111 remembrance the devoted missionaries who have evangelized the
poplll
tion 01 Grellville. May this brief sketch, inadequate as I deem it, help to
acqualllt the 'present generation with many <:vents in the history of Grenville which
must necessanly 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
lHight light.
The Rev. J. Gascon,
mis
ion in October. 1892.
the present priest at Grenville, was appointed to this
He W.iS born at St. Agathe, County of TerreboDne, in
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
3 8 3
18.63.
eared in Ottawa, and educated a
the University of that city. He was ordained
pnest 111 February? 1891, and after ha
mg served. as assistant priest eighteen months,
he came to Grenville, where he has. sll1ce remamed, each
ucceeding year securing
more fi
mly and largely the affections and rec;pect of his people. He is very
energetic.
METHODIST CHURCH.
..
The first church for
ed in Gren
ille ?y.this denomination was in 1854. There
are now three church edifices on this mlC;SlOn-one at Grenville village, one at
Chatham, and another at Calumet, There is also a good parsonage and outbuildinas
at this village, which is the head of the mission. There is a good choir and Sabbath
School at every point on the
Iission, and the Church generally is in a prosperous
condition.
GRE
VILLE.
1854'JamesRoy..,... .,..., .."...... ...", .." . .,.",
1855 James Roy. , ., . . .. . . . . . . , . . " . . . . . . . . . , ,. . , " ,.,.., 40
1856,James Morris.... ....,. .... .". .... ..,... ....,. .." 67
18 57 ....., ....,. ... .... .... ..... .,..,. .."" ..,. .... 65
18 5 8 , . , " . , ,. ,.,. ..,.., .....,.,...,..........".".... 69
Its 59.J ohn V. \V Ilson . . .. .. . ... ...... .. .. .... ,...'. ..,.. 67
1860 1 Robert Graham..,.., ,.....".... ......,."". ....,. 47
1861 Robert Grah'1m.", . , , . ,. ...." ....., .", . . . , .. ,. . . 48
Its62 Joseph Hill. , , . " .,.,.. . . , . ., ...,.. . . . . . , . , ., .. . ... 49
1863JosephI-lill."....." ..........,.....,..... ....,.. , 64
1864 George 1-1. Kenny.",...,., .,.,., . . . , . . .. ,..... . . , . 64
1865 George H. Kenny.....,........"............"". . 1 65
1866' l"nited with Lachute...." . ,., . ,.. . ... ,... ..,... . .,. 56
1867 Jabel. B. Keough.... ..., .,.,.. ",. """... .... ,...
...... ,
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I..".. 1 50
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I 07 2 55 I 01
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500
400
290
300
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1 97
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160
4 59
In 1872 the parsonage was burnt and the record:; destroyed, so that we are
unabie to give the names of the ministers between that date and 1867. Rev. J')hn
Corbett was the minister then (1872) in charge,
nd the following are his succes.;ors :
Revds. W, Norton, R. G. Feek, Alex, Campbell, A. Raley, R, \V. K.echnie, W. Smith,
Jas. \Vatson, Chas. Deeprose, R. F. Oliver, Wm. 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, 27th Noveinber, 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 schola.stic
training under special f'hstrllctors in his IÍéitive count}'. He wa
'CoTtt"erted '100 united
with the Methodist Church in 1859, and was soon made a class leader, In 1861 he
was licensed as an exhorter, and the following year as local preacher, and soon after
this supplied as a young preacher, in the. Renfrew
nd Claren.don. circuit, .while he
was preaching in Thorne, Que. In 1863 he was stationed at Rlcevdle
llsslOn under
Rev, Z. B. Hitchcock as superintendent, and in the same year W.l5 remo';cd to
384
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
.
OSl1abruck with Rev. F. B, Stratton. On the 4th June, 186 5, he was ordained Deacon
by Bishop 'D. Smith, and in June 1867, was ord
ined Elder b
Bishop Richardson,
He was married, 7 th february, 1866, to MISS l\lary Ameha Pake, of Sheffi{'ld, by
the presiding Elder, Rev, Benson SI?ith; they have one son, John \Vesley, and three
daughters-Emeline Jane, Clara Ehza and Nancy A. E.
Mr. Brill has been stationed by authority of the several conferences on the fol-
lowing circuits, viz, : Depllgh, Mississippi, Huntley and Fitzroy, Renfrew, Edwards-
burg, Verona, CannifLOn, Milford Bay, Hollowell, Tweed, Cloyne, Toledo, Lombardy
and Burwick,
In California he was stationed at Bonan Church, in the city of San José, in
Brentwood, Byron and at Martinez, county seat of Contra Costa County.
When at CannifLOn, in 1875, he received a sunstroke, which so affected his
hea1th, that under doctor's certificates the conference held at Kingston, in t 888,
gave him a superannuated station and a release to live by the sea coast for a time,
hence his stay in California, The change of climate had the desired effect, and 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
years. Gracious Revivals have attended his ministry; he has built and repaired
twenty-eight churches and parsonages, perhaps the greatest number of any minister
of his age in his conference,
When in California, as an invalid, he raised about $13,000 for charch building,
etc. The following letter shows the esteem in which he was held.
F. F. JEWELL, D.D., Presiding ì
Elder of Oakland District,
9 2 5 Valencia st., San Fran- I
cisco, Cal. J SAN FRA
CISCO, Cal., 22nd Feb., 1 8 94.
The Rev. \VM. JACKSON', D.D., President Montreal Conference of the :\lethodist
Church of Canada.
DEAR SIR A1\D BROTHER:-
Our est
emed brother, Rev. D, Brill, is abol1t to leave us to return to the Con-
ference, where his membership has remained, while he has been with us in person and
useful work. His humble, faithful, untiring jevotion to the cause of Christ, and our
common Methodism, has greatly endeared him to his brethren in the ministry and
laity here, and makes his going from us an occasion of /Jluclt regret. He has evinced
remarkable qualifications in creating and improving churc.h property, and leaves
monuments of his skiJ1 and industry in several fields of labor. \Vithout exception,
he has been faithful in labor, kindly in spirit, and a Christian gentleman everywhere,
His family has maintained the same spirit and character, and will also bear with them
the affectionate regards of those who have known them. \Ve would fain detain them
here, but the ord.:rings of a Divine Providence seem to indicate otherwise.
\Ve trust that this brother beloved may be spared many years to honor God in
effective service in his chosen and loved profession and calling,
Sincerely and cordially,
F. F. JEWELL.
BAPTIST CHURCH,
( Contributed.)
"In the month of :\Iay, 1887, :\Ir. 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 Yillage. He was
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUlL,
3 8 5
,: very successful, and many professed faith in Christ, Some old Baptist II'lembers,
" and those recently converted, were formed into a regular Ba p tist church and
" h . d ' d d ' ,
avmg eCI. e to accept the offer of Mr, John Stewart of a piece of land for a
'; ch
rch, they commenced at once to build. By 19th 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 capacitv of 2':'0. Commodious
" vestries have since been added, J
.1 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 :\lc
[aster Hall, took
" charge for the summer. He was fol1owed 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 smal1 building was purchased in the G
1Uley
" 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, carne 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 onc at Grenville.
., Since settling at Grenvil1e, a branch cause has been started at A voca, where a
"student labors every summer. In November, 1892, a new church was opened at
.. Stonefidd; it is the same size as that at GrenviHe, and the land for its sIte Wd.S given
"ùy Messrs. T, Owens and Reuben \Veldon. The membership, including Gren\il1e,
" 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
I' at work during the summer. They receive a small grant per year from the R3.ptist
" Mission Board, and are almost free from debt."
Since the above history of the Baptist Church was contributed, the Rev. \[r,
Robinson has removed to another place, and he \Va" succeeded at Grenville, in l\l.1y,
1895, by the Rev. J, Bonner, the present pastor.
DAVID'VILLIAMSON, SEN., was one of the pioneers of Grenville, whose enterprIse
contributed toward the activity of business, and whose desccndants are among the
active business men of the township at the present, He was born in the Countr of
Down, Irelar.d, and when seven years of age, crossed the ocean with his father's
family in the sailing ship ., Ploughman," which reached Quebec after a three months'
voyage.
The family consisted of ele\'en members j but he was the last survivor. They
first settled in Caledonia, Prescott County, Ont.; but shortly afterward, in 1817, came
to Grcnville. In his earlier years he was engaged in transportÏ1:g freight, and, I..ter,
was in the forwarding business, his energy and genial nature causing his services to
be much sought by the lumbermen along the Ottawa. For a number of years he had
a line of stages between Grenville and Bytowll, and carried the mail. In '
37 h.e was
one of the first in the township to offer his services to his country, enlistmg In
he
company of Capt. Pridham. In 1838, he married Sarah
[cInnes, of Argylesh l re,
Scotland. They had nine chilrdcn-five sons and four daughters j of the latter, one
died in 188 7. The remaining four sons are among the active men ,!f G
enville \'îll.1ge.
David, the eldest, having quite early decided to follow commercia.! hfc, entered the
store of Messrs. Owens, of Stonefielà, at Montebello, as clerk. In 1815 he opened J.
store on his own account in this village, and is still in the same busmess. He h.1S
taken much interest in local affairs, and hac; been :\Iunicipal Councillor several}, . "
3 86
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlJ..
also School Commissioner. He is telegraph operator, and has been postmlster since
18 75. Of his three brothers, Thom1.s 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..rwarding business.
John A. is foreman on the canal. He bdong.; to") the Argenteml 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, Onto
DAVID REEVES, a member oÍ the Royal Staff Corps, when a young man,. in
1804, enlisted in the :':3rd Regiment of Light Dragoons. He served in the Peninsular
war; was wounded at the battle of Salavera, and subsequently fought at 'Vaterloo.
He received a pension from the British Government for his military services of j s. 6d.
sterling per day. After his regiment was disbanded, he enlisted in the Royal Staff
Corps, and arrived in Grenville in 1825. He was one of the members of this corps
who remained in the country after the canal WJ.S completed. He died in Lachine,
and his wife died of cholera in Grenville, in 1832.
They left three sons, one of whom died in Kingston; the other tW(), Christopher
and Daniel, stil1 live in Grenville, 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 Grenville, 1825, on a lot of land now owned
by John Howard. The house \\' hich he built and used for an hotel i5 still standing.
He was accidentally drowned in I
35, 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 Grenville, the latter in Carillon. Patrick Kelley, at the age of 12, enlisted in the
company of Volunteers, commanded by Captain Pridham. He was very acÜve, and
his youth, perhap:s, rendering the excitement and equipage of military life more
fascinating to his mind, he 300n outstripped his older comrades in knowledge and
practice of the dnll. On one occasion, when Major Mayne was present, reviewing
the Volunteers, not liking the manner in which they were handled by the drill master,
all old soldier of the regular army, exclaimed: "Here, Kelley: step out and drill these
men." The order, which was not more complimentary to Kelley than it was mortitying
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,
nd has also engaged in the forwarding business. He has been interested, as well,
111 the public affairs of the viIJage, having served as Municipal Councillor, and was
Commissioner for the trial of small causes till he dlclined longer to act. His two
sons, John and E. P. !-. elley, contractors and forwal ders, also reside in the village.
'\"m. H. Kelley, a third son, resides in Montreal, where he is engaged in the lumber
business. He export>; large quantities, some years senaing ten millioñ feet to the
States. He lecently took a contract for supplying lumber for the Montreal Harbor
Imp! o\'ements. He \Vas married 13th September, [g87, to Estella Ann Carney,
daughter of P. Carney, of Roxton Fails, Que.
L
xl LEROY, a son of Peter Francis LeRoy, whose father was one of the pioneers
at Chute au Blondeau, came to Grenville in [827, an:!, :is his vocation had been
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
3 8 7
hotelkeeping at the former place, he engaged in the same business at Grenville his
1O.use
tanding on what is known as the "Point." He hati also been a pilot,
nd,
It IS saId, he was one of the very first whose services were called 111 requisition on the
Ottawa, His house was frequented by lumber men and raftsmen, and though we do
not 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 lavern, in those days of primitive simplicity. \Vhat a contrast the house and
an its appointments must have been to the vlliage hostelry of the present. No car-
peted parIoi 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 f'Jrniture was a few chairs and benches, and warmed by a rough stone fire'placE>,
in which blazed a pile of log!'; and \vool sufficient for man}' days in a stove of the
present manufacture,
\nd 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 assembied.
::\Ir. LeRoy was one of the number in Grenville who fell a prey to the cholera in
18 3 2 , A fter 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,
aim acted as pilot, and h 1S followed the business for fifty years. He has vivid recol.
lections of tbe hardships recounted by his fJ.ther and grandfather, which they
experienced in taking their grain to mill-the nearest mill being located on the one
hand at H ul', and the other at St, Ann.
HUGH CLARK.-His
randfather, Clark, came from Scotbnd 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 hrm now owned and occupied by
his son, Robert Clark, and spent the r{'mainder of his days here. He had eight sons
and two daughters, of whom only his son Robut and one daughter now live in this
section. His eldest son, John, who was employed in different places, made GrenvjJJe
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 ::\Iay, 1878, to
Margaret Ellen Dewar, and lives in Grenville Yillage,
::\[RS E:\lERY CUSHIXl:, now living in Grenville, is one of those re
aining who
saw the country soon after it merged from its primeval state,. and n.O\v
Itnesses the
struggles of the third generation, well advanced towards middle lIfe. since she was
born.
Emery Cushing, as well as his brother Lemuel, was for many year!' a well
known
hgure along the Ottawa, also in :\[ontreal. He wa<; proprietor of an hotel I
that
city, was largely engaged in the forwarding trade on the Ottawa, and had a !tne of
coaches between Ottawa and
[onlre.11. He died in the latter city, where he sJ.>ent
most of his life; he had five sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Erner}:,
vas for
some time clerk for his uncle, Lemud Cushing; he married
Iary Ann McClure. a
d
settled ill Pembroke, On l ., where they lived many years. They h.1d seven cllIl-
dren-three sons and fOllr daughters-.two pairs of twins among the number,
ARTHUR CUSHIXG. the eldest s"">n, has spent most of his life on the 9ttawa. being
promoted by his employers as his faithfulness and ability gain
d lhelr confidence,
In [892, he was appointed Captain of the stea
er ". Ida," ru
mg between_ (,
ttawa
and Kingston, and the fol1owing yea r became Captam on the Harry B3te
. He
3 88
HISTORY OF ARGENTIWIL.
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 Xovember, 18R6, to
Iary Jane Burrows, of Chelsea, Que,
l\IERCAXTILE.
Besides David Williamson, who has already been mentioned, the fùl\owing either
have been or now are engaged to a greater or less extent in mercantile life. .\ll are
men accorded a voice in the affairs of the township.
JOHN \VILSON, 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 111 a short time
opened a handsome store in that city. _-\bout 1828 he removed to Greec
's Point,
ChJ.tham, from which place he C3.me to Grenville in 1832. He engaged in mercantile
business on his arrival, and pursued it successfully till [848, when he went to Cum-
berland, Ol1t, 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 n:nv alive. 1\1r. Wilson died ill 1879- John L. \Vilson, one of the sons,
entered into partnership with his father, and soon succeeded to the entire business,
and continued it till 1882, when he retired. In I
79, he was married to Eliza J.
Iooney, and still resides here, preferrin.; the quiet of domestic,. to the cares and
vexations of public life.
JOHN \V ADE, one of the merchants, came here and opened a store about t 87 S.
His grandfather was one of the early settlers of East Hawkesburr, Ont., and after-
wards conducted an hotel at Greece's Point, Not long after coming to Grenville, :\[r.
\Vade built his present store, in which he keeps a goad stock, and his enterprise has
led him to engage in other business which he vigorously prosecutes. He ha'i a car-
riage and blacksmith shop, is engaged quite largely in the lumber trade, and owns a
tug boat called the c, H. .M. Mixer." He finds time also to serve his fellow-citizens
as School Commissioner and l\1unicipal Councillor In 1862, he married Catherine
Fraser, a granddaughter of Reuben Cook, of whom a sketch is given on another
page.
[rs, \\'ade 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
d1Ys of her childhood: Her grandfather, one day, espied a canoe coming 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 husb.1nd. 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 tl) convey his body to a pb..::e
where It could receive Christian curial. This was her mission when she met :\Ir.
Co?k, and he at once secured her all the aid re:Juired, and she had the consal \tion of
seemg her husband properly interred in Grenville.
JOHN HOWARD, who died in 1894, had been in business since [855, 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.
3 8 9
I.AMES BARRON, w
o is a son of Joseph
arron, a pioneer of Hawkesbury, has
been m the grocery busmess here for twentY-<Hx years, He is clerk of the Commis-
sioner
' Court, and has be?n
cl
?ol Commissioner se.veral years, He was Captain for
ome tIme on the steamer 'Aid, for CoJ. George Smith, of Montreal. He married a
daughter of the late John Mason, lockmaster at Carillon.
· JOH
COOK has been in trade here for about thirty years. He aho has a
carriage, blacksmith and harness shop, and has engaged to some extent in the
lumber business. He has been a Justice of the Peace for fifteen years, also a member
of tl:e ::\Iunicipal Councils and of the Board of School Commissioners; his wife is a
granddaughter of Reuben Cook, mentioned on another page.
\r. T, 'VHITE, from Dairsee Muir, Fifeshire, Scotland, opened a store in Gren-
vine in I877, in which he still trades. He, too, has been Municipal Councillor and
School Commissioner. He is also agent for the Ottawa Navigation Company, and
conductor on the railroad train which in slimmer runs between Grenville and
Greece's Point. Mr. 'Vhite is a man of public spirit and much geniality.
JA:\IES 1\
ILLER came from lre
and
o Canada in 1873, and to GrenviHe in 18 75-
He has been 111 trade most of the tIme smce, and has been a member of the Village
Council for several years.
THOMAS AND 'VILLlAJ\f MORROW, grandsons of a member of the Royal Staft
Corps, and sons of George 1\Iorrow, a farmer in Grenville, are doing a thriving
husiness here in the mercantile line. They "'ere formerly clerks in the store of :\Ir,
Pridham, and being enterprising young men they soon purchased his stock of goods
and engaged in trade on their own account.
\\'ILLlA;\1 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 'Vashington 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 Bums, jun., who has been a general jobber in Grenville for more than
twent y years, has a grocery and market on Canal Square.
\VILLIAM THO:\IAS HALL came from Hawkesbury Village to Grenville in 188 9,
and e!1tered 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. \Villiam S., another son, is studying dentistry
in the Royal College, Toronto.
JAMES GAULEY 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, :\fiss Gauley, ver}' early displayed a penchant for trade
nd speculation, and
this trait having de\'eloped into rare business tact, has contnhuted much to the
success of the firm, yet she believes that no business can be truly prosperou<; that
has not Christian principles for its base,
39 0
HISTOR\" OF ARGENTEUIL.
PROFESSIONAL,
DR. \YILLIAM ALBERT MACKAY is of the same lineage as :\Ir. J. A.
. M3.ckay,
barrister of St, Andrews-a family of social and military distinction. The father of
Dr. :\Iackay 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 J 86 I, and was educated at St. Laurent, at Bishop's College, taking.his
deuree from the latter in 1884. After practising eight years in Pontiac, Que., he
ca
le to Grenville, where he enjoys a large practice. He is a brother-in-law of Mr.
Dansereau, PostmaHer of )fontreal, and his wife is a niece of the R. C. Bishop of
Glengarry, Ont. A Lrother of the doctor is proprietor of the Belmont Retrtat, a
Gold CUte establishment in Quebec city.
GEt'R(;E \\'. PRFl'TISS, M. D., was born at Chelsea, Que., and studied medicine
with the late Dr. Rüggles Church (late Attorney-General). He took a three years'
course at McGill, then attended lectures at Bellevue, N e\v York, returned, and took
his degree at McGill in J 8Ú3. After practising in Wisconsin, and in different parts
of Canada a few y
ars, he settled in Grenville in 1869, where he has since resided,
receivmg a fair share of patronage. He has, for a number of years past, also had a
drug store ill connection with his office.
C. L. BFAUDOIN, N .P., who has had considerable experience in the notarial
business in other places: located in Grenville a few years since. He is proficient 111
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 \Vestern Ontario
to AI undel in 1866, and lOok up 600 acres of land, which is now occupied by his
second son. He came to Grenville in 1872, and two years later was appcinted
Justice of the Peace, Fo:-est Ranger of Argenteuil and parts of two adjoining counties,
and Secretary- 1'1 easurer of the township and augmentation of Grenville.
THOMAS CU
nIlN(jS, 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 \Vhitehall, 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 the mail between Montebe\lo and Carillon. In J 88.... he
joined the expedition that was sent to the relief of General Gordon, and sailed from
Quebec for London in the steamer "Circassiall;" 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 beL\veen 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 tomhs. Mr. Cummings, besides
having a cOl1lract for conveying the mail between Grenville and Lost Ri\er, at
present keeps a boarding house and livery stable here.
SA
IUEL J. MURRA\, a son of James
Iurray, 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 Ol" ARGENTEUIL.
39 1
JOSEPH .D \VISON is. one of t
e" respected artisans of this village, who for forty
years has ql11etly and faithfully mmlstered to the comfort of hi-; patrons, He came
from Donegal, county of Antrim, Ireland, to Canada in 1847, He was married in
18 53 to Ellen \Vyatt, of Hawkesbury :\Iills, and in May of the fJllo \"ing year settl ed in
Grenville. They have had ten children-eight sons and two daughters j of these four
sons are deceased; three more and one daughter live in Vancouver, R.C,; William
the remaining son is a farmer living in Grenvilie, and the other daughter is married
to Thomas 'Veir, postmaster at Cushing in Argenteuil.
Until recently there were two good hotels in Grenville-one owned b,'
[rs.
McIntyre. which is now rented by La Belle, and the other by Louis Champan
. The
latter building was burnt a few months since. Mr. Champane has had considerab!e
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 flom
it about two miles j yet this disad,,-antage is in a measure counterbalanced b\" the
convenience of having, during a portion of the year, ready communication with
:Montreal by hoat! or another branch of railway, and with Ottawa by b03.t. fhe
C.P,R. station is very pleasantly located on a level tract of land, to which a mountain
forms a most heautiful b3.ckground.
JA:\IES 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. R. in
1889 j since that date he has been operator at different stations 0:1 this railway from
Alberta to Ottawa. He was appointed age!lt at Grenville in S
ptember, 18)2, and is
now also telegraph operator.
DAVID GILL came from the county of Down, Ireland, to Hawkesbury YillJge,
about the year 1835. He afterward married Mary Frasrr from Scotland, and about
185 0 came to Grenville. and bought 175 acres of land on the north shore of the Bay,
at the base of the mounta in. He cleared up the greater part of this land, and it is
now a beautiful and productive farm, :\lr. Gill served as municipal councillor for
the Township, yet he had little desire for municipal offices. He died in 1875;
Irs.
Gill in 1858. They had six children-four sons and two d.tUghters. The latter have
a millinery store in Grenville village; two of the sons .He in California; John, another
son, who lives on the homestead, was married in 1883 to Janet Erskille, of \IontreaJ.
His farm and good ul1ilding
, with the Bay in front and the mountlin in the re.n, is
sure to attract the notice of the passing traveler. J ame<:, hii eldest brother. who al<;o
has a good farm in Grenville, was married in 1874, to Sarah Hayes, of East Hawkes-
bury, Onto He belongs to the Argenteuil Rangers, and both the brothers have
sel ved as School Commissioners and
1 unicipal Councillors.
ALEXANDER FRASER, came from Banffshire, Scotland, to this country in 1
32,
and first settled near Lachute, but two years later cam::: to Grenvill
, and
o.ught the
1\:>t no\\ owned and occupied by hi
son Alexander. He spent hIS remammg- days
here, cleared up the greater part of his land, and died about 1860. lie left five sons
and four daughters. Alexander and his sister Isabella still live on the home
tead;
James, their brother, lives in Breadd.lbane. John, another brother, and the 0111\- one
besides those named above who lives in this section, resides on a f.lrm of 110 .lcres
in a most pleasant rural locality, a Jittle more than a mile from Grenville \ï.lh; In
186::; he married :\Iary Spratt of Hawkesbury, and th
sa.me year settle.d on "hl
pre
'':=nt
farm which he has industriously cleared of the pnnclpal part of Its vlrgm forest.
Four ofth
childlen of
Ir. and :\Irs. Fraser, two SOliS and two daughters, are dece.lscd.
Alexander G., their eldest son, when eighteen years of age, Wd' c.u.ght h) tne
39 2
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 'Vilson, 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 'Vilson 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 which Mr.
Crooks has engaged is that of brick making-having found a good quality of clay
on his fal m 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 nearìy hidden by trees and shrubbery, is known as " Kingsey Hal],"
.\bout half a mile distant, and nearly north from Kingsey Mills, are the saw mill
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 184 6 , erected thereon
a saw mill which continued in operation till ten years since, when the present circular
saw mill was erected.
rr. Murray died many years ago; he had three sons and
three daughters; a11 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
18 37-3 8 .
J AMES 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
chool Commissioner, He was married, in 1851, to Sarah
Ogilvy; they have four sons and two daughters now living. The large piles of
lu
nber of almo
t every kind which Mr. Murray has for sale in his mill yard give
e
ldenc: bot
to .th
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
fath
r 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. Stuar
died here 27th January,
892, !hey had twelve children who grew up; one son, James A., and his sister
arah, hve on the homestead-a fine estate-with their mother, Another of the
sons and two of the daughters settled in Grenville.
HISTORY 010' ARGE}.1TEl.ïL.
393
JOHPH HA'lßLY, a sergeant in the Royal Staff Corps, came from BodllJan
Cornwa!l,
ngl.and. Like many others who belonged to this Corps, he determined
to remam 111 thIs COuntry and take up land; and so anxious was he to ào so that he
purchotsed his discharge, when, in a short time afterward, to his surprise and'chaarin
the whole corps was discharged.
[r. Hambly had six children-three sons and thre
daughters-who grew up. John, the son, who has alw<i.ys lived on the homestead
which consists of 2C? acres, was. married in 1847 to Jane Clark; sh
died in 186 4:
and in 18 7 0 he marned Euphemia Cameron. i-ie has eight children-four sons and
four daughters-stilI living. One of his daughters, S. J. Hambly, is Postmistress at
Calumet; Catherine, another daughter, Was married 1st June! 1856, to \Villiam
McIntyre, grandson of a pioneer on Beech Ridge, St. Andrews, He lives near 1\1r.
Hambly, his father-in-law, and now manages the farm. He hac; two brothers at
Calumet j one is proprietor of mills in that place; the other foreman of the Boom
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 in Grenville in the past j but his inttrest is now centered in the future and
higher life. Baptist clergymen, in recent years, have labored with some success in
this section, and Mr. Hambly and wife, with their daughter,
Irs.
IcIntrre, and her
husband, united with the Baptist Church.
It seems somewhat singular, that while wolvec; 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 adjacent
mountain, and now and then one is killed,
ANDREW KERR was one of the Royal Staff Corps, and came from Scotland with
his 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 bllt little about chopping, this work devolved chiefly on the son. The
latter was married 5th August, 1851, to Catherine
[cGillivray, and as the homestead
was several miles from the Ottawa, and there being no road, he had many hardships
to contend with, such as carrying grists on his back to the river, and after he had
crossed 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 12th
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,
mo
t pleasant and rural in aspect, gives evidence that peace and plenty abound in it.
[ethodist ministers found their way, occasionally, into this part of {;renville
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 sernce here fort-
nightly for twenty years. Their old church was replaced in 1890 by a neat ne\v
one called "
Iountain Church."
J AMES McARTHUR lIves in the rear of Grenville, about a mile east of the road
running to Lost River; his sister
[ary, and his father, Lachlan
[c.-\rlhur, compris-
ing the entire family. The hardships through which the latter old gentlem..m has
passed are calculated to awaken our astonishment at the capacity of human endur-
ance. He was born in Kilchoman Parish, on the Island of Isla}', .-\rgy!eshire, Scot-
land, but had lived in Glasgow a few years, and left his wife and two children there,
when he sailed for this country, June, 1846; ile \Vas six weeks on the vovage. _\n
26
39-1
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 18 57, he took
up two hundred acres of land in Harrington Glen, in the loth 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 miles north of their nearest neighbor, John McCulloch. In March
following, \ViIliam Thompson became his nearest neighb
r, si
m.iles distant, in
Arundel, on the north. It was a cold day when he started wIth Ius wIfe and infant, a
bag of oatmeal, a bag of salt, an axe and gun, for their future home. At 1\1r, Donald
Fraser's he engaged Mr. Fraser's son, Colin, then fifteen years old, to row them some
distance down the lake. The canoe was old ::Ind leaked badly, and their condition
was in no wise improved hy 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 stoan.
\Yhile 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 wen 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 thi<;, 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 felt 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 read 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 offlour 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. \Vhen 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 tIp 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
appalJing-indeed, it seems incredible that the feat could be accomplished by a man
{)f ordinary size unless endowed with superhuman strength. Mr.
1cArthur is not
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
395
an exceptionally large man, his height not exceeding five feet nine or ten inches and
his average weight in t
ose days being one hundred and seventy-five pounds. '
On another occasion he. took a barrel of flour at h.is uncle's, and putting it in
two sacks, placed them on his horse, and started on a bndle 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-I96 lbs.-on his back, carried them half a
1ile around
left them, and then returned for his horse. . ,
Mr, McArthur had cleared a space offorty acres on his new L\rm, 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."
Ir. 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. :\1c-
Arthur died April 25 th , 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 knowll as Cook's Lake,
Ir. Hugh Cook's fine new hOllse 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, l\lcYicar 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 :\IcDonald, and took up 350 acres
near the homestead, which is now the home of his own son, John Livingstone. He
cleared about 15 acres of this, and died 23rd February, 1890 j Mrs. Livingstone died
4- th 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. .\rchibald, the eldest
son, married, lives in ".yoming j 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 young-
est, whose husband, Archibald Cameron, died recently, now lives on the homestead
with her brother. Annie lives in New York; Maggie in Hawkesbury, Ont.; and Mary
with her brother on the homestead, all forming a respected Christian family,
HUGH l\ICVIcAR came to Chatham, Que., in 18H, and for six y....ars \\".1.... em-
ployed on the canal. He afterward obtained JOO ac.res of land in the rear of
;rel
-
ville, on which his son Hugh now lives. He and..hls s
ns
leared the ,land, which IS
now a part of a good farm of 200 acres, Mr. Mc \ Icar died 111 1857. 1 he son, Hugh,
was married September 5th, 1860, to )[ary McLean, They h
1\'c one son, Hugh, and
one daughter, Catherine, who live with them.
39 6
HISTORY 01<' ARGE
TEUIL.
On an adjoining farm lives Charles McLean, who is mentioned in the history of
-\ voca. The farm is the old homestead where the father first settled; a good farm and
a pleasant home.
1 AMES McKNIGHT, from the County Down, near Belfast, Ireland, came to
Canåda in
fay, 18 5 0 , and settled in the west part of Gore, on a farm now owned by
his 50n John. He died there in October, 1879; his wife died in
ovember, 18 77.
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 aU, 200 acres. He was married 16th March, 18 5 6 , to Jane Mc
lahon;
she died 9 th J lily, 18 93, They had [Hoe 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 Falls, in July, 188 9,
He was a young man highly respected, and his sad death was a severe blow to his
parents, 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, he was called with the
Volunteers to Cornwall and several other places. Besides his property in the Goæ,
he has a good farm of 350 acres in the 9th and loth Ranges of Grenville, where he now
lives,
It was here that the son of Mr. McKnight lost his life in July, 188 9' Just at the
base of the cliffs which form the fall, a cold mountain stream enters the bay.
Ic-
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 of
the beach near the fall, he had just reached the place where the col.] brook water
enters: when he was seen to throw up his hands and di!;appear. As he was a capital
swimmer, his companions supposed he was merely performing one of his feats; but
when, in a few moments, he did not reappear, their fears were aroused. Diligent
search was kept up for a day or two before his body was recovered, and this was only
accomplish
d 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, 1\'1. D., who came to
\. VOC
t in 188 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 Francisco,
educated in Harvard University, and began practice in Boston.
LA BELLE FALLS.
.
ear
hc farm of Mr. McKnight, the river Rouge, which thus fal' runs parallel
\
Ith the hIghway, and near it, makes a sudden turn, neady forming a right angle. The
rIver
xpands into quite a bay at this point, along the shore of which for some dis-
tance 111 the summer season is a broad, sandy beach, not unlike the sea shore, On the
farther side of this picturesque bay, from the road, rise steep mountain cliffs, through
a
arrow.gorge of which, the river, compressed into one-eighth its usual width, pours
w
th a wIld ru
h, and falls several feet into the boiling cauldron below. There is a
wIld grandeur 111 the scene, which is not a little enhanced at times when the river is
s
vollen,
nd the logs of lumbermen with a mad rush come through, dive perpen-
dIcularly mto the seething abyss, then, as in a battle of demons, roll, wrestle, and
pound each other, till stripped and scarre(l, they are forced into more quiet waters,
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
39ï
and dlift silently away. _-\s only a front view of the river and falls can be obtained
wi
hout climbing midway of t
e !l1011ntain! and (;mt on the rocky plateau twentr-fiveor
thIrty feet a,?ove the falls, CUriosIty sometimes Impels one to do so, and he is well
repaid for his tro.ubl
. _-\.nother fall, very similar to the lower one, occurs a few rods
back, beyond whIch IS another bay, only the lower part (If which is visible on account
of a turn in the stream around high projecting cliffs. These falls have' a gruesome
history:
_<\bout the re.'r 18Si, a young Presbyterian student, who was preachinO' in thi"
s
ction, we
1t out fishing one. day. Nut returning at nightfall, search was I
ade for
hIm, and hIS boots and stockmgs were found on the heights above the falls, where it
was sllpposed 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 fail, and it was generally
believed he had slipped on the cliff and fallen off.
ar tl
e La Belle Falls by the roadside stands the cottage of JOSEPH GEEGAN,
a v
ry Il1telhgent old gentlem:1n, who for many years was keeper of the
lcT .wish
Light HOllse, near Puint all Chêne. He was m:uried 22nd
ovember, 186::>, to Ann
.::\lcCallum, eldest child of Captain Alexander McC:allurn. .-\rchie, the eldest son of
h. and 1\1rs. Geegan, died I
th November, 1892, at the ag
of 29. He was an
exemplary young man, btloved by all who knew him, and his death W1.S a severe
blon- 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 poet
, and it strikes
one that a couple more appreciative of their location than he and hi
, hcspitable and
genial wife could not ha.\re settled amid these romantic surroundings.
DUGALD MCCALLU)I, a brother of Mrs. Geeg,m, lives on an adjoining farm. His
father, Captain Ale'\.ander 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 re
ired to his farm in Grenville, now owned and occupied by his SOI1
Dugald, where he spent the balance of his life. He had bc
ides his daughter, :Mrs.
Geegan, three sons, Archie, Dugald and Donald. Archie, who was Captain of a
boat, lived and died in Ottawa; Donald lives in Arnpriur. 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 16lh April, 18 6 4. to 'br-
garet McArthur. and settled on the homestead five years later. They have two sons
and five daughters now living; ArchiLald J., the elder
on, is married, and is in the
Life Saving Station on Lake Superior,
JOSEPH l\lcMAHO
, from the County Down, Ireland, came to the north part
of Gore: in thig county, in 1823. The ship in which he crossed the ocean was burnt
near Quebec, but the passengers were sa,.ed. He worked the first sumn
er
fter
his arrival on the Grenville canal, and in the fall took up 100 acres of land In Gore,
He lived there till 18 7 2 , and then, selling his property, he and his wife lived the
remainder of their years with their son, John, in Grenville, on the I nh Range,
He died here 9 th December, I8ïS; his wife died in March previous j they had four
sons and five daughters.
John, the eldest son, WJ.S the first child born in the nort.h of Gore. I Ie and
.his brother Samuel, and t\\"o sisters, who live in the Augmentation, are the onl} on.es
of the famity living in this section. John married 8th !
bruar.r, 18 5 I, Harnet
.McGregor ; they have three sons and fi,-e daughters now hVIng j 11\ l of th
daugh-
39 8
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 j the cant hook slipped, and the timber rolled on and crushed
him. He was a youth of promise; he had nl'my friends, and his death was the cause
of great sorrow. 1\1 r. McMahon was for many years one of the Argenteuil Rangers,
and went to the tront during the Fenian raids. He has a fine farm here of JOO
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 SUI passed 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 south, and 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 fiu into Ontario. It
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 j 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 5ide, but such is
the height from which it comes, that it affords excellent water Dower, and the
numerous cataracts formed in its descent are ever present
bjects of admiration to
visitors. Sixty years ago, the Calumet Falls were the property of the :Montreal 'Yater
\Vorks 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.
:\Ir. 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, if
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 :\[ontreal by the early train, spend twelve hours
in the city, and be home by bedtime. Then we had no accommodation for tra vellers ;
now we have two well kept, comfortable hotels; and, in connection with the railway,
a refreshment 100m, which is a model for all restaurants along the entire line. Then
we had no public means of transport across the Ottawa j now we have steamers
plying daily between here and the lOwns 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 dri\'e or walk four miles for our letters and
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL,
399
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
hops and three livery stables, Then we had not a single store;
to-day we havc 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 emplo,"-
ment du.ring
he summe
to over a hundred men, and, in the winter, to an equal
number 111 theIr log shanties. Then there was only the firm of the Hamilton Broth
rs
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
bettcr ."
Mr. RICHARD LA
IGAN was born in Donegal, Ireland, and, in [83 6 , came with
his father's family to Three Rivers, Que., at which place his father died. In I8S-1-, he
and his brother, George T, Lanigan, established The Illquirer at Three Rivers; but
the following year, Richard \vithdre\v from it, and engaged in other business, In
1860, he was married to Margaret Kiernan, and in 1870 came to Caiumet, as
th
agent of J. K. 'Yard, who was engaged in extensive lumber business and owned
large timber limits on the River Rouge. Since 187-1-, 1\1r. Lanigan has been
Secretary-Treasurer of the Rouge Boom Company until quite recently, when he
resigned on account of ill health. In !878, he 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 amhor. The story-the scene of which i
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 literatúre.
lr, 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 l\Iethodism, 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 Lallet in :\lon I real. He was instrumental in connection with Mr. Hugh
Graham in starting the :\Iontreal Star, and, subsequently, was employed for some
time as editor of the Sherbrooke Extlmiller. Afterward, he joincd the editori31 St3fT
of the New York If/orld, 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
h:INTYRF,
which he purchased a few years since of Hon. J. K. 'Yard. The water which form
the motor of these mills is brought in an iron pipe from the Calumet, under the C. P:
Railway. The mills consist of a grist mill, containing three run of stone and one ot
rollers, a circular saw mill, a planing and shingle mill-all of which are kept in active
operation. .\bout a million and a half feet of lumber and a large qu.mtity of squ:ucJ
timber are turned out here annually.
4 00
HISTORY OF .<\RGE
TEUIL.
Mr. ::\lcIntyre was born in Lachute, and is a descendant of one of the early
pioneers of Beech Ridge, in St. Andrews. He came to Grenville in 18 7 0 , and built a
steam saw mill, whicr.. 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 enterpri
e and
industry; he now receives valuable assistance in his business from his 1\vO sons, Daniel
A. and 'Villiam.
A post-office was opened at Calumet in :\Iay, 1887. Previous to this, it had been
kept at Eden Dale, a short distance from Calumet. 1\1rs. H. Burch was Post-mistress
at that place; she died in 1892, and :Miss S. .1, Hambly, her adopted daughter,. was
appointed Post-mistress, and still holds the position. In connection with the office,
she also has a !-.mall stm e, in which she keeps a variety of articles for the accommoda-
tion of the public.
S. M. BRENNAN is a plOsperous merchant (,f Calumet j he came to this country
from Ireland when a child, and, until a few years ago, followed farming near
Pembroke, ant. He sold his farm, and in 1884 engaged in mercantile Imsiness in
Calumet. In 18R6, 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 Harringt0n, near
the Rivington post-office; but this was burnt in May, 1894-the work, no doubt, of
an incendiary. The esteem, however, in which 1\1r, Brennan is hdd in that section
secured him much sympathy in his loss, and has gained for him llIuch 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 LU;\IBER CO
IPANY, which has a large IlIiIl 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 ::\Ir. 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 ISO men. Mr. S, A, Dean, son of the late James Dean, is the present manager;
he lives here in an attracti\.e cottage amid romantic scenery.
HENRY \V -\LKER is the foreman of the mechanical department of the mill. He
was reared in Montreal, and learl)ed the trade of millwright in that city. He was
employed th:-ee years in British Columbia, and, after that, engaged to the Ottawa
Lumber Co., and hag 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 sever.ll men.
Trains stop here, giving passengers time for refreshment j the fine restaurant referred
to above by :\lr. Lanigan is in charge of
Ir. FRED. "-EAGER, 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.
\LFRED RRIGDEN, haggageman at this station, came from \Voolwich, England,
to
lllS countrr in 1869. He has served as b::tggageman twcnty-one years, seven of
which he was 111 the Bonaventure Station, Montreal.
. The two hotels at Calumet are owned respectively by - La Belle and John
!\hllway j that of the former is an imposing brick structure, and is one of the attractive
obje
ts in the village, its appointments are such as meet the approval oflhe traveling
pubh
, !he other is a
ommodious building near the railway station, the proprietor
of which IS devoted to 1115 guests and friends, and supplies them with home comforts.
HISTORY OF ARGEXTEUIL.
4 01
The Methodist Church edifice was erected in 188..{. by the Hon. J. K, 'Yard. and
donated by him to the Methodist Church of Canada.
The --\.nglican Church was built in 1887 by public subscription.
The Hon. J. K. Ward, though a citizen of l\1ontreal, 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 )Iontreal."
" HOl\". JAMES !\... 'V ARD, ::\I.LC.-His father was a native of Dunham, England.
_\fter 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 T 834. The subject of our sketch was born in Peel,
Isle of Man, 9th 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 Xe\\' York in 1842. After spending ten years of his life in the United States,
he at last settled in
1ontreal, 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
GO\"ernor of the General Hospital, the 'Vomen's Hospital, the House of Industry
and Refuge, and the Protestant Hospital for the Insane. He ha., been Commissioner
of the Protestant School of Cote S1. Antoine, and the President and Yice-President
of'several important and industrial corporations in :\1ontreal. Like so many l\Ianx-
men, he is a Liberal, and has always gone against the absorption of the smaller
States by the greater and niore influential, as has been seen on the Continent of
Europe for the last qUJrter of the century. The Hon. ::\1r. 'Yard has greatly improved
the south-east of ::\Iontreal, 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. 'Vhen he arrived in Canada, he married, the second time, Lydia Tren-
holme, of Kingsey, P.Q. This family is well known in ::\1ontreal."
About two miles further west from Calumet is the cO:1fluence of the Rouge and
the Uttawa-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 mas'sive 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 formf'd 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 abo\'e 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 5hore
of the Rouge, at its mouth, in one of which dwells 1\[r. McIntyre, foreman of the
.Boom Company.
* Here. many years ago, lived Stephen Bevin, of whom more \\-ill be ]earned in
the histor)' of Arundel. He bought from the Go\"ernment, at this place, Lot 22, 2nd
Range, built and traded for furs. A man naroed Heatley lived on Lot :13. west side
of the Rouge. and a man named David Kimble built a ta\'ern close by Bevin's house;
both these buildings were burned. Bevin sold his land-200 acres--to :\[essrs.
Hamilton, lumber merchants, of Hawkesbury, for the HIm, it is said, of $25. 00 .
--
· The facts with regard to Bevin were obtained from Mr. R, Lanigan.
4 02
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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 ench3.nting 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 wl1ich 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 ha\'e transpired here, is taken from the story,
" They Two," of Mr. Lanigan j 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 oid time, they offered sacrifice. On the
east bank, and north of the house built by old Bevin, are the graves of three men,
seven feet apart from
JI1e another. One was a white, one an Indian, ana one a
negro. * * * * *
SOllth 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 Otta\\'a, has been the camping grounds of the Indians, time
out of mind.
" Towards the close of the 17th 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
queU Indian disturhances on the Richelieu. The lroquois on the Upper Ottawa,
hearing this, made a descent on the Fort, carryin
off arms, spoils and some of the
women, and did not cry haIt tiU they put the portage of the Long Sault between
them and their enemif>s, 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,
\V ord soon reached Montreal of the sacking of the Fort of St. Anns, and a force
was at once despatched in pursui t. It overtook the Indians in the midst of their
feasting, and a deadly struggle ensned, with the resnlt that aU the Indians were
massacred, except their chief. \Vhen 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 j and striking through the pines anù the oak trees on the higher level, on
the east side of the Rouge, he gained the Table Rock before his pursuérs 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 h
. Two' Braves' of the :\benaquis, allies of
the French, were foremost in tl1l' chase; and as they neared the highest of the seven
chutes, the Iroquois was seen to faU j and in a m'Jment after, his enemie;; were upon
him, As his foremost pursuer spranO" forward to bury his tomahawk in the prostrate
man, his weapon came down only o
the grey rock, the Iroquois having disappeared
in a deep fissure."
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 0 3
Augmentation of Grenville.
PROCLAMATION OF l2th DECE
IBER, 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
3-J..f8 square miles.
To the majority of people, the Augmentation of Grenville is a terra ÙICOgllitll.
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 !Juried. 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 impres!3ion 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 farm
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 hous(; contains an organ. The faml 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 oblig
d
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 aff0rd the luxury, without
incurring debt, they will erect larger and more imposing d\vellings.
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 kno\\ s the extent of hi3 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
d\\ elling, ho\\ ever humble, still answers the purpose of its erection; but his hor"ies t
cattle and
heep, his chief support, must be improved in quality and Încrea!3ed in
number, and he is not slothful in adopting means by which triis end may be attained.
He, therefore, secures the best farming implements, horse rake, mo\\ ing machine,
arm wagon, etc., and \\ hen he has all these necessaries, he \\ ill build a new house.
4 0 4
HISTORY OF ARGENTEVII.,
In adhering to this plan, the farmers have all kept clear of debt, and it is a matter for
congratulation in the
-\ugmentation, that there is not a mortgaged farm in the locality.
The people are all in comfortable cil'cumstances, 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
friendl} in the extreme, vigorous in fmme, yet retiring in manner, with strong love for
their kindred and homes, they are people on whose hearthstones the fires of patriotism
are ever aglnw-men who would hasten from every hill and valley, from every field
and cottage to repel an invading foe.
POINT AU CHf
NE,
The first settler in the .\ugmentation 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, l\1cRae and the Campbdls, the first settlel s in Harrington, being
of this number. Not" ithstanding the fact that it was so early settled, the place has
the appearance of being new-mountains and woods encroach so closely as to lea\"e
only a narro" strip of cleared land along the river.
E\-AX 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,
till own and occupy the property. He was married in September, 1836,
to :\f ar)" :\IcDonald, of Inverness-shire, Scotland, and they spent their lives here.
Ir. Cameron died 5th March, I
50; Mrs. Cameron, 9th Seiltember, 1879. He was
a man of enterprise and intluence ; was a Volunteer in 1837, and, later, became Captain
of Militia. They had five children-four sons and one daughter,-whogre w up. The
latter, Hannah, and her brother Donald still remain on the homestead, about a mile
from the station. Evan lives at the viIlage of Point au Chêne, and Archib3ld, the
younger of the family, lives in Wyoming Territory.
Alexander, eldest son of Donald Cameron, was married 19th 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,
malried to Alexander O'Neil, lives in Ottawa. Ella, the third daughter, married to
John Johnson, lives at Calumet. Emma, fourth d<tughter, married to \Villiam Allison,
lives at Vankleek Hill, Ont.
.hWRE Sf. AMAXT, who has charge of the store of Mr. Evan Cameron, was born
at Caledonia Springs, Ont. He \\ as employed three years as clerk in Grenville, and
il1 July, 18i9, 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 efiìci('nt and reliable salesman and bookkeeper. He has been twice married:
first, in October, 1866, to Jane Campbell; she died 25th February, 1889, anà he
next married Jane Matthew=" 22nd October, 189 I; who died 22nd SeptemLer, I8Y3'
The first post-office was established at l'oint au Chêne about 1854, Alexander
.:\IcTavish being postmaster.
THOMAS l\[ATfHEWS, \\ ho is Postmaster now, appointed in May, 1878, also has a
')tore here.
1r.
latthew.i was born in Quebec; his father dying while he was a
.
HISTORY O}<' ARGENTEUIL.
4 0 5
child, his mother removed to l\1ontreal, and there he attended schooL He learned
the trade of millwright, and was employed at this in V,wdreuil when the Rebellion
of 1837 broke out, and he joined the Volumeers there. Aften\,uds, 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 Hri,ige, he went to
the States and" as employ ell in the construc1Ìon lIf the Grand Rapid
and hldiana
Railways. Belore coming to Point au Chêne, he lived ten years in East Hawkesbury,
Ont., of which he was a Municipal Councillor the \\ hole time, and one term Mayor,
as well as Schcol Commissioner. He came to Point au Chêne in 1877, <l.I1d used his
influence in secllring a daily mail and a railway station here. He soon opened a
store, in which he still keeps an assortment of goods sllch as are found in coumry
stores, and in which, also, is the post-office.*
FRANK GALIPEAU is the proprietor of the hotel here, which affords ample
accommodation for the traveller; livery is also attached.
Ir. Galipeau came from
fhurso to Point au Chêne, and opened a public house in 186-1-; he W.l-; married the
same year to Lizzie Kho!'
The following is an anicle taken from the lVakh lIlall , Lachute, 13th February,
18 9 6 :-
"The NON-MAGNETIC ASDESTOS CO
IPA:XY has been formed, with a capital of
$15,000 (which is proposed to be increased to $75,000 at a very early date), with
headquaners at Point au Chêne, Q:le., and operat
d on the property owned by
Messrs. E. A. Cowley, of Montreal, president of t1w Xorth Lake Fish & Game
Club, and of C. H. Wells, L. D.S., of Huntingdon. Xine carloads of lumber for
workmen's hOllses have already been sent to Point au Chêne, and building operations
are in full blast. The foundation of a mill 100 x SO feet, and four storeys in height,
is about completed, and in a very few weeks a JOo-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.
H It i
anticipated that about seventy-fivc men will be employed in the working of
the mine, and that a very large amount of money will he put in circulation in the
county. The credit of the successful i
sue of the enterprise is entirely duc to
Ir. F,
r\. 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 malter.
"The principal 5tockholders in the Company are
Iessrs. \V. T, Costigan, \Vm,
ScIater and E. A. Cowley, Montreal; F. McCall and P. Seed, ot Brooklyn, N. Y. ;
also Dr. C. H. 'Veils, 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 :\lr. J. S. :\lurray, of Hawkesbury, who, with .1. large gang
of men, are very busy getting matters into shape at Point all Chêne. The county
should congratulate it!'!elf upon this accession to its wealth, and as the mine is in
reliable hands much may be expected from it."
The best road, doubtless, there is in the County of Argcnteuil passes from the roaù
along the Ottawa, northward, the whole length of the Augment.ltioll. Two mountain
ranges, or chains of high hills, connected with the Laurentian mountains, also !r::t\.erse
the Augmentation from north to south, running parallel, and enclosing a tract of level
ground, averaging, probably, a mile and ,1. half in width; sometimes they so neal h
-)0;
Ir. Matthews died recently.
4:>6
HISTORY OF ARGEKTEUlJ..
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
h3.\"e Leen 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 tl)e first who entered the wilder-
ness here to make for themselves and families a home.
Traveling northward from Point au Chêne, after lëaving 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 Chëne, and bought the land-3 00
.:tcres-now owned and occupied by his youngest son, J os:.eph M cN eilI, sen.
)lr. Hugh McNeili 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
25 th April, 187 I, 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 children--four sons and two daughters.
Hugh, the youngest child, who was married 5th August, 189 I, 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., 18th March, 1868. l\1r.l\IcNeill has been one of the Councillors
of Grenville j 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
bet:n a surveyor in Ireland, and, after coming here, traveled and surveyed with Co].
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, 1
77. He had three sons and six
daughters who grew up. John Gordon Crawfurd, his fourth child, was the first child
born in the Augmentation; he married 28th March, 1865, Melissa Howe, ofL'Orignal,
and
t.::tkd on a farm of 300 acres near the homestead. They have had ten children
-se'
:1 SC'3S and three daughters; four of the former are deceased. Thomas'Villiam,
their s'=':0nd 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
l.:tY, 1853,
'VILLlAM CRAWFORD, fifth son of the surveyor, was married 1st June, 1865, to
Jane l\1cDowell, from the County of Antrim, Ireland. They have h9.d eight children
-three sons and five daughters. One of the t\\"o eldest daughters, twins, is married
to Thomas McMichael. Mr. Crawford lives on the homestead in a pleasant cottage,
HISTORY OF _\RGENTEUIL.
40;
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. Mcl\Iichael died in January, [889. The daughter, Elizabeth, married
25 th 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,
IreJand, in 1816, and took up 200 acres of land, on which his son Robert also lived.
The latter died 4th April, 1884. His widow, :\Irs. Elizabeth Young, with her family,
still lives on the homestead. They had seven children- three sons and one daughter
are now living.
A YOC_-\..
.\Ithough 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 Chêne. Individuals living in the Augmenta-
tion claim to belong to whichever place they receive their mail, Point au Chêne or
A voca.
JOHN MCCALLUM \Vas the first Postmaster appointed here, and he stilI holds the
position-the office being in his dwelling.
Ir. l\IcCaHum \V8.S born in Argyleshire,
Scotland, and came to Canada in 1835. 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 Grenvil
e Village, and dieù there,
Alexander was employed by McPherson & Crane, who owned a line of steamers
running between
Iontreal and Kingston, and were extensively erlgaged 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,
'Vith 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
huildings and all the surroundings of a cheerful, happy homestead. He is one of
those men whose sound judgment and unswen'ing rectitude secure influence in what-
ever community they dwell; hence, a thing is not likely to be unpoÍmlar in Avoca
which has his endorsement. Possessing a fund of anecdote, as well as humor, he is
never at a loss to entertain, wl:ich 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 21st December, 1843, to Ann, daughter
of James McArthur, one of the pioneers of this section. For more than halfa century,
Irs. McCallum has been the partner of all her husband's toils j 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.
Archihald, the eldest son, lives in Alpena,
lich. Dougal, another son, whose
wife is deceased, lives in the same section. Une son and two daughters live in British
Columbia. Alexander, m,:uried, lives in Lachute.
J A:\IES McARTHUR, fr0111 the Isle of
Iull, Argyleshire, Scotland, came to Point
au Chêne 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 Mc:\rthur, At that early
period, in the entire absence of roads, he natma1ly e\:pcricnced much hardship, yet
408
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
he endureà it with characteristic Scotch fortitude and secured the object of his labors
--a comfortaule home. At one time, in the spring of the year. he \Vent to Point au
Chêne, six miles distant, on foot, for seed potatoes. Placing a bag full on his back,
he conveyed them to his residence j yet, so great was the heat from his body in
executing this task that the germ of half the potatoes-those nearest his person-
was destroyed, and they never sprouted. Mr. :\IcArthur died !6th April, IS7..J. j his
wife, 21st January, 1878. He was twice married. By his first marriag
he had one
child, a daughter; by the second, he had tweive children, who grew up. Only two
sons and two daughters settled in this COUnty.
Neil, the founh son, remained on the homestead, and married, 29 th March, 186 3,
-\nn Arthurs. They have had three sons and three daughters. Jessie, the eldest of the
latter. married, 18th July, 1892, George E. \Valker, and now li,.es ili :\Iissonla, l\iont.
Tames McArthur, one of the sons, on the 28th June, 1886, went to Vancouver, B.C.,
on the first through train of the C. P. R. from Montreal to the Pacific. He married
in .:\Iarch, 18 9 0 , .:\Iiss Douglas, formerly of Pictou, N.S. He lived some years at
Kamloops, and died there at the age of 26, 23rd January, 18 9 r.
The following is from an obituary published in the Illlalld Sell/ille! :-" Mr.
.:\IcArthur has been a resident of Kamloops upwards of four years, having been in the
employ of
Ir. 'V. R. Megaw until the spring of 1889, when he associated himself
with Messrs. Stevenson & McIver, 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,"
JA
IES .:\IcARTHUR, another son of the pioneer of the same name, lives on a farm
adjoining that of his brother
eil, He was married 22nd June, 1868. to Jane Arthurs,
sister of .Mrs. Neil McArthur, and the following April they settled on the farm of
ISO acres, where they now live, and to which 100 acres have since been added. A
fine brick house, recently erected, conveys the impression that Mr. McArthur is a
successful farmer. They have lost one child. '} heir remaining children-two sons,
Dugald and Sampson, and one daughter, Maggie c., live with them.
Irs. l\IcArthur
and her sister, .:\lrs. Neil McArthur, are daughters of Sampson Arthurs, who lived in
this section, and who dieò 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.
J OHX BATES came from the County Tyrone, Ireland, III 1826. and settled in what
is now known as A voca, on the land now owned and occupied by his son of the same
name j he had eight children-four of each sex, He died July 4th, 1867. Joseph
Bates, one of the sons, married Margaret McNeili, 22nd July, 18 5 1 , 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 ten 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 ,.ery fine one,
located in 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. l\lr. Bates
was a Municipal Councillor and School Commissioner for some years, and a member
of the Orange Lodge. He died 13th April, 1892. His widow still lives on the
homestead, her son, David R., and her daughter Euphemia, living with her, She
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 0 9
h:ls had nine children-six sons and three daughters-five of the former and two of
the latter are now li\,ing-all doing credit to their training. One daughter, married
to Thomas \Villiam Kelly, 4th 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 15th July, 1889, to Martha Reid; he is a
Municipal Councillor, and has been l\Iaster of the Or::..nge Lodge at A voca for
several years.
JONATHAN KIîLLV, from the County of Tyrone, Ireland, settled in this place in
1826 or 182 7, on the 200 acre tract now owned by his son Jonathan, who has since
added another 200 acres; he died here, 1St 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, \Vas married 12th July, 18 59,
to Isabella Bates. They have had eight chiidren-four of each sex; two of the
sons are deceased. Sarah Jane, the eldest daughter, \Vas married 28th April, 1886,
to Henry Hannah. a blass founder of
Iontreal. :\Ir. 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 ) 884. 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 o\'er 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 22nd August, 1859, to Kezia Bates. Two years later, he settled on the
lot of 15 0 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 ale nmV'
living. The eldest daughter, married to Duncan McVicar, lives in Lancaster, Onto
One son, married, lives in Wisconsin.
ALEXANDER McLEAN lives here on a 200 acre farm in a secluded and a most
rural part of A \"oca, to which a good road leads from the main settlement back through
a beautiful stretch of forest. The clearing, comprising doubtless a hundred acres, is
enclosed on almost every side by the everlastin6 mountains, much of the way by
perpendicular 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
complete the picture of ivied towers and battJements. A good farm of fertile soil,
comparatively level and free from stone, could not again be found amid scenery of
such wild grandeur. 1\1r. McLean's father, Charles McLean, from the Isle of MulJ,
Argyleshire, Scotland, came to Canada about 1820, and first lived in Lachute. A
few years later he settled in Grenville, on the land where his son Charles and
daughter Isabella now live, and was a Yolunteer in the Rebellion of 1837; he died
2nd June, 1866; his wife, Mary McArthur, died 21st ApriJ, 1888. They had ten
children-eight sons and two daughters; two of each sex settled in this County,
Alexander married Mary Arthurs, daughter of the late Sampson Arthurs, 28th
September, 1875, and the same fall they settled on the farm in Avoca de
cribed
abùve. Their genial friendliness and hospitality accords harmoniously with the
beauty of their surroundings.
Avoca is the home of ARTHUR J, "TILSON, one of the heroes of the Riel Rebel-
lion in 188 5. When but ten years of age, his ambition prompted him to see the
world. Going to Montreal, he shipped on a vessel of the Allan Line, went to Liver-
pool, thence sailed for another port, and for seven years on different vessels visited
27
4 10
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
many countries of the Globe-Australia, Japan, South America, etc, In the North
'Yest Rebellion, he served as a trumpeter in "A JJ 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 l\lc
EILL, eldest son of David
l\Icì\eill 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 14th March, 1882, to Jemima Trinneer;
The scenery is wi[d 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.
'Vhen the Rev, Mr. Mair, Presbyterian, and his successor, the Rev. Mr. Black,
were located at Cha!ham, 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.
L 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
A voca, 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 sen'ices are held regularJy. 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. 1. MANTHORNE, a student at McMaster University, Toronto, and who has
also attended at 'Voodstock, has charge of the Baptist Church at Avoca and Har-
rington, and is laboring to the general acceptance of his people.
· The above shetch of the churches at A, oca was written in 18 94,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 II
Harrington.
PROCLAMATION OF 6TH MARCH, 1841.
Harrington is bounded on the north by Arundel and Montcalm, east by \Vent-
worth, south by Grenville and Augmentation of Grenville, and west by Ponsonby,
A mountain range, passing through the Township from north to sOllth, divides
\Vest, 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 j the School
Board of the former meets at No, I School house at Lost Ri\Fer.
The Municipal Councillors at Harrington are: Jos. Milway (Mayor), John
Fraser, Peter McCrimmon, \Villiam Morgan, David Gleen, 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 filst settled at Cale-
donia, Ont., then at Lost River, Harrington, on the farm now owned by John
IcMillan, 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 18 54,
bought 100 acres of land in \Vest 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, to Jennie
McLean.
JOHN SHAW, 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
4 12
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUlL.
her boy, John, anù a young daughter, came to Canada the following year, expecting to
find him, Learning that t e was dead, she settled in Dundee, where she lived ten
years. John, her son, having bought a tract of land in Harrington in 1843, and built
a house, she came here and lived with him till her death, 17th February, 1
75' There
were but twenty acres deared on this land when Mr. Shaw purchased, but he has
cleared nearly aU. 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 .J\I unicipal Councillor a number of y( ars, and fúr a long
time has been Secretary-Treasurer of No. I School
Iunicipality, of this township.
He has also been an Elder of the Presbyterian Church over thirty years. He was
married 22nd February, 1851, to Sarah :\lcPhail j she died 22nd April, 1862. Six of
their children-one SOD and five daughters-are now living, The son, John Shaw,
jr., married to :Miss C. A, M<.CuJloch, lives on the homestead. Two daughters of
1r. John Shaw, married, live in Hanington.
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 Dobbie. He lived tl1ere till his death, 1 rth June, 1881 ; his wife died Ül
May, 1848. Six children-four sons and two daughters-grew up j 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 10 its present state of
cultivation, they alone know who have had similar experience. A few years since, he
built a fine, commodious, brick dweUing; and he has all the barns and outbuildings
indicative of successful fal ming, He has an 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 I Ith F
bruary, 1865, to Jane McOuat, a lady of much
intelligence and amiability. She died 24th October, 1893. Seven of their children
are now living j t\\'o sons, Robert and Peter, and five daughters, :\Jaggie, Jennie,
Aggie, Jessie and .EUen Maud. Harold 1. and \Villiam G. CraLbe are two boys
that 1\1r. Dobbie has kindly adopted,
While Mr. Dobbie has been a model of industry, and very successful in the
accumulation of this \Vorld's goods, he has not, like too many 01 hers, 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 j consequently they are intelligent, strong and
healthy, with ski)) to perform diffelent species of handiwork, Two of the daughters,
Aggie and Jessie, al e sllccessful teachers; the latter being a graduate of the N orrnal
School, l\Iontr
al j 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.
4 1 3
DUGALD CA
IPBELL came from Scotland, and was one of the three fi rst settlers
in Harrington. He remained at Point au Chêne a while, and then, doubtless, about
18 45, came to Harrington and took up the land now owned and occupied by Alexander
Campbell. He lived hère till his d
ath, 28th April, 188 I. He had several children,
but only two sons, Donald and Alexander, anJ one daughter, Christina, grew up.
Alexander married 5th August, 1866, Mary McRae; they had nine children-six
sons and three daughters-who are now Jiving. T\\"o sons, married, live in the States,
and one daughter, married, iives in Montreal.
. Mr. Campbell died 5th May, 1881; his widow, with her younger children, still
lIves ún the homestead.
KE
NErH CA:\IPRELL, 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 Campb.J. He died here about 1871; he was
twice married. Four of his son
, by the first marriage, settled in this County;
Kenneth, the eldest son, married, loth AlJril, 1867, Ann
lcRae. He lived on
the homestead until 1886, when he bought the f:irll1 of 121 a'2res, where he now
l
ves. He h3.s four childrën, two of each sex, no \" living, His elder son, .\..lexander
Christie, married MalY Fraser. Mr. Campbell (Kenneth) has had much of the
unpleasant experience and hard lauor of those Jiving in new and secluded settle-
ments, but he now has a good, well cultivated farm, with all the comforts of life,
W ALTER MCVICAR, from the Isle of Islay, Argyleshire, Scotland, engaged as
clerk for the Hudson Bay Company, and went to the Korth-\\Test. On his return, he
bought the farm now owned by J. 'L Wainwright, St. Andrews. In 1826, or there-
about, he married -'fary Dockstadter. They had eight sons and five daughiers; 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 \Villiam j he died there about 1866. Walter, his second son, sth February,
18 5 I, married Hannah Williams, and, about 1868 bought 100 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 hous
is located near the junction of two excellent
roads; a store is adjacent, while his well cultivated farm looks as if it might have
been cleared fm a century. He has five sons and two daughters, allll11.Tned save
one. William, his eldest son, married to Emily K.. Stewdrt, December 15th, 18i4,
lives on the homestead, and has a blacksmith's shop here.
At the junction of the roads mentioned above stand:; the new store of S. l\I.
Brennan, of Calumet. Another one, in which he was doing a good business, was
burned in June, 1894, it is generally believed, by an incendiary. Sympathy for his
loss and indignation at the villainous act have secured
1r. Brennan a large increase
of trade in his new store.
At a short distance from this store lives J A:\IES BENNETT, on a good farm of 2i 5
acres, which he bought in 1889. He was married the same year, 19th M'uch, to
Charlotte Bigrow. Mr. Bennett's father, Lauis B
nnett, was an orphan, and was
r
red by James ::\fcOuat, of L1.chute. He settled, in 18] 5, near Calumet, on a farm
of 200 acres, where he now lives. He has six sons and tWQ daughtas i two of the
former are married. About half a mile north of Mr. Brennan's store a bridge crosses
the River' Rouge, which still preserves its full width amid wild mountain scenery.
About the same distance farther on is the house of DùNALD McINTOSH, in which
is the Post office, established in 1877, with the name of Rivington. :Mr. Mcintosh
came from the Parish of Pelty, Inverness-shire, Scotland, in 1860, with his father's
family of seven children. They lived t\\'o years in Ontario, and then moved to
4 1 4
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. McIntosh 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 A voca, 1\1r, McIntosh gratefully acknowledges the help he has
received from her, and believes her counsel, prudence and industry ha""e contributed
to their success as much as his own. Though threescore years of age, Mr. McIntosh,
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 11unicipal Councillor, School Commissioner and Mayor of the township. They
have one son and five daughters now living, The eldest daughter is married to
'Valter McVicar, jr" and lives near her parents.
DONALD FRASER, in 1847, came 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 19th August, 1816. On his arrival at this place
he was twenty miles from mills and market, without roads; and half of this distanr.e,
for a long time, was traveled on1y 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 Marger)',
sister to Donald McIntosh noticed above. They first lived in the Augmentation of
Grenville, 11th 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 ofwhich 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 nthers as you
would that they should do unto 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 cou!d 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 gleat 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 01<' ARGENTEUIL.
4 1 5
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.
:\lr. Fraser 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, Montre.al, and in their houst:hold may be found a variety of books and papers
-the Montreal Witness, Christiall Herald, Northern 31essenger, etc,
The reader will, doubtless, remember that in the sketch of Mr. James McArthur
in the history of Gren
ille, mention is made of Colin Fraser
a boy who rowed th
unlucky canoe on Bevin Lake, He and the ::\1r, Fraser noticed above are identical,
That incident, as will be seen, \Vas not the last of his unpleasant voyages in a canoe.
Until the bridge \Vas built across the Rouge here, about fifteen years ago, Mr.
Fraser and all the settlers that 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,
nd, 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 ances
ors, when they first opened up the country.
CHARLES BAIN was an orphan, reared in the old Protestant Orphan Asylum,
2409 S1. Catherine street, Montreal. I--ïe was indentured 28th February, 1853, for
six years, by the directresses of that institution, to a man in Hawkesbnry, Onto Like
many another homeless and fri-:ndless boy, he had a sorry time of it, being compelled
to WOl k 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 treatmen t for some
time, he determined to return to the _\sylum, 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
wagts 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 ba<:k 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, h
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 7th September, 1864,
to Rachel, daughter oÎ 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 neighlJors, 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 Yaluator of the township.
4 16
HISTORY OF ARGENl EUIL.
'Vn.LlAM STEWART is another of the men who Cell upon the wild forest in this
part of Harrington, and literally conquered for himself a home. He c!lme from Cole-
raine, in the County of Derry, Ireland, in 1847, to 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
GrenviHe, 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 culti\Tation, twenty-four head of cattle, five horses
and eighteen sheep. As he began life in Crenville without a dollar, his success
affords ample proof that farming, even under many discouragements, may be fullowed
with profit. 1\1r, Stcwart has served his township as Municipal Councillor; he has five
sons and four daughters. Two children-a bny and girl-are dec
sed, Robert 'V., the
eldest son, who now has charge of the homestead) is married to Hannah !\lcYlcar,
Two daughters, married, live in the County.
ROBERT HARRISON lives farther on, and near the western line of Han ington.
He came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, -about (869; since which time he has
lived chiefly in St. Henry, Montreal. He was married 10th 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.
JOHJI. J. KEYS, checker at
lontreal forthe Merchants' Line of Steamers between
Montreal and Kingston. came from the North of Ireland to Canada about fifty rears
ago-I 8 45' 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 'Voodhouse, 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. 'Valter 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.
LO::;T RIYER,
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, 18 5 6 ,
Alexander Campbell being Postmaster, A year later, D. B. Campbell was appointed
Postmaster, and still holds the l)osition. 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 belween mountains, in which are a number offairJy
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
Ri
eI in 1882. 1 he Post Office was established at this place about 1875, Roderick
1\lcLennan being the first Postmaster. .
The first settlers at Lost Ri,,'er were NEILL BETHUNE and DO
ALD :MCQUAIG,
HISTORY OF ARGEKTEUIL.
4Ij
who came from Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, to Lochiel, Ontario, in 1849, and
the following year to Lost River.
ALEXANDER BETHUNE also came from Glenelg, Scotland, in 1849. He lived five
years in Lochiel, and in 1855 bought 100 acres of land at Lo-;t Ri\-er, which is now
owned and occupied by his son \Villiam, 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 15th January, 1870. They had four sons and five daughters;
all except one of the daughters, who died, live in this section. l\1urdoch, the third
son, in 1860, bought I So 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 ),Iichi-
gan. In 1870, 29th December, he married Sarah Cameron. He has been a School
Comm!ssiouer and Councillor, and, besides being Postmaster, is record
ng 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 SOil Donald came to Lost
RÏ\'er with him or in the same year, 1849, and bought half of Lot 4, in the 4 th
Range. A few years later, however, he let his own son Donald L. have this, and
he removed to Kincardine, Bruce Connty, Onto Donald L. Bethune was married
2yth September, 1870, to Christina .McCaskill, from Glengarry. He sold the home-
stead about 1875, and bought 100 acres contiguous to it, Lot 4, 4th Range, where by
industry he has made farming profitable. He has been one of the mcmbers 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 trees. Th is bridge is level with the surrouncìing land, and, of course, in its pas-
sage under it this short distance, the stream is lost to view-hence, Lost River.
A saw-mil1, 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 GEOIWE
'V. 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. Thom; 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 20ù acres
about ten miles from this place in the 11th range of 'Ventworth, at Sixteen Island
Lake. To this tract, also, belongs an i
land of six acres, which is a great resort for
sportsmen.
\VILLIAM FRASER, a son of Andrew Fraser mentioned in the history of Harring-
ton, followed work on the river Ottawa about ten years, married Margaret Mc Rae,
17th June, I 8Sï, and settled at Lost River, on a f.\rm of 200 acres, on which they lived
till six years since, when they removed to this little village. 1\[r. Fraser is one of
the prominent citi.æns of this township, and has been :Municipal Councillor and
School Commissioner several years. Alexander \V. 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 18j I, 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. J\Ir. Fraser and his
..p8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
family are staunch Presbyterians, and with them, at present, is living the Rev. Robert
B. Thomson, who came as missionary with his family to this country in June, 1887
from Dundee, Scotland, He has been engageà in missionary work for thirty years,
and has labored in different fields in Canada since hi:; arrival. He came to Lost.
River in 1892, and is building a church here.
JOHN
lCCULLOCH 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 Barrington, 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 McCuHoch; the latter was
married at Chlistmas, 1886, to Mary
Iott, of Chatham. He now lives here, and is
among the enterprising and prosperous young farmers of Lost River,
NIEL l\lCCRIl\I:.\ION 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 ::\lcCrimmon; he
died here 16th 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 18th August, 1886, to Bella l\Ic
li1lan. He is a member of the Orange Lodge,
which erected a Hall at this place about ten years ago. Peter :\IcCrimmon, who
lives on the homestead, and is a brother of John, noticeà above, spent ten years
in Michigan, and three in \Visconsin, 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 Iïth April, 1892, to Diana l\IcMillan.
His mother, who can speak nothing but Gaelic, lives with him.
LAKE VIE 'V.
About six miles from Lost Ri\ er, in a northeasterly course, is a Post office
which was established in 1878 with the name Lake View. \VILLIAl\1 T. HlGmNSON,
who lives here, was appointed Postmaster, and his family, with a very few more, com-
prise th
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 1J1
miles, and its location among such wild mountain scenery renders it to the lover of
nature an object of great attraction. \Vere the means of communication better
be ween this locality and the cities, there is no doubt that it would become a noted
summer resort.
'Yilliam T, Higgin30n is a grandson of George Higginson, one of the four
brothers who came from Lome, County of Antrim, lre1J.nd, in 1817, and settled in
Hawkesbury, Onto He was first employed by Thomas l\lears, then by Mears' suc-
cessors, the Hamilton Brothers; and after living two years in South Nation, he pur-
chased a farm in 'Vest 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.
HI5TORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 1 9
\Villiam T., his third son, was married to Mary D. Byers, 13th 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 JRS6 to 1873, when he sold it. He followed his trade
till J878, when he purchased 300 acres of lanà 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. 1\1r, 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.
Ir. 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 :\lr. Higginson, li\.es
DONALD K. CAMPBELL. His grandfather, \Yilliam Campbell, was one of the three
first settlers in Harrington. He camt: with his family from Glenelg, ScotlanrJ, and
first settled in Kenyon, Ont. His son, Kenneth, about the year 1856, bought 4 00
acres of land at what is Lake View, one-half this quantity comprising his home f,ul11,
on which he lived till his death about 187 J. He was one of the loyal actors in the
suppression of the Rebellion of 1837. He was twice married: fir
t to Christy
Campbell, by which marriage he had ten SJns and two daughters; she died in IS66,
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 IS74, bought 200 acres
of wild land adjoining the homestead, and the following year, 16th 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 oathelds 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 gratifiCc:1.tion than at the home of :\[r.
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 cedar:;
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 cliff:;
add to the wild grandeur of the scene. Rut wild and grand as is the scenery, it is
surpassed by that which meets the eye in traveling the next three or fOllr miles
..J.2 0
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 ofa 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 clc;ued space reveals a wonderfulla ke, stretching back in the course
we have just come, till lost to view among precipitous cliff:;. 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 cliff", 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 this
solitary and beautiful lake ever Ileen ruffled by the oars of civilized man? Did the
canoe of the red man e\"er 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 Ihe 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!
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
natm e 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. \Ve take a reluctant leave of this
awe-inspiring sample of nature's work, with the impression that we shaH not see it
again; but to our surprise, after another drive of a mile or less among the hiHs, we
come again upon its shore, when it spreads out much broader than before, and new
scenery for admiration meets the eye. L:tter 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 inste
d of some romantic Indiau name, of which it seems so well de-
serving, it is known only as "Green's Lake." \Vhile we are still reflecting on the
peculiarity of its form and location, we come upon another lake, on the border of
\rundel. Though beautiful and Íar 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 euphoncolls name of
Iatilda Lake.
In Harrington, near the end of the lake which bears his name, lives DAVID
GREEK, His grandfather, James Green, came with his family from England, about
the year 1830, and settled in Thomas' Gore, where he spellt the remainder of his
days. His son \Villiam married Margaret Humes; they had cleven children-
six s<:ms and five daughters, About 1864 he bought 100 acres :)f wild land in
Harnngton, Lot 13, 9th Range, of which he and his boys cleared eighty acres. He
died 26th Septeml)er, 1881, at the age of 61; Mrs. Green died 27th January, 1886.
David, one of the sons, remained on the homestead, and has added to it 100 acres.
He was married 12th :\Ia.,', 1879, to E
izabeth Cameron,
Romantic as is the location of his home, and prosperous as seems his present
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 21
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 \ïew to "The
Glen."
It was in this remote corner of Harrington that
Ir. Lachlan :\Ic\rthur had
the rough experience of pioneer life related in the history of Grenville. He was
also cOílnected with an incident that occurred while he Ìived 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, \vho was drowned at this place
and buried here nearly fOI ty lears 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
lcArthur 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
paS5 under the trunk of an uprooted tree, wnich lay a few feet above the water. All
were obliged to bc.,w their heads low, but Burch, probably, through nervousness,
caught h81d of a projecting limb, which caused the boat to upset. .\fter much
struggling against the current, Kimball anJ McArthur gained the shore, and on
looking for Burch, found him clinging to a tree, whose top iay in the creek and
the trunk reaching at an inclined angle to the shore. Mr. :\IcArthur thrust a
pole towards him, with the request that he would take hold of it and be drawn
ashore j but the puor fellow was too paralY.lCd with fear to comply, and then
:\lr. McArthur cautiously walked out on the tree, exlended his hand and Legged
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, havt: effected his object, but, unfortunately, his foot slipped, he
fell against Burch, and both were again in the wild current. .McArthur had a harder
struggle this time to regain the shore than he did before; but he finally regained it,
4 22
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
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,
just where the uridge 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
there in the wilderness, close by the scene of disaster.
JA
ES COLQUHOUN, whose house is noticed above, came from the County of
Donegal, Ireland, with his father's family to Canada in 1845 ; and both he and his
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 loth Range.
He lived there till 1866, when he moved to Harrington Glen, and settled on 100
acres of Lot 8, 9th 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 Petet. McArthur of Dales-
vine. 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, 9th Range; half of which had been owned by his father; of this he has cleared
75 acres. \Vhen 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
tack varying in weight from 40 to 80 lbs. The first year that he began work here
he covered with his hoe six bushels of oats, from which seed he raised nearly 100
bushels. His nearest mill was at Dalesville, about 25 miles distant. He was married
1st 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 1ST OF JULY, 18 55,
Proclamation of the 3rd of June, 1809 ; organized 1st of July, 18 55.
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.
\Ventworth m,\y 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
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 1 J4
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 4 th
and 5th Lots of the 6th Range; and the latter is on the 8th and 9th Lots of the same
Range. \Vest Ri ver is the outlet of these two lakes, and it passes through two more
lakes before leaving \Ventworth ; the first being Round Lake, about a mile in circuit,
HISTORY OF ARGE
TEUIL.
4 2 3
which is between the 5th and 6th Ranges, and the second is \Vest River Lake, on Lots
16 and 17, in the 3rd Range; it is about one and a half miles long, and half a mile
wide. \Vest River, continuing its course into Chatham, is utilized by the Cartridge
Factory, and the Miils at Brownsburg, and, finally, flows into the North River at
Lachute. \Villiams Lake, in " The Glen II of Wentworth, is the source of Dalesville
Cleek, and Clear Lake has the honor of uniting the angles of \Ventworth, 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 c0urse, 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 sllch 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 fOllnd 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."
\VILLIAl\I SMITH, from Yorkshire, England, of whom there is a sketch in the
history of Lachute, is said to have been the first settler in \Ventworth. He came
about J 815, 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 )lr.
Smith was appointed Postmaster.
Other early settlers of Dunany were James Stephenson, \Vatson 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 notir.ed.
With the exception of that part of \Vent.../orth in the vicinity of Dunany, settlers
do not seem to have entered tiB 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 100 acres ofland there, which is now owned and occu-
pied by A. \Vatchorn, but sold it some years later, without having cleared an}' of it.
In the fall of 18 47 he came to \Ventworth, 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
4 2 4
HISTORY O}o' ARGENTEUII.
2nd Range, to which, some years subsequently, he added the adjoining Lot 10; these-
300
cres 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 resiàence 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.
Ir. Seale had only good judgment and a vigorous constitution when he began
his career in \Ventworth, and when he bought his first land he had but $50 to pay
down j the plice 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
amoun t 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 j 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 \Ventworth, 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 :J.larried to Jane, daughter of Peter Cruise, who emigrated
from Ireland and settled in \Ventworth 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 m::lny 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 \Valter H. Spencer, lives in
::\lorin, 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
\Ventworth and Yíontcalm, and has stored his mind with much interesting in-
formation respecting these townships.
LOUISA.
_-\ Post-office was established in the south-western part of \Ventworth in 1880
\Vith the name Louisa, and 'VILLII'D! \V ATCHORN \Vas appointed Postmaster, which
position he still holds. His father, 'Villiam \Vatchorn, came from Ardoin, County
of \Vicklow, Ireland, in July, 1833, and took up 100 acres of land in Gore, In
1837, he removed to \Ventworth and took up 200 acres, Lot 5, in the 1st Range.
He \Vas Municipal Councillor some time, and was a Yolunteer in Capt. Quinn's
Company in the Rebellion of 1837 ; he died, 22nd 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 two or three years on
the homestead, On December 10th, 1868, he married Mary Elizabeth Robinson,
of \Ventworth, and the following year bought 200 acres in the 2nd and 3rd Ranges,
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
4 2 5
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., fm fifteen years. He was married
3rd December, 1867, to Dorothy Brown of Gore. In May! 1877, he bought 3 00
acres in the 12th 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 So acres in \Ventworth, 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 Seale, James
Iorrison 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,
\VENT\VORTH 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, ami a lime kiln having previously been opened on the olher Lot, he
repaired and worked it for some years, when it again fell into disuse. He died 20th
September, 1885; his wife died the 22nd 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 l\lichigan, 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
4:26
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
In 1877, he went to Califomia, 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 M:ORRISON, from BelJa Bay, County :Monaghan, Ireland, came to Canada
in 18 33, 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. J, in the 5th Range,
Seve.ral years afterward, he bought 200 acres more adjacent in the 4th Range of
Gore, He and his boys cJeared 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, 18 73, at the age of 75 ; his
wife died 3rd June, 1877. They had four sons and three daughters that grew lip.
\Villiam, their eldest son, now living, was married, 18th 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. J, 6th Range, in \Ventworth, 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 thre
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, the; second son of Henry Monison, was married, as stated above, 18th
:March, 1857, to Jane Parker. She and her sister, Mrs, \Villiam 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 quanti1y 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 I5t 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 e
citing
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 \Vas 18 years old, and
the number of animals he had killed up to 1st 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.
4 2 7
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 !:quare acre of the forest
land of \V en tworth 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.
\-ALE
TINE 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 sth 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 j " his advice
respecting legal as well as other matters being often sought by his fellow-townsmen.
He had formerly taught school in On tario, and no doubt his education gave him
considerable influence amolIg the illiterate of that day, rendering him a desirable
leader in municipal and military affr1.irs. He was one of the loyal actors in the
Rebellion of 1837, and 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 SOIl and two daughters, who grew up.
His son Valentine, wh
n 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 14th June, 18]1, was married to Mary Ann Davis. She died in 1
89, 011
the anniversary of her marriage. From this time to the 15th of May, 1893, when he
was married to Mrs. Sarah :\[orrison, he was engaged in fanning or lumbering in Papi-
neau Seigniory, Alberta and \\'isconsin. 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 011C
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 \Visconsin; his two boys are with
him.
SA:\IUEL CLIFFORD, from Ferm:magh, Ireland, took up 100 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 \Ventworth; " this
lot is now owned and occupied by his youngest son, \Villiam, who has added 100
acres to it. \\ïlliam was married, 23rd March, 187 S, to Sa.rah Armstrong; he has
been Municipal Councillor ten years, School Commissioner eight, a member of the
4 28
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Orange Lodge and of the Rangers several years. He has two sons and one daugh-
ter; the former, Samuel and John, aged respectively 18 and [6, belong to the Ranger
,
and Samuel was one of the " Reserves II at the late "Tug-of- \V ar " 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
wolve
, the former especially being numerous in this sfction. About 1882, he
received a visit from one, which seemed to have the combined impudence and auda-
city of an 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,
on the bam floor, which was separated from the stable by a partition, Suèdenly the
calf gave a loud piteous bleat or two, as if in pain. Mr. Cliff Old rose leisurely from
his milking stool, and slarted with his milk pail in his hand to learn the cause. To
his amazement, as he emergt:d flOm the stable door, Bruin, a monstrous fellow, walked
out of the other on his hind fen 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, hGwever, but not till after
1r. Cliff Old 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 kiHed.
LAUREL.
In the western part of Wentworth is a r.ew settlement which, on account of the
number cf Irish who have located there, has long been calJed New Ireland; but a
Post-office was etablish(:d there in 1886 with the name Laurel, by which name the
locality is now known.
About half a century ago, EDWARD MCCLUSKEY carne 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 vVentworth. Lots 23 and 24, in the 7th Range.
Their improvements formed the nucleus of a settlement to which many have since
gathered. The McCluskeys and others in the locali!y have made l?ood progress as
pioneers. About 186r, JAMES MCCLUSKEY was marned to Mary WIlson of Lachute,
and their progeny alone are likely to keep undiminished the population of Laurel.
The}" 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 l'as spent some years in :Michigan and \Visconsin,
is Postmaster, and Edward, a younger brother, is his assistant.
!\IONTFORT,
The foHowing account of the Montfort Colonization Railway and the Montfort
Orphanage is taken from :/ he IVatchmQll:
" Had the early settlers among the forests and mountains of\Ventworth 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 \Ventworth is not one of the
smallest, This has been accomplished by the energy, pluck and perseverance of a
band of French Canadians in Montleal, who se,.eral }'ears ago conceived the idea of
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
4 2 9
-colonizing the uninhabited regions of Quebec. A charter was obtained, a survey
made as far as Anmdel, and after seeking and obtaining aid from both govern:nents,
the work was commenced and is now completed as far as Sixteen Island Lake,
"The officers of the Montfort Colonization Railway are E. Senecal, President;
Joseph Brunet, Vice-President j
Iessrs. 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 curv
s have b
en
made the sam
as on the standard gauge. O.ving to the wildness and roughness of
the country the construction of the R:lilway was very expemive,
" 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. Plouff.
It is situated on the side of a high hill, overlooking lake St. François-Xavier. Just
below this lake is anoth
r called Lake Chevreuil (D
er lake), the latter being several
hundred feet below the fonner. Between the two on the stream which connects
them is situated the Orphan 1ge, and mills and out-buildings attached thereto, which
are under the direction of the Pères de la Société de Mal ie. 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 raihvay, no clearance, and not even a cart road-nothing but the primeval
forest.
" It seems that a number of French Canadians in :\lontreal 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 C uré Rousselot of .Montreal,
who became interested therein, Messrs. Froideveaux and Montmarquet were select-
ed to go in search of a location, and chose the I Ith Range of \Ventworth. In the
meantime, Curé 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 \Vo!1ld 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 ofJand 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 188[ 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 ha\"e now an immense establishment,
" We were conducted through the institution by Père Albert, who in the absence
of the Superior, Père 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 snuller 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
oÎ medicines and ha'ì a drug shop in the building. In another room we found a
number of young lads learning the tailoring business, and specimens of their work
-43 0
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 com'e-
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
'Ventworth 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 19TH 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 \Ventworth, and
contains about 23,660 acres and the usual allowance for highways. It has several
beautiful little lakes, and much fine scenery,
Notwithstandicg the fact that Gore is a rough, stony township, contammg, 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, 'Vonder 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 sta ture, 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 endtIred, almost stagger credulity.
The carrying of loads on the back weighing from 50 to 100 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 drawi
g 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 rttain(d in memory to edify and instruct their
posterity.
The following true story is related of a m.:ìn 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 I I 2 lbs., 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.
43 1
Hard lator, 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, remail
ed over night at St. Andrews; at this place an addition was made to
the family by the birth (\f 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 L:1chute that he began to be called" Cob by," and the
name is as well known to-day in Gore, and in adjacent localities, as that of J ohn
\.
lacdonald. The price of "Cobby" for a day was a day's work, to be given to
his own owner by the one who hired hirl1; and many a day's work did he earn
for his master during the thirty years" Cobby II is said to have lived.
It is a subject for regret, that the great strength of ma.ny of tl1e 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 time
this sermon, or one of like import, \Vas
heard, it became so familiar to one young man of retentive memory, that he ofren
rehearsed it for the edification of his companions. It is to be hoped, however, t\1<\t
although they made it a subject for levity, it was not altogether void of intluence on
them for good.
An aged eye-witness of the gcene describes a humorous incident which occurred
at Grand Brulé during the troubles of [838. rhe 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 da-:le, sir."
The strength and courage of the men of Gore made them important allies to the
p01itician who anticipated trouble on the day of nomination or election; indeed their
43 2
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 an 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 j 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 regaJd br 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 intel1igence is now found
among the people; sobriety has taken the place of intemperance; prudence has sup-
planted recklessness, and the many dwe11ings 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. P"obert
McMahon about the same time settled in another part, and \Vi1liam Henderson,
Alexander Johnson, James Armstrong, \Vil1iam Boyd and his brother James soon
located at what is now the cen tre 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.
'VILLJAl\I 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, 20th 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. 'Vi1liam, one of the sons, and the only one now
living, has been connected with the
lethodist 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
ate 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 years, 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 Mls. Henderson ar
stlllliving, 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 mil1, saw
mill, and four or five dwellings.
HISTORY OF ARGEl\TEUIL.
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 t\\"o sman lakes-
the smaner 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, Barton's Lake,
o caned in honor
of Col. Barron 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 Count}' 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 now lives with his third son, l\'Iatthew J., on a farm of 200 acres
lately purchased, located about 1
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 liP; his second marriage was to Eliza Parker, 26th July,
1857, 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 corning to a home 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. '''hile 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, \Vm, J., in Lachute.
SAMl7EL ROI::GERS came 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 yeats 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 J lIne, 1845.
He had three sons and four daughters, of whom the eldest was the late Col.
Samuel F. Rodgers, of the 1 Ith Battalion. Capt. John Rodgers is the second son
of the late
amuel Rodgers, Lay Reader; he was married in March, ;872, to Harriet,
fourth daughter of the late Captain George Sherrit, who commanded a Company in
the 11th Battalion for twenty years.
1 r. 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 j the latter is a teacher in her natÍ\"e township.
434
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
J A
IES 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, \Villiam 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.
WILI
IAM 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 CalJtain. 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, in Capt. Sherritt's Company, and after the death of
the latter he succeeded to the Captaincy. He wa" also chairm3.n 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 I I, 5th Range, and some years later, in IS84, he bought the
same quantity of Lot 7, 2nd Range, on which he now lives, though still owning the
other. He was married 1 st May, 1883, to Louisa Bennett. He joined Capt. Rodgers'
Company of Rangers at its o:-ganization j has been with 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, lrel.Uld, 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, wI-wre 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 Eli/.abeth Boyd, and w
s 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, al1d
owing to which he is still held in grateful remembrance. It may b
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,
Ir, 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, \Villiam 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
tbe 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.
\Villiam 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 27th December, 1838. He was here several years, as his
last record of Baptism was 30th January, 1849. Rev.\Villiam Abbott ofSt. 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 14th March,
1850 ; his last 1St January, 1851.
Rev, Joseph Griffin, missionary, succeeded, and his first entry in the Register
was 19th 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
lay,.
186 7.
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 sef\'ed 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. J),
Irwin, Rev.
tr. Mount.
GEORGE POLLOCK, from the County of Derry, Ireland, came to Gore about the
year 1837, and 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-\Villiam, who lives in
Lachute, and Jol11l, who is Captain of No.6 Company of Rangers, and Master of an
Orange Lodge-the Jatter position being one which was also held by his father,
He married Jennie, a daughtt:r of William Riddle, one of the pioneers of Mille Isles.
The following obituary notice of HAlLETT HICKS is taken from the Lachute
TVatchmall of February 25th, 1887: "By the recent demise of Ha.dett 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-
43 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIJ..
dence in East Settlement
on the farm of Mï, 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 m=1ke his own road to Lachute Mills, a distance of ten miles,
and being the only owner of a horse 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 adheren t
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
remams 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 frúm 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 18.1-7, and
settled in Gore on 100 acres in the 6th Range; he lived there till his death, 21St
N"ovember, 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 S1. 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. \Vm. 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,
SHRE\VSBC R Y.
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
Icmained there in the employ of the "Board of \Vorks," 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 19th l\larch, 1857, to Jane Morrell, of Lachme. Besides
his office of Postmaster, which he has held for thirty-four years, he has been a School
Commissioner and
Iunicipal 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-S<:rgeant in Company No. 3 of the 11th Battalion,
a quarter of a century. For thIrty-eight years he has been l\laster of the Orange
Lodge in this locality, has been District
Iaster of the Orange Association of
.A.rgenteuil 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 chilùren-two sons and four daughters; three of the latter are married.
Since the above was written,
Ir. 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 Rothwell, one of his sons, who
had fought against the rebels at Castle Comer in the Rebellion of 179 8 , came to this
country in 1831, and took up parts of Lots 2 and"3 in the 6th Range of Gore, He was
Sergfant in Capt, AÌex. 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 Brulé. 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 'Varden 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 ot 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,
43 8
HISTORY 0J:t' ARGENTEUIL.
MILLE ISLES.
ORGA1\IZED 1ST 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 Two Mountains, and west by \Vcntworth 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, illto the North River in the parish of St. Columban.
The first settlers in Mille Isles were JOH
and HENRY HAJ\lMOND, 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 e-.-en 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 lbs. 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 lbs. 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, \Villiam Pollock
b
ng the first Postmaster; Mr. \Vestgate is the present one,
WILLIAM GOOD, from the County of Cork, Ireland, in 1847 took up 300 acres of
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, ha.s 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 cJass leaders, and a trustee,
His son, \Yilliam Henry, who is married and lives with him, is also active in
Church work,
HISTORY OF ARGEl\TEUlL.
439
SAMUEL CAMPBELL, from the County of Derry, Ireland, about 1837, took up 200
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, 186 7, to
Esther Lee of Lachute. He was a man of intelligence, aud 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 filst 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 risil1g young men of the parish,
MATTHEW HAMMOND, from the County of Cavan, heland, 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 17th of the fo11cwing month his
wife was suddenly seized with illness, and died within two hours.
The 11ext 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 circuitour. 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 j 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.
Ir. Hammond had the honor of
owning the first wheeled vehicle in
1 iHe Isles, which was a cart. After the death of
his wife, he married Nancy Pollock of GOIe, 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
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 b
seen in his meadow,
a poplar tree, 18 inches in diameter, growing close beside it. He was married 13 th
August, 1845, to Matilda, daughter of Henry
fl1xweH of Mille Isles. Mr. Hammond,
as well as his neighbors, during a11 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 primiti\"e 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 fi,'e daughters are living. 1\1r. 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 0
HISTORY OJ<' ARGENTEUlL,
'VILLlAM, his youngest brother, by his father's first marriage, was married 11th
October, 1860, to Rebecca Ford, He owns 100 acres-Lot 28, 2nd Range, and 100,
near it, in the 1st Range, He j()ined Capt. Pollock's Co, of Rangers, was
Iunicipal
Councillor some time, and is now a School Commissioner.
CHRISTIE CARRUTHERS, from Fermanagh County, Ireland, came to Chatham
about 1830, and was emlJloyed 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 childlen-three of each sex-\\'ho grew up, though one of the daugh-
ters is now deceased, \Villiam, his eldest son, married Elizabeth Ford 30th 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. GRIFFI
, 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. \Vray, who came here about 1860, was the first minister of this
denomination who was stationed here i the mission comprised Mille Isles and Morin,
as it still does, Mille Isles being the head. Mr. \Vray built the church here which is
still used, his first service in it being held 13th October, i861, 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. \Vray, his
first entry in the register of baptisms being 1st 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,3rdJuly, 1870;
Rev. C, Boyd: 31st March, 1872 i Rev. Jas. Fox, 9th January, 1873 i Rev. Edward
Archibald, loth January, 1875; Rev. C. Lummis, 23rd July, 1877 ; Rev. Josiah Ball,
9th April, 1882; Rev. Chas. Trottman, 28th November, 1886,
R. F. Taylor came next, as lay reader; his first entry as incumbent was 15th
April, 1889 ; Rev. Jas. Elliott, 4th November, 1892 ; Rev. Henry Arthur :Meek, 1st
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 coulltry 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 j 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 I7 years, up to 1880, when he resigned. During nearly the whole of the next
decade the church was supplied by theological stud;nts. In 1889 the Rev. S, F.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
441
McCusker Lecame pastor; he at 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 IvIr. 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 Reformeå Church
of South Africa "-an interesting and well written historicai 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 ill 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 !\lethodist minister who labored to any extent in MiHe Isles was the
Rev, Arthur \Vhiteside, who began holding a series of revival meetings in No. 2
School-house, in March, 1877, and, it is said, many were converted under his preach-
ing. After thi:; 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 Beat.tie,
who also contributed liberally towards the erection of the building. Chief among
the other contributors were Henry Hammond, \Villiam Good, Philip Good, Rev,
David Megahy, \Villiam Kerr, Valentine
wail and James Thompson,
After 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
Lakeneld :-Rev, William Smith, 2 years; Rev. F. \V. A. l\1yer. 1 year; Rev. Job
Roadhouse, 3 years; Rev. \Y. "\tV. 'Veese, 3 years j Rev. T. J. Wilkinson, 2 years;
Rev. T. BroWi1, 2 years; Rev.]. Holt Murray, 3 years. Rev. A. S, Morrison is the
present l
astor.
CA:\IBRL\..
A post-office was established here with the above name in 1872, and the late
Ir. Stuart was appointed Postmaster.
HENRY MAXWELL came with his family from the Count}' of Derry, Ireland, to
:\Iille Isles, in 1837, and took up 200 acres, A few years hter 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. :\Ir,
:MaxwelJ 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
he Municipal Council and School
Board several years; has been valuator, and, for a long time, member of the Orange
Lodge, Mrs. Maxwell died 18th February, 1887,
29
44 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
Only two of their children-sons-are living, Thomas, the younger, is in the
States; 'Villiam, the elder, who was married 4th January, 1888, to Mary Elliott, lives
on the homestead, \Vhen 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 j he and Samuel Moore had been here about two years
before the arrival of Mr. Maxwell.
\VILLIAM STUART came from near Coleraine, County of Derry, Ireland, to
Canada, in June, 1843, and the same fall took up 200 acres in the west part of
:Mille Isles. He was appointed Postmaster in 1872, and was School Commissioner
and Secretary-Treasurer of the 1\1 unicipal Council several years. He died 12th
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 fuBy to his other
la bors,
:\IATTHEW STRONG, Mayor of Mille Isles, who has considerable property here,
received the Post-office on the resignation of Mr. Maxwell, and still retains it.
'Villiam Strong, his father, carne from Sligo, Ireland, to Gore, arriving loth July,
183 0 . He took 100 acres in the 5th range, and subsequently bought 4 00 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 continlled 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 \Villiam 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 30th November, 1881, aged 83 i Mrs. Strong died loth July, 188 5, also 83.
Their children, who arrived at maturity, were four sons and three daughters.
latthew, 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 15lh July, 1874, to Martha Beckham, one of the
intelligent daughters of Lachute, He has been very successful in business, and his
enterprise has been of much benefit to Mille Isles. In 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.
:\lr. Strong is one of the martial-looking Rangers, whose appearance has won so
many compliments for the Battalion i he joined Capt. Sherritt's Company No, 6, 3.S
Ensign, at its organization, and still holds the position. Besides being Postmaster, he
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, Oounty of Mayo, Ireland, settled in Mille Isles
about the year 1837, taking up 200 acres of land near the centre of the parish.
e
was a Volunteer during the Rebellion of 1837-38, and was at Grand Brule; he dIed
about the year 1880. He had six sons and six daughters; the latter and four of the
former are now living j two of the dang hters, 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. \VILSON, a substantial farmer, lives in this section. His father,James
\Vilson. 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. \Vilson 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, 18 5 2 ,
and the next year, having a daughter living in Mille Isles who was married to Richard
Mc
lullen, he brought his son, Thomas 1\1., 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, 25th January, 1865, Annie Haney of Lake fi eld. 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
lrs. \Vilson have had twelve children, of whom two sons and six daughters are
now living.
PROCLA:\IATION OF THE 19TH 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 \Vexford,
and partly by the township of Abercrombie; on the south-east, partly by the town-
ship of Abercrombie, and partIy by the Augmentation of the seigniory of l\Iille 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 \Ventworth,-11lÙzuS that part
comprised in Ste. Agathe and Ste. Adele.
But the following Act was assented to in 1881 :-" \Vhereas, according to the
provisions of chapter of the Consolidated Statutes for Lower Canaja, regulating the
division of Lower Canada into counties, the county of
\rgenteuil includes that por-
tion of the township of
Iorin, situate to the south-west of the line between the lots
numbers twenty-four and twenty-five of aU 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, i
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:
"Sub-section 14 of section I of chapter seventy-five of the Consolidated Statutes
for Lower Canada is amended by strik;ng out the words :!6 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 Seale, 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 t.he 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 Bretoilville, 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, and 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 fonr d2ltghters; 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 l\Iovale, Donegal, Ireland, came to C;1nada in 1846,
and after living seven years in Sha\\ bridge and vicinity, in 1852, bought parts of
Lots 44 and 45, 1st Range-2oo acres-in Morin on which he still lives. He was
marrieil 4th Novemher, 1848, to Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Robinson, of
Shawùridge.
There were only three acres of his land cleared at the time he settled on it, and
though he had a horse he soon h2d 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 settlers 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 vege.t-
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, bnt 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 Cor.Jpany 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 sectionj 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 :ðIonaghan, 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.
'VILLIAM ,V ATCHORN, nephew of the one of the same name who settled in Morin
in 1852, came flOm Ardoin, County of Wicklow, Ireland, to this country in 1860. The
next decade, he was employed at different times by Colonel Barron, of La chute, Rev.
\Vm. Abbott of St. Andrews, Commissary Forbes of Carillon, and
fr. 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
juined a regiment caHed 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
wh(:re 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. 'Vatchorn surely
deserves the medal which was Jong since promised the Volunteers, but which pl'omise
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.
'Vatchorn is a staunch churchman, and has been churchwarden.
:\IORIN 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 exceptioñ 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 \Vent-
worth to Arundel, passes through
10rin Flats, and wili 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 }EKYLL was one of the pioneers from Ireland who settled in Gore, and
be 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 obviuus, fl'om the fact that Isaac J ekyll pre-
sented one of these lots to James Kennedy to induce him to settle on it that he might
have a neighbor.
Mr. J ekyll was a nun of ability and great enterprise; not long after coming to
:Morin, he organized an Orange Lodge, of which he became Ma.ster, and held the posi-
tion till his death, I uh February, 1894. He wa" married in 1856 to
1atilda Stapleton
of St, Sauveur.
A post office was first established in Morin at what was called Britonville. Ie.
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 6
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
enlisted earJy 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, [882, 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 wa
bugler in
Companies Nos. 3 and 8 j he was married in February, 1886, to Margaret Jane
Stevenson. His father opened a store at this place in 1884, and \Villiam now con-
tinues the trade, and has also succeeded to the former!s position as Postmaster, He
is a gentleman whose inteJ1igence, public spirit and genial nature render a worthy
successor, and one we]) fitted to fi]] 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
'Vardens of this place. -
WJLLIAM WATCHORN, a brother of Frank mentioned in the sketch of Louisa,
came with him to Gore, and settled in 1833. In 1852, \Vj)]iam 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, 11th Septem-
ber, 1867, to Deborah Ann, daughter of Valentine Swail, noticed in the history of
\Ventworth, and he settled on a farm of 200 aCles 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, WiJ1iam J, and Valentine Henry.
Mr. \Vatchorn is an active member of the Methodist Church, and has held a11
the different offices in it, and is now steward; he has also been a member of the
School Board many years, Mrs, \Vatchorn 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 stj)] with his parents, and the daughters are employed as type-
writers-one in Montreal, the other in Manitoba.
Abram, a brother of Joseph \Vatchorn, lives on the homestead, and is also one
of the influential men of Morin Flats, and a pillar of the Methodist Church,
The miJ]s of the NEWTON BROTHERS are a very important factor in the business
of Morin, JOHN NEWTON, from Connaught, Ireland, came to
'Iontreal about 1830.
He \Vas employed as foreman by Da\Ve, the brewer, and died in that city about 1836.
He left two sons and two daughters. His widow came to \Ventwonh, when she
married \ViJJiam Watchorn, and spent her days there, John, her youngest son by
her first marriage, carne to Lachule at J 2 years of age, to learn the trade of blacksmith.
After folJowing this trade a while, he opened a
hop at Stonefield, where he manufac-
tured plows. In T855, 6th September, he was married to Isabella Kidd, and three
years later he mo'"ed 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 mi11s 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 \Ventwonh. Mary, one of their daughters, married to Arthur Davis, lives on
the homestead in Morin. Mr. Newton, for a few years past, has resided in Lachute,
These mills in Morin are now owned by two sons of Mr. Newton, John a.nd
Albert E. j the former has the grist mill and planing mill, the latter, the saw mil!.
John Newton, after spending two years at the \Vesleyan College, returned to thIS
place in the spring of 1894, to co-operate with his brother in the management of the
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
.Hi
mills. They have replaced an the old machinery with new, and have added a new
feather-edge clap-board machine, the only one in this section of coun
ry, and also
have an improved shingle mill. Their water wheels are of the most improved pattern,
and with new build:ngs 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 \Ventworth. At the point
where the mills are located it makes a descent of many feet over a solid ledge of
rocks, fOlming, 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, J 890, to ì\lary Ann, daughter of \Villialn 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. \Vray, 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.
Ir. Coleman, who preached on alternate weeks at the house of
James \Vestgate. 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 pri.ncipal sub-
scribers to this work were the lale George Hamilton, a local preacher, Robt. Newton,
John Newton, Cornelius Brown, Charles, Richard and John Seale,jun.,Joseph,
\bram
and Francis \Vatchorn, Archibald Doherty, sen., John Davis, James \Vestgate, John
Burns and Matthew Hammond. This church was burnt about [880, and soon
afte
\Vard, 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 Seales, Cornelius Brown, Archibald
Doherty, David and Ebenezer Christie, James \Vestgate, William Burns, John Con-
nolly, John Davis, 1'hos, Dale anà John Hammond. The REV.
fR. ALLlsoK is the
present minister in charge of this church,
Arundel.
PROCLAMATION OF THE 8TH OF JUL\, [857.
Arundel is bounded on the north by De Salaberry, east by
{onlcalm, south by
Harrington, and west by
-\mherst and Ponsonby, of Ottawa COUlllY,
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 dri" ing their logs through the many turns and
over the cataracts of the Rouge.
44 8
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL.
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 wit
1
the Indians, and in the pursuit of this vocation he frequently traversed many square
leagues of territory 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 famjliar with
the Indian tongue that he was employed by the Hudson Bay Company as interpreter
and clerk. While thus acting, he had ample oppOltunity to see that large IJrofits
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 the Oblat Father
.
Bevin's object in locatinr; here was to intercept the Indians as they came down
the Rouge laden with furs, for which they were se
king 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 vrofitable 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 lor.g, with an average breadth of a mile. Thus it will be
seen, this Jake 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 ownt d a ropewalk in Quebec,
and that he was killed in Belleville, Ont., by getting caught in the machinery of a
grist mill, which he had erected on contract, The son, 3fter 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 plOfitable, they killed, besides many other animals,
! 80 deer and 40 beaver, Bevin dieJ in this
ection in 1886, at the house of his
youngest son, George, at the aged of 87. He had five sons and one daughter.
Stephen It, one of the sons, in early youth evinced a strong desire to fullow the
exciting vocaâon of his father, and, as :his 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 remore from settled districts, where he is more or less
successful.
The first actual setter in Arundel was 'VILLlA
1 THO:\ISO
, who locat<;d here in
March, 1857, having purchased of Sidney Bellingham, l\l.P.P., who owned a large
quantity of wild land in the township, 300 acres-Lots 10, I I and 12 in the 2nd Range.
Mr. Thomson came to this country from Gla"gow in 1828, and bought a farm in
Lachute, with which he was engaged some years. In 1833, April 20th, he was
married to Margaret Currie, a native of Greenock, Scotland, and soon afterward
opened a general store at Vart's Cornel'. He abandoned this bu.,iness about 1846,
to engage in teaching, which he followed successfully for the next twelve years, at
Fpper Lachute, New Glasgow, Brownsburg and Relle Rivière. His remo\'alto
A rundel is thus detailed by his son "'illiam, now Postma!)ter in this township:
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
149
" In
Iarch, 1857. we came to Arundel from Bene Rivière, 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 aftcr 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 sman shanty had been built by :Mr. George Albright and his party,
who had fmished a survey of the township a few weeks previous, The shanty, at the
time of our arrival, wac; occupied by a man named Delorm, his wifè and two hired
men-the men having be
n employed by !\Ir, Bellingham to build a home 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, lied to trees, with very little to eat, and the
snow beneath them nearly three feet deep. The next morning, when the men who
came up with us started to return. very )inle, 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 1\1 r. \ViJliam Drennan, John Smith, David McAdam, George N.
All>right, the
urveyor 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 j none of us knew anything about bush farming, and conse-
quently worked to great disadvan tage; but we learned it an in time, so that we
succeeded in making a living, and in clearing up the farm."
The nearest settler to Mr. Thomson, al this time, wac; 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 dfJl1e at once, and M r, 'I homson was appointed Postmaster-a position he
held tin his death, 29th December, 1873. Subsequently he was appointed Crown
Land .Agent, and, about 1860, Captain uf :\lilitia. 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 \Villiam.
'Villiam married, 3rd August, [8]6,
fary Drennan, of L3.chute. He succeeded
to the Post-office after his f.tther's death, and still has the position. He has been
Secretary-Treasurer of the l\Iunicipal Council since 1877, and of the School Board
since 1882, He is a gentleman of much industry, intelligence and public spirit. Of
tpe daughters of the late William Thomson, the second one, Maggie, died 3rd Novem-
her, r 8s9-the first death in the tuwnship. The eldest daughter, married to Henry
Porter, lives in Brooklyn, N.Y, Agnes, the third daughter, married .l<..euben Cook,
15 th
Iarch, 1869; she died 3nl June, 18]5' l\Iary, the youngest, married \Vm.
Staniforth in 1871.
WILLIAM A1"D 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, and
after spending a year or two in Montreal, came to the COl1l1\Y of Argenteuil. Soon
afterward Mr, Staniforth and his son William purchased 700 acres ofland in Arundel,
and in the spring of 18S8, as stated above, William, and David, his brother, bec3me
pioneers in this tOWllShip. \Villiam was the first to take a wheel vehicJe into An.ndel,
45 0
HISTORY OF ARGENTEU1L.
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
foJlowing year a grist mill. It will be seen that Mr. Staniforth was a man of much
en terprise and industry, and besides all the labor he perfurmed in clearing a large
farm and building miIl
, 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 :\Iunicipal Council
and of the School Board, for some time
Iayor of the former and Chairman of the
latter. He was married to Mary, daughter of the late \Villiam 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 call!
e of Methodism
in Arundel. .
In 1888 1\1r. William Staniforth sold his farm of 700 acres, mills, farming utensils,
wagons, fifty head of cattle and six horses, to the Oblat Fathers, for $12,000. 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 fanning. He also has the oversight of
the fine farm in Lachute of his brother Joseph, who died in 1892. \Villiam and
two of his sisters are the only survivors of his father's famiiy.
SAMUEL AND JAMES l\1CCRANDLE also settled in Arundel in 1858, and the
:\IcCrandles 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
lere in 1859; he was the youngest son of Reuben Cooke, of whom a sketch is given
111 the history of Grenville; in 1837 he married Euphemia Black, the sixth of a fJ.mily
of seven daughter
. The following year he was with the Volunteers at St. Eustache,
Having a farm in Hawkesbury, he lived there several years, and then bought 100 acres
in the rear of Grenville, to which he removed III [846, Bequeathing the latter pur-
chase to his eldest son Hugh, who still lives on it, in 1859, he moved to Arundel,
vhere he had bought 700 acres, and erected a hOllst
-the second or third in number
111 the township. He lived here till r Ith June
1883, when he died at the age of iO;
:\frs. Cooke died in February, 1892, Both wére 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 3rdJune, 1875, and 25th September, [877, he was married to Mary,
daughter of the late Donald Loynachan, of Beech Ridge. 1\1.r. 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 I So acres of his land. Like his
parents, he is an active supporter of Methodism, takes much interest in the Sabbath
School, and héartily encourages any work calculated to promote the Christian cause.
He was a School Commissioner a long time, and
layor of the townshilJ nine years.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
45 1
Samuel Cooke, a brother of Reuben, was married to Lizzie, daughter of the late
Samuel Stewart of Grenville, 3rd November, 1873, and 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 :\Iarch, 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 mem her 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
111 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 ofland
in Arundel, on which his son Alexander now lives; a few ye2.rs later, he bought the
farm of J 20 acres of Lots II 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 wbo live in Arundel are all enterprising,
well-to-do farmers and respected citizens.
\Villiam D. Graham, jun., was marrieù August 18th, 1880, to Euphemie
McVicar, and the next spring he settled on the farm of 100 acres in Lots 13 and I..t,
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
pirit, he has no sympathy with the penny-wise policy, which Jetards pJogress j he
has been a Municipal Councillor twelve years-nine of which he has been l\Iayor-
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 1]th 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 vocation at once a pleasure and a profit. He is a mem-
ber of the Orange Lodge and of the School Hoard.
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 ]891, he purchased 200 acres more adj:::lcent, in the 1st
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
Iunicipal Council; but though
he desired to perform all the secu1ar duties of a citizen properly, his inclination
for
a number of years past have led him Lo engage more actively in religious work, He
was appointed an exhorter by the official Board of the :\lethodist Church, was a
member of the Camp Meeting Association, and a steward and class leader, He is
45 2
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUII..
Superintend
nt of the Sabbath School in the Methodist Church at Arundel, and at aU
times is very much interested and actively engaged in Christian work.
Among the several fine farms in Arundel is that of A. B, FILIO
, one of the
prominent officials of Argenteuil residing iT. Grenville. In 1866, he came to Arundel,
anò bought 600 acres of land which he still owns, though it is under the management
of his son) Arthur 'V, 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 attach
d
16 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 J 894 were devoted to oats.
.LUtES BENXETT, who owns and lives on a farm near the Anglican Church, is a
son of one of the pioneers 0f 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 [883; 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. Ta}'lor; she died in November, J876, and he was then married 19th
September, J 877, to An n ] ,we Nickson, of Grenville. He is by trade a carpen ter, and
has followed it in Arundel since the year of his arrival, J 877 ; he bought his land, 100
acres, in 1881,
CHARLES :\fOORE, who lives here, is also the son ofa 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 year3 later he bought an ad-
joining tract of 100 acres. Both of these he cleared up, and they are now owned
and. occupied by his younge5t son
Thomas .Moore. He was a Volunteer in J 837 ;
he dIed in the spring of 1888, and 1\1r5. Moore in 1890.
The son, Charles, when thirteen, was apprenticed to a blacksmith in Lachute,
and has since followcd that trade. In February, 1854, he was married to Margaret
Bennett; she died III ::\Iay, 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 Jived here, without insurance, He was connected
with the Rangers some rear..., wa!' Sergeant of Company No, 5, and was with them
three
o!1ths at Niagara. and was also at Cornwall, St. Johns, etc., in 1866. He was
a M uI1IcIpa1 Councillor for some time, but resigned. By his two marriages he has
fi,.'e s
ns and six daughters; Charles, his second son by the last marriage, lives
wllh hIm.
\VILLIA
I . RIDDLE, from the County of Derry, Ireland, about the year J 848 took
up 200 acres il1 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.
453
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 188] bought ISO acres
of land in Arundel-parts of Lots IS 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 impioved 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 183.h JAMES SCOTT came from Armagh. Ireland, with his family,
and settled in East Frampton, Que.j he died there, about 187 I. He had six children
-three of each sex, John Scott, his eldest son, was married to Ann McNeely, 25 th
March, 1855. Her father, Robert J, McNeely, was a relation of the wife of Sidney
Bellingham, M.P.P., and Mr. Bellingham 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 a.nd 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 Lodcre
and a School Commissioner. He had twelve children, six of each sex, but only f;u;
of each are now li\ ing,
\Villiam, the second son, was m:uried 19th J nne, 1889, to l\Iary, 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 improvemen ts with an energy which
foretells success.
FREDERICK \V. 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
\.ere
given to his moth
r, and at her solicitation, in 1880, he left the sea, went to the
States, and found employment in Boston. He was married, 6th June, 188[, to
Charlotte Kidd of I\:Iorin, Que, In the spring of [X83, he bought 160 acres ofland 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 (hen
returned to Arundel. Through industry and economy, M:r. 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 .Methodi5t church and a
devoted teacher in the Sabbath School.
Mrs, BlOwn is the youngest daughter of \Villiam KidJ, who came from Cooper,
Fifeshire, Scotland, to Montreal about 1844. He remained there some time', working
at his trade-blacksmithin"s-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
bmldings 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 100 acres ofland in Morin, erected buildings, and lived there
till he died, J Ith November, 1883. He had one son and six daughters; the son and
three daughters arc 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 hts a contract for carrying the mail between his office and
Lost Riveï.
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, superjor of the Orphanage at Montfort,
who purch:lsed 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
erectiøn 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. Annstrong, who remained about a year, and was suc-
ceeded by Rev. H. J. Evans, whose ministrations extended through several year5,
during which time the present church was erected. The following are his successors:
Rev. Mr. Brown, Rev, Mr. Harris, Rev.
Ir. 'Varden, Rev. \V, C. Dilworth, Rev,
R. F. Hutchings,
1\1r. 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, lik
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
18 5 8 , 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
tru th." The same building, remodeled, clap-boarded and painted, is now the neat
little church in which the
lethodists 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 suc.
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUIL.
455
ceeded by the Rev, Daniel Connelly, whose field of labor embraced Arundel,
GrenvilJe 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 HOW resides
in
Iontreal :
" 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,
I am weB 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
thoough 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,
occ3.sionally, 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
\rundel; and the other on the right, eastward, passing Lost River on the south, till
it enters a few miles into \Ventworth, and then goes east again to the vicinity of the
16 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 Gælic-speaking people of those townships reside,
" This part of the county is remarkacly 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 j and the rate of mOl tality has, hitherto, been low. The climate is excel1ent; 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 fme day in July on the road opposite the post-office, with his face turned east, he
beholds Lake Dt;::vin 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, iflooking to the left over the River Rouge, about a mile
distant, he sees the home of the Oblat Fathers-now a plain village, but eviden tly
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
45 6
HISTORY OF ARGEl'TEUIL
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 C 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; and hO\v 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 hiBs, had they po:;sessed the means
to enable them, and especially when they called to remembrance the blessings they
enjoyed ther
, as compared with their prospects in the W Jods; and how heartily they
could sing with Scott, when under the influence of the spirit of Scottish patriotism the
following lines :- '
.C '0 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 nlgged 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.
Iany here had to
carry their scanty provisions on their back. The distdnce 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, roned
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 condûcted 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
HarringtOl
, 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 :\Ianitoba 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 offamiJies 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 Grenvilie and Old Harrington, and received a third of
the missionary's service. This arrangement continued till the new Cen tral 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 rractically u'ieless 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 Han ington
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. 'I his union was effecteå 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 resign
tion 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 familie
. 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 li\'e upon
Ly 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 ha\"c
3 0
45 8
HISTORY 010' ARGENTEUlL,
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 happeneå
in the cultivation of the heart and mind, and manifested itself in the conduct of daily
lite. 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
to 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,
school 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 stale 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 provin
ial press of the Dominion, about the necessity of such a course of
instruction as is given in our public schools, its impor!ance, advantages, and the high
position not a few have reached, chiefly through its instrumentality, to find not a few
practically disregarding it.
" But, notwithstan'ding the benefits to be derived from the Common School Sys-
tem, it is defective in its provisions fo
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 \V ord of God, we must go to get the know-
ledt;e of that preparation and e>..ercising diligence in the use of the means of grace,
\Ve 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 knowiedge -of the Lorù.
"\Vhat we need for our own spiritual good, we require for the benefit of our
children and young people. \Vhile 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 acknowledgld 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 traveHing 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 ARGF.NTEUIL.
459
In 18 75, 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 l\Iartin Samson, appeared before Thomas
Barron, J.P., of La chute, 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 Geneviève Lafleur, the aged stepmother of the deceased. \Varrants were
at once issued, and Jean Baptiste Narbonne, his father and stepmothel' were arrested
-the two latter being accessory to the .:;rime, 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 the old man
as to where he had obtained the money to buy certain goods of him, in 18 75,
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, François 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 spme poisonous herb, herself, to mix with Dan.'s food
or drink. For some re3.son, 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; 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 for life, and
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 rea.lize the enormity of his unnatural crime,
4 60
HISTORY OF ARGENTEUlL,
IONTCALM.
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
bou!1ded 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' Engiish-
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.
HO\V ARD,
PROCLAMATION OF THE 14 TH 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 \Ventworlh, and west by Montcalm. Until its organization, Howard, for
l\Iunicipal 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 transacled, 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 BRU
ET, 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 FRÉDÉRIC SÉNÉCAL,
Like all the other townships of .\.rgenleuil, 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 wCðtern 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, \Vest Hawkesbury, Alfred, Caledonia, North Plantagenet, South
Plantagenet, and the villagts of Hawkesbury and L'Orignal.
\\'ith the exception of a ew 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 exceIled
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 I Church ' I P b
Catho- of Eng- r
s y-
lics. ]and. tenal1S.
Metho- I Bap-
d ists. tists.
Congre-
I gational.
Prescott. , , . .. , , . . . , , . .... .. 18,534 1, 16 3 2,5 66 1,174 354 49
Alfred. . ... ...... ...... ...... ...... 2,9 2 7 61 26 IS 15
Caledonia. . .. . . .. . , .. . . . , ,. . . , ., .', . . 1,25 0 240 393 49 1
HawJ,.esbury East...,.. . , , , ,. . . , , .. . . , 3,69<> 25 0 5 6 4 27 2 104 6
HawJ,.esbury \Vest"",. "".. . . . . . . , . 1,34 6 240 734 3 2 3 71 II
Ha\\kesbury Village...... ...... , .. .., 1482 167 281 34 29 28
wngueui 1. . , , . . . . , . , , . . . . . .. ....., . 1,061 44 29 3 2 3
L'Orignal Village. .. ... ,............. 734 44 133 7 1 8
Plantagenet North. . . ... .. .. . . . ... .... 3,735 29 162 9 0 27
PlantagE'l1et South..,... ,."., , , , , . , . , 2, 309 1 88 244 28 5 9 6
4 62
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
CENSUS OF 1891.-ContinueJ.
I p
PU' 1 N
..of d
f
SIWOOd. 1 Brick. Stone. One T,":o Thr.ee
IlatlOn. famlhes. . g d I Story. Stones. Stones.
, occuple .
prescott........... / 24,173 ' 4,138 -
,005 I
I W 87 3,006 -m---;;-
Alfred.......,..... 3.053 515 484 441 33 8 3 6 7 110 5
Caledonia.,.,..... 1,943 3 2 5 I 324 I 303 1 14 7 173 15 1 .....
Hawkesbury East. . . \ 4.896 831 803 677 106 20 783 18 2
Hawkesbury West.. 2,740 504 49 0 330 13 8 22 327 157 6
Hawkesbury Village l ' 2.042 355 35 1 307 35 9 I 345 5
Longueuil..... .... 1,172 195 17 8 148 23 7 17 1 7 ......
L'Orignal.,.,. .." 1 1'002 180 165 135 21 9 1 145 17 3
I'lantagenet North.. 4,2H 706 686 648 33 5 5 6 3 12 1 .. .. ..
Plantagenet South.. 3,0
0 527 5 2 4 4 8 4 4 0 . . " 47 6 47 I
Prescott. . , , " . . . . .
Alfred. . . . .. . , . , . . .
Caledonia. , .. ... .. ,
Hawkesbury East...
Hawkesbury \Vest..
Hawkesbury Village.
Longueuil . , . ,. .,..
L'Orignal Village.. . /
Plantagenet N I)rth . .
Plantagenet South..
3,4 61
473
3 11
68 5
399
77
197
16 5
65 8
49 6
2,937
4 2 1
274
634
3 2 3
67
155
99
53 6
4 2 8
Being 101 I 201 I ACI., A . I Acres in Gardens
acres acres d cres In I
tenants. to 1 aod :Ope:. t \V ood and and
pas ure. and Forest orchards.
200. over.
---- -------
4 8 7 5 2 5 14 8 12 7,097 59,7 61 63,241 1,23 1
47 84 9 25,4 0 4 5. 2 5 0 4.73' I 137
27 40 15 11.5 2 7 5,37 1 10, 01 5 65
50 115 36 28
28 15,136 8.988 Iq2
63 77 16 9, 7 I 7,039 9, 21 4 26 9
10 15 7 1,5 5 9 I ,607 2,9 2 5 48
3 8 4 6 18 11,11 1 4,3 88 2,79 6 124
63 II 7 2,59 8 1, 06 5 2,5 08 58
122 7 2 19 21,057 12,9 62 8,4 68 182
67 65 21 15,73 2 6,943 13,59 6 15 6
Total I
occu- Being
piers of' owners.
land, I
----
REPRESENTATION OF THE COUNTY OF PRESCOTT.
UPPER CANADA.
MEMBERS ELECTED. I NA>IE OF CONSTITUENCY. I YEAR.
John ?\lcDonnell , . . , .. ...... .", ...... . . ,. . , ., Glengarry".. .,.,., .....",... . 1 1792
John McDonnell., . . ,. , . ,. , . , , . . . , . .. . , ,. ,., , ., I ' , . . " .,........ . .. .. , . . . 1796
Alexander McDonnell.... ".. ........ ,... ...... Glengarry and Prescott..".. ...... 1801
Angus McDonnell,.., .", .", ,.... ,..... ",..." ,. .... .,., .",1 1801
\V.B.Wilkinson.".".... "..,.,.,.""."." " ..".....,.. 1805
Alexander McDonnell,... ............ .... ,....,:: ;: .... ,.., ,..., 1809
Alexander McDonnell. . ., , , " , , ,. , . , , , . ., ..".. . , . '.. "..,. 181 '2
John McDonnell,. ,. ..,. , . ., . , , , ., , ,. ,." . , , , '. Prescott...... . . " .... .,.,:..... 1817
Donald McDonald, , .. , . .. . ,... . , .. . . .. . . .. ..., I Prescott and Russell. . ., ......... ..\ 1820
110nald McDonald ....."""..........",... . 1 " ". . . , . '" .,.,... 182 5
Donald
cDonald...,......,....."..."..,.,," "., ..,......... 1829
Donald McDonald....,. .",.. . . ., ." , , ., ..." " ", .. ". ...,. . . ., 183 r
R. P. Hotharn,.,.,. ... . .. ".. .. .......""". Prescott...... .,..,. , . .. ,.., . , , , . 183u
John Kearns.... ...., ..,.,....,.....,.". " ....."..., ..,..,., .."., 1 1836
Donald McDonald.", ,. " . . .. ..,. ,..... ". ". . .. ...,., .." , , ,. .,.,'. 1841
Neil Stewart"" .".,. . . . . .. ,..... .... .. . . . , , , ,. . ., . . . . " ..,....""". 1844
I)onald McDonald, , . , , , . ..,. . . . . ,. .." .... . . . . . . . , " ,... . . . . ., .". ..,.1 1847
T. H. Johnson.,.". .,.", . . " . . .. . . .. .." .", , , , . .. "",. ...,...,.." 1 848
T. H. Johnson.", .,.,., ...... ..,. ",... ".", " 1851
Henry Wellesley McCann............... ........ " ::::::':::::::::,::::::.:1 1854
I-Ienry W. l\lcCann,... ., . . .. "., . , . . . , ., ...., ' I " . . . . . . .. . , ,. "".,...... \ 1858
Henry W. l\lcCann,.,. . . , . .. . . . . .... . , ,. , . , , , , . . . . , , . . , , . , . , " . . " .,.. 1861
Thorn as Higginson. . .. ",... . . . . . . . . . .. .... . , , , " , . . . .. .,.... ".,..., , . .. I S6 3
1835"
wcil-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
4 6 3
PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.
J. Boy d , , , . ., . , " .,.... ."... . , , . " ,.,. ..... . 1 PreEcott. . .. .., . " . . ,. ...,.. ,...
Geo. \V. Hamilton,.. . .. .... . . .. . . . . . .. . . ., ,.. " . . . , ., .. . . .. . . . . ., "",.
\\ïlliam Harkin. . . . . . .. . , . , . .... .. ".... ,..... " . . ., . , .. ...... . , . , . , . . , , .
\Villi? m Harkin.... ,..,.. "".. , . . " . . .. "..., " . . .. . . . , . ... ..,.....",.
Albert II agar. . . . . . ., , . . . .. .",.. , . . .. , , .. . , , , , . . . ., ,..." . . . , . , ., ,..,
\1 bert Hagar..,... ..".. . , ,. . . . ,. .,.. . . . . . . . . . . ,. .,.. ,.,..... . . .. . . . .
Alfred F, E. F.vanturel.,.,.. .",........ ......
Alfred F, E. Evanturel,... .',.., .", .... .",..
\lfred F. E, Evanturel. . . . . . . . . . . . ,. . . . . ,. ..,...
"
.... .... "., .... .,., .'.' \
.... ....................
.... ... ........ .... ...
186 7
18 7 1
ISiS
18i9
1882
1884-
188ï
18 90
18 94
ME
1BERS OF THE DOMINION PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF PRESCOTT.
From 1867 to 1878, Albert Hagar.
From 1879 to 1882, 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 l\Iears, \Villiam 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 ..:641 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, \Villiam 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.
\Vhen Neil Stewart was elected, the following letter of c.ongra tulation was sent
by the Governor-General :-
GOVERl\'IE
T HOUSE, October 17th, 1844.
SIR,
I am advised to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th in st.,
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,
T. )[, HIGGINSOl\.
.
C. A. LOWE, Ensign.
4 6 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
INHABITA
TS 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 Argcnteuil. Of the same race, from the same country, and often from the
same district and neighborhood, even in many instances cf the same kindred, they
naturally possess the same characteristics. V)yalty, patriotism, honesty and hospi-
tality may be said without exaggeration or flattery to be the distinguishing traits of
the inhabitants from Yaudreuil to Russell, from the Ottawa to Stormont and
r
lengarry.
A larger American element remained in Pre
cott than there did in Argenteuil,
and their descendants are among the thriving and influential citizens of the present.
'-. 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 .-\merican independence. It is wOlthy of note that these two classes, who
had settled here under circumstances and with motives
o entirely different, dwelt
side by side in harmollY, Each had acted conscientiously, and according to his own
views of what was right j 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 no\\' claiming to he a ioyalist, had long borne the stigma of traitor.
BenedIct Arnold, it will be remembered, was one of those who enthusiastically
espoused the .\mcric:m cause, on the declaration of I ndependence. It wa'5 he who
led the force up through the dense New England wildel ness to capture Quebec, but
which expedition ended disastrously for the Americans, and cost the life of their
gallant officer, the young Richard
Iontgomery. Arnold was equally brave in other
campaigns against the British, but suddenly incensed at some fancied slight or
Jeproof from his superior officer, he deserted, and, subsequently, fought with his usual
determination and bravery against the Americans. At the dose of the war he sought
safety in England, and we learn from the Report of IS9I, on the Canadian Archives,
the following :-
.<\mong other applicants for large tracts of land in Upper Canada was Benedict
\rnold. 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, ran).., prospects, etc., in support of Government, and no man who
has received less in return." 1 n July, r 797, in a petition to the King, Arnold asks for
10,000 acres of land in Upper Canada, for himself, an1 5,000 acres each for hi') wife
and Sèyen children, being 50,000 in all. One condition on which Arnold was very
pressing was, t
.at he
hould not be ohliged to come to Canada to take possession of
his land. Another was, that it might be md.de 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 1Iarch, 179 8 ,
he says :-" To answer your first query, 'is there an}' objection to Arnold and his
children having any grant of land in rpper Canada?' I say there is no legalímpedi-
ment (on American grounds), proviùed they have not already had any grant in the
Province of New Brunswick; but General .Arnold is a character extremely obnoxious
to the orjgi
Jal loyalists of America j his not intending to reside in Upper Canada
does away, In some measure, with that objection."
It will thus be seen that though th
Ontario loyalists could condone what they
regaråed an error of judgment and want of loyalty in others, they could not tolerate
the pïesence of one who had traitorously deserted the cause they abhorred, even
though he had espoused t1.eir own.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
4 6 5
As Prescott formed a part of Glengarry up to 1817. we do not kno\V how many
of the gallant fellows belonging to the Glengarry corps in the war of 1812 really lived
in what is nüw known as Prescott. That there were some, there can be no doubt,
anà we sincerely regret our inability to give their names and places of residence.
One fact
hould not be forgotten, that in that war. as well as in the Rebellion of 1837,
there were Frenchmen whose loyalty and bravery stood out a!,1 conspicuously in defence
of the British flag, as that of their English-speaking brethren j 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 IS, 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. 1\1ost 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,
,: I remain, yours respectfully,
"T. T. HIGGI
SO:'-l."
" TIMOTHY POOl., who engaged in farming after the war j BAPTISTE Roy, who
e
death took place at an advanced age; 11IcH r;"L SËGUlN, whu also engaged in farming,
became totally blind and died at the age of 86 j FRANÇOIS DECHAl\1P, 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 \Vas
reputed to have lived to the great age of 100 years j all settled after the \Var in East
Hawkesbury, and died in that place." ,
,. CHARLES ROUTHIER and JUJ.IAN LE BLA!\C also settled in East Hawkesbury,
but the former died in L'Orignal in 1878, and the latter in St. Eugene, aged 94. :\[r,
Routhier was on the river between
Iontreal and the Sault, forwarding stores, when
the battle of Chrysler's Farm took place."
,. Another pensioner was JOSEPH CHATEL-\I
, a farmer who settled in South Plan.
tagenet, and died in that place in January, 1896, aged) 05 years."
., _\mong 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 ÇOBB, the village blacksmith, who came here in the
wa
e of the U. E. Loyaìists. His stories of the Green Mountain Boys' heroic deeds, and,
of course, his own, were startling. I like most veterans. he had a long lease ofJife, dying
here at the <\ge of 90, The other, \VILLlA:\1 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 tilll81S, He was at Corunna when the renmant of Sir John Moore's army was
saved by the embarkation of the men and stores j and had the ill luck to be a prisoner
of \Var 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,"
" :FRANÇOlS LAROCQUE was born at Sorel, Que., in 1796. At sixteen he joined
a company composed chiefly of youug French Canadi.lI1s; these young recruits, at-
tached to a small body of regulars: reached Kingston by forced marches. From
Kingston they pushed on to Xiagara. arriving in time to share to the full the hard
fought field of Lundy's Lane,"
4 66
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
" The young soldier carne 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 falnily of indus-
trious and respectable children. His death took place in Hawkesbury in May, 1883,
at the age of87." .
Mr, T, T. Higginson also relates the following incident, which is worth pre-
serving :
Finlay McRae, one of the pioneers of \Vest 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 interfert:
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. \Ve can give the
names of only the officers, and a few of the companies,
Co. No. 2.-Muster of Capt. Alexander Grant's Company 1st Reg. Prescott
Militia, 20th Dec., 1827, Capt. Alexander Grant, Lieut. Philo Hall, Ensign John G.
)IcIntosh, Sergts, Alex. Marston. 'Vaters Mills, 76 men, rank and file, 2 men absent
without leave.
Co. No. 4.-Ca}Jt. Alexander Cameron, Lieut Chas, \Vaters, Ensign 'V. Z.
Cozens, Sergts. John McMaster, Daniel Johnson, Josiah Jackson,s 1 men, rank and
file, mustered 27th Oct., 1827.
Co. No. S.-:Mustered at Vankleek Hill, Monday, 17th December, 182 7.
Capt. Donald Roy McDonald, Lieut. Kenneth McClusket, Ensign John .McRae;
Sergts. Barnabas Yankletk, Ewen McLachlan, Donald Campbell, 67 rank and file.
The following are reports of companies "mustered at 'Vade's," in 18 3 2 ,
Capt. p, Le Roy, Lieut. G. H, Macdonllell-Ensign vacant. Total rank and
file, 66. .
, Co. No. 4-Capt. Alexander Cameron, Lieut. Charles \Vaters, Ensign Alex.
Cameron, Sergts. John :\lcMaster, Josiah Jackson, Anson Center, 62 rank and file
Capt. J. Harrigan's Co., S2 rank and file.
Co. No. 6.-Capt. Elijah Brown, Lieut.C.A. Low, Ensign Joseph S. \Vhitcomb,
Sergts. Hugh Lough, \Villiam Bailey, Thomas Higginson, 147 rank and file. .
Co. No. 5.-Capt. D. K. McDonald, Lieut. Farquhar Robertson, Ens:gn John
McRae, Sergts. Barnabas Vankleek, Hugh McLachlan, Hollis Griffin, 78 rank and
file.
The following list shows that the
1ilitia were well organ ized and officcred in
18 3 8 .
HISTORY OF PRESCO'IT.
4 6 7
List of the officers of the 1st Regiment of Prescott Militia, with their places of
r
sidence, and the dates of their appointments, taken April, 1838:-
RANK. NAMES. RESIDE!\CE. I DATES OF I RE:\IARKS. AGES.
A I'POINT:\lENT .
----1----1------
ColoneL. Mc. Macdonnell...... Pt, Fortune. .... 1st April, 1822... Received Commission. ïO
Lt,.Col.. Geo. Hamilton... .... Hy. Mills...,... 18th June, "" 58
Major. .. Alex. Grant.... . .... Longueuil ...... 23rd Aug., 1833.. 64
Captain.. Jeremiah Harrigan.... W. Hawkesbury. 26th Feb., 1812..." " 54
" John Kearns ,.."., Plantagenet..,.. 6th May, 1820.... "54
" Donald R. McDonald. Longueuil....... 27th April, " " H
" Elijah Brown.... .... \V. Hawkesbury. 28th "" "
J ames Molloy>... . . .. Plantagenet..", loth March, 1824.
" C.Johnson".,.. .... Longueuil.,..". 25th Feb., 1826... , Notrec'd.CommiS5ion. 56
" John Chesser... .... .. Caledonia Flats. 26th 'õ ".." .. 45
" William cOffin....." I Hy.
1illS....... 23fdApril, 1833.. Received Commission. 39
Lieut.... Wm. Shearman......, W. Hawkesbury. 25th "1820" 1 " " 67
" .. Chas. A. Low,... .....fly. Mills, ...,.. 10th March, 18 2 4." 39
" .. G. I. H. Macdonnell., .iPt. Fortune. .,.. list Feb., 1832.... :Not rec'd. Commission. 3 [
" ,. \Vm. Z. Cozens."" . .IL'Orignal....... 2nd" " I" " 4 8
" .. AlfredChesser........'Jessup ' s Falls... 3 rd c,
.: ...1 "
" .. Farg. Robertson. . . . ,. I W. Hawkesbury. 14th " "I ,. 40
Ensign... John McRae."" '" . j " 12nd - 1820... Received. Commission. 4 1
" . ]meph S. Whitcomb.. " 28th Feb., 1826.. Not rec'd.
" .. lohn \V. Grant.",... j L'OrignaJ.,..... 23rdAug., 1832.. Received 23
.. Jno. \Vurtele Marston, " ...... 24th" ",. Not rec'd, ., 3 2
" .. Neil Stewart. ... ..... Vankleek Hill... 25t!I" "........ ...... .... .... 43
,. Simeon Cass,.,.. _ . . .. Head Port,.,... 27th ' , I' ., , , , " ,..... . . .. . . . . 42
" .. Elijah Kellogg. ,..... Longueuil..."., 28th .. Received Commission.. 53
., .. I. B. P. Macdonnell,.. Pt. Fortune..... 1 23rd " 1833.1" " 2+
" .. Basile St. Julien. .... Longueuil...... . 1 8th Jan., 1836. . .. \ " " 4 2
Ad]...... John Kearns......... Plantagenet.... . 1 9th March, 1824.. ...... ...... ., ......
'
:::::::::::: : '. . . . . .. '.::'.::: '. : :
: : :: I : : : : : '. : : : '. : : : : :: ::::: '. : : : : : : : : : : : : : .
I I I
The formation of the 18th BattaJion of Prescott
Iilitia was prompted by the
same war cloud that caused the organization of the 11th Battalion or
\.rgentellil
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 18th Battalion was formed in 1862 at
Hawkesbury Mills, the officers of which were as follows :-
Captains. 1st Lieutenants,
Co. No. I, Wm. Higginson, Angus Urctuhart.
" ,e 2, John Shields, Hugh Lough.
cc ,: 3, A. I. Grant. John Miller,
II " 4, Geo. McBean. \Vm. Ogden.
" " 5, H. W, McCann. Donald McIntosh,
" " 6, Angus Urquhart. John \V, Higginson.
Ensigns.
J as. Higginson.
John :\lcInnis,
Sturgis 1\1. Johnson.
Joseph Grant,
Wm, C. \Villis.
Geo.
. Robertson,
468
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The Hon. John Hamilton was appointed Lt.-Col. in 1863, and \Villiam Higgin-
son Major.
On Sunday morning, the third day of June, 1866, a telegram was received by
Captain (now Lt.-Co1.) Shields, to call out the Battalion, and proceed forthwith,
by Steamer" Queen Yictoria," to Ottawa. Captain Bowie, commander of the steJ.mer,
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 ohhe Volunteers had assembled at the differ-
ent churches in the viilages 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], 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
Yolunteers that were waiting; the steamer arrived at Ottawa about II p.m, Com-
pany
o. 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. All were at once billetted, with orders to report (sharp)
at 7 o'clock on l\londay, June 4th, at the OtLlwa and Prescott Railway Station, and
proceed to Prescott on the St. Lawrence. Arriving in Prescott at 10 a.m., and report-
ing to Col. Atcherly, the oltìcer commanding the garrison at Fort \Vellington, they
were immedIately stationed-one-half at the Railway Station-the other in the Town
Hall.
fhe following, copied from the Battalion Order Book, shows the names of the
officers when they were called out in 1870:
Head-Quarters 18th Battalion,
Dominion Hall,
Cornwall, 27th May, 1870.
] 8th Battalion arrived at Cornwail this evening, and reported to Col. Atcherly,
commanding the Garrison.
Major Shields, in the absence of Lt.-Col. Higginson, commanding the Battalion,
The m3.Tching in state showed the strength of the Ba.ttalion to cunsist of 20 offi-
cers and 155 men, as follows :-
o. I, Capt. C, I. Higginson, two subalterns and thirty-six men.
,I 2, " Donald McIntosh, two subalterns, 38 men,
.1 3, " Pattee, two subalterns, 27 men.
" 4, " Ogden, two subalterns, 30 men.
u 5, " :JlcLean, two subaltt'rns, 24 men.
SCHOOLS OF PRESCOTT.
By W. J. SU;\ll\IERBY, SCHOOL INSPECTOR.
J. Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, shortly after
his appointment in 1791, wrote to Sir Jos. Ranks, President of the Royal Society, as
follows :-
II 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
shamefuUy 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.
4 6 9
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 Iud 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 (18 I 6) an act was passed for 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.
[he District Boards were to apportion it among the schools in the several districts
accordÍng to the number of their scholars j 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-
priseà the territory now included in the counties of Prescott and Russell and also
part of the present county of Carleton.
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
IaitlaIld, on the 19th
Iarch, 182 3.
One hundred pounds a year was granted, to be "disposed of in paying the salary of
the teacher3 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 U nÍled 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" e\.ceI1ent
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
approlJriation of ;[J 26 10S for the support of the said schools."
The province increased rapidly in population j but the Le
islature did so little
towards aiding the common schools, that a committee of the House of Assembly in
18 3 I stated that the schools were in a "deplorable " state. There is reason to
believe that in Prescott things were not so bad j as, in comparison with other districts,
the population was small, and each district received the same share from the fund,
:Kearly everything, however, was left to voluntary effort.
Dr, Ryerson was appointed Chief Superintendent of .Education in 184-4., 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
47 0
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 pro"f'ince, 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 Yankleek Hill at this time had 51
pupils between them. Their income is put down at /:,220. Twenty years later,
18 7 2 , the public (common) schools contained 6163 pupils taught by 110 teachers who
received $13,726 in salaries. The I-iigh (Grammar) schools in 1872 were attended by
76 pupils.
A t 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
25 0 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. Eugène Separate school is the oldest in
the counties, having been established about 18 5 2 .
'Ve 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 18 77, Training schools for third-class teachers were established in every
county, Since then every teacher in Ontario has received professional training.
WILLIAM J. SU1\I1\IERBY, 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
"Tilliam 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 18 9 2 .
The son, \V. 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 18 74 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
enlinently fitted him.
The following will give some idea ofthe 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, 184 2 , Rev. Franklin Metcalfe, Joseph S. \Vhitcomb, George
Higginson, Dr. James Stirling, Peter Roy McLaurin, Archibald McBain, and Nath-
aniel Burwash, being School Commissoners,
" Resolved,- That Rev. Franklin Metcalfe take under his charge to superintend
three divisions, viz.:-Nos. 1,2 and 3, designated as follows :-No. I, commencing at
the town line at Point Fortune, including the 1st 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 1st and 2nd
Concessions. NO.3, thence to the west side of the Commons, including the 1st and
2nd Concessions."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
47 1
Then follows a description of the various divisions assigned to other Commis-
sioners, who, it seems, were also Superintendents, but it is noticeable that while the
Rev. Mr. Metcalfe has three divisions, the others have only two divisions each. It
was then Resoll'ed, " 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.
I I Resolved,- That each Commissioner appointed to the several divisons under
their charge shaH visit such schools monthly, and report thereon to the next quarterly
meeting."
At an adjourned quarterly meeting, held 3rd October, 1842, the following was a
part of the business transacted:
SCHOOLS REPORTED,
REPORTED BY
No. 7 taught
" 8 "
"
by Robert Hamilton 1
" Alexander Bagsley
" Mr. McDonald
" Thomas \VhiLe }
" \Vm. Lough
" James Gambell }
" George Gray
" Miss McIntyre 1
" Miss Schagel and Miss 0' Brien
" .Mr. \\T atson
Dr. Jas. Stirling.
,. 10
" 4
" 5
'I 6
.. 16
, ,
If
"
"
"
Joseph \Vhitcomb.
George Higginson.
Nathaniel Burwash,
I,
I
2
"
Rev. F. Metcalfe.
"
" 3
Moved by Rev. Mr. Metcalfe, seconded by Mr. Joseph \Vhitcomb-" That
owing to the fluctuating nature of the population and the
erious loss that will accrue
to the teacher, from the collector not being able to collect all the school fees of IS. 3 d ,
per month, the School Commissioners hereby recommend and permit the teachers
themselves 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
several school teachers
hall 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."
I'
PROGRESS OF THE TIMBER INDUSTRY,
By COLIN DEWAR.
A history of the square timber industry of the Ottawa Valley since its inception
in 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 wdl as the heroic settler
of the Township of HulI, was Philimoll \Vright, Esq., who, on the 11th of June, 1806
(Bouchette says, 1807), started from the mouth of the Gatineau wi th the 11 rst 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
47 2
HISTORY OF PRESC01 '1'.
unexplored rapids which they had to pass, and which were unknown to the men he
had with him; true, ke 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. \Vright 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 mmd.
\Vhen he left the mouth of the Gatineau riveï 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 anchor.., chains nor snub-
bing ropes, nothing but birch withes to lash or tie the cl-ibs 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 w3ters of the Long Sault, and as they gather around the
c:aboose for their evening meal, the usual sounds of merriment are suppressed; they
have no heart for fun or levity with that disma.l sound in their ears, and as they
creep into their caballes d'Üorce, 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 hecome 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. \Vright's keen eye takes in the situation at a glance, and with the
same alacrity which marks all his movements, he gets his raft brought into the
desired channeJ, and they begin to descend the waters of the Long Sault.
In due time they arrive at the foot, 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
Ir. \V right is not idle; he has gained a good deal of knowledge and experience
in that short time j 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 profi t 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 opportnnity 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. \Vright informed them of his destina-
tion and the route he intended to pursue. Here again Mr. \Vright showed his gooå
sound judgment in deciding to take the north channel, instead of keeping south,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
473
and runllIng the Lachine Rapids. His course has been followed ever since by aU.
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. Nothwithstanding 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 no"" called, Rivière des Prairies. For a considerable distance the
water is swift and rough, but about midway are those dangerous rapids of Sau!t
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 l'Isle. Although
he has passed all the rapid::;, 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 carne to view it) and could demonstrate clearly, that it was an
accomplished fact, that timber could be brought from the Ottawa Valley to Ql1ebec-
that they could pass through those dangerous' rapids with comparative safety; and the
experience that 1\1r, Wright gained in this venture was of great benefit to him in each
su bsequent 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
OCClll red on this lake in the summer of 1839, when a large numher 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
man y families.
lr, \Vright 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 carne the Dewars, Noyes Brothers, McPhee, Thomsons, Douglas, Ostroms,
and others, who carried on lumbering operations between Grel1viI1e and By town.
The rears 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 øthers engaged in the business, among whom were J Oh11
Waddell and Allan Cameron, alias U 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 carne a host of others, viz., Major I\rcMillan, Tucker, Edwards, Culbert
and many others, together with \Vindsor and Beckett, whose names are synonymous
with anything but what was good. The Falls of Chaudière at Onawa, with the rapids
above, are too well known to require any description in this article; it only remains
3 1
474
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
to say that to 'Vm, 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 II 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.
\Vright 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 ior 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 clnnneI.
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 wilges 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 traversts 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 whülesome food, into the lumber camps, that dreaded disease
caUed the black lfg (one form of SCUY'lJY) has entirely disappeared. It was 110 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 fun 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 faUing 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, on
hundred years before.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
475
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The earliest record we have b
en 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 17th day of February, 1844, for the
purpose of forming an Agricultural Society in and for said district, when Charles P.
Treadwell, E'3q., was appointed Chairman, and \Villiam Z. Cozens, Esq., S
cretary,
The following officers of the Society were then elected :-
President.-Charles P. Treadwell.
Vice-Presidmts,-Elijah Kellogg, Esq., Joseph S. \Vhitcomb, Wm. Kirby, Charles
Hersey, Esq., and \Villiam Bradley.
Treasurer.-Thomas H. Johnson,
Secre/ary.-\Villiam Z. Cozens.
Direc/ors,-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, \Vm. 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
expelts 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, 1
L. Downing, ( on horses.
John Garland, )
Ewen McMaster, 1
Chauncey Johnson, Esq., on horned cattle,
Richard Allen,
Patrick McGee, }
J ames Cross, on sheep and hogs,
'Villiam Bradley,
'Villiam KehOe, }
O. Gates, on butter, cheese and clòth,
Hiram Johnson.
TREASURER'S STATEMENT FOR 1845.
Dr.
To balance of year 1844 per returns made...... . . .. ... ..,. . "... . . ..
., amount of Provincial grant,..... ..,....",.,. . . . . " ,..,.,.,.,.
cc subscribed by County of Prescott.. .... ...... .. .. . ...... . . .. .. ..
" " " " Russell""....., .."" .", . . . . . . .. .",
3700
250 0 00
63 15 00
25 0 00
Cr.
By amount paid County of Russell. , . , .. ,.,... ."... "..,. . , , .. . . .. :l
.. ., of expenses dra wing money, , , . . . . . .. . , . . . , . . . . . . .. . , , .
,f paid County of Prescott ................................
,I Ie \Villiam Cozens, Secretary.... ...... . . . .. . . .. .. . t. .
I' "T, H.Johnson, Treasurer.....,.. ....,......"..,..,
" John Ramsay, Collector. , , . . . . . . . " . . . . ... . .. ,.....
" 3 experts judging crops. . . . .. ,..... . . ,. .." ,. ......
342 2 00
IC
99 10 00
I 0 00
199 5 00
8 10 00
5 000
5 000
16 17 06
, .
, ,
"
:l335 2 06
Balance in Treasurer.s hands for 18.1-6.". ,... . , " "......,.,....... 6 19 06
47 6
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 bands since last year...... .... .". ",. "" :l 15 16 03
" 'I received from Provincial Government. . . . ... .... ,..,.,.,. 250 0 00
" 'c of subscription Russell Society................ ,... .. .. .. 25 0 00
"" 'I Prescott Society....,. ....... .',.', .. .. . . 63 10 00
:l 354 6 03
Cr.
I'
L 2 10 00
175 0 00
21 0 00
8 Ir; 00
7 1000
8 IS 00
I II 08
3 14 03
8 15 00
100 0 00
By amount paid Widow Coæn's balance due her late husband as Secretary
I' " paid premiums Prescott Society.,. , .. ....,. ,.". ",...,.
I' " II experts viewing crops. , .. ...... , . . . . " . . " . . , , . . , . .
" "plowing match. . , . ,. , , . . ., ,..,., . . , , ... , , . , . . , , , . .
., u collection, including subscription, . . , .. , . . . . , ,. .'" , .
· c "the Treasurer. , . . .. . , ,. ,..... ., . . . , , , , . , , ,. ... . . . .
" expenses drawing money L I 55, postage 6s 8d".. . . . . . , , , ,
" paid c' Life at Springs" for
dvertising. , " , . " ,.." '.",
I. II Secretary, including subscription..., .. " .. " ., .. .. ..
II II Russell Society. , . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . , . . . , . . . . .
"
"
"
I'
:l 337 10 II
Balance on hand carried to year 1849...... .. ., ...... ,..... . ,... .... 16 IS 04
Prescott now has a flourishing Agricultural Society; an Agricultural hall was
erected in 18 74, The Society's grounds, at that time, comprised but two acres; in
188 7, the luantity 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 there 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........,................... ......$3,000
Erected a grand stand, cos1............................. 1,060
OFFICERS.
Presidmt.-Dennis Hurley.
1St Vice-President.-E. A. Johmon.
21zd h U John M. Barton.
Directors.-Joseph Routhier, Thomas Dick, James Al1ison, Andrew \Vood, John
Ryan, Duncan Campbell, James Cross, J, C. Mooney, and Jonathan Cross.
\VM. FERGUSOK,
Sec.-Treasurer.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
477
POINT FORTUNE.
\Yho has 110t heard of Point Fortune? N early 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. \Ve 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. \Ve 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 ofthe following gentlemen :-Mayor,
John !\Iiddleton; Councillors: E. Theorest, John Laroque, A. Cousineau, J. \Villiam-
son, A. C, Robinson and George A. Barclay j S
cretary-Treasurer, S. Cole,
JOHN
hDDLETOK, 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,
Ir. Mid-
dleton is one of those individuaìs 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
nd a practical farmer, and -besides
being a Slide Master on the Carillon Dam and Mayor of Pt. Fortune, he is a Justice
of the Peace, and agent for several insurance companies. He is a son of the late
J ames
Iiddleton, of whom there is a sketch in [he history of St. Andrews; he married
Margaret, daughter of the late James Pitcairn, 20th 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, Ùe
second son, is an employee in l\lcOuat & :McRae's foundry in Lachute j the eldest
daughter, Mary, is in :\[assachusetts; and the younger, Elizaheth, resides with her
parents.
COL. \V:\[. FORTUNE is the earliest settler at Point Fortune, of whom we have
any account, and the one from whom the place derived its name. I t 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
Co!. \Villiam Forlune,
.
,
47 g
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 Co!. William Fortune. In obedience to the above
order, I have camed to be surveyed, admeasured and laid out for Co!. \Villiam
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 1814, 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, 14th 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 \Vaddell 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 muc.h de-
cayed that it broke in pieces on being disturbed. This incident proves that, at least,
one CoJ. 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, 31st 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 fOlwarders on the Ottawa. Mi
fortune, how-
ever, soon followed j his boats were sold from necessity, and he died a poor man,
Co!. Fortune sold another part of his estate to Jos.
IcMil]an, a Nor' 'Vester,
1IcMiIlan 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
Co!. Fortune, and to play an important part for many years in the affairs of this part of
Ontario. This was John Macdonnell, a Nor'\Vester, who afterwards became Co!. of
the Prescott Militia and a Judge in the Ottawa District. He and Co!. 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 å greater or less degree,
were exhausted. A large and fine stone house bearing date 1817, now owned and
occupied by Major \Villiamson, and the most conspicuous object in Pt. Fortune, still
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 trader s
the North West.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
479
It was with great pleasure that we recently found i'1 the possession of :Mr. J. 'V,
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
light on the public career of Judge Macdonnell is ol'le 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, 15th April, 1795, is
addressed, ., John MacdonneJI, Red River, N. 'V., care ofMr. 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 18th July, 1794, from Portage
de L'Outard, carne duly to hand." 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 beC]ueathed him 1000 acres of land in Lancaster,
A letter written to the Judge by his brother \Villiam J., from Boston, 27th 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 b:lttle of Culloden in 1745."
In 1812, Mr. l\lacdonnell received the following appointment :-
"SIR GEORGE PREVOST, Baronet,
"Capiain General and Governor-in-Chief of the .Province of Lower Canada, etc.
"To JOHN MACDONNELL, Esquire,
" Reposing confidence in your lõyahy, courage' and good conduct, do by thes
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 }'ears in the employ of the U. C. Government, as clerk of the Legisla-
ti\'e 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 aefers to a
narrow e@cape of Mr, Macdonnell from the Yankees at St, Regis, we are led to the
conclusion that he had at that time left the North-\Vest-a conclusion still funher
strengthened by the fact, that it was only a little after the datc 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.lving 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 ofhistorians, for
while it says that the General ordered fire to be s
t to the magazine, the}' 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 m1gaJ;ine, to prevent its falling into the hands of
the enemy:
YORK, 5th May, 1813.
1\1\ DE-\R JOHN,
Early on the morning of the 27th ultimo the enemy's fleet, consisting of Íour-
teen sail, doubled Gibraltar Point under easy sail, and came to anchor off the site of
the old fort, Toronto, Everyone, you may be sure, ran to prevent their landing j but
they sailed in, in spite of us, though not without great loss on both sides, As I had
no military cOllllnand, I volunteered with the Grenadiers of the 8th Regiment, and
had the mortification to see their gallant leader f
J1. Captain McNeil was beloved
by his men. About this time, the enemy were landing in gleat numbers, and we were
ordered to make for the battery. As I did not hear this order, I found myself sud-
denly widl 1\Iajor 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, ev-=ryone fled, the best way he eould. 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, <\t the same time, the most awful
sight I have ever seen. The enemy acknowledge to have lost, at least, 250 killed
and 100 wounded by the explosion. Our retreat continued, and when we had
arrived at 1\1r. Small's at the east end of the town, the General with the troops
pushed on for Kineston, 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 1st inst., when they all went on board of their vessels, where they
yet rem'lin 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 tl
an 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 Elmo;by House,
and a schooner belonging to an inhabitant of York. They have carried offrhe "Glou-'
cester," \\'hich was undergoing repairs, and was to be cOln-erted into a transport, being
too old for a ship-ùf-war. The new ship on the stocks we burnt ourselves, for, other-
"rise, 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 hattery, but, thank God,
he was not hurt, save that his hands were scratcheà a little. Mr. 'Vood, of this place,
was thrown 011 top of him, but neither was he hurt. 1 am sorry to add, that poor Mr.
Donald :\lcLean was killed. This will be shocking news for 1\1rs. 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.
4 81
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 Bri tons, although the
enemy is near, and might crush us to atoms. The American commander-in-chief,
Pike, is killed; General Dearborn now command3.
I remain, always,
Your affectionate brother,
JOHN BEfKIE' L
On the same sheet is the following letter from his si<;ter, Mrs. Berkie:
My DEAR JOHN,
I am told you are low spirited since you were surprised by the Yankees at St.
Regis; but I think it was a providential surprise for YOJj to save your life, for, had
not that been the case, I am convinced you would not have suffered yourself to be
taken alive. 'Ve all have reason to be thankful to Pro\'idence, for never did I pass
so awful a day as the 27th of April, with my two poor fellows in the heat of the battle.
r never prayed more fervently, or said that beautiful psalm (" He that dwdls in the
Delp of the Highest shall
bide 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
t.hey found deserted was completely sacked. \Ve .have lost a few things, which were
carried off before our faces; but, as we expected to lose all, we think ourselves well
off. 'ViII 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 \\ïlliam 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 Jake. I really attribute this
visit to the vengeance of heaven on this place, for quanti ties 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 BERKIF..
It is unpleasant to Jearn from other letters that the Joyal 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 him:;elf coveted his position. He was requested
to resign, and did so, never again entering the office,
Like many of the Nor'-\Vesters, Judge Macdonnell took a wife from the women
of the
orth-\Vest. 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 relati\-es 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 exuùerance 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, " \Vell, 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 velY 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
\Vas 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 flourishing sca Iping 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 a3 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'-\Vester, who lived on Beech Ridge, St,
Andrews, was the oniy 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 Cannon, 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, a long
residence among the fur magnates of the
orth-\Vest, where those of inferior station
were treated as slaves, would not tend to lessen one's arbitrary proclivitie
. 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,
..
4 8 3
A letter before us, dated" St. Regis, 21st 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
to accommodate with a loan of a few hundred pounds, as it was when you gave me
three hundred formerly. I am, however, weIJ 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 sa}s: "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, 'Villiam J, Mac-
donnell, from Boston, 24th May, 1819, urgently solicits the loan of $1000. \Ve may
congratulate ourselves on the postal service ofto-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, \VilIiam, 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 iT) financial straits, hence under the necessity
of soliciting frequent loans, varying in amount from ..-650 to ..-6300, 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, 181 9,
to the Judge, he says: "I ought to have given that money to you, to whom I am so
much in debt, and under so many obligations besides pecuniary ones. Although
your delicacy has never allowed you to men tion, 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 deLt 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 COrl1wail, 26th :;\[ay, 1808, and addressed," John
Macdonnell, Fort 'Yilliam, N,\V,Co.," he writes: " I have been under the necessity of
making u
e 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 thàt you will reap hand-
some profits therefrom, each share averaging about ,-6600."
The following is an extract from a letter written to Judge Macdonnell by hi!:
uncle, Alexander Macdonnell, a priest, at Cornwall, but who afterwards became
Bishop. The letter was written from Montreal, 14 th June, 1811, while the writer was
on a visit to that city: "I have had letters from
Iiles, but not of recent date. Lord
Selkirk 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 a.ttendance on
484
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
the Eari of Selkirk, and reduce himself to the disagreeable dilemma of either faning
out with his Lordship-the consequences of which would probably be the most com-
p
ete 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,.
.1
lr, McGjJlivray 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 carne to this town j 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:
'I KINGSTON, 9th May, 180 7.
'I ::\ly DEAR BROTHER,-
'I 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 \Vashington, I did not
think it prudent to decJine com}>lying with so flattering a mark of attention from so
distinguished a personage, and lost no time in making the necessary arrangements.
Angus, our cousin, MacIon, took my farm on shares. I took the children down to
my father's, where they would have the protectinn 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 Kew York informed me that his Lordship was daily expected
to alfive 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, K ew York
and Boston.
'I 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 ou t; 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 encJosures 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 dotnestic misfortune,"-the death of his wife,
Though numerous letters may have passed between the brothers during the time
elapsin
between the date of the last and that belo\v, the latter is the only one in our
posseSSIon.
" SAULT STE, MARIE, 31st July, 1816.
" )Iy DEAR BROTHER,-
" I have got back this tar, safe and sound, from the interior, but 1I0t with the
glory and ie/at 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.
4 8 5
cution of the voyage, A. N. McLeod and his experienced North-\Vesters 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 traveIIing 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
dismis
ed from my table-but at a late period, 1\1r.
lcLeod 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 19th of June, four days before the arrival of Mr. McLeod, in which twenty-
one of the colonists fell, of whom were
lr. 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 pemmican there), and fell into an ambuscade prepared
by the enemy. Where the slaughter took place, it is said that Séraphin 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 \Vinnipeg; I learned these particulars from different Indians.
Every thing of ours in Red River is destroyed, and all our people gone from there.
\Ve must have surrendered to the enemy or have been murdered like the others. The
Indiaus that McLeod took with him from Rainy Lake left him at Bae de la Rivière,
and all the Indians we have seen appear much displeased at what has taken place, by
scanty supplies to us of fish and game.
" I was enabltd to get back with my party to Fort \Villiam, anù there obtained what
brought us to this place. All good men must execrate the murderous system of the
North-\Yest 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 briefsketch of the great fur trading companies which heid sway in vast portions
of British North America.
THE I-J,B. ..\ND N.\V. 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
bO.lt or canoe to York Fort on Hudson's Ray, 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 Ad\en-
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 tbe Great North \Vest"
by J ohn
tacoun,
l.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
1l1terior. 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-\Vest 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 br
eding 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 ueen 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 Æ300,000 ($1,500,000), and in 1870, they were incorporated with
the Dominion of Canada. ':Ghe company, which now trades entirely as a private cor-
poration, stilI 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
enturies, 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: ,. 1 his 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 Æ r 5.000, according to the tariff of last year- o I843."
Of the Columbian District-a large territory west of the Rocky Mountains-
he says:
"On the 5th of May (about 183 [ or 1832) 1fr. Dease took his departure for
Fort Vancouver with the returns of his District, which might be valued at ÆII,OOO.
The outfit, together with servants, wages and incidental expenses, amounted to about
.:63,000, leaving to the Company for this District alone, a clear profit of .:68,000
(eigh t thousand pounds)."
Notwithstanding the fact that the profit of the fur trade is growing smaller, owing
HISTORY 01<' PRESCOTT,
4 8 7
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 year
1887 to 1890 inclusive:
KINDS OF FURS. NUMBER OF SKINS.
188 7 1888 188 9 18 9 0
Bear. , , . . . , , , , ........... 1,399 1,5 28 2,037 1,9 00
Bea ver . , . . .. ...... . . . . .. . 22,848 22,174 18,7 8 7 20,000
Fisher. . . . .,.... , . . . . . . . 1,197 1,120 1,377 1,500
Ermine, . .. .,.,.. ,.. . .. .. , 1,000
Fox, . .. . . . , ., ..,. . , . , . . . , 669 75 6 1,15 0 1,9 00
Lynx. , , . .. . , . , , , , ., ".". 2,655 3,83 0 4, 10 7 4,400
Iarten. . ,. ".". ......... 19, 26 4 18,9 86 16,7 0 8 I 7,000
Mink _ ,. . .. . . . , .. , . . , . . , . . 10,002 7,757 6,4 2 0 7,000
Musquash. , . , . ........... 81,4 0 3 74,57 2 55, 28 5 7 2 ,000
Otter. , , . " . . . , , . .. , . , , .. . 2,7 68 2,55 0 3,010 3.000
Skunk. , . . . . . . ,. ...... . , . . 228 4 2 0 47 8 600
'" olverine . . . . .. ...,.. . . , . . 24 21 27 3 0
\ Vol f . . . . .. ...... . . .. .. . . . , 16
-- -- -- --
Total" .. , , .. . . . 14 2 ,157 133,714 109,386 13 0 ,346
..-\ s stated above, the N orth- \V est Company was formed in the winter of 17 8 3- 8 4.
A few years later, a large number of traders seceded from this, and formed a new
company called the X.y, Company. In 1805, these two united, forming one strong
company. After the formation of this Company, the troubles between it and the
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
learned that the lands on the Red River were fertile and valuable, on his return to
England, 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
Sir Alexander, and became owner of 40 per cent. of the H.B. stock, Through his
influence with the Governor and Commi!tee of the Company, they consented to sell
him 116,000 square miles of territory, on condition that he would plant a colony;
although it turned out that the tract promised extended a long way into the United
States. The North-\Vest 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,
and promptly declared their determination to resist his attempt to dispossess them or
to colonize the land. Not only the 1\, \V, Company, but the Canadians were highly
incensed 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
carry out his design, and, in the spring of 18r I, sent out in the H. B. Co's ships,
twenty-five families-the first instalment of the colony, These and a large number
of emigrants, who carne the next }'ear, 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 f
l1ows :
In the year 18I I, the Earl of Selkirk and Miles Macdonnell, Esq" entered into
an agreement, that the latter should proceed to Red River in the Hudson Bay Com-
pany'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 Æ 200 sterling.
488
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
cc 3 rdl y, A pecuniary salary of Æ300 sterling, per annum, from the 29th 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 mar 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 YOll 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 Macdonnell, Lord Selkirk's deputy,
who had previously trained his men to the use of arms, issued the following procla-
mation :--
"DISTRICT OF ASSINIBOIA.
" To JIr. DU1lcan Cameroll, acting for the North- West ComþallY at the Forks of
Red River:
"Take notice that by the au.thority 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-\Yest 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, 181..1..
" (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
18 1 4, a quantity of provisions was taken from a fort of the
orth-\Vest 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-\Yest 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 \Yinnipeg, 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-\Vest Company either to acknowledge Lord Selkirk's supremacy or leave the
country, Fort Gibraitar was taken, 17th 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; l\1r, 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 Macdonnell's letter occurred.
HISTORY 010' PRESCOTT.
4 8 9
Fifty Indians and half-breeds were sent by the North 'Vest Company to escort
a supply of provisions from Fort Qu'Appelle to Lake 'Vinnipeg. They had been
ordered to keep at a distance, and out of sight of Fort Douglas, where Governor
Seml,Ie 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, pamted 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 man
narüed Bouchier rode up to us, waving his hand and calling out, , 'Vhat do you want? '
The Governor replied, "\That do you want?' Bouchier replied, '\V e want our fort'
when the Govel nor said, , Go to your fort! ' I then saw the Governor take hold
f
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
fallen, 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 :l1ercy; a half-breed, son of \Vm,
: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
Oil the bodies of the dead as characterize the inhuman heart of the savage, Mr,
Semple, with his thigh broken, obtained the promise of 1\1r. 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 1\1r. Pritchard that an Indian
came up and shot ::\lr. Semple through the breast."
The North-\Vest Company's accolInt of the affair, corroborated by the settlers,
differs materially from the above account, and shows that Governor Semple's party
were the aggressors, and fired the first shot. Only one of the North- \Vest Com-
pany's men \Vas killed, and one wounded; while of the Hudson Bay men twenty-one
were killed and one wounded.
::\Iacdonnell 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
his own use. He al50 seized Fort Douglass, and reigned supreme at Red River, The
North-\\' est Company appealed to Government, but with little success, and both
parties continued their lawless warfare, each employing the Indians to c:.lrry out their
designs-Lord Selkirk wishing to plant a colony, and the Nurth-\Vest Company
determined to oppose civilization to preserve the fur trade and secure its profits,
Miles wrote to his brother at Point Fortune from Montreal, December 16th,
181 7 :
"After my illegal arrest at Point Mearon, in the neighborhood of Fort \Villiam
on the 12th Augnst, I remained in the hands of the Philistines till my arrival at Sand.
3 2
49 0
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 \Vest 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. )Iarie, and Doummand's Island, when I
was there, that the North "Test Company had employed one of their half-breed
clerks to assassinate his Lordship on his way out between Red River and Fort
,\ViJ]iam ; 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 eugaged. 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 tbeir dissensions.
Miles Macdonnell wrote from Kingston, August 20th, 1818 :-" Lord Selkirk is
desirous that you should attend at York, tþe Court of King's Bench, which is to sit
there the 20th October, to give evidence of certain affairs respecting the North \Vest
Company, and he wishes me to ascertain whether you will go voluntarily, or will
require a subpæna 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
at York and returning together."
The same letter affords us considerable additional interest, inasmuch as it shows
that Robert Gourley, who became so notorions in his labors to refonll 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 publisned of his jOllrney through the
different districts of the Provinces, Iobserve mention made of the flattering reception
he had in the I )istrict of Ottawa, from you, Mears, Donald, etc., and your engaging to
furnish a Sllm of mOl1ey equal to that of any other District for carrying en affairs.
He was tried hoe at the assizes on the 15th 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. 1I1r. Gourley pleaded his own case-
addressed the jury at considerable length by reading a speech which took up about
half a quire of foolscap close;y written--a composition wnich 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
Ir. Gourley was conducted
in triumph to his lodging. A pub1ic dinner was given him on the following
Ionday
(the trial was on Saturday), at which were present between forty and fifty persons,
who kept it up till two in th
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 wiU do much good. I wish him every success in bringing
about a reform wnere it is l1ecessary, but I doubt if that is a1together the object in
view; and till I can be better cOlwinced of his upright intentions I shall not be one
of his followers,
': It is reported that Sir Peregrine :\Iaitland keEps everybcdy at York at a dis-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
49 1
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 p3.ssage in it."
Lord Selkirk died in 1820, and Miles Macdonnell in 1828, at Pt. Fortune.
\Ve learn from another document dated 30th 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 l
te Earl of Selkirk," eight years' salary to 29 th
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 3 s ,8d.
To account of expenses to 5th Dec., 1818, as per statement
handed Mr. Gardner.............,.........,............................... ;/;294 0 6
Sundry omissions.,.............."..,.,......,.................... ............ 9 0 0
Subsistence from 5th Dec., 1818, to 29th Dec., 1819, 55 weeks
@ 52S, 6d........... ........ ........ ...... ........ .......,.... ...,. .........
Five shares in a joint stock Co., as promised by his Lordship..,....
5 0 ,000 acres ofland in Red River Colony, or a consideration for the
same, certainly ,vorth IS. per acre........................ ...............
144
555
7 6
II I
25 00
o 0
L,"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-
pondencyand 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, 29TH AUG., 1830.
" :My dear Uncle,
" I should have replied to your letter of the 20th inst. by return
of post, but the mail was closed previous to my receiving your letter.
II I am sorry to see that you are so deeply involved to the house of (we withhold
the name), and also the pressing let ter 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 j I have been
in expectation that the heir or heirs of his Lordship would at some time do something
for the family. Although [ 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 dweHing, 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."
49 2
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
In connection with this orchard, an incident occuned which proved of serious con-
sequence to its proprietors. Boys, as well as men, had given him no little annoyance
by the frequency with which they entered the Olchard and carried off the apples.
John, a son of the Judge, thinking to frighten the thieves, fired into the orchard one
night, on hearing. them, and, u
fortunat
ly, wou
ded. the son of a neighbor.
That the affalC caused no lIttle e>"cltement IS eVIdent, from a letter written by
Miles Macdonnell to the Judge from Montreal, 15 th October, 181 9. He says: "rrhe
unpleasant accident that befell your poor son, John, has been reported in the most
disastrous manner, as is always the case ;-1 can easily judge of your feelirJgs on the
occasion; 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,
by 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
Ie/at. His friends, several of whom had been his coadjutors in the North 'Vest,
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 \Vest,
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 prolon
ed to the wee sma' hours of murning, a number of the guests, among
whom were Capt. McCargo, set out for their homes on the north side of the river,
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
fiddler on board, and the area of the scow being ample, they danced to the music
of 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 in a lett
r 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 misforrunes, and expres
es 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 \Vest, in the infirmitv 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
lacdonnells was written, Mr. Crosby has sent us
the following, which, among other things, explains the allusion in
[rs, Berkic's letter
to her brother's escape at St. Regis :-
IIISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
493
POINT FORTUNE, 4 th July, 1844.
The Honorable A. N. ::\Iorin, 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 offacts,
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 chtst, 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. \Villiam McGillivray-which, although valued
at ,;[160, 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, SergeaI'lt John McGillivray, Private Nicholas Ponsport
were killed, several other privates wounded; myself, Lieut. \Villiam H::I.lI (now of the
Customs, Montreal), thirty-five non.commissioned officers and men, with Capt. L.
lontigny 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 fitatement 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 N orth- \V est 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
:\1ills, at the formation of the Ottawa District, in the session of 18 I 6, which office I
resigned in October, 1825. And that for upwards of eighteen years, I had the honor
of commanding the 1st Regiment of Prescott militia as Colonel by commission dated
1st April, 1822, until my resignation on the 11th day of June, 1840; the late George
Hamilton being my Lieut,-Co1.
494
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
That on looking over my North-\Vest accounts current, I find the underwritten
items charged in my account while serving in the Y oyageur Corps, by commission
dated 2nd day of October, 1812, the general order for the formation of the Corps being
previously published. ·
1812-12th Sept,
" 19 th "
24 th "
" 15th Oct.
" 29 th ' ,
To cash for travelling expenses, enrolling and recruiting men. . . . .., ';c10 0 0
" " " " 10 0 0
" "500
" " " 25 5 0
1813-12th Jan.
To handed over to Major Clark, United States Army, Q. M. Gl. Dept.
at Green Bush, N. Y., claimed as public property,... . ,... . ." ,.
To repaid Genl. Lewis, Qr. M. Genl., U nÍled States Army, for an
equal sum borrowed of him in Albany in last November.,.,..,. ,
Paid our Qr. Master, Ja!", E. Campbell, for 18 pairs of moccasins at
IS. 8d., which I had given to Capt. D. Ducharme of Ind. Dept. at
I..a Forte, . ., , . .. . , . . . . , . , . .. . , ., ...... .,. . , . .. ... . . . .. . . . . . .
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, , . , ., ...... . , . , " .".., . . " .."., . . , " , . , , ,
Repaid the Hon, Lt.-Co!. McGillivray, for my share of balance on the
'
oyageur Corps book.... . . . . .. ."... . . . . .. . . .' . . .. .... . . .. .
" 19th Mar.
" 3rd Nov.
14 5 0
23 0 0
I 10 0
889
LIST OF PROPERTY LOST AT ST. REGIS.
Total cash disbursement. . . ... ...... ., . . . .. . . . . .. ,... . ... ,... /:,117 15 I1
18 3 2}
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
v.,- est country; entered at..,." ...,.. , , , ., ".". ,." . . , . . . , . . .. . . ,. . , . .
I Two-edged sword, belt, silver buckle..... . , , . , , . . . . . . . , , . . . ., ...." ,..... . , , ,
I Pair pocket pistols, ball mould, key, etc.., w . . . . . ,. . . . . . .. ...... . . . . . .."" . . , .
I Spy glass and appurtenances. . . . ., .,.", . . ., ""., ".,.. ...... . .. . . . . . . ,. . . . .
I Red silk sash.... ...", "., , . . , " ..., ,... . , .. ""., ,.,... . , " ,'. . .. . , ., ..,
Tea and sugar boxes and contents, 305. ; large green blanket, 30s. ; two prayer books,
English and :French, 10S...... ".., .."" . , . , ,. .,..,. .. , ., ,.,.., ,
Candlestick and snuffers, head and shoe brushes...... . . '.' , . . . . .... ,. ,. ....,.."
LIs 10 0
7 10 0
3 0 0
5 10 0
6 10 0
3 10 0
0 10 0
Total loss at St. Regis. ... ,..... ..,. . , .. , . . ., . , ., ,.,... .... 1;42 0 0
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 \Vest buildings, which
\Vas 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, SWOld cane, pocket books, etc., the whole valued at .;C21 17s. 9d,)
I certify the foregoing to be a true statement.
JOHN MACDONNELL,
Capt. late Voyageur Corps.
Point Fortune, 4th July, 1844.
Judge Macdonnell had four 50l1s-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 no\V 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 \Vanless 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 ofMr, McDonald were active men in Argenteuil ; John,
one of them, organized Company No, I of the 11th 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-\Vest. Archibald, civil engineer,
was paymaster in the I Ith B-
ttalion. The only two surviving sons are Alla.n 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' cem
tery :-
" 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, 15th January, 1853,
Aged 62 years.
" A kind-hearted, good m,tn, Mr. McDonald's loss will be felt by a large circle of
friends and acquaintances. A magistrate for the Connty, he was ahvays 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 lVitlless:
A CANADIAN HEROINE,
The story I am about to relate is a true one. I do not think I am exaggerating
in calling th
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.
\Vhile 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
49 6
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
lovely landscape, and the birds and all the Ii ving 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 wav
s; 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
scuUer 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 ora 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
acquain tance.
N.H.-The above incidents were narrated to me by my grandfather, Donald
McLarty, whose farm adjoined" The Glencoe Estate."
(Signed) GEORGI ANNA OGDE!'.
\Vritten October, 1890.
JAMES MCCLINTOCK, from Ballymena, ('ountyof Antrim, Ireland, was one of
the worthy pioneers of Poin t 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,
:md Concession, and thenceforward devoted his time to farming, He was born
21st October, 1776, and died 5th April, 1856. Mrs.
IcClintock (Elizauelh Coulter),
born 27th August, 1782, died 14th .March
1861. They were married 9th 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. l\IcClintock, a son and daugh-
ter, were born in this country; the latter died in childhood.
'VILLIAM MCCLINTOCK, the son, born in Point Fortune, 8th January, 1821,
remained on the homestead j he was married 13th February, 1849, to Margaret, sister
of P. Dunbar,Esq" the present Mayor ofthe Seigniory of Argenteuil ; 1\1iss Dunbar had
previously been teaching at Point Fortune. Mr. McClintock died, 19th December,
1894. The following obituary, copied from the Montreal Witness of 20th 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. vVi11i-1m McClintock. The deceased was one of the leading farmers of the
dishict, 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. \Villiam, the eldest son, lives on the homestead; James G,
is a lumber contractor in Michigan j 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,
'VILLIAM LAMB, with his family-a wife and two children-came from Roxbury-
shire, Scotland, and settled in Point Fortune, in 183 I. At the age of 20 he learned
HISTOt. Y OF PRESCOTT.
497
the blacksmith trade, and followed it the remainder of his days. They were fourten1
weeks on the voyage. Owing to the cupidity of the parties wlw had agreed to con-
vey a brge number of emigrants to this country, the commodious vessel chartered
for the purpose was not sent, but a smaller one, lIsed to convey coal from Kew
Castle to Leith, Into this small, two-masted brig more than 100 passengers were
crowded, and they suffered every species of discomfort btfore completing the voyage,
falling short of both water and provisions,
l\Irs, Lamb (Catherine Gutterson) was the daughter of a weaver, who was noted
for his hostility to the liquor traffic, and l\Irs. Lamn, who was the youngest of his
children, inherited all the paternal hatled of spirituous liquors. \Yhen
Ir, Lamb
raised the frame of his house at Point Fortune, no liquor was used on !he occasion,
and the incident \vas so contrary to the custom of those days, that it calls
d no little
comment. Mrs. Lamb was the first agent for the l\Iontreal 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 honse. 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 2..J.th August, [
55;
frs. Lamb, 4th October,
1862. Besides Alexander and Margaret, born 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 ar:d Postmaster at St. Andrews, Que., and
a Major of the Argenteuil Rangers; Margaret resides in Montreal; and Mrs. (John)
Pitcairn in Point Fortune.
Alexandf r, 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 \Vood of East Settlement, Argenteuil. In 1879, he bought 100 acres of land at
this place, since which he has d
vùted 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, \Vm. J., and his sister Annie G., live with thcir father; Elizabeth is a pro-
fessional nurse j Catherine married to Robert Boa, and Maggie, to \ViIliam 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 j in
their voyage thither, the boat in which they ascended the Hudson was burnt in thc
night, and all their baggage was lost. Their child, a girl cighteen 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, whelc Mr, Crosby for some time con-
ducted ,ill hotel, and was also in company with Mr. \Villiam Kirby in running a line
of stage coaches from this place to L'OrignaI. In 1836 he bought the farm of 200
acres, now owned by his son John \V., and afterwards another hundrcd farther west
which is now owned by \Vil1ard Cole. Mr, Crosby died 31st March, .867; Mrs.
Crosby, 13th June, 1864. They had Jthree sons and nine daughtcrs, of whom two
sons and four daughters grew up; only one of the former, John 'V., and two of the
latter, Mrs. Cullen, now residing in Point Fortune, and Mrs. Kempley, in Hull, are
now living".
John \V. has ahvays remd.ined 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
49 8
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 Va"-
dreuil County Agricultural Society, and has received several prizes on his farm. He
was married 1St December, 1868, to Beda, a daughter of 'Villiam 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 ,V. 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; 'Villiam 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 Middlt:ton. John
Pitcairn was married 30th October, 1864, to Agnes Lamb; they have three sons,-
James, 'Villiam 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 'Yilliam Caution, Ellen married Robert McFayden, and Margaret, John Mjddle-
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 lef[ one boy, Rowland C., now-an advanced pupil in the Hawkes-
bury High School. I?avid 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-
tm e explosion of a blast in an iron mine,
George, the youngest son of Mrs. Barclay, who has the home;;tead, 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 Fùrtune 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 reachej 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 th
place, He remembers we1l the North \Vest 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 detcrmined, however, to go on, and King
reluctant!y followed. 'Vhen 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.
:\1r. 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}-kil1ed 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 everyone 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 settl
d on
Lot 11, 1st 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 Cushing, 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 Heat1ie, of Chatham; they had five sons and four daughters.
1\1r, Cole died at Buckingham, 16th 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 l;ved
with their son, 'Villard. 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,
l\[ich.
Willard, the youngest, born in 1837, is one of the successful farmers of East
Hawkesbury, and is located on parts of Lots II and 12, 1st 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 travell
r; and was thus engaged travelling over Quebec
and a part 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
"'illiamson of Point Fortune. Mr. Cole is Secretar}r-Treasurer of the Municipality,
also of the Methodist Church here, of which both he and Mrs. Cole are active
members.
lany 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
. I.adouceur is now conducting an hotel, and opened one also at Carillon,
5 00
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
in the building which is now occupied by :\lrs. Palliser. It was one ('If his sons,
ALEXANDER ST, DENIS, who became a prominent and most successful lmsiness
man. He married
Iiss 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
vears with remarkable success. His fine brick residence is conspicuous among the
buildings of the village, and he held valuable interests in real estate. He rlied in r89I.
His children were four sons and three daughters, who were carefuUy 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
rr. Brown in 1894, and has recently engaged in business
in Yankleek Hill.
'VILLIA\I BROWN & Sor-;s, doubtless, have engaged as extensively in the mer-
cantile business as any who have followed this line in this section of counlry. Mr.
Brown came from Ayrshire, Scotland, with his father's family to Montreal in 1848;
his father died there in 1867, :tnd his mother still resides in that city.
William BrO\vn was married 8th May, 1862! to Elizabeth, daughter of th
late
Andrew Galt, manufacturer of :;\[ontreal, and began business in the city as book-
seller and stationer. In 1365, he came to Point Fortune, and entered into partner-
ship with Thomas (now the Re\'. Thomas) Everett, of Montreal. In 1869 :\Ir.
Brown purch.lsed the entire business, and hac; continued in it ever since. In 181)4
he bought the stock of goods owned by Mr. E. A. St. Denis, and the 1st of January
of that year formed a co-partnership wilh his two sons, Galt 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 barttr. Their business during the year I8!)S, in farmer's produce <.lnd 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
Iontreal, and in 1893 for Prescott and RusseJl, 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, \ViIliam, married to a daughter of Mr, G. \V. Crosby of this place, lives in
Sweets burg, Que., and is a Commercial Traveller for Lonsdale, Reid & Co. of
Montreal; \Valter A. is one of the firm of Gardner & Brown, general merchants,
Arnprior, Ont.; Galt E. was married to Mabel Johnson in September, 1890 j John
C. is married to Rhoda, daughter of William Story of Plantagenet :\Iills ; 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 S1. Andrews, Que.; he lived in Ottawa a few years, and then
settled in \Vendover, where he has lived a quarter of a century; Alfred, the son, who
was born at \Yendover, 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.
501
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
7 00 trees; all standing plainly in view, on a gentle slope toward the river, present a
picture of rural beauty highly impressive. :\lr, 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,
JA!\IES JOHNSON, of the County of Antrim, Ireland, came to Canada when Sir
J onn Johnson was interested in colonizing the seigniory of Argenteuil. In tonner
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,-folll' sons and t\\'o
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 Galt 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-
LlA
ISON, who came to this country from the County of Monaghan, Ireland, in 18 48.
They live at Point Fortune on a fine farm of 2 10 acres
sustaining a dairy of 3 0
cows, an.! equipped with all the improved machinery requisite for successful farming,
Mr. \Villian--.son 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. \Villiamson now living
are three sons,-\Villiam, 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; the second son, Arthur, is taking a Theological course at the \Vesleyan
University, l\lontreal, and the eldest son,
CAPT, \\'ILLlAJ\I \VILLIAMSON, is proprietor of the fine old dwelling of the late
Judge Macdonnell, of Point Fortune. He was married 19th 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 laJge
family.
Ir. \Villiamson embarked in mercantile life at Point Fortune in 1881, in which
he continued till] 892, 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,
\\'. n. McArthur, an able and experienced accountant, as manager of his store. In
18 9 1 , he \Vas appointed Commissioner for taking affidavits, and in 1892, a Justice of
the Peace for Prescott and Russell.
!\Ir. \Vil1iamson 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 impro\'ed the old stone mansion, which was once the
resort of the magnates ('If the North-West, and it still remains a fitting memento of
the adventurous spirits and stirring events of early days in the Yalley of the Ottawa,
5 02
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, tu defray the expenses of its construc-
tion. A passenger train arrives and departs daily, and during the summer months
there are two trains on
aturdays,
J. STEPHEN LALONDE is the courteous and accommodating Station Agent here.
He was born 20th January, 1869, at Coteau Station, Soulanges County, Que. In 1884
he entered Coteau Station on the Canada Atlantic, as Asst. Station _"-gent, and a
year later went to Casselman as operator, and from that place to Beaver Brook as
agent. In 1889, he engaged to the C.P.R. Co., and was operator successively at
'Vinchester, Green Valley and Valldrellil; 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 II is
o well known tI-at 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. :\Ionmarquet,
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 "J ohn."
'VILLlAl\I GRAY, who i:; 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 'Vest 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 237:( 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.
5 0 3
TREADWELL.
Crest,-Lion rampant, quadrant.
JOHN TREADWELL, the earliest paternal ancestor of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell,
was of English descent, and was living at Ipswich, Connecticut, in 16 3 8 ; at Hunt-
ington Long Island, in 1660; and at Hempstead, L.T., in 1666 and onward; in 166 9,
was in public office, in the time of , Villi am and Mary; in 16 94 was representative
from Queen's county.
THmlAS TREADWELL, father of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell,
" The economic resistance of strong men to taxation," won us our independence,
"as truly as the charters òf mediæval cities were obtained by purchase," The
period from 177 6 to 1820 has been defined as the "formative epoch when the
United States were slowly, and in the face of physicial and moral obstacles, establish-
ing their independence and equality among nations The public record of Thomas
Treadwell deals with the earliest history of our prosperous Republic, with the forma-
tion of rules for the future regulation of national action. The framers of the Consti-
tution built strongly and well. To be in some measure connected with that future,
to take part, even so humbly, in laying the "corner-stone of this grand Republic,"
was worth all the privations and sacrifices the forefathers suffered,
Thomas Treadwell was born in 1743, at Smithtown, Long Island; he married,
first, Anne Hazard, whose father, Nathaniel Hazard, was one of the few importing
merchants, of those times, in New York city. She was the mother of thiri:een
children, He married, second, Mrs. Mary Hedges, who was sister to Judge Alfred
Conkling, and she was the aunt of Roscoe Conkling (distinguished, as his father the
Judge was before him, in the history of the Bar and politics in the United States).
Thomas Treadwell entered upon public service early; he was a college bred man, a
graduate of I'rinceton, a man of broad intelligence, benevolence, astute judgm
nt,
and mar ked ability in the conduct of affairs, and was possessed of great force of will,
He studied law under Chancellor Livingstone, who was a man of exceptional
public spirit, irresp
ctive of his politic') and devotion to the cause of .American
Indepelldence. Thomas Treadwell studi;:d medicine in Paris, and was sometimes
called ,. Doctor." as well as " Judge."
The record of a life devoted to the public service associates Thomas Tread\vell's
name enduringly with grand, arduous and historic events. He was a true friend of
freedom, and faithful to the cause. He lived in an age ofextraordinary activities and
forces. Of his contemporaries, "a canstelIation of deathless names" appears.
Thompson, in his history of Long Island, says :-" Thomas Treadwell was one of the
most useful men of his day, and was almost constantly engaged in public business;
was distinguished for firmness and prudence, was a member of the Provincial Con-
vt'11lion in 1775, and Was elected afterwards to the Provincial Congress from Long
Island (with power to establish a new form of government). He was a member of
the first Senate of this State, under the Constitulion, and seems in all n:spects to
have bet'n fitted for the perilous times in which he lived."
Governor Seward, in his Introduction to the Natural Historl of the State of
1..; ew York, says: "Thomas Treadwell was one of three, constituting the Committee
of Safety, while the Constitution of this State was being formed, in 1777, and was
for many years the only surviving member of that body."
Thomas Treadwell's Public Record, He \Vas a Representative in the Continental
Congress in Philadelphia in 1772-76; in 1775 was elected to the" Provincial Con-
gress," sitting in the city of New York. In 1776, he \Vas with others elected to
represent Suffolk Co., L.I. This Provincial Congress met at the Court House in
5 0 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
\Vestchester 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 cOltnty. 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, l>ecember 25 th , 18 3 1 .
(See Sprague's Annals, and Histories of Long Island by Thompson, Prime,
Onderdonk, etc.)
\Ve find the published list of names of twenty gentlemen who served for tell
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 \Vestchester; 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 I: 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 ther formed the colony not far
away, which is still known as "Richland."
Judge Treadwell's daughter, Hannah Phænix, married Henry Davis, President of
l\liddlebury College, and for sixteen years President of Hamilton College, at Clinton,
N.Y. His daughter Ann was the first wife of the HOll. Isaac Platt, of Plattsburgh,
K. Y. His sons, 1'\ athaniel Hazard and Thomas, with two married daughters, Polly
and Betsey, inherited talents of a high order j Judge Treadwell of Connecticut was
his cousin j Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, son of Hon. Thomas Treadwell, civil en-
gineer, land surveyor, pioneer, cultured gentleman, and Henry Davis, who married
his sister, Hannah Phænix Treadwell, received their academical uaining under Dr.
Buell of Revolutionary memory, at Clinton Academy, at East Hampton, Long Island,
This \Vas the first institution of the kind chartered by the Regents of the State of
Xew York, in 1787,
K. H. Treadwell was six feet two or three inches in height, of powerful build, a
nnn 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
Yor k, for Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit Smith, the philanthropist. He married
Margaret, daughter of Judge Charles Platt of Plattsburgh, 1\ .Y., who with two
brothers found
d 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 lIolland, and was a very handsome
woman, e\'en when old, She used to read her Dutch Bible.
In 1794, ::\. H. Treadwell removed to Canada, and the Seigniory of L'Orignal,
whid.l was his by purchase, was opened by him to emigrants. The Seigniory of
L'Ongnal stretched nine miles along the Ottawa River, and ran six miles back,
making fifty-four square miles of territory. The Montreal IVi/lless, June 6th, 18ð9,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 0 5
says: "The original settlers of Prescott and Russell were Americans from New
York, New Hampshire and Vermont, who came here after the Revolutionary War.
They ascended the Ottawa, and noting the wealth of the district in timber, and its
good soil and water power, settled on the high lands, The seigniory of L'Orignal
was conveyed during the French regime to one of the trading companies connected
with New France, and towards the close of the last century fell into the possession of
Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, an American from Plattsburgh, N.Y., who encouraged
his fellow-countrymen to take up farms at L'Orignal as well as in the township of
Longueuil. \Vhen the French wave set in forty years ago, the low swamp lands,
which Treadwell colonists and their descendants had rejected, were rapidly occupied
by French Canadians, whose thrifty habits enabled them to live where the other race
would have starved. The English settlers stilI hold the highlands, but are now
hemmed in by the habita1lts."
\Vhen the war of 1812 broke out, owing to Mr. Treadwell's American proclivi-
ties, he became a suspected person, and declining to take the oath of allegiance, his
property was confiscated, and he undertook to remove to the United States; on the
way out, he was imprisoned at St, Johns, Lower Canada. After a time he was offered
his freedom, which he declined unless an escort was provided to see him safely
across the line, and this was at last granted, and he returned to Plattsburgh.
About four miles from Platts burgh, he erected mills at a point on the Saranac
River known variously as "TreadweIl's Bridge,"" Treadwell's Falls," and " Treadwell's
Mills." The spot is singularly beautiful, and the place which gre\v up there was
named by his sister" Utopia," In fact, " Treadwell's Mills" was for many years one
of the most important business cen tres. The great freshet of [83 0 , which swept
away the fortunes of so many business men on the Saranac, brought ruin to these
mills. The saw-mill, the dam, the flume, and many other improvements, logs, piles of
lumber, and the very earth on which they stood were carried away, and all that
remained of the " city lots" was a broad expanse of Pottsdam sandstone.
About 1840, N. H, Treadwell returned with his wife to L'Orignal, Upper Canada,
where he died in 18 5 6 , The Montreal Gazette, after his death, said: "Practically
and theoretically an ad'"ocate of progress, he united the culture of a gentleman with
the endurance of a back-woodsman. Far in advance of his time, he presented a living
type of a coming age. In the earlier part of his life, he expended considerable sums
in advancing the material interests of the country; his liberality was only circum-
scribed by his pecuniary ability. The poor man never left his home unrelIeved."
His children were Caroline Adriance, of L'Orignal ; Ann Maria (Mrs, L. H, Redfield,
of Syracuse, N. Y ) j Hon. Charles p, Treadwell, of L'Orignal; Margaret (Mrs. Duncan
Dewar) ; and Mrs. Lætitia Platt (Mrs. Charles \Vale
), vfSt. Andrews, P.Q., Canada;
and Harry Onderdonk, of Hawkesbury.
CHARLES PLATT TREADWELL, son of Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, in 182 3
returned to Canada and succeeded in recovering the property of his father, which was
confiscated in the war of (812-1814, the Government also giving him several thousand
acres in Ross and Pembroke counties, of which he had been deprived through an
erroneous survey. He received in 1834 the" Crown" appointment of High Sheriff,
which is for life. j\f ontreal papers, at the time of his death, in 18 73, wrote of him as
follows :-" One of the best known personally of all Canadians has just passed away;
in the person of Sheriff Treadwell, of the Counties of Prescott and Russell. Even
L1pon the road, everyone who travelled at all was sure to make his acquaintance
>omewhere, and his unbounded affability made him everybody's friend, Although his
deas were not always of the most practical sort, there was not a more public-spirited
itizen in Canada. In later years his mind seemed to run upon little else than on
33
5 06
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
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 Plattsburgh, N. Y., and
which i8 now scattered along the banks of the Ottawa River. He held the shrievalty
of the united counties without reproach for very many years.
" Ris ever busy pen advocated, and he was the pioneer in railway projects,
agricultural improvements and religious reforms. Nearly tl'irty-six of the forty years
that Shf>riffTreadwell held a Government office was under Queen Victoria."
It is said of him that he was the first Canadian who advocated a Pacific Railway.
In 18 45 he began to talk of a railway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 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 1\1. T. Redfield, of Syracuse, N.Y.; Miss
Caroline A. TreadweB, of L'Orignal; and Mrs. Duncan Dewar, of St. Andrews, P.Q.,
Canada,-aB of whom are deceased-were noble women, 1\Irs, Lætitia Platt 'Vales,
of St, Andrews, P.Q., Canada, is the only surviving child of Nathaniel Hazard Tread-
well, and the only granàchild 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 Ron. Thomas Treadwell.
755 Irving St., Syracuse, N, Y.,
20th Jan., 1894.
Only a faint conception is given in the above sketch, of the injustice 1h:1t 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 s9Pposed, but he
learned afterwards, as thousands more have learned, that the phraseology of his
patent might be !::o construed as to permit an endless amount of trouble and litigation.
Opposite L'Orignal there is a bend in the river;
lr. Treadwell naturally sur-
veyed 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 that the
contract meant at right angles to the general course of the river, hence insisted on a
new survey, which took much of his best land, and gave him, instead, land that was
low, marshy, and unfit for cultivation. In vain did he protest; corrrspondence
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 that if
he were in the presence of the governmental dignitaries, with his voluminous evidence
that he had not acted contrary to the spi.it of the writings conveyed to him by the
Baron de Longueuil, they could not fail to listen, and yield to the dictates of reason
and justice, .But he had yet to learn that" might over right II was the principle that
commanded the military oligarchy that held absolute sovereignty in Toronto. The
report had preceded his arrival at tbe seat of government that he was a Yankee-a
name at that time regarded by the Government officials as a synonym for all that was
detestable. Messages reflecting on his loyalty, and represen ting him as an unworthy
citizen, had also been forwarded by his secret enemies. \Vhere, indeed, is the man of
ability and enterprise who does not excite the envy of some craven spirit, who will
chuckle at his discomfiture?
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 0 7
:\Ir. TreadweU remained not only days, but weeks, in Toronto. Numberless
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, with his views uf honor and digl.ity, he found it difficult to attribute the
treatment Ìle 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. 'Ve can readily imagine, therefore, with what bitterness of
feeling he turned his back on Toronto and returned home. 'VhiIe on his way thither,
he met an old friend at an hútel, to whom he detailed the story of his experience, and
then 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 pacificatur, 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.
Of his other children, who were all very intelligent. and possessed marked
individualitf'òr 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
cience, or Nature in Living Forms," is in general use in educational
institutions.
The children of the late Charles Platt Treadwell and Helen Macdonnell, his wife,
are:
(I) Mary Susan- married 25th October, 1885, to Matthew \Villiams Taylor,
:lssistant librarian of l\IcGill College, Montreal. 11:r. Taylor is now deceased, and
Mrs. Taylor's present residence is Mon treal.
(2) :Margaret Ann-married Thomas McMillan Kains, of St. Thomas, Ontario,
son of Captain Kains, of Grenville, 3rd October, 18ú5. Issue, two children: l\Iary
Mc
! illan and Charles Frederick. Mr. Kains deceased; 1\1rs, Kains' present
residence,
Ion treal.
(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, 23rd September, 1874. Issue, two
children: James Macdonnell and Grace Badenoch. Present residence, Cushing,
P.Q.
Among the pioneers whose descendants were destined to playa prominent part
in the social, moral and political history of Prescott, was a man named EDEN
JOHNSON. In his youth he lived in New Hampshire, and, like many other young men
of that section, he espoused the cause of his country in the Revolutionary struggle, and
was one of those who followed to Quebec the ill-starred Richard l\Iontgomery. After
the close of that disastrous affair, Johnson became acquainted with and married a Miss
Abbott, the daughter of a captain in the British service. He lived for a time in New
Hampshire, and then moved to Canada and settled in Hawkesbury, but not many
years subsequently he broke through the ice on the Ottawa while chasing a deer, and
was drowned.
He left four children: three sons-\Villiam, Chauncey, Eden Abbot, and one
daughter. Eden Abbot, the youngest son, being the first white child born in Hawkes-
bury, received as a reward for this honor a free grant of land from Government,
5 08
HISTORY OF PRESCOT r,
The eldest son, \Villiam 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 Reeder'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 Reeder's
ministry. These two brothers were quite dissimilar. Abbott was larger than the average man, but
'Villiam \\as almost gigantic. Abbott was constitutionally calm and moderate; William was vehe-
ment ardent, and demonstrative. 'ViI1iam's gifts and zeal were such as to qualify him for the class.
lead:r's, exhorter's, and local preacher's office!=, early in his religious life; but Abbott more slowly
grew up into those things. 1 he 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
Cilcuit. 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 mem ber of W l1liam Johnson's class at the Red School-
house in 'Vest Hawkesbury. I' laid over' the next day to rest my horse, and visited from house to
house, e
corted 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 aJ:.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 e\'idently
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 p:mting for breath. His soul seemed bound
up in his cla5s 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, lIunt
r and McAlpine, with admiration bordering on enthusiasm. I 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 'Villiam and Abbott as preachers, and I will open the way for
Brother Hurlburt'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; 'ViUiam's words
flowed the faster-Abbott's were the more pondered and weighty; William would awake the more
sinners, Lut Abbott would, in the end, promote the wider revival, by getting the church in a state
to work for Goo when t.e was absent.
" Now to the Rev. Mr. Hurlburt's letter; he says of our subject: Eden AbbottJohnson 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 rem:ukable in the way
of religious zeal and depth uf personal piety.
" His brother 'Villiam, 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 tho'Jgh his desires were good, and though he was
willing to be useful, yet he wa;; 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 t:njoying 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
reater 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.
5 0 9
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 then a widower, In the autumn ofthis year (1 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 j 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 professerl 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 oflabor, and a
more willing helper I never had-a more agreeable brother I could not wish. As you mentioned,
Brother Johnson was my collea
ue 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 subjt::ct. lIe professed to enjoy constant communion witb God, and conscious ansWer to
prayer. His power in prayer \\as 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;
lle per
evered, 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 who]e soul in
its beha]f, 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
c0mmunity 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 universa], that Abbott Johnson was a truly godly and deeply pious man, The Rev. J. F. Playter
published in the Guardia1Z 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 Ear1Zest Christia1Iif)'says : 'We have searched the fyles of the ClIa1dia'I,-
but can find no particulars of Mr. Johnson's last days. His nepht:w, 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 de\'oted
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 Hurlburt have written has
the same effect on the reader, which he sincerely prays, his end will be answered. Mayall 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 Conncil, and 'Varden 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 steamcr that plied the Ottawa between
Grenville and llytown; Thomas Hall, a third son, was an influential merchant in
L'OrignaJ, and represented Prescot.t County in Parliament eight years, and afterward
5 10
HISTORY OJ.' PRESCOTT.
was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate, and then became Assistant Commission
r of
Crown Lands for Ontario. Alfred, another of these brothers, when young went to
\Yisconsin, and became clerk of the Legislature of that State, and was once candidate
for Congre5s, though unsuccessful. He afterward was elected to the City Clerkship
of Milwaukee, but died not long subsequently.
Chauncey Johnson, j un" 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 of
the Peace, Municipal Counci1lor and \Varden 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 3rd February, 18 34, to Phila
S, Cushman, of Georgia, Vt. She was a lineal descendant of Robert Cushman prom-
inent in early American history. Mr. Johnson died 17 th October, 18 74, aged 63 ;
1\1rs. Johnson died 30th October, 1888, aged 72. They had three sons and one
daughter that arrived at maturity.
Eden Abbott Johnson, grandson of one of those described above, was born in
'Yest Hawkeslmry; he and a sister were the only children of his father by a second
marriage; their mother being the widow of George Huntington of Compton Co.,
Quebec. In his youthful days, Mr. Johnson was employed as clerk in a mercantile
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-
ment broke out in 1866, he was offered the command of one of the companies of the
18th 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.
)!r. 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 then of
the village of L'Orignal. He also served as Township and County Auditor, and for
six years as Reeve of L'Orignal; he resigned in 1890, to accept the County Clerk-
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 'Yarden of the United Counties
of Prescott and Russell. He \Vas married Sth November, 1868, to Miss Laura Jean
'Vorkman, niece of the late \Villiam and Thomas \Vorkman of Montrea1. He is
District Deputy Grand Master of Ottawa District No. 16, G. R. C., and Royal
Arch Mason under the Grand Lodge of Ireland. St, John's Lodge of Vankleek Hill,
of which Mr. Johnson was Master, surrendered its warrant, 18th December, 188 9,
being the last in the Province of Ontario to surrender its warrant and come under
the Grand Lodge of Canada.
Eden P. Johnson, the eldest son of Chauncey Johnson, jr., was an assistant in his
father's business, carried on the correspondence, and, at his father's death, succeeded
to different positions he had held. Besides these, he has also been Official Assignee,
and was appointed Police Magistrate in 1883, and Clerk ofthe Village Council in 188-1,
which position he still occupies. He has been twice married-first 4 th October, 18 59,
to Sarah J., daughter of the late John \V, Marston, Esq. ; she died 29 th November,
186 7, and he next married, 5 th September, 1'677, Helen Isabel, third daughter of
Sheriff Treadwell; she died 23 rd January, 1889, By his first marriage he had one son
and a daughter; by the second two sons and two daughters, His eldest son, Alfred
S., who won distinction for scholarship in Toronto U niver
ity, of which Institution he
is a graduate, is now editor of the Encyclopedia of Current Litera/ure Review, pub-
lished in Buffalo, N,Y. He was formerly Fellow and Lecturer in Toronto University,
and Corne)), and for three years was President of Denmark College, Iowa.
The following is an obituary copied from The Prescott and Russell Ad'l!ocate
of April, 1890 :-
HISTORY 01<' PRESCOTT.
5 1I
II It is our sad duty to announce the demise, on Friday, the 21st 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 ha1 almost completed his 98th
year. He emigrated to Canada in the year 18 '9, arriving in
uebec on the 5th l\Iay-
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 Vdley, where he remained up to the
time uf his death.
" During the troubles of 1837, Co!. Murray took an active part, under the late
Col. Kearns, in suppressing the Rebellion; shortly afterward wa') created Captain
in the Canadian :\Iilitia, and in due time was further promoted to the highest rank
in the Canadian service-a p;)sition 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, 3uch, for instance. as the opening of public roads
and building of bridges. Jt 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 ill 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 renlJrkable 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
Ill!licipality ; his eldest son, T. C. Murray, formerly of Deux
Rivières, who also represented his Municipality in the County Council; Eliza, the
wife; of G. Barton, Esq., of L'Orignal; Sarah M. A. MOl rison. the eldest daughter,
married to G. Bar.gs, Esq., of N. \Y. 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'Orignalloses 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 hi3 two sisters
is a beautiful farm in a high state of cultivation, and sustaining a large stock, A go()d
lime stone quarry on it has provided stone for many of the buildings of this section.
l\lrs. Murray, wife of the late Co!. Murray, died 3rd
[arch, 1884. The fol-
lowing is an extract from her obituary published in The Ne'ltls, of March 4th, 1884:-
" 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 's6ar and yellow leaf,' who will recollect in their childhood those little acts
of kindness by the dece!sed 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."
EL1SHA CASS was one of the pioneers who came with Mr. Treadwell to
Longlleuil, 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 daugh_
ters-grew up. Elizabeth, Ù1e eldest daughter, married Donald :McDonald, who
5 12
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
represented Prescott and Russell in Parliament three terms.
Josiah Cass, the eldest son, was married 22nd 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 15th 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 "Te
t 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 Guelph,
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, \Vashington Ty., and a sister, Henrietta, married to Rev. John
Tozeland, in Gladstone, Manitoba.
THE BON, ALEXANDER GRANT was among the very early sett
ers 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. \Vhile still quite young Mr. Grant obtained a situation with the
North-\Vest Fur Company
and fur 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. I..'Orignal, where there was a mill and a few
houses, was called New LongueuiJ, 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 fir1t 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.
F.or many years Mr, Grant commanded the 1st 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 01<' PRESCOTT.
5 1 3
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 \Vindsor, 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.-Cot. of the 18th 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 neilh
r 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 m3.n named :McIntyre, a tannery conducted by
'Villiam 'Vait, find 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 1st 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
mswered 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 J 87 5, 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:
t - " For felony
" 25th June, 1817 The King vs. Andrew Carrier
John MacdonnelJ, Esq., Chairman."
"Andrew Carrier being indicted for felony is put upon his trya! for taking and
carrying a quantity of flour out (If the grist milJ of 11essrs, 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 j 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 \Vednesday, 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 [ o'clock in the afternoon."
The first day of January in thoc;e good old days evid
ntly offered as much of
a temptation to carousal as it does at present.
" THE KING VS. ANDREW LONG.
" John \Vestover deposed on oath, that, on the first da.y of January, 1816, in the
night time, tetween the hours of 11 and iO o'clock of the next day, Alex.mder Long
entered the house of him, the said John \Vestover, contrary to his will, and did remain
contrary to his desire, and did hold and prevent him, the said J. \Vestover, from
turning him out j and Artemissa \Vestover declares the said A. Long did as above
staten." The charge being given to the jury by the court, they retired; the Court
adjourned for one hour; the jury being returned do de clair their verdict as follows:
that they consider the pri<;oner at the bar, viz. : Alexander Long, Gilly. John
Iac-
doneH, 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 Lefore a jury of your country, which jury has found you
guilty j there have many aggravating circllm
tances appeared before the Court, who
recommend it to you, in future, to alter your conduct towards John \Vestover 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 1;15, together with the payment of the costs
of prosecution, was sufficient to induce A, Long to " alter his conduct toward John
\Vestover 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, 18[7, at the school house in the township of Lon-
gueuil.
" CHAIR
IAN PRESENT, GEO. HAMILTON,
CI'J (Elijah Brown.
::, I John Harwick,
I Martin McMichael.
1
UP..
- l
(John
lacdona\d.
:::. I Alex. Grant.
I Chauncey Johnson.
":; i Philo Hall.
, Joseph Kellogg,
l Peter F. Leroy.
Thomas Mears.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
5 1 5
., GRAND JURY,
"Joseph Hall, Abraham Allen, E, Thomas, Asa Cook, 'Vm. \Vait, Joseph
Jackson, Sylvanus \Varren, Amasa Church, Calvin Hawes, Jeremiah Marston, Omry
Edy, Joshua Hall.
" PETIT JURY,
" B. J, Frost (Foreman), Caleb "'elden, Joseph Vallée, Jacob
Iarston, Alex.
Cameron, Robert Rose, Joseph Buck, Joseph P. Cass, Horran Kellogg, Proctor
Johnson, James \VilIs, Asa Bancroft, Thomas Hall."
Two executions of criminals h:lVe occurred in L'Orignal, both in recent years,
Fred, ,V. 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,
Rivière Le Grande, from the Long Sault to the Lake of the Two Mountains, were
mostly of Americ
m 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 \Vest
Hawkesbury, seigniory of Vàudreuil, townships of Grenville, Chatham, and the
seigniory of Argenteuil, their religious opportunities were small indeed. \Ve have
reason to believe those isolated settlements were sOtl1etim
s visited by the :\Iethodist
preachers on the old Oswegalchie Circuit, who either crossed the Glengarry country
or coasted the nOlthern 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. \Ve 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 des
rves 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 l'Orignal to
Côte 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 th
few
months Reeder was there,"
5 16
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:
Q)
Qj
" .
-"'0
..c:1:
t) =='
..c:
U
---"$-$"-'-$$-
1841 Geo. B. Butcher."". ..,... ...... .. .. . . .
42 George Beynon....,. ..",. . , . , , ,
43 George Beynon, James Elliott..., .,., .,., ,.
44 James Hughes, Charles Taggact . . . . .. ......
45 United wilh St. Andrews ....... ...... ....
46 Joseph Reynolds, Thomas Hanna. . , , . , . . , . ,
47 Joseph Reynolds, Erastus I Iurlburt: . , , , , . . , ,
48'1 ames Greener, John Armstrong, 2nd.,..."
49 James Greener, Noble Armstrong.... .... ..
50 David C. Clappison, Richard M. Hammond..
51 David C. Clappison, Henry McDowell... . ..
52, David C. Clappison, Silas Huntingdon.. ,. . .
53,Wm.Morton, Robert Hobbs.."" .........
54' \Vm. Morton, Andrew Armstrong..,. ......
55,Wm. MOlton, James Roy...... .,., .", "..
56, Wm. Morton, Joseph Kilgour...... ...... ..
57 Richard M. Hammond, John D. Pugh. ..,."
58 1 Richard M. Hammond, John D. Pugh......,
59 Edmund E. Sweet, Archelaus Doxee. . .. ....
60,Edmund E. Sweet, John Hyndman. .......
61 1 Wm. S. Blackstock, Samuel \V. Messmore...
62 \Vm. M:, Blackstock,..,. .... ... .." ..,...
63JWm. S. Blackstock, Isaac Gold.,.. ",. .."
64rWm. D. Brown, Thomas G. \Villiams....,..
6s,Wm. D. Brown, Robert Bell...... ...... ..
66,David Chalmers. .. , ,. ..., ,... . . ,. ..., . . ,.
67 David Chalmers, Daniel Connon y.. , ., ...",
..... .
o
... Q)
.o
.... E
I: Ili
=='.......
Z
223
206
26 5
280
25 2
218
179
19 2
21 5
218
207
216
180
140
'22
143
150
139
99
119
95
13 0
135
135
135
143
4,14
4. 26
4.34
4.40
1 I. 04
6.06
6.05
6.00
6,05
6.00
3. 00
3. 1 5
3,60
4.0 0
5.3 8
5. 68
3.75
3,81
5.4 8
6.00
ç:
Q) .
b.O"'O
I: I:
-,::: ::s
S
U
7. 18
1.00
7,03
7,10
7. 6 0
7.9 8
4.9 6
5. 88
5.95
6,60
7,15
9. 00
10,66
8.7 1
8.79
8.80
8.87
9. 00
9. 10
9.79
6.7 8
10.10
10.44
10.5 2
10.60
13.5 0
--;
I: ,
.
-g
<1 =='
"'0
, . , " . . . .
........
I,...".,
I.."....
I........
I..".'.,
I::::::::
5. 86
3. 00
4.5 8
3. 2 7
2,50
2.53
2.9 0
4.5 2
6.26
4.99
5. 0 5
5. 08
7. 00
ë
--3
I:
. =='
g.
en
0.5 0
4.5 0
3.5 0
3.75
1.10
0.9 0
3. 20
4,00
5,2'0
6.73
6,93
8.42
10.5 0
10,59
12.00
12.00
12.83
10,10
13,00
14,.75
10.00
11.00
14.5 0
15,00
20,00
The following list has been supplied by Mr. James Steele of Vankleek Hill:
68 Rev, David Chalmers., . . , " . . ., ,... . .... T ohn C. Garrett.
69 " Wm.S. McCullough.........,......Robert Lee,
7 0 .. Geo. Kennedy.,.. ...... ...... .. .... Thomas Johnson.
7 1 .. John \Vilson.. .,.. .,.. .......... ,. ..John Tozeland,
7 2 " " .. , ... . , .. ..,..."... . , " Richd. Shier and
Arthur Whiteside.
Zion Church, E. Hawkesbury, erected in 1872.
73 Rev. John Bunvash......., .... . .,. " '" 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. WilJiam J. J oliffe. . , ,. .." , . .. . , ,. ,. Rev. Gorham A. Gifford.
75 " " ...... ..,. ,.,. ,.,. " "
7 6 " , , . . . . " .,.,.. ,...., ' , "
77 Rev. Edmund S. Shorey".... .",.. , "" Rev, Edward H, Taylor,
7 8 .. " . , , ,. ..,... ...... " "
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 1 7
The Circuits were reunited in 18i9 under the name of Vankleek Hill.
79 Rev, J abez B. Keough" . ., .. ,. ,. . . ,. ..,. Revds, Geo, H, Davis and Silas Huntingdon,
Mr. Keough di
d on this Circuit.
80 Rev. Samuel G. Phillips..,.,.". ,... .", Rev. Barry Pierce,
81" "",.."""...,." "
83 " John H. Stewart.......,..... .. ... .. .. CharJes Redgrave,
84 " ,. , . .. ,..... . . . . .. "" ., Eber B, Cumming.
85 H. . . , . . .. , . ,. ..,. . . . . .. \Villiam A, Hanna.
86 " Robert T, Oliver,."..., . . . . , . , , , . . "
87 ,. ..".,.,.. ",,'. .... " WesleyBick&>N,Eastman,localpreachers.
88 ,. " ,..".....".....",,, George Mos!;op,
The new Vankleek Hill Church and Parsonage built in 1888.
89 Rev, William Philp....., .....,..... ...,Rev, Geo, Wain.
90 " ,; .. .... ...... .... . ... ,. Richard Corrigan.
9 1 ".. .. .. .. .. . ,.. ...,.. " Alfred].
elton.
92" JohnM,Tredrea..,...,..,.,.,."., " ,. (E,Kelly),
93 " " , , ., . ..,. , , " ..... "\Villiam Cashmore, D. A. Lough &- Calvert.
94 " .,.", ......, .,..', " G; E. Bates. \V, 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. JAl\IES BEN
ETT.
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 meagl e. 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 GrammJ.f 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 hele 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 oi 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 f hereafter. 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. 'Vait, tanner of the village of L'Orignal, Charles
Platt Treadwell, John ,V, 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.
5 18
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 pUDlic worship, and for
burial ground, and to be forever so used and in c0nnection with the Established
Church of Scotland.
The ten'years following the death of1\1r. McLaurin area blank at present, The
writer believes it was in some way connected with Plantagenet, On 5 th 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 h3.d 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
18 57, 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 W3S settled over the charges of
. L'Orignal and Plantagenet. He was the eldest son of the Rev, \Vm. Bell, of Perth,
whose family were
o 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 ne\vspapers-one series ofletters 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 m3.de 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 harnes
, in 1856; he was Clerk of the Synod of the
Church till the last. In that year (1856), the Rev, \\'m. 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 schoo 1 and
session are to be had for matter of history.
The session is composed of Rev. \Vrn. Johnstone, C, p, Treadwell and James
\Vallace.
From a "return." Families reported are 45 ; Communicants, 33.
Ordinary Collections ..... ........ .................. $3 6 4 0
For Ministers, \Vidows and Orphans ......,....... 16 00
For Synod Fund...... ....... .... ,... ..., ..... ...... 4 00
For French Mission Fund....................,...... 0 00
For Bursary Fund............ ..........,...... ....... 5 00
For all other special purposes............ ............. 16 00
$77 00
Number attending School, 64. Number attending Bible Class, 13.
The answers to the following questions are \Vorth transcribing in full :
"What are the other principal denominations? Roman Catholic, Episcopalians,
Congregationalists, \Vesleyans and Episcopal Methodists."
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
SJ9
Under the heading General Remarks, there is this spicy note: " Evangelical
rdigion in this vart 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 j while .
at the bottom of the whole, the agents of the man of sin are busily employed scatter-
ing the seeds of atheism and infidelity."
The last return made by Me. Johnstone gives" Families connected, 51; Commu-
nicants, 37. The attendance at the forenoon service, JOO; afternoon, 90." These
seem to give the high-water mark in connection with the statistics of the congregation.
It may be of some interest to compare with the present.
:Mr. Johnstone left in ì\Iarch, 1860. Mr. CoHn Gregor, then living at Plantagenet,
being moderator pro fem. 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 ill 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'Orignalon 2nd December, 1860, Rev. G D. Ferguson presiding, and
Elders, C, P. Treadwell, David Buchan, John 'Vaddel 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, and 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
CoJ1ege, 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.
lr. MacLennan wa") ordained and inducted into the united charge of L'Orignal
and Hawkesbury early in J870. and died on 8th December, 1873, His memory is
fragrant j the Sessiol1 speaks thus: "Gentle and generous in all the rela tions of
private life, he was much beloved and admired. Earnest and faithful in his ministry,
he eyer sought by his life and teaching to lead to the Saviour those placed under his
pastoral care. The Session desire tf) 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 ,874, the Rev. John Fairlie, recently from Scotland, became minister,
and continued over the double charge until 1st June, 1888, when he resigned, and
was subsequently translated to Lansdowne in Kingston Presbytery, By action of
the Presbytery of Ottawa, on 11th November, 1888, the two congregations were
erected into two charges; this was done by petition of the congregations,
On the 19th February, 1889, Rev. Mr. Bennett, formerly of Côte 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 $[ 52,
5 20
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 corne to Canada by
seeing appeals for men for the ministry, and he arrived here in 1875. He entered
l\IcGIll 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 j he WélS called to L'Orignal in 1889.
1\Ir. Bennett preaches a clear, sound, practical sermon j 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 CHlTRCH.
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
186 9. The present incumbent, Rev, O. Rérubé, 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.
ANGLICA N 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
ervice 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 l\IEN Ar\D OFFICIALS.
JUDGE O'BRIAN has long been a prominent figure in the Ottawa Valley. His
ancestors in the early part of Ihis 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. \Vhen 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
ettled at
L'Orignal. After following the lumber business for some time, he devoted his remaining
days to farming; he died in March, ]861, He had four sons and five daughters-of
these, Peter, the Judge, and two daughters are the only ones now living.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 2f
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 18 48 to Hannah, daughter of Robt. Brock of L'Orignal. He has had ten children
-seven :sons and three daughters.
William 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 Surv
yor in the same
city; Robert Brock, the second son, a graduate of
lcGill, is a physician in San
Francisco, Cal. ; John, the third, is on the homestead farm in L'Orignal ; James, the
fifth, is a barrister in Toronto; Colin G., has succeeded to his father's business as
barrister in I.'Orignal, and is a law partner with ,Yo S. Hall; and Donald, the
younges t son, is still at home.
JOHN HIGGINSO
, the present Registrar of the County of Prescott, i
a grand-
son of John Higginson who came to Hawkesbury from Ireland in 181 9. and died soon
after his arrival; he left one son and two daughters. Thomas, the son, was employed
as Bookkeeper for the Hamilton Bros., man}' years; he married in 18 3 1 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 18 58; his
confreres were the Hon. John Hamilton, who was Ree\re, Z, S. M. Herscy, Farquhar
Robertson and R. P. Pattee. .:\lr. Higginson, who is now 87 years of age, is the only
one of these men now living. He has had but two children that liv
d till maturity-
both sons.
John, the e1der of these, was married in 1853, to Emm3.,* daughter of the L1.te
Hcnry Ahern of VaudreuiI. He was educated at the L'Orignal Grammar School,
the Principal uf 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
holds the position, respected not more for his conscientious discharge of official duties
than for his integrity and inlelIige'lce as a citizen. He has two sons 3111 two
daughters now li\'ing. Henry, the elder son, is a phy
ician in \Vinnipeg; he gra-
duated from McGill in 1881, ahd has since spent some time in different hospitals in
Europe. Charles
L, the second son, receivC'd his degree, as Veterinary Surgeon,
from McGill in 18!}I, and is now located in ]ack<;on, Mich.
The elder daughter is married to J. S. Robertson, a barrister of Ontario. Thc
youngest, ElizalJ
ih 'Vinnifred, remains with her parents at L'OrignaI.
The following sketch of Mr. l\1arston, which was contributed, was written while
he was alive. He died 17th October, 1880:
fOHN 'VURTELE l\IARSTO
, Treasurer of the United Counties of Prescott and
Russ.ell for the last quarter of a century, was born in L'Origl13.l on the first day of
May, 1806, and has always been a resident of the place, His father, Jacob Marston,
a nati\e of New Hampshire, followed his grandfather into Canada, a little before
the close of the last century, and visited the spot where L'Orignal now stands, in
179 6 , coming here with Nathaniel Hazard Treadwell, the proprietor of the township,
and being, it is claimed, the first Anglo-Saxon to feU a tree in this towIlship; and two
or three years later, made a permanent settlement here. The mother of our subject,
before her marriage, was Mary Cass, whose father was a United Empire Loyalist.
Mr, 1\1arston received an ordinary English education; clerked for some years
for Silas P. Huntington, and in 1828 commenced the mercantile business for himself,
continuing it until 1851, with fair success. During a part of this period, he held
* M r". Higginson <lied in 18 94.
34
5 22
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
office in the old Ottawa District, He bec
me clerk of the District Court and Regis-
trar of the Surrogate Court in 1846; Deputy Clerk of the Crown in [853; and,
ince
18 55, 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 emphatical1y the oldest landmark of L'Orignal.
Born and reared here, the founh 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 weB as civilization, He
is a remarkably well preserved man, and a stranger would hardly place his age
as high as
evellty. 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 186 4;
Sarah, the eldest daughter, married Eden P. Johnson of L'OrignaJ, 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'Origndlto Cassburn is a dwelling which, flOm 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 so
of Dr,
David r3tlee, one of the pioneers of Hawkesbury, and for some time had a law office
at Vankleek Hill j he was, also, a Reeve of 'Vest Hawkesbury, but on being appoint-
ed A HOT ney for the United Counties, he removed to L'Orignal, where he died several
years ago. About the
ame time that he received his appointment. he was married
to Joanna Chesser.
'V. S. HALL is one of the rising young barristers of this County. His father,
Robert Hall, in 1849, when only fomteen years of age, came with his mother and then
others of her children from Enniski1len, 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
engap,ed in the tanning business at VankJeek HilJ, but, after a period of three years,
removed to L'Orignal, where he has ever since followed the same business. lIe 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 th(; village j 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 finn to the Bench, the name was
changed to O'Brian & Ha1l-a firm that deservedly enjoys the confidence of the
public. Mr. Hall, though a young man, has establishel 1 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 :md well known resident of
L'Orignal.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
5 2 3
A. CONSTANTlNEAU is another young barrister who has won distinction. He was
born in East Hawkesbury, educated at Rigaud College, and studied law first with
Col, Butterfield, and then with O'Brian & O'Brian J of L'Orignal; afterwards at
Cornwall in the office of Macdonald & Mackintosh; and, finally, in the office
of Macdonald, Mackintosh &
1cCrimmon, in Toronto. He was admitted
to practice in January, 1890, since which he has been in L'Orignal. He has
been connected with the most important criminal cases in Prescott and
RusseH, in which he has won a reputation, as counsellor and advocate, that many
older barristers might envy, He was counsel for the prisoner in the celebrated
Monette murder trial of 18 9 0 , 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 Q.C. He
was married in June, 189J, 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 CrO\vll. His
father, Alexander Fr3.ser, from Glenelg, Invernesshire, Scotland, settled in Caledonia
in 181 7, 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
I.
Phillips, of Surrey County, Virginia, Mr. Fraser was appointed Deputy-Sheriff of
Pre
cott and Russell in 1874, since which he has resided in L'Orignal; he held that
office till 1880. when he became County Treasurer.
In addition to those noticed above, we would not omit the genial Clerk of the
Peace, ,V. H. 1IAXWELL, who has for several years been a prominent and successful
practitioner at the B.u of this District, and JOHN D, CA
lERON, the highly respected
jailor. 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, a t the solicitation of a large circle of friends, he accepted the
po
ition of jailor in this district, and has discharged the duties of the office for
twenty-two years to
he great satisfaction of the public,
\VILLlAM WRIGHf, the present Postmaster of L'Orignal, came from Armagh,
Ireland, and landed in :\lontreal on the 12th July, 1847. He came to L'Orignal and
opened a shoemaker's shop, in connection with which he has kept a boot and sl
oe
store many years; his father was drowned when he was only four years old. His
grandfather, Thomas \Vright, 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 'Vaterloo; 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 \Vas
with them at the various places to which they were ordered. He \Vas promoted to
the rank of Sergeant-Major, and 6erved 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. \\'illiam Thomas, his elder son, lives in Hubbard City, Texas.
Samuel \Vesley, the second son, who is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, has been
Deputy-Sheriff several years, and is Baiiiff of the Division Court of L'Orignal and
Hawkesbury, and also a Trustee of the Protestant Separate School. He was married
5 2 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
in September, ] 884, to Addie, daughter of Andrew Buchan j he IS one of the gemal
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 ROBE
n 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 devoten his time to the practice of surveying. He began in 1848,
sinc
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 formedy a member of both the Public and High School
Boards, and, for a while, was Deputy-Sheriff, but resighed. '''hile holding the latter
position he was clerk in th
office of Sheriff Treadwell-a warm friendship havina
subsisted many years between the Sheriff and himself. In the midst of the gener
feeling of patriotism that stirred the citizens of Prescott anrl Russell in 1866, Mr.
Hamilton was not indifferent or idle, but promptly entered the ranks of Captain
Grant's Company as a yolunteer. He was married before leaving Ireland, and has
had seven children-a]] daughters-but only four of them are now living.
MERCANTILE AKD BUSIXESS ME
.
REGII'ALD ::). NEVE, second son of the late I". S. )Jeve, noticed in the history of
Cushing, Argenteuil county, has a commodious store, with a large and valuable !"-tock
of gcods, on 1\1<1in street. :\fr.:
eve hegan commercial lIfe in '\ïnnipeg in r 879. and
during the succeeding eleven years was employed as commercial traveJler. He has
but recently commenced trade in L'Orignal, but his genial manner and reasonable
prices are already attracting cu
tomers 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 hOll'\e and
store were vurnt, 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. P:.\qllin, to whose good
instruction and exampìe he aU rilmte:; mnch of his own success. He was married
22nd May, 1894, to Miss Goulet, of St. Eustache, by his brother, Rev. Father
Tourangeau, Superior of Lachipe Novitiate. In April, 1894, he opened a store in
L'Orignal. but, finding it too small for his hll
iness: he exchangèd it fur a fine brick
store, lately occupied by F. X Elie Gauthier. He has a l.uge and fine stock of
merchandise, and the cash system which he has adopted
eems to meet with general
approval, his trJ.de e>..tending into the surrounding parishes. He i') extremely
popular with his customers, among whom the wish is ofttn 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. Ellstache, and continued it five years, during
.. :M r. Hamilton died early in rð95, after the above sketch was written.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 2 5
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, ,vhich was commanded by Capt. Alexander Venier. He
was married 23 rd 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,
Ir, Gauthier came to L'Ori 5 nal in 1876, and engaged in
trade, which he followed successfully till 189
, when he sold his business and retired,
He is a gentleman much respected in the community, and one who posseso;es much
affability and courtesy.
FREDERIC 'VINTERS, one of the merchants of L'Orignal, is grandson of Dr,
Ebe.lezer \Vinters 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
Iontebello, Que., some time between the years 18I5 and 1820. 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 \Vaterloo.
He afterward carne to Canada, and married Mary, daughter of Jacob Marston; they
lived in Montreal, in which city their daughter Hannah wa
born, After she had
grown up and married
lr. Edward Winters, they settled on a farm in the township
of Longueui:, and lived there till the death of Mr, Winters in
ovember, 18 75.
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 Longueui:,
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 e'<.tent, he still follows. In 1888 he sold
hi5 bnd and eng.lged in mercantile business in this village, and he ha5 since bought
150 acres of land within the limits of the corporation, and erected a good brIck resi-
dence. He was m::lrried in November, 1867, to Onesime D.1igneau of LongueuiJ.
lr. \Vinters has led an active and useíullife, 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. \Vhen
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
Ir. "\Valker's death, 1\[r.
IllIar, then a
YO
lllg man, succeeded to the business. Possessed of excellent business qualities,
integrity, energy and good judgment he soon increased the business, and the
stOl"e \Vas enlarged to the present dimensions. The public soon perceived in
him qualities to put to their service. He \Vas elected Reeve, first by the undivided
Township of Longueuil, which he represented at the time of the incorporation of the
\ïllage of L'OrignaJ. After separation L'Orignal elected him their Reeve, first of an
honorable roll. He also filled the office of \Varden 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 adheren t 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 un trumpeted. In later years, Mr.
lil1ar had acquired a sufficient competence to
permit the gratification of a desire to travel. Accompanied by his wife and their
friends, 1\[r. and
[rs. MacRae, Scotland, the birthplace of his parent.., was first
5 26
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
visited j 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 COMPAN\.-Officers : E. A. Hall, President; Geo, A,
Harris, Vice-President; J. H, Hall, Secy.-Treasurer j \V. J. Hall and R, T. Holcomb,
Directors, and the latter is also Book-keeper.
This.Comp:my was formed in 1890. A line of Loats 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. Avout the same time
that Harris started his boats, another lille 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
Kin
ston 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 carne
to this country from Enniskillen, Ireland, in May, 1844. In 1850, he was married to
Susan Mulho]]and. He learned the tanner's trade in
Iontreal, and remained there
till 1860, when he carne to L'Orignal and eng.aged in the livery bminess, 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 18 77, the first of the kind established in this village, and he still continues
the business. In 18 9 0 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. l\Ir,
E, A. Hall was married in November, 1874, to Miss Soulier of L'Orignal. He alld
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, RATES. Their father, Nathaniel Bates, at the age of
16 carne from 'Vexford County, Ireland, to Plantagenet, about the year 1827. After
li\'ing in that township a few yea.rs, he removed to Grenville County, where he still
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. H,
Fulford ofL'Orignal, which paltnership 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 We3t, as far as from
loose Jaw and Medicine Hat.
Their stone is obtained direct from the quarries, and some of the finest work in the
Plovince is performed in their shop. Recently they executed an expensive monu-
ent 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 to
$5 00 ; they are importers and manufacturers of all the foreign granites, and employ
from 8 to 15 men,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
5 27
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 Yyrta Lighthall, a sister of ::\Irs. J. L. Bates,
The brothers are public-spirited, intelligent gentlemen, supporters of the Methodist
C
1Urch, and both families are welcome auxiliaries to the moral and social element of
L'Orignal.
JAMES F. McEvoy 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 j her
parents moved from Scotland to the County of Antrim, Irela.nd, 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. McEvoy says: .e 1 came to Oxford, County of Leeds, Ont., in which town.
hip I purchased 300 acres of land. My chief business from 1854 to 1877 was lum-
bering; and during those 23 years, I underwent many hardships j 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
18 77, I married Miss Janet G.l1ies, daughter of John and Mary Gillies of Carleton
Place, L::mark ComIty, and the same year came to L'Orignal. During the last seven.
teen yea] s I have been mostly employed with a g] ist mill and saw-milI."
\Ir. 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 GilIies 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 en tire charge of his mi11s, 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 !OO 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 \Varden 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,
.\ bakery has recen tly 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 SO]),
5 28
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
Albert Stiles, he came to L'Orignal, started in business: and is meeting with good
encouragement. ::\lr, Stiles is not one of those who devote their whole time to secur-
ing temporal comforts j he is a Christian, a local preacher, and has given much of
his life to Christian work. 'Vhen 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,
'Villiam Banford came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Hawkesbury in
1847, and engaged in farming, He was married 19th Novenlber, 1849, to Joyce
HamiJton, sister of Robert Hamilton, surveyor, and soon afterward he accompanied
his brother-in-law on a survey on Deep River, above PemE>roke, in 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, the 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,
'VILLlA
1 J. SWAILS is a respected and enterprising artisan of this village. His
father, 'William Swails, carne 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 Lachnte, 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, LachUle, 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 al!'o done much work in adjacent localities,
He was married 20th July, 1887, to Kate Nichols, daughter of 'Villiam Nichols of
St, Phillipps.
E\VSP.-\PERS.
As regards newspapers, L'Orignal is in advance of the majority of country
villages-two papers, Tile Ad'l1ertiser and The Advocate, being published here,
The fOlmer, Conservative in politics-and much the older paper of the two-is
published by \V ATSON 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 Bytol1/n Gazette commenced, he was installed manager of the mechanical
àepartment, He remained in his position till the death of the proprietor-Dr. Christie,
in 1845, and 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 C01lstitutional, 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 Cormoall 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. ::\lacdonald, of whom he was a personal friend. He
has been connected with the Press of Canada ne'lrly sixty ye.\rs-all but ten of which
ha ve been devoted uninterruptedly to publishing. In his early years he contributed
much to the columns of the By/owll Ga:;ette / his articles, though anonymous, were
HISTORY OF PRFSCOTT.
5 2 9
gladly inserted and were much appreciated by the public. The Ad'i'ertiser is an able
supporter of its party principles, mid has a large circulation. Mr. Little was married
in June, 18 5 1 , to Ann Jane Kennedy; they have had eight children-one son and
seven daughters-but the forwer is deceased. The el dest 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. D
vid, 1\LO., D.C.L.,
Dean of the
ledical Facu)ty of the University of Bishop's CoHege, Montreal. The
third is married to M. C, Meservey, son of Major .B. F,
[eservey of the V. S. Army.
The fourth is wedded to Andrew Lowe of the firm of t\. Lowe, Son &: Carter, the
great Shipping Company of London, England.
The Prescott alld Russell AdvNate is a wide-awake, aggressive Liberal paper,
ably conducted by B. R. POULIN.
I r. I'oulin W!1S born at
Iontebello; he learned
the printer's trade in L'Orignal, and was employed several years on the L'Origllal
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 prÎ1lling office and
began to publish The Advocate, which meeting with general favor, he has ever since
continued with increasing encouragement.
Ir. Poulin is a gentleman cf good
judgment, wide and liberal views; he is a member of the Yillage Council and of the
Boal d of School Commissioners. He was formerly Clerk of the Council, but resigned
to give his time more fully to other business. He was married 13th May, 1884, to
\Vinnifred Labelle of L'Orignal.
lr, 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 abovè, L'Orignal has three hotels, one of which, the Ottawa Hotel, is
condccted by J. D. Pharand dit Marcelin.
1r. Pharand i:, a nativ
of Soulanges, where he also was proprietor of a public
house sevt::ral years. He afterward became a grain dealer-business in which he
embarked with a good capital; but he lost m1lch 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 tra\'elling 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 51. Clet,
The Ontario Hotel, a fine stone building, was erected in 1872 by A, Brant, the
prcsen t proprietor.
CASSEURN.
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, we1l 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 prosperoas circumstances. Sugar
making is quite an industry, and sugar orchards arc numerous which contain
from one thousand to three thousand trees,
A stone church (Methodist) was erected here ahout the year 1840, which, having
been repaired, is still u!'ed for a place of worship-a good congregation usually assemb-
ling on the Sabbath. Besides this church, a school house and blacksmith shop, with
53 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
two or three dwellings, comprise all the buildings there are in the immediate vicinity
of the post office-the remailJing buildings of Cassburn being the farmers' residences
scattered along the differënt roads radiating from this modest hamlet.
Not rlistant 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 eÆ 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 \Vest 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. J'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 P. CASSo The
former settled on 200 acres of land "t what is now known as Cassburn. and the
latter on 300 acres adjoining that of l\1r. :Marston. '
JacoL Marston was born in .Manchester, 9th }
ebruary, 1774; his father, who
had been a soldier in the Revolution, had settled in l\1ontreal after the war. Jacob
W'lS reared hy 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 year5' and 7
months.
The following true stories will give a little idea of what Messrs.
r arston 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
\'!as 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 Co!. Philemon
\V right-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 11Umbu of years afterward, 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 110t be found. Search has been made for it at
various times by l\Ir. 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 ùeyond 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 l\1.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.
53 1
which he recei\ ed 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 two
daughters. The homestead was divided between the two sons.
Richard, in his youthful days, after completing part of the course at i\IcGill,
began the study of L:nv, and was articled to his uncle, _David Pattee, Q.C., with
whom he remamed 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 j and since that date he has
increased the size of his farm, ti11 he now has 300 acres. He was the first in this
section to build a silo; his ensilage is cut by mean
of an engine j 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, an
afford proof that he is much interested in his vocation, and that he is a practicaì and
successful farmer. His commodious brick house is pleasantly located at four corners,
on elevated ground, and commands an extensive view. In 1876, 1\1r. Marston
engaged in trade in connection with his agricultural labors. and continued the busi-
ness ti1l 1892. A post-office was established here in 1877, with the name of Cass-
burn, and he was appointed Postmaster-a position that he still occupies. He Ius
also held several other responsible positions in this township. He was Municipal
Councillor of L'Orignal, four years, after which he was Reeve six, served three years
as l\Iunicipal Engineer of Longueuil, \Vest Hawkesbury and L'Orignal, and ha
since
been Secretary-Treasurer of School Section No. 3, in LongueuiJ. He was married
to Julia Le ClaÜ-.
He is a prominent member of the Masonic Order, and has six times been
Master of Sl. John's Lodge, No. 159. His Lodge presented him with a Past Master's
:lpron, 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 walk;ng stick cut on Navy Island by \Villiam Lyon
Mc 1< enzie. It was presented by McKenzie to a man named
1cNiel, 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 Co Marston, after-
ward conducted a h9tel in HalJimand, and it was while thus employed that he
obtained the stick from McKenzie, which, when an old man, he presented to Mr,
Mar
ton (Josiah C.). This souvenir has on it a silver plate with the following:
" 1838, Navy Island:'
The genealogy of the Marston family
ho\Vs that it:; members have held prominent
places in both Church and State. Admirall\1arston, of the United States Navy in
the American Rehellion, by commanding Captain \Vorden, of the Monitor, to attack
the Merrimac instead of proceeding to Washington, as h-= had been directed, is
believed to have been the means of saving the Union.
JOSEPH POl\IEROY CASS, who located on land adjoining that of Mr. Jacob Marston,
who had mal ried 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 filst 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 j he died 3rd of
May, 1851. He was twice married j his last wife, Sybil Jackson, dying 21st June,
18 7 8 . By his first marriage he had four sons and six daughters j by the last, one
son and four daughters.
53 2
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Alfred, the son by his last marriage, was married 2:md 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, \Vas married 19th September, [877, 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 ha.s aU the modern
agricultural implements and a Halliday Standard \Vind
IilI, with which he draws
water, grinds grain, :lnd saws wood. He ha!> been a School Trustee for nine years,
and, like his father, is a devoted memb
r of the l\1ei.hodist Church. His intelJigence
and public spirit command respect, and have secured him popularity in the com-
munity where he dweJls.
ROBERT STEELE is the proprietor, in this locality, of another fine farm, with
attractive and commojious buildings, His father, James Steele, came from the
County of Londonderry, I reland, to Canada in r 826 or r 82 7. 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 marïied in 1832 to 1\Iiss
Eliz3.beth Orton, and, the same year, settled on Lot 28, 3rd Concession of East
Hawkesbury, where he lived till his death, 8th June, r883, aged 82. His companion,
with whom he had lived very happily many years, died 21st October, [873. 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. l\Ir,
Steele was prominent in his locality, in both municipal and religious affiârs, being
a liberal supporter of the Methodist Church, not only in his own neighborhood, but
in many uther 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 YOllng. Class Leader, and has engaged actively in Sabbath School
work. He purchased his present farm of 150 acres in 1864, and was married :':2nd
August, 1865, to Angelina Maria Bancroft. Although he has been a i\Iunicipal 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 skil!ful 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 H., second son of Robert Steele, was married J 3th 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.
!\Ir. 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
3 0 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 ...\sa B. Steele was formerly oWl1ed
by Jøhn Pattee, brother of David Pattee, mentioned in the history of L'Orignal; John
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
533
lived here many years, and his last days were spent here. On an
djoining farm
lived Dr.
Ioses Pattee, cousin to John Pattee's father. Dr. Moses Pattee was a very
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.
L GUSTAVU RTON is one of the prominent citizens and successful farmers of
Cassburll. His father liver Barton came to thi
country with his family in 18 3 2 , and
settled near Vankleek Hill, on a farm of 200 acre
, which until recently was owned
by his son, John J. Barton. He lived there till his death about the year 18 75; he
had five sons and three daughters who arrived at maturity, and all settled in Pres-
cott except one son, who settled on the Gat ineau.
Gustavus, the second son, engaged in lumbering in his younger years, and
passed through many of the hard
hi}Js incident to this life; but possessing remark-
able physical vigor and determination, bra\'ely
lIrmnunted the difficulties, and saved
considerable money from his venture. He subsequently bought different valuable
propertits, from the sale of which he realized considerable profit j and in 1854 he pur-
Lhased the farm where he now resides, and on which he erected a good brick
residence in 1862. He was married 7th Novemher, 1867, to Eliza Ann, daughter of
James Murray, Esq. l\1r. Barton was a loyal defender of his countr} in the Rebel-
lion of 1837, and has since served hi:. fellow-citizens several years, as Municipal
Councillor and Schocl Trustee. Both he and Mr
. Rarton have the hon Ir of
belonging to ancient families of honorable line 1ge. They have Iud four children-one
son and three daughters; but the son is deceased. One of the daughters, melrried
to Oliver J. Graham. lives in \Vest Hawkesbury.
HA\VKESBURY MILLS.
I
CORPORATED AS A TOWN IN JAXUARY, 1896.
fhe above name, which is much older and more widely known than Hawkesbury
ViI:age, is ;;ynonymous with the latter-a name which has frequently dc'\ignated the
place since its incorporation in 1859. For more than four-score yrars Hawkesbury
.\IiJIs ha') been a name assoÓated with the strongest hopes and highest expectations of
countless people of almost every grade oflife, 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 L'mdl/n, Glasgow
and Ed-inburgh, have in turn been elated or depressed by the result of -;pecul1lÌons
a
<,()ciat('d with Hawk.-<;bury
IiJls. The name has revived hope of aid in the humble
cot'age in England and in th
giens of Scotland. It has yearly been the rallying cry
of hundreds of labo: ing men all along the river from the Metropolis to the Dominion
C..pital, and fur mnlllh:; nerved their arms in the wi!d3 I.lr up the Ronge, the Gat-
ineau and the :\Iatawaw,1, While day and night, for near:y a century, the mill;; have
been denuding the hilbides, vales and plains of Canada, they have as :o.teadily been
building up the town :Ind city. multiplying barge:., steamers and paLtce cars, and at
the same time feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
The growth of the greater part of the village, a'1 well as much of the pJOsperity
of adjacent districts, may be traced to the pecuniary benefit of these mills, for not only
successful farmers, but those engaged in other business, recei\"ed their first start in
life from money earned either by their ancestors or them..el\"es in the employ of this
534
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
manufactory. """hen farmers have carefu1Jy refrained from hiring more than stern
necessity demanded, and employment in other pursuits has been difficult to obtain,
the miJ]s 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 MEARS, the
latter being the one through whose enterprise was built at St, Andrews, Que., the
first paper mill in Canada. 'Ve are ignorant of the exact date uf the erection of the
first mill at Hawkesbury, but it was doubtless about 1805, and its size and capacity,
though cOl
siderable for that period, would afford a striking con trast to the mills that
are here to-day,
_-\s the business was too extensive for the pecuniary means of the proprietors.
they sold, about 1808, to WILLlA\1 H Al\IlLTON, 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 steamer
, etc., and they
had failed. Soon after the milJs were purchased, George Hamilton, a brother of
'Villiam, 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 Letter alcount of this affair probably cannot be given than the following, which
is copied from a little volum.e entitled, "Philip
Iusgrave," which was published in
184 6 by the Rev. Joseph, father of the lale Sir J. J. C. Abbott. 'Ve have taken the
liLerty 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
tha.t 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
ince 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 nearJ} 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 momh, He was not alone, however, in this immense business. He
had two brothers, who were partners, ifnot equal sharers, in the concern. One resided
at Liverpool, in England, to receive and sell the timber. This brother \Vas 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 Lrother lived at the port from whence their timber was shipped; my friend
himself managed the mills, and rèsided close to them with his wife and family. The
establishment, aJthough comparatively new and scarcely in full operation, had been
"ery 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 arrivc. One of the first brought out letters
from L:verpool, conveying to Mr. Hamilton the mournful intelligence of his brother's
HISTORY 0Jt' PRESCOTI'.
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 throuah
his brother's instrumentality that the money had been borrowed,
his wac;; 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 aU three strong and healthy men
and the age of the eldest did not exceed fOlty. J
H Poor Hamilton! Deeply as he felt, and sincerely as he deplored his loss, great
and overwhelminß as were the difficulties consequent upon it, still he did not despair.
Although thus left alone to contend with them, and to manage in all its widely extend-
ed ramifications 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 heig l 1t, 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.
.,
lr. 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 remo\'e his hmily was, at that
period, an affair of no small difficulty. There were no public means of con veyance
then; although now, at the time I write. twenty years afterwards, five or six steamers
a day find sufficient employment. Mr. Hamilton procured a 1arge 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 an the large rivers, as wen as many of the smaller ones, consi:;t of a chain of
lakes, having a narrow channel and a swift current, characteristically termed a. rapid,'
bt:tween them. The lake I here refer to is several miles in width.
" Away they went, all the little ones iil 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 01. 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
anadian boatmen can hardly row
without singing, certainly not with equal spirit and energy. A little l()\ver down the
river there are some very dangerous rapids. In
etting into these, one of the boat-
men, the poor fellow who came to my house, as [ have already mentioned, became
frightened, and in his confusion suffered his oar to he caught by the boiling surge.
This in an instant overturned their canoe j 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 mo:;t extraordinary eXf'rtions to save the youngest.
The two oldest, with their mother, he lost sight of the moment the canoe upset, and
ga ve 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
53 6
HISTORY 01" 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 rccovered his sense
, but
found to his dismay that he had lost his child again-hopelessly lost it now. On
looking round he could see nothing bu t the canoe. It had floated dO\vn 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 j he was soon afterwards safely landed, the sole
survivor, as he suppos
d, of his little family.
" \Vnen they reached the
hore the first thought with the men was, n;:!turally
to
right the canoe. On turning it up, there, to his astonishment and joy, was his poor
wife underneath it, in a state of insensihility. She had, doubtless, in the first
moment of her fl ight, seized hold of one of the thwarts, to which she had tenaciously
clung, with a dead1-Jike grasp, and was thus miraculously saved.
.. A fl w mil utes sufficed to bring back suspended animation, and she was soon, I
had alnlost said too soon, restored to a consciousness of the dreadful loss she had
sus tained.
,. 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 myst,;;rious 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 10\'e 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 s.l\V. 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. Andre\\'s (Que.) cemetery, is the fol-
lowing inscription:
" Sacred to the Memory of George Hamilton,
Who departed this life on the 7th Jan., 1839, aged 58 years.
He was born at SheephilI, County of !\leath, Ireland, hut 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 acti\'e Magistr:Jte."
HISTORY 01<' PRESCOTT.
537
In the relations of pI ivate life he was conspicuous as a man of sterling integrity,
a most affectionate husband and parent, and a 5incere and generous friend. His
1110rtaJ disease was contracted in the zealous discharge of his duties as Lieut.-Co!. of
the Prescott Reserve Battalion in preparing tl> repel the piratical invaders of the
province."
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 18 35, Mr. Hamilton erected the large stone dwelling_ now owned
by Mr. Hiram Robinson, which building is known as Hamilton Hall.
The sons of .:\1r. Hamilton, born after the loss of those recorded abo\'e, were
John, \ViIJiam, Robert, George and Charles. The first became the Hon. John
Hamiìton, he having held a scat in the Senate for some time prior to his death. It
was he who erected the fine residence on the Island, now owned by 1\lr. Cloran. :\Ir.
Hamilton expended large sums of money in ornamenting the Island, and giving to
it so man}' characterislics of an O.à Country Park. He was the last of the family
who lived at Hawkeshury. William died young; George died in 18 57 j Robert now
lives in Qu(-bec ; and Charles is the present Bishop of r\iagara.
The mills are located on an island formed by the Ottawa and one of its branches
ca\]ed the Chenel Ecarté, which signifies "Lust Channel," but which has been
corrupted into" Sny Cat ty.." and is mcst usually spoken of as "The Sny," so that
going to "The Sny," or working at "The Sn}'," are eXptessions which will fre-
quently puzzle the stranger who vi:,!ts Hawkesbury. It wiJl be necessary to visit the
place to gain a correct idea of the amount of lumber manufactured here. There are
five mills, each of which contains se\eral gangs. be!'>ides one or more circular saws,
The latest addition is a band saw-the superiority of which consists chiefly in the
smaIJ 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 boarLÌs.
otwithstanding the barges that are constantly being loaded with lumber and the
quantit}' transported by the railway and wagons, immense piles, comprising miIJions
of feet, may always be seen here, covering many broad acres of gt ound.
The average amount of lumber manufactured by these mills is 7 00 ,000 ft. daily,
and the number of men engaged-exclusiv
of those in the lumber woodc;-is 950,
which incJudes jobbers in piling.
Strict discipline is established among the laborers, good order )Jrcvail
, and great
kindness and courtesy are extended to visitors by the intelligent, courteous officials,
MR. BROCK, who has been LüûJ...k
eIJer for the concern many years; .:\1r. Ferguson,
his assi
tant, Mr. Sherman and others.
MR. JOHN SHERMAN is Superintendent of the lumber yard and sales, He was
born in Addington
Ont., his father having settled there after coming to Canada
from Belfast, Ireland, in 1849. He was married in 1877, to Agnes S, daughter of
Dr. Charles Potts, of Re]]cviIJe, and has been connected with the Hawkesbury Lum-
ber Cn. eight years.
The present Hawkesbury Lumber Company i3 composed of :\lessrs. Hiram
Robinson, President; H. E. Egan, Managing Director; and R. 1... Blackburn,
Secretary.
MR. ROBINSON is a son of \VilJiam Robinson, who came to Canada frmIl the
County of Antrim, Ireland, with his wif
-both then young-in 1826. He settled
on a farm in \Vest Hawkesbury} in the 41h Concession, which is now owned by !\{r.
Bancroft, and, after a residence there of sixty years he s0ld, and removed to the
County of Dundas, where he died 111 1890, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. McKay,
1t the age of ninety-one. He had four sons and two daughters.
35
53 8
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
At the age of sixteen Hiram entered the employ of the Hamilton Brothers, and
-tl1fough 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. Bhckburn,
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 gainmg no sma)) 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,
\Yilliam Robinson, a younger brother of Hiram, has a fine farm of 100 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 sel1ing 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 ad\'
'lltage, set his wits to work to gain possession of another watel-
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 all American flOm Plattsburg, N.Y.,-Danvin Stevens by
name-who was an experienced milhvright, and possessed much mechanical skill and
inventive genius, and on him the planning and ex(cution 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 smali 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 faB was obtained, and then Mr. Mears erected
his second mill-one which, enlarged and in
proved, is now the property of the
Hawktshury :Milling Co.
lt will thus be seen that two canals were left as memorials of this pioneer-the
old, long-disused one at St. Andrews, which plOvided water-power for the paper
mil], 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
bui1t the first steamer which navigated the Ottawa. This steamer was the c: Union,"
which has already been noticed in the history of Grenville, Mr.
fears 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 posses ion 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 d1sappear before the march of
inteJ1igence and temperance.
Though numerous piles of lumber mar to some exten t 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 01<' 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.
McGill 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 vilJage, and on this, height,
too, are a number of attractive residences.
There are three hotelc;-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 manageme.nt. The bank building on Main street is an imposing
brick structure. A branch of the Ottawa hank was established here, 7 th April,
18 9 2 , and the building was erected the same year.
On this street also is the commodious School building; the first was erected in
18ï2, 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-
pal, ,V. K. T, Smellie, B.A., Miss Agnes Higginson; Public School, Principal
Joseph
IcCulloch, :\Iiss 'Vaddell, 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 quautity of freight
handled here, creates an am'ollnt of business much more extensive than a stranger
would suppose.
D. \V. 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.\V.T., and participated in the fight there during the Riel Rebellion,
He 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
Kernptville,
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 :lS an engineer. He was born in Pictou,
,S., and was married in
February, 1885, to Christie Macdonald of Alexandria, Glengarry Co., Onto \Vhile
devoted to his vocation, his leisure hours are usually spent in the society of useful
books. .
JOHN
IcGIBBON, 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, 18 7 r,
54 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
and became m
Hlager of the business of his uncle Albel t Kimball-a broker in
Hawkesbury-who died in 1891. Mr. McGibbon then retired, He has a fine
pleasant résidence 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
1st September, 1861, to Phæbe, daughter of the late Samuel Breck.
Among the early settlers whose lives were identified with this place were two
brothers, CHARLES and Z. S. M. HERSEY from Leicester, 1\1 ass.
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
a long time. He never married, and died in December, 1 86 4.
Z. S. M. Hersey in 1836 married Caroline Clevelanrl, of Fort Covington
N.Y. He became manager of the McGill estate here, and subsequently purchased it:
and dosed the distillery which had lopg been in operation, an action refl
cting
great credit 0n himself, and one which, doubtless, contrib:.Ited 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 Aplil, 1869, leaving three sons and four daughters,
F. C. HeIsey, one of the fOlmer, li\'es in a fine stone dwelling on the homestead,
which is rendered more attractive by the stately trees \\'ilh 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 j the presen t one was erected in 1877.
lr.
Hersey devoted wme years of his life to the nlercantile pursuit, !Jut is now en-
gaged in farming, serving also as the Secretary of the School Board. He was mar-
ried in 18 73 to Miss
IcGibbon ; 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 úr 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.
\VILL1Al\I HIGGII\SON, one of the four brothels who :nrived in 1819, though
he bought and settled ('n the farm in 182 I which is now owned and occupied by
his daughter, l\I,s, 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
s )cial advancement of th'" place.
John \V., the second sen, is a contractor and builder, and the buildings are
not lew in the viilage and township of Hawkesbury that have been erected under
his
upervision; and notwÎlhstanding the amount of work which has almost con-
stantly demanded his time and attention, municipal and educational affairs, as
we)] as temperance, have alike claimèd some of his time and profited by his
labors. He was Reeve of the Vil1age 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 18 7 2 , The
Public and High School Boards were some time ago united under the title "Board
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, 18th Ratt., and served as
Captain of the same Company during the time it was stationed at Prescott. He was
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
54 1
married in 1862, to Mary Allison, In 1860 he purchased the building he now owns,
and which he made into a carpenter's shop and woollen mill. He enlarged it, and
now has a steam saw mill and a sash and door factory, The area covered by his
building, and the chimney, 10 3 feet high rising therefrom, are at once noticeable,
and give evidence to the fact, that this is one of the important manufactories of the
Village. In summer 1\1r, Higginson employs from 20 to 25 hands, and in winter
abou t a dozen.
His brother, ]A:\IES G. HIGGL
'SO:l/', who hac; b
en Postm1.ster of Hawkesbury
Village several years, taught school a while in his youthful days, and then devoted
himself to the mercantile pursuit, in which he has been remarkably successful. He is
one of the influential managers of local affairs, and has long been a School Trustee
and Reeve of the Village. He was married to Miss Mary McGibbon. He has
been longer in the mercantile busmess than any other merchant in the place, having
followed it continuously 35 years. His dwelling, located at the highest point in the
village, is one of the most attractive in it.
GEORGE HA:\IILTo
H[GGINSON, a brother of the tw.J nlmed ab::>ve, h3.ving
learned the carpenter's trade, went to Australia in 1856, where he remained till 18 7 2 ,
experiencing, like many others, the vicissitudes of fortune. He W.lS married in N
w
Zealand, 15 th November, 186:::>, to Amelia H. Taylor. He lives on a farm in the
outskirts of the village, where, a few months since, he suffered a serious los;; by the
destruction of his dwelling by fire. Owing to his long absence from his native place,
as well as his dislike for public affairs, his time has been wholly devoted to his trade
and farm. A Christian in faith and practice, however, he is always gll.d to do any
work that may contribute to the comfort and happiness of others.
\VILLlA
I LAWLOR came from Queen's County, Ireland, in 18 34, and soon
afterward settled at Hawke
bury, where for nearly forty years he was manager 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 Pre')cott County. He
was also Coroner of Prescott and Russell, and for some time Clerk of the Division
Court. He was married in the fall of 1862 to Sarah, daughter of Z. S. l\I. Hersey.
H. \V. Lawlor, a son of the above, is a weJl-knO\vn barrister, who has an office
near the paternal residence. He began the study of law wi th ] ohn Maxwell, County
Attorney, and was afterwards with J, E. Farewell, Q.C., of \Vhitby, Onto He gra-
duated 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
Prescott.
CAPTAIN \VILLJA
I LAWLOR, for years a popular and familiar figure in this
locality, is the third son of William Lawlor who came to Canada in 18 34- In his
early years he learned the trade of machinise, and as such was in the employ of the
Hamilton Brothers fourteen years, In 1875 he purchased a ste3.mer, and since has
devoted 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 in the local affairs of Hawkesbury, and for several
years was a member of the High School Board. He lives in an attractive cottage on
Main Street, his extensive front yard being finely ornamented with trees. He was
married in 1872 to Miss C. !\1. Herse}.
54 2
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 j they had one son and three daughters.
The son, \Villiam 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.
The first church edifice erected here was the Congregational, which was built
about 1843, It is still 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 !\lain 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.
1. 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 mÏIJisters alike, it is hard for us to realize. No record can tell the
sacrifices they made for the faith. During the summer of r 858, 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 I'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 'Vaddell 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, òwing'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 in 186 9' The congregation regretted his departure very much.
They were fortunate, however, in securing the services of the Rev. 'V. MacLennan,
a man of remarkable gifts and of great personal worth. He was induct
d in the
spring of 18 7 0 . The present place of worship was dedicated in January, 18]1. Mr. Mac-
Lennan died December 8th, 1873, at the early age oftwenty-nine years, deeply regretted
by the whole community and especially by the congregation he had serve J so well.
Rev. John Fairlie was inducted in 1874, and continued as pastor for f.Hlrteen
years. Mr. Fairlie was deeply beloved, and when he left on November 6th, 1888, he
left many deeply attached friends. Steps were now taken to divide the charge and to
erect both Hawkesbury and L'Orignal into sep3.rate congregations. Hawkesbury
had been receiving only one service a Sunday, and it was felt that the time had now
corne to have the church opened for worship every Sunday morning and evening.
Accordingly in 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. 'V. K. MacCulloch was inducted as pastor of St. Paul's
Church, Hawkesbury. Mr. :McCulloch was in very poor health, and was thus com-
pelled to resign his charge on June 15th, [891. His successor was the Rev. 'V. M.
Tuffts, B. D., a native of Halifax, N.S., who was inducted 14th April, 18 9 2 . In 18 93 a
beautiful manse was erected by St, Paul's congregation at a cost of over three
thousand dollars. Semi-Jubilee services were conducted on 8th September, 18 95,
celebrating 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 rising
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 J 845, when the late
Bishop Strachan, then Bishop óf Toronto, was induced by the corresj:ondence of
Mr. Thomas Higginson and others to appoint a missionary w Hawk.:sbury,
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 chllrch 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, 0\ By town, to the effect that "on
"August 16th, 1846, the Church of the Holy Trinlty was op
ned 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 prèvailed from stone quar-
ried at the Ottawa river, this church became the centre of worship {or all the mèmbers
of th
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-builùing 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 bUllt is blue and grey limestone, and it consists of a
n ave, chancel, vest ry, 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 wilJdows are to be seen on all
sides, those in the chancel, to\ver and north and south of the east end of the nave,
commemorating George Hamilton, Esq., his son and Mrs. John Hamilton respec-
ti vely. Here also it may be mentioned that another is being executed by Messrs.
Spence & Sons of
Iontreal, under the instructions of the Messrs. Higginson, in
memory of their father, mother and sister; while siÏll a:lOther is to be placed in the
organ-chamber in
emory of Mrs. Henry Stephens by the surviving members of her
f,lJ11 i I y.
The style of architEcture maintained throughout the restored building is early
English or pointed, the windows bting all lancet-shaped. In the chancel window
tillee of these are grouped together in memory of George Hamilton, Esq., who died
7th January: 1839, and are all the gift of his sons, Robert, George and John. An
eady account state:. that this window was copied from S:llisbury Cathedral, and in it
are represented scenes from the eanhly life d 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 ,e Raising of Lazarus." In the upper part an angel
is seen holding a scroìl, on which are the words, "Come, Lord Je
us," while under-
neath the centre medallion is introduced, " I know that He will rise again." Exactly
opposite thi!', on the north side of the nave, another memorial window represents the
e, Raising of Jairus' daughter," O\'er which is stained a duve, and underneath a white
]i)y, with the inscription, ,e 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 ,I Resurrection ., in one lancet, and the" Raising of the \Vidow's
Son II in the other. Retween the two, in a quatre-foil at the top, the eye rests on the
sacred Emblem of the Blt'ssed Trinity; at the bottom, those of the Four Evangelists,
This truly beautiful window, as the inscription sho\\'s, was erected in memory of a
brother and sister, by members of the Hamilton family. All the!:e memorial windows
are, tl
erefore, the gifts of the Hami ton family; all were desIgned in London, and
executed by Ì\1tsc;;rs. Spence & Sons, of .Montreal, as well as the other stained glass
windows wh:ch f.mn so btautiful a feature of this interesting church. Rich and varied
in pattern, all \\ ill compare very favoralJly with the windows to b
generally seen in
churches of the Mother Land.
From the windows. the eye involuntarily turns to the lofty roof, spanned byequil-
ateral arches champered and terminating in finely-cut stone corbtls. Its oays are
filled with stained pIne, diagonally arranged in a very striking manner. We notice
also that the chalìcel, nave and porch are all roofed to corresponà, though not all
diagona!ly. In the centre of the na\"e, opposite the entrance, stands a Cacn stone
font, ma
sive, and rest\l1g on an oat.. pedestal. Round the top of this there runs the
inscription, "Suffer little children to come unto me."
\ reference to the parochial
records shows it to have been import(;d from England in the year 1857, at the expensè
of the Hon. T ohn Hamilton.
The intèrior of the tower is at present occupied by one of 'Vancn'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 lTIf'morial chamber is completed this will be
transferred from its present position to the north side of the chancd 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 bra
s
altar-rail of high anistic merit and chaste design, and, like so many other things, a gift
HISTORY 01" 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
[ears & 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 Sf't of altar vessels and alms dishes done in solid silver, and
bearing the following inscription :-
"In usum perpetuum
S. S. TRIN ITA TIS,
Ecc!esiæ apud,
Hawkesburiensis, in Canada Ulteriori,
JOHANNE STRACHAN, S:r.P., LL.D.,
Episcopo Torontonensi,
JOH.'\NNE GILBERTO ARMSTRONG, A. B.
Ecclesiæ Rectore.
TOHA
l"E HAMILTO', 1 ;U d ' .
- J G H ....-'r_ Itms.
OH. UL. IGGINSOK,.
lembers of the congregation and employees of the firm of Hamilton Bros., all
joined in making this a memorial to George Hamilton, Esq., who died 3 [st May,
18 59.
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 ohen 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 m:my 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 in teresting historic landmarks of the Oltawa 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:> uase and surrounds every winJow, 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 fed, a N onhampton spire, the whole being auout 60 feet from the base to the
finial.
The important changes which have thus been traced were executed ur 1\1r. John
'V. II igginson, builder, from architectural plans furnished him by Fuller & Jones.
and also by l\1r. Steele, of Montreal. As it stands to-day, the beautifllilittic church
has cost about $9,000, towards which not le
s 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 r
sidence
here has been largely due to their Ch:-istian liberality. In 1846 the two brothers,
obert and John, gave "the firsl parsonage owned hy the parish,-a stone house now
In the possession of the Roman Catholic Church, and ll"ed 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 fOIm of a permanent endowment of $5,600,
5.{6
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 \V. 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 $1,000 from the Hamilton family.
OriginalJy, the parish of Hawkesbury, as has already been stated, included the
County of Prescott, but in the year 186
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 exi.,ted at Alfred in the new mission
of Plantagenet, there h:lVe been added two others, one at Fenaghvale, now the head-
quarters of the :Mission, and cne at Plantagenet. Both parishes have also been furnish-
ed with fine, commodious parsonages,
In the year 189 I, the withdrawal ofthe 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.
lt 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 officialJy 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, !\I.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 Cliocese
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 yea:- 1893,
at tl:e first meeting of the General Synod of the English Church in Canada, held at
Toronto. From 1854 to 1857 the parish was in 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 (If his successor (the Rev. C. Daniell, till th
n 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
HilJ entered upon a separate existence. \Vith 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. \Vith him were associated at Hawkes-
bury, the Rev. Arthur Jarvis, now of Napanee, whose curacy included the new mission
of Plantagenet, and on the 1st of May, 1873, theý were joined by the present rector,
who had just been ordained to the curacy of Vankleek HilJ, 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, \Vhile 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 18th, when Bishop Hamilton wa.s 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 l\'Iessrs. \ViIliam Kirby, Thomas Higginson, Christopher Spratt, John \V,
Higginson and J. G. Higginson. For nearly forty years that of the late Honorable
John Hamilton appears as Lay-Delegate or Church-"'arden, or both combined. and
with him associated for nearly an equal period, that of Mr. 'V. E. N, Byers. In the
same office the Honorable John Hamilton was, at his death, succeeded by
lr. 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-\Varden, 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 ef{l)rts and threaten them with disappoint-
ment and failure, but abundaJ1t proofs are also everywhere visible of the sustaining
power of Him who never more clearly verified His promise, II Lo I am with you
always even unto the end of the age."
MANUFACTURES.
Resides the Mills of the Hawkesbury Lumber Company, and
Ir. Higginson's
Iill and Factory, which have been mentioned, there is a Kindling \Vood Factory,
Sash, Door, Blind and Lumber Factory of White & Beggs,
1cMahon's Tin shop,
the Roller Flour Mills of the Hawkesbury Milling Company, the Morrison 'Voollen
Factory, and the Steam Lumber Mill of the Cameron Brothers.
The Kindling \Vood Factory was started in 1893, by R. C, BATCHELDER &
Co., of Albany, New York, They Pllrchase about 10,000 cords of wood, annually,
and employ forty h:l.nds.
54 8
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
The Factory of \Vhite & Beggs was first opened in 1889, by THOMAS \VHITE,
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 h:we 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 188 9
erected on the homestead where he lived, the Factory mentioned above. He was
married 23rd September, 1874, to Nancy D. Graham, and died 22nd March, 18 91.
His son, William H. \Vhite, 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. Mc:\Iaholl is on
Iain 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
trade till his death, 24th November, 1894. He left one son and two daughters; the
son, Sinclair, su.cceeded his father in the business, and be5ides 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, ha\'e won the confidence and approval of the public.
THE HAWKESBURY :\hLLlNG Co. was organized in 1889, and is composed of the
foIlowingnlf'mbers, viz.: John Cameron, manager; Donald Cameron, Peter Cameron,
\ViHiam 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 mlchinery. It
has eight pairs of roBers, and turns out 75 bbls, of flour, daily.
This miJI is in charge of J. P. SHAHPE, whose father, George Sharpe, came to
Montreal from Scotld.nd about I
63, and settled in Hawk(>sbury in 1870, The latter
was married 5th September, 1865, to Elizabeth McDonald from Perthshire, Scotland.
He followed his trade of blacksmith, here, till his death, 13th IVlay, 1878 i he left five
sons and three daughters J. p" the third son, learned the trade of miller from T. H.
\Vyman, 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 \V oo)]en Mill of J. B. MORRISON was started many ye3.rs ago by his
father, as stated in the history of Brownsburg, Argemellil County, Que. The build.
ing had previously been used as an axe f.1ctory. The work don
here consists of cloth
manufacturing and custom carding.
The steam saw mill of tlie Cameron Brothers was erected in r894 ; and during
the present year, 1895, it will cut into lumber 18,000 logs,
JÜHN CA
IERON with his f.lmily cam
from Lochaber, Scotland, to Canada, in
181 5. After living a short time at Côte du Midi and Côte St. Charles, he seuled in
Hawkesbury on a Jot 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 elde'it son, lived on one-half the homestead, the greater part of his
life, but died at Vankleek Hill in 1894. He married Catherine McL:lUrin, who is
still living; they had seven children, of whom three sons and two daughters are still
alive. 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
rented, and came to Hawkesbury in 1889. He and his brother Donald bought
HI
TORY 01<' PRESCOTT.
549
1,224 acres of land in \Vest Hawkesbury-6oo of which, well timbered, is in pf0X-
irnity to their steam 5aw mill. The farm also sustains a large herd of cattle and
twenty-five horses.
A bakeõy was opened here in 1888 by 'VRAY WTLSOX. 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 farnling, and one year in his present business. He came to Hawkesbury in
1888, where he has a good dwelling and fine bakery on :\fain Street. He has a
good trade, and supplies a large portion of the village and surrounding country with
bread.
F. H. .AlJBREY is a carriage-maker of this place. He was bOln in St, Eustache
in 18 37, soon after which his father, of the same name, w
s 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 :\Iontebello, across the Ottawa, where
he died about 1881. The son, F. H., learned his trade of carriage-making in his
youth, and followed it several years in Montebello; from which place he and his
eldest son came in 1889, and started business in Hawkesbury.
[ERCANTILE,
The number of fine stores on Main Street, with the large stocks of goods con-
t:tined then-in, is ample proof that they secure the custom of a large section of COun-
try. Among these establi,hments are those of J. G. Higginson, in which the Post
Office is kept; Thomas Ross &. Sons, Le Br
cq &. Le h:avre, M. J. Costello, John
Lecours. J r., J, A. D. Laundriault, Dennis Doyle. and the Drug Store, in charge of
Ir. Montgomery.
The first two merchants mentioned above are noticed elsewhere in connection
with their respective familie
, 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 wirh the public of this locality, enjoy no small sll.lre of their custom.
LE BROCQ and LE FEAVRE ale t\\'o young gentlemen, natives of the Island of
Jersey. Albert "'illiam Le Brocq has spent ten ye.lTS in Canada, six of which he
was engaged in mercantile busint:ss, in the County of Gaspé; two in Saguenay, in
mercantile and lumber business; and two in partnership with .\lr. John P. LeFeavre.
The latter was also engaged in mercantile business three year
, in his native bland,
and then came te Montreal, where he was four ye315 in the employ of
Iessrs.
Hodgson, Sumner & Co., after which he came to Hawkesbury.
'J hese gentlemen succeeded 1\1r. Harbec, who<.e hnsine
s they }Jurcha...ed, and
while they do a good business as general merchants, they nude a specialty of mil-
linery, and always keep a first class milliner in their employ.
!\L J. COSTELLO, who is telegraph operator and clerk of the municipality, has a
commodious and pleasant store, and has established a good trade, His father,
Martin Costello, came from the County of Galway, Ireland, sóme time in the forties,
and was married at L'Orignal to Ann Jane Fulton. He died in June, 1893, aged 7 1 ,
leaving four sons and t\\'o daughters. The e!dest son, l\I. J., left home in :\Iay,
186 9, to enter the employ of the Hamilton Brothers of Hawkesbury, as clerk and
telegraph operator, and resigned this position to enter into partnership with '\.. E.
Hayes in the mercantile line, of which business, a few years subsequent1y, he became
sole proprietor.
55 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
JOHN LECOURS, JUN., opened a store here in 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 1 849, was mar-
ried 27th April, 1874, to Exilda Brasseau. In his younger days he was for some
years in the employ of the Hamilton BíOthers, 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 dwelIing.
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 l.aundriault carne to this country from France
in 1813. joined the Voltigeurs, and Soon became sergeant. He subsequently settled
at L'Orignal, where his son Théophile was born, and who, having arrived at manhood,
and married, settled in Alfred,\vhere he lived for thirty-five years. Hjs son, Joseph
Albert Dolpheus, entered Rigaud College in 1883, taking the Classical, and afterward
the Commercial Coursc, but before completing it the death of his father in 1886
necessitated his return home. He was employed on the homestead tiJI 1893, when
he engaged in trade in this village, and was married 18th January, 1894, to Marv
Lecou
. .
The well supplied branch Drug Store of Hugh Duncan of Vankleek Hill is
in charge of W. R. MONTGOMERY. This gentleman was born at Lakefield, Peterboro'
C!)Unty, Ont., and after a college Course at Toronto was employed three years in a
dispensary at Belleville, and then in J 894 engaged in the drug business at
Hawkesbury,
DE!\NIS 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 merca-utile busi-
ness here thirty-four years, longer than any other merchant in the village, with the
exception of J. G. Higginson. Robert E. Hull has also been in trade here several
years.
Three or four merchant tailors are doing a thriving business in this village.
"-lLLIAl\I PARKS has been engaged here at the tailors' trade since 1847. In 18 39 he
came from Kihvaughter, North of Ireland, to Vankleek Hill, where his father, also a
tailor, had settled a few years previous. \Villiam, 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 9th September, 18 4 8 ,
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, 25 th 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.
\\'illiam Leslie, the eldest son, h3s long been employed in the store of J. G. Higgin-
son, where he also is Assistant Postmaster.
F. E. CHARRON was born 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
HiB, 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.
55 1
The only tonsorial artist in the vinage 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,
wen equipped rooms on Main Street, and enjoys the patronage of a large circle of
customers,
EVAN DALE.
N ear 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. CLURAN, formerly that of the Hon, John
Hamilton, which is called Evandale. The brick building, stately in its plOportions
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 profe"sorship ; he also
spent three years if} the celebrated College of St. Sulpice in Paris, and travelled exten-
sively in Europe. After taking a course of lawat 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 Posi aTul T,'ue lYitlless 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 car!didate for Montreal Centre, and in 1891 was
sent by the Hon. \Vilfrid 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 folJows :
II I am anxious that our friend Cloran should receive the nomination for Pres-
cott. \Ve 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
ational League, St. Patrick's Socitty, 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 :890.
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
HISTURY 01<' PRESCOTT,
Among the fine farms on McGill Street is that of JOHN JOH
STO:NE, 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 ISO acres
in the 1st Range, on which he still lives, and which he has spared no pains to make
smoother and productive. He \Vas married 7th July, 1858, to Jane Bremner, of
Montrea], He has been one of the useful pub1ìc
ervants, having heen a member of the
Schuol Hoard, aM unicipal 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 Pattee-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, D
vid,. sett!ed in H3wk..:sbury; he also \Vas cal1ed Doctor,
though he never practIsed III thIs country. He settled on this ]and about 1796, and
besides showing his ability as a pioneer, by clearing it of its primeval forest, he gave
to his fellow-citizens the impre5sion that he was competent to represent their interests
in Parliament, and was ejected 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 relurning officer, as recOlded elsewhere, he did
not obtain his seat, till after con
iderable 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 bighly esteemed. He was married loth January, 18 49,
to M aria, a daughter of Peter Vankleek, who still lives in their attrac
ive 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 lífe.
::VIr, and Mrs. Pattee had two sons and five daughters, but the only son now
living is Dr. Pattee, of Yankleek Hill. He studied medicine at 1IcGiil University,
from which institution he graduated in 1874, and was married the same year, 15 th
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 \\ïlliam
Higginson noticed on a preceding page. In his younger d
ys, he \\'étS a builder and
contractor, but for twent}'-five years has been engaged in farming, to which he is an
enthusiastic devotee. Hi
farm of I7 j acres gives many evidenc.es of the energy and
money expended on it, and a fine grove or two, which he has calefully preserved and
fostered for the comfort of his animals, are objects of much in terest 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, anò one
which affords a topic for much discussion and speculation in the locality.
It is circuiar 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 t
uming 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.
553
few with which he is thoroughly conversant. He was active in the formation of the
18th Battalion, and held the Captaincy of Company No. I, till the company was dis-
handed; he receiyed a first class certificate from the Montreal Military School in
186 7, 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, H
has been
twice married-first to Mary Allison, and after her death he was married, 29 th
December, 1869, to Maria, daughter of George Owens, 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 Frasers who live on it, an effort has been made to change the name to Fraser
Street. The former name seems peculiarly appropriate from the number of trees
and q uan tity of shrubbery which border the r03.dside 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 tribu te 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 iong 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 yonnger days he travelled quite extensively in the \Vestern
States, and spent a year in Wisconsin, with the view of finding a locality in which he
wuuld like to locate, but found none he preferred to his native county, hence he
returned. He was married in July, ) 890, 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, JOH
FRASER, on the fine homestead where his grandfather
settled when he first came to Hawkesbury.
His name was John Fraser, and he came from Glenelg, Invernesshire, Scotland,
to Canada in 181S, 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 Sylvefiter Cobb, the latter living on
the land now owned by Mr. John \Varren, Mr. Fraser spent his days here, dying in
December, 1862; he left six sons and three daußhters. His second son, Andrew,
married a daughter of John Fraser, the well known writer of Lachine, and spent his
days on the homestead. His son, John Fraser, the present proprietor of the home-
stead, was married loth December, 1879, to Mary S. CampbelL He has long served
as School Trustee and Municipal Councillor of \Vest Hawkesbury.
ALEXANDER RODERICK was the eldest son of John Fraser, the pioneer, mentioned
above, He married Janet, sister of Farquhar Robertson, and they had three sons and
four daughters, .Mr. Fraser died 19th January, 1884; Mrs. Fraser, 12th 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,
3 6
554
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Alexander R, Fraser lives on a farm of ISO 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 1200 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 SchooJ.
AU:XAKDER \V. 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 thro
gh many years of hard .labor in clearing and draining,
he has made a good, productive farm. He was marned 3rd March, 1863, to Cathe-
rine Marion j 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 fir
t 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 livès in the corporation. He \Va.. married 19thSeptt'mber,
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 011 Green
Lane.
A fine homestead on this Lane within the corporation is that of MRS. ROBERT-
SON, widow of \VILLJAl\I ROBERTSON. Farquhar Robertson, from Scotland, located
on this, and here spent the rest of his life, becúming a prominent man in the town-
ship, At first he was au 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 ; his children were five
sons and four daughters. \Villiam, one of the former, who remained on the homestead,
married Marion, a daughter of the late Alex. Roderick Fraser. Like his father, 1\1r,
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, 22nd September, 1894, was a severe blow to his family and
deeply deplored by the entire commun!ty. The farm of .\lrs, 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 t\yo townships now known as East and \Vest Hawkesbury
formed but one Municipality, distinguished as Hawkesbury. 'Vest 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 anå thrifty population. It is
said that the soil here is Jighter than it is in East Hawkesbury; in the latter town-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
555
ship they raise b
tter crops, especi:llly of hay, but in wet seasons this rule is reversed
-the crops of lhe \Vestern 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 hcilities for what is termed mixl d
farming.
That the municipal affairs of lhe township at the period of 1808 and 1809 were
neither intricate nor extensive, we conclude from the following, which is a verbatim
d literatim copy of the business of the municipality for the two years m
ntioaed, a"
recorded by the Town Clerk. The reader will b
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 'Vade, in
Hawkesbury, on the 7th December, I808-the following Township men were appoint-
ed: Path AI asters-Mr. Barnham, Alex1nder Cammering, :;amuel Cobb, James
Connor, and Omry Eddy.
"Assesessors.-Simeon Van Clcek-Collector-William Sherman-\\1 ar deans;
Robert Morris, James 'Vaddle.
" POlllld Keepers.- \Viiliam Hately and Lamberton Allen, Attest, Sylvester Coùb
'J, 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, f
D. 1809 j the following ofEcers
were Chosen (vil) : Sylvester Cobb, Township Clerk-Collector-John Wade-path-
maskrs-David Pattee, E. Bangs, Stephan Story, Joseph Griffin.
" Pozmd Keeþers.- James \V addle- Lamberton Allen- \V ardeans- James Barron
-Simeon Vn. Cleek-Horned Cattle fn:e commoners-L:l\vfull fence 4 f feet fenre,
Deamed Lawflill-Attest Sylvester Cubb, Township Clerk."
One of the most attractive residences and farms in \rest Hawkesbury is that (If
GEORGE MODE. His father, who bore the same name, was born in Aberd
en, 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 !\Iills, with whom he remained as forcm.111 for 29
years, He was married in 1
21, 10 Johannah \Yaddell, sister of the late John \Vaè-
dell of Hawkesbury, He was the first foreman mder whose charge logs wer
first
broùghl down the 1{ouge to the Hawkesbury Mills. An attempt to do this was
mad
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 acl as pilot for the Company, During the time he was
thus engaged, he purchased the homestead in \Vest Hawkesbury, on which his son
George now lives, and of which he soon cleared a small sp.lce. He then erected a
house, the boards for which were drawn by oxen on the crotch of 3. tree from
Hawkesbury
lills, at an expense for cartage alone of $6,00 p
r thousand, and the
nails for which cost 2SC. 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 sawcd
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 sec,.:>nd
son, who resides with his family on the homestead, is one of the substantial and inflll-
enti
J farmers of the township.
55 6
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
JAMES D. NEWTON is one of the pioneers of Hawkesbury still surviving j he lives
ìn the vicinity of Vankleek Hill. He is a son of James Newton who came from
'Veathersfield, Vt., early in this century, and settled in the Eastern Townshi)Js. It
is supposed he came to Vankleek Hi11 about 1807, as his eldest child was born here
in ] 80"; 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 }'Gungest, 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, whet e he was employed eleven years.
He was married 22nò July, 1847, to Elizabeth Mode; she died 12th 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 som, 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 29th
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
b,' the widow of his son, Duncan, and lived there till his death. He had five sons
a
d one daughter. Malcolm, the eldest son, bought 120 acres of Lot 19, 6th Range,
on which he lived till his death 13th October, 1894. He married Nancy Cartner of
Lochie1; they had four sons and six daughters who Jived till maturity. Nehemiah,
the second son, \Vent to Colorado in April, 1866, and after spending four years in
different States and Territories, finally entered Arizona. In 1874, he procured a
ranch, ar.d devoted himself to stock raising, at which he was very sllccessful. During
his stay there he was elected to the Legislature, and served one term of two years.
In 1887 he teturned to West Hawkesbury, and bought the farm of 125 acres on
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 wen
known in the VaHey of the Olta.wa, was born in 1849, on the old homestead, 6th
Ccncession, \Vest Hawkesbury. He has always remained here, and was married
in 1871 to IsabelJa, 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 rect:ived his diploma in 1894, and has since engaged
in teaching. Mr. Lighthall has taken an active part in municipal affd.irs, was one
year in the Council, and has been Deputy Reeve seven years; he is Qne of the intel-
Jigent, enterprising farmers of the Township.
\VILLIAM R. STEPHENS, son of SamueJ Stephens, was born in 5t, Martin'
, Que.,
1st D{cember, 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
11cCallum 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 \Villiam Vogan, who came from
County Cavan, Ireland, married Dorothy Capron, and settled in Vankleek Hilt; they
had five sons and three daughters. George, born in 1850, has always remained at
HISTORY Olt. PRESCOTT.
557
home j he was married in 1879 to Miss Alice E. Durant of Vankleek Hill, and has
three sons and four daughters, all living at home. \Ir. 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 horse5 for many years;
among other fine horses he o\\"ns "Chief" and "Lion," the Jatter of which is valued
at $1500.
DONALD McKILLlCAN 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
5 th 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 I rth No\"-
ember, 1888, and Mrs. NIcKiIlican died in 18
0. Donald, the eldest son, lives in
\Visconsin ; \Villiam is an Alderman and an influential citizen in Victoria, B.C, ;
Mary, married to 1\1r. Cameron, lives in Vankleek Hill, and Marg.uet is muried to
James Stewart of Eau Claire, \Visconsin.
James, the second son, born in 1831, learned the blacksmith trade with his father,
and worked in the shop some years; he was for se\'eral years engaged on the Canada
Atlantic and North Shore Railroads as foreman and blacksmith.
Ir. McKillican
has been twice married, the first time to l\Ii')s Rose Anna Blair; they had five
children, of whom two sons and two daughters are living; the sons being in Oregon,
and the d:mghters at home. Mr. McKillican was married the second time, 28th
August, [878, to
Iiss Persis \Villis. The only child of this marriage died while
still young.
\VILLJl\.l\1 J. HOWES, eldest son of James Howes, was born in the S:,igniory of
Longueuil. 9th July, 1855. His father came to \Vest Hawkesbury when William was
about two years of age; when eighteen years old he went to Wisconsin, and ren1J.ined
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 1\1r. C.
IcQllaig, and "even ye<J,rs
for l\Ir. Solomon Grout. In April, J 893, he was married to Hattie. daugh ter of
David :3tee:e of Vankleek Hill. Mr. Howe's farm is in the 5t
Concession. In 18 9 1
he engaged to run the ., Golden Hill" cheese factory in E:lst 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 :\1r. 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 Vanklel'k Hill, on the road leading from that place to
Longl1ellil, is a good farm and commodious stone hOllse owned a'ld occupied by
JOHN
ICCANN. His grandfather, Captain John McCann, came from C:oot's Hill,
County of Cavan, Ireland, to this place about 18:!o, took up 150 acre
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 ofSeringpatam, Lieut.
letc.llfe (after-
wards Governor General of Canada) accidentally fell from the ramparts, and broke the
leg of McCann whom he !'Itrnck in his fall. In conseqnence,
rcc.1111l wac; invalided
home, aud from the rank of Ensign which he then held he was rromoted to a Lieut-
enancy on half pay, and awarded a pension; a further account of which will Le found
in the histOlY of Riceville; he became Captain of Mi\\t\3. after coming to C:'lllaJa,
He was a very benevolent man, kind to the poor, and in the office of Local Preacher
no doubt did lU'Jch good. .\ minister, writing of Methodism in the OtLnva District,
in those early days, thus mentions Captain
IcCann :
55 8
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 S1. Charles in his wagon, and I rode across the country from Mou-
lineue to Vankleek Hill on horseback. My first nighl'
rest was at Capt. McCann's,
a member of \Viiliam Johnson's class, at the Red School House in \Vest 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. A mong other
things, he infOlmed me that he and his leader, 'V. Johnson, had covenanted to meet
each other in slJirit 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 ill 1837 j he was there en business
connectt:d 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,
1 D4 , Elizabeth Cross. He was a School Trustee of the Township several years; he
died 27th August, 1894; .\Irs, McCann died 24th August, 1879. They 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 li\-ed 011 the homestead.
The farm is one of the many good ones in this section, and sllstains at the present,
thirty head of cattle and five horses,
ROBERT RlN
I:CK is the proprietor ofa fine falm and imposing brick residence
on the road from Vankleek Hill to L'OrignaL His falher, Lodwick Renneck, came
from the County of FeTmana
h, Ireland, to 'Vest Hawkesbury, in 1832, alld bought
the farm of 8
acres which is now owned by his son, J{obert. He lived here till his
death, J 2th October, 1846---a Christian man and a IJIcmbu of the Methodist Church.
He had seven children, out only one SOli, Rooert, and one daughter, Mrs. Hunter,
of Yankleek Hill, slllvived him. The former was married to
Iargaret, daughter of
George Blayney (If Hawkesolll y. He joined the Volunteers in 1866, and served
through the Ft:nian 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 )and to the homestead, now having 128 acres; he joined the Baptist Church
in 1870.
\\"J!.LIAl\I \Yo 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 1
20, and settled on a farm now 0\\ ned by his granddaughter, Mrs.
Robert Sproule, where he
pent his remaining years. Mrs. Tweed, his wrfe, died in
18 7 0 , aged 93 j they had three sons and four daughterF, Alexander D. Tweed,
one of the sons, who was four years old when his parents came to Canada, was
married in 1843 to M;uia, daughter of \\'illiam Wait. He bought a farm nt:ar the
home:-tead, which is now owned by his úwn son, Thomas. He was a man of
influence in this section-a Justice úf the Peace
evel al years, and a Director of
the Agricultural Society. He died in November, 1882, aged 67;
Ir
. Tweed died
in July, 1893. They l
ad nine children-five sons and four daughters. who, with
the e>..ception of William and Thomas, living in this place, are settled in widely
different locajities,-
Janitooa, the United States, and in Australia.
William \V., the elde5t son, was married lIth April, 1867, to Ann Lough of the
Hill. 4-\fter having a lease of his present fdrm of 150 acres for six years, he pur-
chased it, paying fur it entirely from the products of the farm, and h
has recently
purchased fifty acres more-more than half of which is timbeled with a fine growth
of maple. M r. Tweed does not belong to the class of farmers who complain that
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
559
" 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 aU his
buildings and improvements give evidence that his plans are well conceived and
executed with energy. He has a herd of 28 cows, his sugar orchard comprises
1,5 00 maples j he has a cream separator, and a modern windmill which pumps all
the water required for the house and barn. Notwithstanding the C.lfe and attention
devoted to his farm and stOCK, .Mr. fweed cheerfully gi\o"es a portion of his time to
public affairs, He has been a Municipal Councillor many} ears, is Secretary of
the Vankleek Hill Branch of the Bible Society, a Trustee of the new .Methodist
Church as he was of the old one, and has been Circuit Steward for twenty-one years.
Mr. and 1\Irs, Tweed have two son
and f
ur daughters living. Maria and Effie,
two of the daughters, are engaged 111 teachll1g; the former has taught four years,
Thomas H., another son of .Alexander Tweed, who lives on the homestead, has
remained in \V. Hawkesbury from his youth; he was married in 1881 to Miss Scott,
daughter of the late William
cott, of Winchester. They have one son and three
daughters.
\VILLIAM DOUGLAS came from Northumberland, England, to Canada four years
after the battle of Waterloo, and came to S1. Andrews, sailing up the Ottawa ùn 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 Jatter place. He
and Mrs. Douglas both died here, the fürmer being 71 at his death, and the latter
aged 75; they had four sons and two daughters. Of these, James lives in Argenteuil
County, and Margaret, married to \Villiam 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 \Villiam Nichols. In 1877 he sold his
land in Chatham, aud bought a farm in the 4th Concession, in this place. He has
one son and one daughter; the latter,
Iaggie, married to Çharles C. Mooney, lives
in E. Hawkesbury} and the son, \Villiam, is at home.
GEORGE BLAYNEY was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1807, came to
Canada when about seventeen years of age, and first settled on the farm Lot [8, 6th
Concession, \Vest Hawkesuury, now owned by his sou John. He was one of the
first setders in this section, cleared up most of his farm, and was the first man to
drive a cart through the woods to Caledonia Flat
. He was married 4 t h January,
18 3 6 , at Grenville, to
Iargaret, daughter of the late John Hunter; they had four
daughters and two sons, of whom one of the fOlmer is deceased. .Mr. Blayney died
9 th January, 18 54, aJ1d
1rs. Blayney died 21St January, 1891. Of the children,
Margaret 1\L, the youngest, married Robert Rennick; Susan, married to John Paton,
lives in Dundas County; Ann, the eldest, is the widow of John M...:Phee, and lives
WIth her brother on the home
tead. Cadwalader, the elùest son, has two farms-one
in the 2nd Concession, Caledonia, and the other in the 4th Concession of \Vest
Hawkesbury, the latter bt'ing his place of residence.
John, the youngest, owns the homestead farm, which, like many others in this
section, is well cultivated.
Ir. Blayney (John) \\ ent to Cornwall and Prescott with
the Volunteers in 1866.
JOHN \VOOD, secot1d son of James \Vood, was born in St. Pla
ide, January, [833,
He accompanied his father's family to East Settlement, and remamed there until 26
years of age, at which time he went to Lachute Road for two years, He was married
in 1
61 to Grace, daughter of the late James Wilson, of East Settlement, and with his
wife went the same Jear to St. Canute, County of Two Mountains, where he bought
a farm. He remained for many years on this farm, and III [886 went to Breadal-
5 60
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
bane for a year; he then purchased his present farm in the 6th Concession from
Miss Sarah McInnes. Mr. and Mrs. \Vood have five sons and four daughters;
James, the eldest, is in Salt Lake City j Margaret, the eldest daughter, married to
Mr, E. Currier, lives in Sr. Canute; Robina, the daughter, is a teacher; the two
youngest sons, Alùert and Edwin, are attending school in Vankleek HilI j John
Henry, Ida and Elizabeth are at home j Thomas is in Vankleek Hill.
In a neighborhood about midway between Hawkesbury Mills and Yankleek
HilI, 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,
EJijah Brown and others; and later still, came 'Villiam Higginson. A briei sketch is
given of S. Cobb on a preceding page j and records of t}-e 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 'Vatters, one of the early pioneers of Longlleuil, Prescott County,
and settled in the vicinity of London, Onto About 1814 he exchanged his land
there with his brother-in-law, Truman \Vatters. for land in Hawkesbury, Lot 9, 2nd
Range, now owned by Mrs. Darwin Stevens, and bought half of Lot 12, at present
owned by \ViJIiam Byers, sen,,-all of which was then 111 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 182 I Mr. Higginson bought the land now owned by his daughter, MRS.
DARWIN STEVE
S, and his home was here during the remainder of his life. He had
seven sons and five daughters. One of the Jatter was marri
d 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 fa\her's skill as a. work-
man, and genius as an inventor; and was, moreover, an able foreman, popular wi th
his men, yet demanding implicit obedience to his orders. He was for a Jong time
foreman in the Hawkesbury miJI
, and much of the labor-saving machinery stiH in
use in them is the result of his inventive skill, He was unfor\unately drowned at the
mills in 1888, by venturing into a dangerous place, to save the property of his
enJployers, and into which he was too brave and generous to ordel 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,
amuel D. Stevens, now has the manage-
ment of the farm, comprising five or six hunJred acres, and sustaining a large
stock. The dwellin
, 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 sojoUl ner,
The two elde
t daughters of Mrs. Stevens are married; the son and the two
youngest daughtels, Harriet M. and Ellen, are at home.
A road running south from this section leads to a settlement known as Sand Hill,
in which dweH several of the Jeadmg farmers of the township-indeed, aU the farmers
here may be said to be in a prosperous condition.
ALONZO BANGS is said to ha\-e been the first settler here, and his sons, James,
Charles and Eliphalet, are among the successful agriculturists.
Another old settler here is SAl\IUELSIMPSON, 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, Jive on the homestead, Thomas, unm
rried, is
a d.evoted disciple of Nimrod, and has killed great quantities of game; he has well-
tramed hounds, and annuaHy makes a visit to the hunting-grounds.
HISTORV 01<' PRESCOTT.
5 61
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. BVERS, married Ellen, eldest daughter of\Villiam 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, and was at Grand Brulé during the height of the excitement.
\Villiam H. Byers, one of his sons, who lives on a farm in this section, wa.. a
member of the 18th Battalion fifteen years, and was a S
rgeant 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 b
en largely interested in
the manufacture of cheese, having owned two factories and shares in others located
in different p
rts of the County, He was married in February, 1876, to Eliza Jane
Reveler.
Among the fine farms of\Vest Haw
esbury, which border Green Lane, are those
of \VIi UAl\I \V. HIGGINSON and ALEXANDER HUNTER, sen. \Vm. \Y. Higginson is
the eldest son of \Villiam Higginson, the pioneer of 1819, and a brother of several of
whom sketches
re given elsewhere in these pages. He bought a farm of 180 acres
in this locality in 18S4, 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, 18SS; they had six children-three of each sex. Mrs. Higgin-
son died about twenty years ago, and two of the daughters, Clara and A
nes R., still
live with their father. The former was married 21st
larch, 1894, to A. F. Gardner,
who has had much experience as a cheese-maker, and who scored 99
points on his
cheese at the \\TorId'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 ahvays
been equally ready to contribute to the support of any worthy enterprise, public or
private charity,
Ale:'ander Hunter, sen., is a brother of John Hunter of whom a sketch is given
in the history ofVankleek Hill. His imposing briCK dwelling is located on a level,
well-cultivated farm of 120 acres, adjoining tlut of M r. Higginson, and he l1a." besid;,>s,
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 Yankleek Hill. One
advantage that he possesses over many others engaged in brick-making is, that the
clay used for this purpo
e, 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 th
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,ooo-might easily be lalgely increased, but
as l\Ir. 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, :\[r.
Potter has had thrilling experieoces, and worked where human life \Vas oflittle 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,
5 62
HiSTORY OF 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,
In:land, 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.. the third son, taught school for some tiIHe in his earlier year:" 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 slIch force
that the destruction of the steamer appearing inevitable, a raft was constructed,
which, with the boat!', 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 wert e....er afterward seen. The passenger
took to the boats on the afternaon
of Tuesday, and the one in which 1\1 r. Potter, with a few others, had h:lstily 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 alJ had endured
e).cruciating sufferings, and the weaker ones died. Mr. Potter and some of the other
sUJ\-ivors 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
pa!>sage on another boat to New Urleans, an offer which he was disposed to accept,
inasmuch as his pride revolted at the thought of returning home in his destitute
cOlldilion. Arrived in New Orleam, his circumstances compelled him to accept
empioyment of a most laborious kind some miles up the Mississippi, among a class of
reckless men, many of whom were Fenians, to whom a citiz
n of Canada was an objtct
of unqualified hatred. Brighter days, however, were in
tore 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 Hawkeshury, are valuable and attractive,
JOHN MOO
EY, 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 fir(5t
vi:;it. He went hack to Ireland, bu: returned in 1830, and spent four or five years
in lumbering on the Ottawa. In September, 1834, he bought fr
m - Hutchinson
his farm in the 3rd Concession; he was married in 1836 to Miss Martha Miller, of
Quebec. Mrs.
Iool1ey died 23rd December, 1863, aged 56 ; Mr. .Mooney, 23rd
January, ] 879, at the age of 78. They had six children, of whom one son and three
daughters are now li\.ing. Sarah J., the eldest, married to John Bates, lives in
.\rgenteuil; Mary A., the second, married to R. \V. Bates, lives in the State of
Washington; Agnes, the third daughter, married to David Mulvena, lives in Alpena,
Mich. James A., the son, born in 1846, has always remained at home, with the
e}..ception of a few years !opent in lumLering. In August, 1873, he was married to
Euphemia, daughter of Ð,1\'id 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.
Ir. Mooney has a farm of 240 acres, and keeps fifty head
of catlie and eight horses. He has built two Hew barns, and made many improve-
ments.
JAJ\IES H. MILNER, second son of John
lilner, 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.
5 6 3
Middle States, spending about seven years in Massachusetts, New York and Penn-
sylvania. At the end of that time he returned and commenced f.,rming, taking half
his father's farm. In 1877 he was married to Anna Bella, daughkr of James Forbes
of EáSt Hawkesbury; of their three children, but one son is now living. Mr,
Milner was Deputy Reeve in 18)4, 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 HAVES was one of the early settltrs of this place; his farm W.1S on Lot 7,
3rd Concession. He was married in 1828 to Laura, daughter of l\famon 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 O!1e is deceased,
Mr, Hayes died of a cancer, and Ihree 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.ll\1rs. Milner had two sons and two daughters, but only the two
sons are now living. Mr. :\Iilner died in July, 1890, aged 70 years, but 1\1rs. Milner
still survives, and at 88 i.; very active,
\Villiam 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 'Vest Hawkesbury, on the road between L'Orignal and
Vankleek Hill, is a Post-office established about 1864 with the name Henry, rhe
first Postmaster was \\'illiam Dickson; second, C, Hamelin j third, Henry McNally;
fourth and the present one i" HARRISON CROSS, Ex-Reeve of the Township.
His fd.ther, George Cross, came from the County of Cavan, Ireland, in 1815. Soon
after his arrival in Quebec he married
Iary 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-o!1 which his son Harrison now resides.
He lived hele till his death ill 1869. and became a man of influence in Üie commu-
nity-having been a Justice of the Peace many years. He was a member of one of
the militia companies which W:1S on duty during the Rebellion of 1837. He had seven
children-five
OI1S 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
1st of January, 1857, to Rachel, daughter of Asa Bancroft of 'Vest Hawkesbury,
Mr. Cross i5 a gentleman much respected, and takes an active interest in all local
affairs-religiou
, sccial alld political. He is crier of the Courts held in L'Orignal,
has been a mel11b
r ot two Township Cou'1cils seventeen years, Reeve four, and
sel ved as School Trustee f.fteen years. He takes much interest in agricultural
matters, and has been salesman for the neighboring cheese factory six rears.
A Lodge of the .Patrons of Industry was organized here in IX93, wlllch now has
fifty members, and of this 1\[r. Cross is President. During the Fenian Raid.; he was
sergeant in the Company of Capt. E. A. Johnson. The number of his children at
plesent 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 30th July,
188 4, to Charlotte A. Bangs of Sand H ill, reside with him on the homestead which
S a fine farm with good buildings.
5 6 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
V ANKLEEK 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 5ugges-
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, m::mey-Ioving 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 b!ocks, 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 3 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
occupitd by a thrifty class of pioneers, who gradually developed its resources and
conveyed the products of theirlabors to the most convenient market-Vankleek Hill,
where a few active men had invested their capital in bu
iness. Moreover, the loca-
tion of the place was on the line of travel between the two great rivers, the St.
Lawrence and Ouawa-a circumstance which doubtless helped to facilitate its
growth.
The place bears the name of its founder, Duchess County,
.Y., was the home
of 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 V ANKLEEK, who held a militia commission signed bv Lod DCJrches-
ter. Following the British army to Nova Scotia, he was emploY'
d by the Government
as surveyor, for which he was awarded a tract of lanù. Unlike many of the Old C:mn-
try emigrants who, on receiving a land grant, were so delighted that they took whatever
lay most cOlr.-enient, without legard to its adaptability to cultivation, he examined
different localities with the view of finding land possessing apparently the qualities
desired. Ascending Moum Royal, when in Montreal, to obtain an idea of the
topography of the country, hi.; s.ttention was attracted by a prominent peak of the
Laurentian Chain in the County of Argen1euil. Proceeding thither, he ascended it,
and taking ano1her survey, he discovered 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 settler 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 Glengarriall, published
19 1h December, 1890:
" A few years later, he built a larger house, which W:lS long known as the old
Vankleek Tavern, and became an inn-keeper, in which business he continued till his
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 6 5
death. At the first meeting of the Township of Hawkesbury, IS08, he was appoint-
ed Assessor of the District, and his nearest neighbors, James Connors and Wm.
Sherman, respectively Path master and Collector of taxes."
:r-.Ir. Vankleek died in his 98th year at the residence of his son Barnabas in the
Town
hip 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 I
41, 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 18[9, Vankleek Hill possessed three house
, viz. : the Vankleek House, then
used as an inn; John Glass McIntosh's store, which stood on the site of the present
Town Han, and at that time managed by a young Scotchman, Neil Stewart; and,
the third was the house and store combined of \Villiam Clarke, which occupied the
site of the present residence of Miss McInnes. The clerk of the store was Duncan
IcDonnell, 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 Hou"e 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.
IcCalIum; it was destroyed by fire
atout 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 [826, by
T 111ius C. Blaisdell, a blacksmith.
. At that time, a log school-house, which was used as a place of worship by the
:r-.lethodists, stood at the upper end of the streec. In it, too, the Rev. Mr.
l\IcKillican, an undenominational clergyman, held divine services, which were
attended by all creeds, The old kirk, the ruins of which were lately torn down to
make way for the building of a new manse, was built in 1827, and its first pastor was
the Rev. Mr. McIsaac of Lochiel, who had charge of this Church as a branch or mis-
sion in addition to his own parish,
Up to 184?, 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 \VilIiam
Bury. They were burnt about two years later and rebuilt, but these were also
destroyed by fire in ] 882. A strange fatality seemed to overshadow these mills, as
they were also t\\ice 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 l\1cDùnnell,
and Peter McLaurin, who was avpointed in 1876, and still holds the position. In the
same year (1827) Simeon Vankleek died, aged 90. About this time, also, an
ashery was built! by \\Tilliam 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, that was by no means enviable.
:\1 any of the inhabitants of this and surrounding localities were Americans, and
naturaUy cherished fond memories of the Republic.
Charles \Vaters, who than repJesented Prescott in the Provincial Parliament, was
.
.
5 66
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 ofVankleek 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 belligerer:t 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 àate at St. Eustache and Grand Brulé 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 HiB 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 escOlted through the Hill to Hawkesbury
by a company of ca valry.
Col. George Hamilton, with a company of
1 ilitia, searched the premises of those
suspected of disloyal sen timents, but found nothing more dangerous than the Consti-
tution of the Young Men's Political Association, which was discovered in the house of
Charles \Vaters; it contail1td 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 oftl1ose 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 o\'erlooked in the promotion of officials, until at last, in disgust,
he resigued, 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; thert: 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 fina
ly sub
ided 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 Vapkleek H ill 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:
HISTORV OF PRESCOTT,
5 6 7
One of the largest and finest mercantile establishments of Vônkleek Hill is that
of JOHN R. McLAGRIN, He is a grandson of Donald R, McLaurin, who came from
Perthshire, Sc-(,t!and, to Breadalbane in Lochiel in 1815, and settled on a farm of 25 0
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 E3.st Hawkesbury, and remained on the homestead. They had seven
sons and three daughters; 1'.1r, McLaurin died in 1888.
John R., the eldest son, went to California in 1859, where he spent 1wo 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 HiIJ, 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 pn1minent
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 éind counters, and altogether it is an imposing
building. His stock of goods is large, and embraces c\'ery variety. Mr, McLaurin
has been very successful financialJy, 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 10wards the erection of the Ch llrch
building. He has long
een 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 nurried: first, 27th March, 1871, to :Miss Caro..
line McCann of \Vest Hawkesbury; she died in August, 1883, and he was married
27 th November, 1884, to Miss Chisholm of Skye.
The mercantile firm of MCCUAIG, CHE
EY & Co. is an old, well-established firm
that does an extensive business,
The business was started in 1864, by
Ialcolm 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 ti 1 r the erection of several of
the finest buildings in the village. Though he retired from the firm six or seven
)'ears ago, he still takes much interest in the prosperity of the' place, and is never
reluctant to encourage whatever promises to promote its monl, physical or social
advancement.
ARTHUR N. CHENEY, one of the partners in the film, is a grand'ion of Clark E.
Cheney, one of the pioneers of V:ll1kleek Hill. He carne 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 hOllse 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 16th May, 18
o, at the age of SOot, leaving seven sons and
four daughters, Nelson, the eldest son, bought a farm in 1841. of 100 acres-Lot
3 1 , Range 3. in East Hawkesbury, He was married 1st January, 18
6, to Emily
Md\ally of \Vest 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 n::slllt
of an industrious and mural1ife, He has four sons and five daughters.
Arthur N., his youngest, engaged as clerk for :\11'. :\1alcolm
lcCuaig at the age
5 68
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 1\Ir. McCuaig,
loth January, 1881. Mr. Cheney has been an Elder in the Presbyterian Church
ever since he was 2I, and Leader of the choir.
Another well established and popular merchant is \VILLTAl\I H. McKENZIE. His
father, Hugh McKenzie, carne 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
Yankleek Hill in 1875, and entered into partnership in the mercantile line with
nonald McLeod, the firm being known as :McLeod & McKenzie, which continued
fourteen years, when Mr, McKenzie bought out his partner. Since 1889 he has been
alone with his two sons, \Villiam 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 iikes 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, \Villiam Northcott, came to the Hill from Devonshire,
England, in 1854, and about two years later, married Kate, daughter of Colin C.
CampbeH, of LochieJ. 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 en tered into partnership and opened their present store. Charles
taught school two years, and subsequently attended the Business ColJege 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, úf 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 vilJage. Besides a full stock of drugs and patent
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 6 9
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 Christiaa young gentleman, and devotes a portion of hi5 time to
Christian work.
One of the prominent merchants of Vankleek HilI in the past, and one of the
most 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 11ember of Parliament for the city
of Ottawa, Neil, the third son, came to the Hill in 1825, as clerk for John Glass
McIntosh, 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,-ColoneI. J n 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
the Counties, congratulating them on the wisdom of their choice, He was married
15th March, 1828, to Alice McCann, who died 15th 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 \Valker.
The HURLEY BROTHERS are the only merchants in this place who mlke a
specialty of men's furnishings, boot'), shoes, hats and caps, Their gra.ndfather,
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 ahout 1867, to Margaret .McNeill, of East
Hawkeshury, 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 fi ve 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
lain
Street. He was born in St, Martine, Chateauguay County. He learned the tailor's
trade, and has, ever since: followed it in his native village, in Boston, New York and
Vankleek HiB, 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 p.uticular
to respect the slightest wish of his customers; he is also careful to practise the
courtesy characteristic of his race.
37
57 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A fine
tructure is that of P. S. PAQUET, on Main Street, Mr. Paquet began
mercantile life as c1erk
and, after an apprenticeship of nine years, entered his pre5ent
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. !vIr, 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 financiaHy 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 JOH
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 \Vood Bros., sons of
James Wood, of Geneva, Argenteuil County, Que. Robert 'Vood learned his trade
with John Hppe, of Lachute, and then followed it in Smith's Falls, Perth and Toronto,
Onto He was married in the latter city, 19th September, 1889, to Josephine McKiterick,
and in 1892, in company with his younger brother, Oliver, opened a Bakery and
Confectionery shop at the H ill on Main Stl eet. 1 he business of this firm is in a very
prosperous condition, extending not onìy throughout the village, but to Caledonia
Springs and all the country adjacent.
A beautiful building is the Hochelaga Bank, of which 'V. N. PAMBRUN is the
manager. Mr, Pambrun is the grandson of André Dominique Pambrun, who
emiglated from France to this country during the French Revolution, and became the
Agent of Mr. de Lotbinière, 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 Délima Daoust, a young lady of
Glengarry. Their son, W. N. Pambrun, was born in Peverill in Augtl
t, 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 Canadh, 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 retmned to Canada in 1892, and entered the service of the
Hochelaga Bank, and became manager of the Vankleek Hill branch of that instItu-
tion, 1st May, 1894.
.Mr. Pambrun is a gentlemln of much public spirit. as \VeIl 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 28th, 1894:-
HISTIJRY OF PRESCOTT,
57 1
"The Presbyterians form by f3.r the largest congregation in this section, and
among the members are man}' 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 1IcLaren, 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 \Villiamstown. Mr. McLaren was succeeded by Rev.
Mr. McIsaac, 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 follO\ved by Rev. Alex. Cameron,
from 1850 to 1852, and the Rev. D. Cameron from 1853 to Ig57, 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 congregatiun is now entirely
free from debt, a much larger building is projected, and a splendid site alongside of
the new manse has been secured. 'Vith 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. 1\Ir. Currie was succeeded by Rev. .:\rr.
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 l!is induction has been very marked, and his
labor specially blessed in an Ülcreased interest among the young people and the
Sabbath school.
Ir. 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 'Vest 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 hi') 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 HilI, 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.
57 2
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
Charles Daniell next became pastor of the Hawkesbury Church, and Rev. Arthur
Phillips ofthe church at Vankleek Hill. The following have succeeded Mr. Phillips at
the Hill: Revs. W. Muckstone, Jos. Elliott, W, J. Halowell, aDd T, H. LLOYD, M.A.
Mr. L10yd 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 I
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 1893
he received the degree of M.A" by the Archbishop of Ontario, in Kingston Cathe.
dral, 17th June, 1894, and was appointed Rector of Vankleek Hill, and took charge
of the parish on the 17th of August following. He was m:uried to Agnes Lima, eldest
daughter of Walter G. Murray, Esq" of Fernc1iff
, l\fassawippi, Que, The fact that
the important Rectorship of Vankleek Hill has been assigned to a clergyman so
young as Mr. L10yd 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. 'ViHiam D, Brown. The late Hugh Stewart was very active in procuring
its erection, and was a liberal subscriber, The following gentlemen, also, contributed
liberally towards defraying the expense: the late James Giuson, 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 chmch 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: \V, \V. Tweed, Circuit Steward;
Albert G. Cheney, S.S. Superintendent j Noah Durant, Henry E. Cheney, A. F,
Arnold, David Steele, Leonard Bertrand, Rouert Mc\Vatlers.
The following is a list of the principal subscribers towards the fund for building
the new Church: .
B. B. Dunning....... ......,.. .........$100
,V. ,V. Tweed........, ,...,..". ......., 100
James Gibson ..... .,. ....,.... . ........ JOO
Albert G. Cheney......... . ............ 100
Leonard Bertrand.... ........... ...... 100
V H' I C.
he S ne
a h nd } ................. 7 0
a entme 11l1t
Levi G. Bancroft.......... ............... 50
Joshua Bancroft......................,... 50
MIs. Eliza Bancroft.............. ...... 50
A, F, Arnold............ ....,.... ......... 50
Alvah Durant.....,... .................... 50
H. C, Hanlelin...............,........... 25
Samuel 'V, McCann. ......... ......... 25
Samuel Stevens ................ .....,...$ 25
James Downing....... ................. 25
Albert J. Cross...... ...................., 25
Noah Durant ..... ......... ....... ...... 25
William Sproule................... ...... 25
1\lrs. Keough..................... . ...... 25
David A. Steele.............., ..... ....., 26
Robert Mc\Vatters..,................... 25
Rev. R. F. Oliver........................ 26
Robert Sproule"."."...,........,...... 20
Nathan McCann...".... ......... ..... 20
Mrs. C. Bor.d................ ............ 10
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. Th
ir object was to enter into busi.
ness. Prospects were promising, and they were not disappointed. As far: back as the
year 1843, the Re\', John l\IcLaurin and family moved here from South Gower, and
besides looking after his business, he preached the Gospel quite frequently, During
the:.e years and those following, the Revds, Wm. Fraser and \V, 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
meeting; 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
ncouraged
to consider the question of building a chapel.
September 21st, 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. l\1cL:lUrin, \Vm. 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 frouting Main Street was lJUrchased. 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 16th Janu.
ary, 1884, they were recognized by a council as a regular Baptist Church, :\1r.
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.McEwEN,
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
Horne Mission fund, and extended a call to the Rev. Jas. McEwen of Port Perry, to
become their pastor. The call was accepted, and Mr. l\lcEwen entered upon the
574
HISTOI<Y OF PRESCOTT,
work of the field ill January, 1891. 'Since that date the Church has made steady
progress, The member
hip has doubled within four years, and is thoroughly organ-
jzed for aggressive work. Materia]]y, 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 BalJtist
Church here, was born in Lanark County in 1852. His parents carne from Perthshire,
Scotland, in early life. His mother, Janet McCallum, was the daughter of Mr.
:McCallurn, 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. \Vhen 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 \Voodstock, where he graduated in 1879; and he then 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, incJuding 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 e:unestness with which his sound reasoning. forcible illustrations
and strong appeals are presen ted. No stronger proof of his fitness for the ministry could
be given than the fact, that wherever he has labored, tl1; 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 presby/ire, located near it, is alst) 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
re French and the others of the English-speaking nationalities. They now have
111 charge about 250 pupils. Special attention is given to music, the teacher in charge
of this department being one of high ability.
HISTORY OF 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 9 00 .
A Congregational Church was erected here about 1862, which wac; the second
edifice bui!: on the Hill. Owing to the small number of its suppor!ers, hmvever,
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 fortie
, 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 j average attend-
ance 200, The Principal is Mr. Edward T. Hoidge ; Assistants,
[iss T. Gray,
liss
A. Cheney and :\liss K, McInnes.
The High School buildmg, which was erected in 1890, is 6:;) 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.. .............. "............. Prillclþa/.
liss Saul.,...,..... ,......,.".,." ............. ..Ellglish,
Mr. L. Might...................... .......,....... Commercial alld Scientific.
Mr. R. Sheriff.............. ................ .....,Jloderll Lallguages.
Mr. Jamieson graduated at Cobourg, On1., in 1888 j he has tanght about twelve
years, during which he has gained the reputation of a successful and popular teacher,
PROFESSION AL.
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'Neil 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 tl-tree years.
DR. JAMES MciNTOSH, 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 McINTOSH, 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
}'ears. Duncan, his youngest son, married Margaret McMillan of Glengarry, and
57 6
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 186.1, He settled first at St. Eugène, but after remaining there five or six years, he
came to Vankleek Hill, where he has long had a successful practice. He was also at
one time Inspector of Schools for East Hawkeslmry, 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 f('rmer is a gra-
duate of McGill. Edward is clerk in the sto
e of his uncle in the village, anå the
daughter is at home.
\VM. HARKIN,
1.D., C.M.,
I.P.P.-Dr. Harkin was born at \Vest 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 J\1cGill College, Montreal, gra-
duated from that institution in 1858, with the degree of M. D., C.M. Settling at
Vankieek H ill, 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 recei,'ed its first great impulse,
he took an active interest in the organization of the County Battalion (the 18th
Battalion of Active l\Iilitia) of which he was appointed Surgeon, a position which he
held lip to the time of his death in 1881. He accompanied the Battalion to the front
when 01 de red out for service durillg the various Fenian Raids.
Honored with the Reeve-ship of 'Vest 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 PuIJlic 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 \Valm 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, he 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, wht) 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 som and five
daughters. Samuel, one of the sons, married, in 1860, Leonora, daughte:- 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 rour daughters
livmg.
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, anå 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 Fitzpatrick, was born in 1826 near Enniskillen, Ireland, and came to Canada
in 1836, and is a farmer now living in 'Vest Hawkesbury j he was one of the loyal
Volunteers of the 18th 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 I..D.S. from the Royal College
of Dental Surgeons in April, 1895 ; and in June following, the degree of D.D.S, was
conferred on him by Toronto University,
lr. Fitzpatrick has succeeded to the
practice of 1\1r. Howe. who has recently removed tu Chicago, and he also has an
office in Hawkesbury Village where he practises on certain dlYS of each month,
FRED. \V. THISTJ.EWAITE is a young gentIemln of thi., 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 rem:tining years,
which terminated about 182S, were spent here in the successful practice of his pro-
fession. He had two sons and four daughters; his elder son, Robert \[orris, settled
on a farm near the village, where he died about lRS8 j he had three sons and two
daughters. Robert, his eldest son, in his youthful days spent a few years suc:cessfully
in :\ustralia, in the height of the gold fever, and on his return, ab
jut 1857, he
bought a farm of 200 acres, on which a considerable portion of the village is now
located. He was married I 7th
[arch, 1858, to Jean !\lod
.
1r, Thi.,Llewaile
resides in a commodious s
one residence on :\Iain 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 man}' years. He has ohe son and four d.mgh ters.
.Fred 'V., the son, on beginning the study of Law, was articled to the pre5ent
Judge O'Brian; he then studied at Ottawa with Scott,
lcTavish and
lcCracken j he
completed his course at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, and was admitted to the Bar in May,
188S' After the death of Judge Daniel he was appointed Local Master of the Hi
h
Court at L'Orignal in 1887, but 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 Huchelaga 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 nurried 25th October, 1893, to
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 18 4 0 , whither
his parents had emigrated from the County Monaghan, Ireland, in the year 18 3 0 .
His early education was obtained at the district school. In 1856 he removed to the
neighborhood of St. Eugène, 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 187 I, disposing of his farm, he removed to
Vankleek Hill, and purchased the property known as the Commercial Hotel. This
,
57 8
HISTORY OF 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 establishtd hotel proprietor in
the village, it now being ne
rly twenty-five years since he emb.uked in business.
In politics Mr. Kelly is a staunch Liberal, and is to-day regarded as one of the
ablest of that puty's workers in the county. .For the past twenty-five years he has
taken a prominel1t J: art in the various political contests which have occurred in the
county, and has acquired an enviable reputation as a" hustling" canvasser.
\Vhen, several years ago, the" Scott Act" was submitted to a vote in Prescott
and Russell, he wa') active in the establishment of the Licensed Victm.llas' Assacia-
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 th.1t their in vestments will yield them
a satisfactOi y 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 Commacial Hou"e on High Street, which is one of the popular and well-
conducted hotels on the Hill, is owned by GEOIWE CONS rAN rISE \U, who \va., born
at Bellp Rivière, Que. On the pJ.ternal side he is of Spa.nish de
cent.
H is father, Benjamin Constalllineau, settled in Point Fortune about 18..).0. In or
near 1859, he 'sold his farm there and removed to St. Eugène. where he still resides
on his farm. He has had five son') and one daughter, of whom one son is deceased.
George, the third son, spent his youthful days in the States; he was married about
186 4 to Josephine King. She died in 1879, and a few years later, he ma
ïied Mary
Finn, of Sr, Eugène. Un returning from the States he bought a farm in St. Eugène,
but sold it three years afterwards, opened a !->tore, and for the next fifteen years
devoted himself wholly to trade. He next tried his success in the \Vestern 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 tht: 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 9th July, 1849, to Angélique 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 it
orgauization. In 1870, he removed to Vankleek Hill, and bought the business
of P. Martin who carne from St. Placide, and had started a foundry here a year pre-
vious. In October, 1873, the foundry was destroyed b'y fire, but a new one was at
once erected, a.nd 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 18th June, 1882, to Augusta Sloan. Mary Malvina, one of his
sisters, was married 6th June, 1873, to F. X. Bertrand, a merchant loc'lted on the
corner of High and Miil 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
driJl, 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..!
h gears and pulleys for
saw mills, and castings for :Ill sorts of purposes are readily turned out,
Their large wood shop is equally wen supplied with a variety of the most im-
proveå machinery, besides which they have a general blacl..':;rJiith shop.
The Vankleek Hill Manufacturing Company is another floUt i,hing industry, which
was established in 1883 by Cheney, Dunning & Co. In 1890 it was established as a
limited joint stock company with Mal:olm McCuaig as President; \Villiam
IcAdam,
Secretary-Treasurer; and Albert G. Chenty, Manager. They manufacture nll kinds of
sash, doors, blinds, mouldings, and hOllse 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 Phænix Roller Mills of \V. 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,
lr. Sylvester was born in Fort Covington, N.Y., and in the early part of his life
\Vas a contI acter, taking se verallarge jobs on the Cornwall Canal and other places.
He learned the mil1wright 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 milI, and the following year added his woollen mill. The following is taken
from the TorO/lto Globe of ;.:6th October, 18 94 :-
" 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 offlour,
" 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. Sy Ivester's three sons, 'V. F., J. S. and l\I. 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 municip3.laffairs, 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 'Yorks of N. Matte is a prominent industry of the HilI,
[r,
Matte came to this pJace from Plantagenet auout 1877, and his success affords
another striking example of :what pel severance and tact, backed by intelligence, can
accompJish, Beginning without capital, he has gradually built up a busint:ss which,
for extent and reputation. is second to nune in this part of Ontario. His carriages,
S80
HISTOR\ OF PRESCOTT.
which are of the latest style and ùest 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 th
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 llsed 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 j the former taught school some time in his younger days, but in 1875, with
his brother, engaged in business as pump manufactur
rs 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, cullers and sleighs of all kinds, and solicit orders
for boring wells either in clay or rock j they are also agents for sewing machines,
organs, pianos and windmills j 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, a.nd 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. SaucIER, Jeweller and Photographer, has done a successful bu<;iness here
since 1863. He was born in 1\Jiìton, SlJefforå County, Que.; learned the \Vatch-
maker's and Jewe1ler's trade in St. Hyacinthe, and then followed it in \Vatertown,
N.Y. ; after which, in 1857, he moved to Cornwall. He next began work on his own
account, and after about six years spent in L'1ncaster and Metcalfe, he came to the
Hill. He was married in 1865 to Mary Carrier. In 1880 he added 1)11Otography 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.
NE\VSP APERS.
From the Glellgarriall of 19th December, 1890 :--
"The first and only newspaper published (up to that time) was started in 1857,
and edited by the Hon. Rupert \Vens, son of Sheriff J. P. 'Veils. 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 j 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, Rup
rt would have devdopeJ his little sheet into a
gocd local paper."
In the lattel' part of the year 1893, the publication of The .Rezliew wa, commenced
by S, I. Jones, but his death soon afterwards came near putting an end to the enter-
HISTORY OF PRESC<1rT.
5 81
prise, In September, of 1894, however, L. \V. 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 [he RevÙ1(J, which is constantly improving and
increasing in popularity,
Among those who settled at Vankleek Hill none became mor
prominent than
THOMAS HIGGINSON, the youngest of four brothers already mentioned, who came to
Hawkesbury in 1819. A little volume of poems recently published, which he wrote
at different periods (;f his life, shows him to have been a man of much genius, imagin-
at:on and pure morality, The name Higginson is not a very common on
, 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
Massa.chusetts 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 crt'w and passengers on the deck, and all kneeling he said: "\Ve will not say
as the PUlitans were wont to say, 'farewell Rome, farewell B
bylon,' 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 oràained his eldest son, John, who wac; then 2 [ 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 calkd in later years, who
died in I j08, 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 bec.lme 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
18 [7, George Higginson came to Canada, and was followed by his brothers, J ol1n,
William and Thomas in 1819, who all settled in Hawkesbury.
Thomas Higginson was married to Nancy Park, 24th April, 18 [9, in the Parish
of Kilwaughten by the Rev. I. Lediie,. sailed from Belfast on the 1St of
fay following,
and arrived at Quebec 14th June. He first settled in West Hawkesbury, where his
eldest son, John, was born 30th April, 1820, but he soon removed to North Plan-
tagenet, and settled on a farm, where his son \Villiam was born 15th 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 W.lS a
prominent figure in all the important social and political movements of the County.
He was SIJrerintendent of Schools for Prescott and Russell, many years, Agent for
the B.ll1k 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
ivision
of Prescott up to the close of his life. lie died 22nd January, 18
4, aged 90 years
13 days; he had twelve children, of whom seven sons and four daughters grew up,
Of these, William and Henry are the only ones who remained in this section, and
both now live together on the homestead. The former has been a prominent man in
5 82
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, 31st May, 1838; was with them at Hawkesbury Mills till 1841, when he was
transferred to their office in N' ew 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 18th Batt. of
Prescott Volunteer Militia about 1861, commissioned Major 24th July, 1863, and
Lieut.-Co!. 15th February, 1867. He has also been Reeve of Hawkesbury several
times, and would doubllcss still hold the office, had he not positively declined to
serve longer. 'Ve give a copy of the unique Indenture which the Col. had to sign
on entenng the service of Messrs. Hamilton & Lowe:
" This Indenture Witnesseth: that \VilIiam Higginson of the to .vnship of Hawkesbury, District of
Oltawaand Pro\ince of Upper Canaòa, aged
eventeen years, doth by these presents put himself, by
and Wilh the con
ent of his Father, Thomas Higginson, Sen., of the Township aforesaid, apprentice to
l\1essls. Hamilton and Lowe of the Hawkesbury MIUS, 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 ofthe age oftwenty-one years, which will be on the 15th day of Januarv, 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
glad]y do. He shaH do nodamage 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 pe."iod. Hurt to his said Masters he shaH not do, cause or pro-
.cure to be done by others. He shall not play at cJ.rds, 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 seH on his account, he !'hall not haunt nor use Taverns or Playhouses,
nor abscnt 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
\Villiam Higginson instructed in their busines!'õ, and to find Board and Washing for the said William
Higginson during the said term as before mentioned j with the following salary annually (provided he
always demeans himself according to the spirit and meaning oflhis 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 co\'en.
ants and agreements, either of the parties bindeth him.::elf to the other by these present. In witness
whereof, the pal ties 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 CoJ. sent the following address to Lord
Beaconsfield, congratulating him on his cou} d.éta! by which the Suez Canal was
secured to England :-
&, To THE RIGHT HONORABLE, THE EARL OF 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 hy you as ]eader 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 plahs 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,
'1.t a critical time, was a trial which YOll bravely met and SUI mounted, and you stand, to-day,
.,
.,
COLO
EL HI<;mXsox.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 8 3
- 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
alisbury, 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
councillor of Her Most Gracious Majesty, is the prayer of all Joyal Canadians."
"GOD SA VE THE QUEEN."
"NEW LI\"ERPOOL,19th July, 1878,"
Th
following is the reply :
" Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, to the Earl of Dufferin.
"DOWNING STREET, 15th August, 187 8 .
., Canada, 235,
"
Iy LORD,
",I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch, No.202, of the 26th of July,
tlansmilting an address to the Earl of Beaconsfield from some of the inhabitants of l'ew 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.
&< 1 ha,'e, etc.,
., M. E. HICKS BEACH."
., 10 DOWNING STREET, 13th August, 18 7 8 .
,. SIR,
o 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 } c'I have, etc.,
Colonial Department." " A LGERNON TURNER,"
Coi. Higginson was in command of the Volunteers at Cornwall from 6th March
to 1st May, I
66, when he had to leave for his duties at New Liverpool. Knowing
that the Y OlUl1 teers were not in time to meet the enemy, he watched the proceed-
ings in Parliament closely, to see what action, if any, would be takcn in the matter.
Nothing had been done during the session, and on Monday, at noon, he received a
copy of the Qtlebec Chro1licle, in which it \Vas announced that prorogation would take
place on the following \Vednesday. He immediately addressed the following note to
the Hon. John Hamilton, Senator:
HONORAßLE JOHN HAMILTON, Ottawa.
DEAR SIR,
Do not let the session end without U1ging upon the Minister of .Militia and Adjutant General, the
neces!>ity of having at lea5t 100
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
Al my a1tewards.
NEW LIVERPQOL.
Yoms truly,
'W:'f. 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
wrC'te 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-I( 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 ad van tage."
5 8 4
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 the 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 cour.try.
The Colonel daims 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.-Co!. 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 Wtst Hawkesbury and l.ongueuil, and which was discontinued in
1894. He IS agent for the Royal fÏre & 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 111 the way of conveyancing.
Previous to 1862 he followed farming, but from that period to 1875, was employ-
ed as Book-keeper for Jame
Boyd, merchant. Old records of agricultural matters
show that the Colonel was not one of the kid-gloved farmers who, seated in the
hadc
of a friendly tree, expatiated on the delight of agricuIturallife, but that he entered
into the work with the spirit and energy displayed by a successful, practical farmer,
In a plowing match of 1845, he drew the fifth prize, 15 shillings; in 1846 and 1847,
the fir
t prize, ;(,2, each year; in 1848, the last lime he was a competitor, the fifth
prize, 15 shillings,
He has been twice married; by the first marriage he ha
one son and two
daughters living, and the same by the second marriage.
'VILLIAM FERGUSON. is another of the pioneers of the Hill. His father, who
bore the same name, came from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, to Quebec, in J 836, 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
\ere and in
all the surrounding localities. He erected buildings for Lemuel Cushing of Chatham,
Owens of Stonefield, built the Victoria Mills at Thurso, and performed a large amount
of work in Buckingham for George 'V. 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 tl:e winter of 1895.
....
....
',,-
1"1I1.C I
1-:1. SII [1:1 liS.
Co,
..
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
5 8 5
died in childhood. 'Villiam, the eldest ofthe children, was m
rried 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 FaIJs, Ont,
1\1r. 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. \Villiam McCrae and
frs. John Roberts. He has had three sons, the
eldest of whom is deceased; the other two live in Seattle, 'Vashington,
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 0 this
coun try 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,
erving as Coroner, Asse5sor, 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 16th June, 1878, at the great age of 95 years and 7 months; his
sight was so good that, notwithstanding his advanced years, he wa') 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 EERTRÀND is a lineal descendant of a French soldier, who came with
troops from France to Canada in 1740. His father. Léon Bertrand, was born in St.
Andrews abClut 1805 ; the latter was married 18th Ja.nuary, 1836, at Rigaud, to
Véronique Poireau De Bellefeuille. They removed to Fort Covington, N.Y., in
1842, but returned in the fall of 1843, and bought a farm in East Hawkesbury, whcle
he died 1 Ilh 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 th:l.t of millwright, and opened a shop in East Hawkesbury in
1865, which he conducted tin 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 I Hh Battalion, commanded hy 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.
J AMES STEELE, of whose father and brother a sketch is given in the history of
Cassburn, is now a citizen of the Hill; but he spent a large portion of his !tfe 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-
panyof Canada (now London Mutual), and has worked up a large business. He
has also been agent (or the \Vestern 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
3 8
5 86
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. \Vm. J. Joliffe, to Elvira
Lovina Carkner, fifth daughter of the late'Villiam 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. 1\1r,
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 würks 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, an of whom are
now living, and the three eldest are attending the High School of the HIlI.
JOHN HUNTER is a gentleman who, after having served many years in life's
walfare, sought a well merited rest in this village. His father, John Hunter, carne
from tlie County of Antrim, Ireland, to Longueuil, in 1825. Two years later he
purchased the west half of Lot 19, 6th Range, in 'Vest 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, and
subsequently a MunicIpal Councillor several years; he died 21st November) 1865 ;
Mrs. Hunter died 13th 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 Lllher's farm in
Hawkesbury. His lumbering operations and saw mill were a source of no little
profit to him, and enabled him to S3.ve money. He has also
pent 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 year
as Municipal Councillor in
Caledoni<J) during which time he was also Reeve. In the fall of [892 he bought a
lot and partially completed house on Derby A ve., 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 fine::.t in the county.
CAPT. \Vn.LIAl\! OGDEN is another respected citizen who has lately sought a
home at the Hill, after many years of toil. He is a grandsor. of James Ogden who
carne from London, England, to Quebec, about 1798, with his brother, Judge
Ogden, who was quite prominent in this country for a number of year3, but wh')
finally returned to England. J ames Ogden was a merchan t tailor, and plied his
vocation in Quebec some years, and then carne to St. Andrews, Argenteuil County,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
5 8 1
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, 9th November, 1886; he had four sons and two
daughters.
\Vil]jam, 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 (oHows. lie 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, 21th July, 1886,
Chric:;tiana l\IcNab, of \Vest 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, 18th Battalion, by ballot of its members, and, not
long aft('Twards, 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 0n Main Street is that of \VILLlA:\[
McADAM, who is connected with several different societies 011 the Hill and with
important lmsiness concerns. His father, John McAdam, came from the County of
Antrim, Ireland. to East Hawkesbury, ill 1844-. He followed the trade of shoe-
maker, and was Postmaster, also, from 1866 to 187 r. He now resiàes with his son,
\Villiam; his companion having died 16th No\rember, 1886. He has two sons and
two daughters now living.
\VilIiam, the eldest son, after attending the school at East Hawkesbury and the
Grammar School at the Hill, sl
ent several years previous to 1869 as clerk at Cale-
àonia 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 departmen t of the Pre
byterian Church, and has been
Treasurer of the Township of \Vest Hawkesbury since July, 18Sr. He was marriEd
26th January, 1874, to Miss Hattie McCuaig, sister of Malcolm McCuaig, Esq. Mr.
.:i\fcAdam is a gentleman of industrious habits and most genial nature.
DONALD
IcLEOD, son of John McLeod, a pioneer of Glengarry County, was
born in Lochiel, in 1849. In 1866 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 \V. H. McKenzie, the firm bein
known as .McLeod & :\IcKenzie, 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
188 9, and served for three years, at the end of which time he resigned. He was
re-elected January 1st, 1895, and still holds the office,
On January 11th, 1888, he was married to Frances, daughter of Robert Thistle.
waite, Esq., of this place; they have two sons and one daughter.
S88
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
DONALD McINNES, from Glenelg, Scotland, came to \Vest Hawkesbury in 1815,
and settled on haif of Lot 16, Range 6, and followed farming till his death in
1 8 5 1 . 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 Stt\vart; they have five sons and one daughter. 1\1r,
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 CoJlege, 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 1\1. A,
EAST HA\VKESBURY.
This Township is bounded north by the Ottawa, east by the County of Vaudreuil,
south by Glengarry, and west by \Vest Hawkesbury.
It is one of the finest townships in Ontario j 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 IJroad 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 heJd service monthly till eight years ago, since which there
has been weekly service; The pre sent church was erected in 1892, by the Kev.
Father Towner, It is a fine brick structure, 100 feet by 4S feet, with a commo-
dious vestry, The present incumlJent is the Rev. Mr. LeClaire.
The first school ever opened in this section was a private one, started about
1830 by two early settlers,
1r. \Vyman and
Ir. 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 l>etter system of schools was soon inaugu-
rated.
Before the construction of the Carillon dam, there was quite a little 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.
5 8 9
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 1\1r. 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, \Va3 its excellent fishing grounds, many varieties of fish-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 l\fr. 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 1\1r. 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.
DÀNIEL B. WV:\IAN was doubtless the first perm,ment settler in this locality,
having located in Lot 17 and half of Lot 18, 1st Range, in 1804. He was born in
Brookfield, Mass., in 1765, and was married in 'Yells, Vermont, to Sarah Be'm-dsley
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, \Vyman was a millwright, and soon after coming here, he built a grist-mill
and saw-mill on lan<! contigllolls 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. \Vyman 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, 16th 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 183 I to Jane l\1elancey Ellis, and died in 1883. They had four sons and
four daughters.
Daniel B., the eldest of the sons, was married 15th September, 1858, to Emma,
daughter of \VilIiam Kirby. The next year they settled on a farm of 100 acres
adjacent to the homestead, to which l\1r. 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 sh ow that his yeal s 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.
Ch
uncey, his eldest son, who was married in 1890 to Ethel J. Inglis, lives on
the homestead; the two youngest sons of Mr. \Vyman, Hiram and Daniel, are taking
a COli rse at McGill; two of his daughters are married.
r. \Villiam, the youngest of the family of the late Hiram B. \Vyman, remained on
the homestead, which, with additions he has made, is now a large farm, and which,
59 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
like his brother Daniel's farm, has been rendered attractive and productive through
mar.y years of industrious labor. Mr, Wyman was married 15th September, 1880, to
Clarissa, daughter of Hugh Lough.
The tW0 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. \Vyman, 21st 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
dweHings 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 umbre]]a 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 pa temal 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 deLision 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 tht:m, after the coach was some distance away, to look hack and see
their parents on the gallery of their cottage, waving handkerchiefs-a last farewell ;
they never met agam. The thirteen weeks' voyage following expanded the girls'
ideas regarding a tri p to America,
At this time 1\Ir. 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, 1st 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 arId I I months, and her memory and mental faculties
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
59 1
remaiûed unimpaired till about a year prior to her death, Both l\Ir. and Mrs. Kirby
were striking examples of the determll1ed, hardy and industrious emigrants from the
Old Country, who opened up these townships.
Mr. Kirby was from Yorkshire, England-hon
st, sensitive, and quick to resent
any imputation against himself of dishonor.
He and Judge :\1cDonell, of Point Fortune, had long been friends, hut on a
certain occasion
fr. 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 h.eld the chief office in the militia,
came up to Kirby's Hotel attired in uniform, to attend the drill of his men.
\Vhile he was standing in the yard, one of the friends of both men came from
the door, aIln in arm with Kirby.
" \Vell, T udge," said the friend, " Kirby is here and willing to apologize."
" On your kneps, Kirby!" said the Judge, "1'11 never accept your apolooy
otherwise;" and he emphasized the words by a sweep of his sword. 0
" 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
towar.Js the Judge, and was only prevented from striking him by the active interfer-
ence of Liends. 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 DY which the debt was honorably paid.
!\Ir. Kirby, like most of the old pioneers, was fond of a practical joke,
\Vhen living on the Platt farm,
Irs. 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 t\\'o were married, 1\1rs. Kirby presented Rosy with a half-
dozen silver spoons, on which the bride's name was engr.wed.
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.
lr. 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,
cc Oh," said the Squire, "I suppose it ought to be worth a quart of rum"-an
article commonly used for traffic in those days,
J oannise gladly accepted the terms, and on the following morning appeared with
his wife before the SquÍle. 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
59 2
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 possessian. After the divi
ion was made they bade each other an affèctionate
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 d:lY, therefore, in which their
marriage knot had been severed, they trudged back three miles to Squire Le Roy j
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 peop!e
as to the true character and solemnity of the marriage rite.
1\lr. and 1\1rs. Kirby had eight children, úf whom three sons and three daughters
grew up. \Villiam S., the eldest son, was long connected with the Customs Depart-
ment at Onawa.
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 k-=eps an average of 65 head of cattle, besides horses.
He was married 15th September, lð58, to Caroline \Vyman, who died in
February, 1888. Sbe was an estimable woman, possessed of great amiability, and
her loss Wcl.S deplvred 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 \V. Ross;
she died 25th February, 1892,
Russell, the eldest son, resides at Braeside, Out. ; Wyman, the second son, lives
in Seattle, \Vashington, Three sons, John 1\1., Daniel B., and Hiram H., and one
daughter, Caroline May, are still at home.
Mr. Kirby is one of the influential farm
rs 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 \Varden 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 rafts men from the foot of the Long S.lult to Hawkes-
bury, This was before stearn 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, 1\1r. Kirby took the fourteen men, drove rapidly
with them to Hawkesbury, seven miles, and returned in time to mèet 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 b
en
stated that his father had a contract for carrying the mail from Montreal to Ottawa.
1\Ir. 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 18-t-8 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 incom
by boats which
were placed on the St. V::.wrence. He was then compelled to use his horses and coaches
in other places, and among the opposition lines he stlfted one between Point For-
tune and L'Orignal. It was during the existence of this line that busine<;s, especially
travel, was most brisk in this locality. :\Ir. Kirby says that he cften 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 :
0.1e day, a large, rustic young fellow, 16 or 17 years old, came to him when he
was forming a raft up the Ottawa, and a<;ked for employm
nt. Hi.; n 1m
w
shall
can Ben, and he came from one of the townships in the rear of Argenteuil, from ,vhich
loca:ity had come also two or three others-Scotchmen-who wae 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.
" 0 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 churns 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 perhap:; 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
[r. Kirby in start-
ling accents that Ben was drowning. Directing the Indian to rouse the other men,
1\[r. Kirby, as soon as possible, was out with a lantern to assist in the search,
which WJ.s 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 ri,'er there-
about might be thoroughly dragged. At the same time, a messenger \Va<; dispatched
on foot, to carry the sad tidings to the father of the lost boy. As the distance \Vas
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 an 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 rt:sided. 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 beeu 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 opposi te 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 tr.e topic of cOI1\"ersation 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 dTùwned, 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 Lachute, Que.,
and in 1830, or 1831, removed to Hawkesbury, and settled on J.ot 15, Range 4.
.From that he removed to the 1st Range, and nearly forty years ago settled on the
Platt property descrihed above. This property was entailed, but Mr. Gibson held
it in charge till it was hi.. by possession, yet he generously aba
doned 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 chit:fly 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 t00k on his
back in a bag, and started on his return, Night and a heavy storm carne 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, outhved those days of hardship, and is now in posses-
sion of a fine farm. He has been a member of the COllnty 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 11ere with his father, Matthew Hodgson, in 1818, from
Thornton,LYorkshire, 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 th
west half of Lot II, 1st
Range in East Hawkesbury, on which he still resides, and to which he has added
75 acres, He was married 28th May, r
44, to Esther Reveler; they have two
sons and (our daughters.
Mr. Hodgson has been School Trustee and Assessor several years.
About r830, 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, hac:; built up a good
business, He manufactures carriages of all kinds, which are noted for their neat-
ness, cheapness and durability.
OVILA BÉLANGER, whose neat new dwelling has a most commanding view up
and down the Ottawa and of the County ot Argell1euil, was born in St. Andrews,
Que, His father, Joseph Bélanger, moved from St. Andrews, to St, Eugène about
186 5, and after conducting a hotel there for two years, he carne to Chute au Blon-
deau, purchased a farm, and opened a hotel which h
managed till his death in 187..J. j
he left six sons and two daughters. Ovila, the eldest son, then took charge of the
farm and h..Jtel, but sold the latter in four years, and devoted himself to farming
He was married 7 th Jannary, 1884, to Alzire Dugas; she died 3rd April, 1893, and he
was again married 29th May, 1894, to Emily Clement. Mr. Bélanger 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 s}Jirituous liquors.
DAVID McALLISTER, who has a good sized store here, III which he keeps a large
Hock of general merchandise, is the youngest son of the late William McAllister,
noticed in the history of Brownsburg, Argenteuil C,)., Que, In r872, when a young
man, he sought employment in the \Vest, and spent twelve years in California,
Arizona and !\lexico. On his return in 1884, he en tered mercan tile life in the
store here, where his brother James had traded for some years. The same year
he was married, loth December, to Elmina, daughter of D. B. \Vyman. The
genial manner and uprit;ht dealing of 1\1r. l\lcAllister 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 186 9, and
he was appointed Postmaster-a position he still holds, He \Vas married in 1868
to Janet Gray; she died in 1890; and he was next married to Edith, daughter of
Geo, Bradford, of Cuslâng, 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, \Villiam Nendick, carne 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 21st June, 1870, to Mary Filion, and he bought his present farm in 188 5.
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
59 6
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
erected on it a good orick house besides commodious outbuildings. He was mar-
ried to Jane Goudie on November loth, 1845, and last fall they enjoyed the celebra-
Üon 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,
27th January, 1875, he married Mr5. 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 stilI 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 plOS-
peri
y 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,
lann, who for some reason seemed to
have conceived a sudden and violent hatred of the whole family, follûwed Mr. Cook
to the barn and cruelly murdered him with an axe. He then returned, and his next
victims were 1\1rs. Cook and her daughter Emma; both being found in the top of a
granary near the kitchen, evidently strangled. George and \Villiam Cook were stilI
in bed when Mann approached and struck the former on the head with the axe,
killing him instanlly, 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, l\1ann succeeded in hitting him again with the axe on the .leg.
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 struggie; 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 partie3 sud-
denly stopped. "\Vhat in the world are you doing? " exclaimed one of the sisters,
as they met.
Without replying
Iann stared at her for a 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 fe\v
mouths 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 m03t pathetic addres" 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
disregardin.; his III )ther's Christian a:lvice 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 Barron, 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 me;.tt lodged in
his throat. Mrs. Barron 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 abûut tW'o miles west of Chute au BJondeau.
A man named Grant, of Montreal, was doubtless the earliest proprietor of land
here, ha\'ing 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 }{ ideau, and in 1844 sold it to Patrick Connors.
JAMES Ross, whose descendants are among the most prominent, ac
ive 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 14th December, 1843. Mrs. Ross survived till 12th 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 twen ty years.
A Post-office was established here in 1853, and he was appointed Postmaster, a
position he held till 1874, when he resigneJ, 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, ûpened 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-
I895-the factories he has in operation will number twenty, Last year, the cheese
manufactured from !6 f3.ctories amounted to 863,233 lbs.; tIle first factory was started
at E. Hawkesbury in 1881.
Robert, the third SOIl of the late James Ross, has always remained on the home-
stead, successfully engagl'd 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 l\Ir, 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 facili ties for transportatiûn.
A lime kiln was al)Q opened on this farm, on the shore of the Ottawa. many
years ago, and is still used, bnt only to supply t1Ie wants of those in its immediate
vicinity.
59 8
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
l\lr. Ross and his two sisters, Isabella and Charlotte, comprise the family-a
family whose knowledge of :Illcient 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 2.ged 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, 18 43, to
James \Vatson, who came to this section from Renfrewshirc, Scotland, in 184 0 . 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, \Vatson engaged in
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 j his brother having
opened another store in the vicinity. The latter was married to Margaret Morrison.
As stated above, PATRICK CONKORS purchased a farm here in 1844. His father,
whose name he bears, come from the County of Langford, Ireland, to this country,
in 18 2 5. 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, "here he died; he had two sons and one
daughter. Patrick, the youngest of the chilùren, and the only one now living, is the
only one who remained in Hawskesbury, He was married in 18 44 to Catherine
Goudie, and they had six children-three of each sex-of whom \Villiam, 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 18 45. Gregory married Miss Goudie, and is now proprietor of a fine estate in
the 3 1d Concession. His brothers have also been very successful; John, besides
owning a fine farm with valuable buildings, where he lives, nas land in different parts
of the township,
Gregory, a son of Grtgory Conway, mentioned above, is an energetic and
prosperous young farmer residing here j he married Miss Brennan, a daughter of
James Brennan, another successful farmer living in the 2nd Concession of this town-
ship,
HAMILTON GOURLEY from Tyrone County, Ireland, came to Chute au Blondeau
in 18 49. He lived on rented farms till 1872, when he purchased one at Little Rideau,
on which he lived till his death, 9th October, 1882. Mrs. Gourley died 9 th November,
18 93; they lelt six sons and two daughters.
Samuel, the eldest son, was married 30th October, 1866, to Margaret Cameron;
she died 13th 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 eJ ected 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 'V. A. SHOREY and his wife, Nancy Vart, to whom he was married
12th July, 18 93 ; they are from Thurlow, Hastings County, Onto 1\Ir, 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 man)' that might be mentioned are the homesteads of William Lovell, Alex-
ander Craig, Hugh Lough, Thomas Higginson, the Cameron Brothers, etc.
IR. \VILLlA
1 LOVEI.L,* now an octogenariaa, i') a son of ROBERT LOVELL, who
came to
lontreal from Cork, Ireland, in 1820, and lived in that city till his death, in
18 49. He had ten children-five of each sex. Annie, the eldest of thec;e, marri
d
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 Lovell to his fellow-citizens. In his youth,
with three brothers, he took an active part in suppressing the Rebellion of 18 37-38,
and it was he who cut down the "Cap of Li: 'erty II at St, Charles, and presented it
to Sir John Colborne; he also was in all the engagements of the Rebellion,
\ViHiam 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 Hugh
Ramsay was one of the proprietors, and, at the direction of 1\1r, Ral11')ay, 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 h
worked -1t 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 hi;; present well-cultivated
farm of 13 0 acres. He was married in 1839 to Eliza Hamilton, from Cork; their
son, John G., remains with them on the homestead.
-\LEXANDER CRAIG, from North Aberdeenshire, Scotland, came to Chatham,
Que., in June, 1883, After uccupying rented farms a few years, he purchased in
[arch,
18 94-, 108 acres of Lot 13, 1St 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
lilling Company; his second
son, John, is in Butte City, Montana, and Robert, another son, is employed on the
Canada Atlantic H..ailro:td at Hawkesbury.
HUGH LOUGH carne to Hawkesbury from the North of Ireland, and was married
soon afterwards, 17 th JUlY, 1819, to the widow of John Luugh. He Was employed by
the Hamilton Brothers from 1819 to 1860; and not many years after his arrival he
bought about 4 00 acres of land, which is now owned and occupied by his d3.ugh
er
Mrs. Fraser. Mr. Lough died 14 th .February, 1871; Mrs. Lough, 21st July, 18 7 6 ; the;
had five children-one son and two daughters are IlOW living.
Hugh, the second son, was married 1st February, 1854, to Jane Kirby, and
remained on the homestead till April, 1884, when he sold it, and bought the farm of
13 0 acres, where he now lives, and on which he has erected fine buildings.
* Mr. Lovell died in April, 1896.
600
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
JOHN CONWAY, born in 1818, came to Canada from County Cavan, Ireland, in
1843. When he landed in Quebec he had only $5.00. The first work he did in this
country was for Hamilton Brothers. After working for them four years he bought
his farm in the 2nd Concession, East Hawkesbury, from Lemuel Cushing; it was
entirely wooded, and the only building on it was a "scoop shanty." vVhen Mr. Conway
commenced clearing, he drew cord-wood to Chute au Blondeau on a
, traineau; II
from lack of time he was frequently obliged to thresh his grain by candle light. He
was married three times-his first wife was Miss McCormack, daughter of \Villiam
McCormack, of this place; they had one son, Gregory, born 19 th March, 18 53. The
latter, who is married to Catherine, daughter of Henry Hughes, now lives on a fine
farm 111 the 4 th Concession. He spent four years of his earlier life in California and
:Kevada. His first wife having died in March, 1853, Mr. Conway, sr" was married the
fol1owing year to Mary, daughter of Thomas McCafferty; they had eight children-five
sons and three daughters-one of each sex is deceased; the others, with the exception
of l\latilda, the wife of James :McCoy, of Argenteuil County, and Patrick, who is in
Nevada, live in this county, Mrs. Conway died November, 18 74, and Mr. Conway
was married the third time in September, 1880, to Isabell3. Kairns, daughter of Robert
Kairns ; by this marriage he had three children-one son, who died in childhood, and
two daughtt:rs. Mr. Conway was deprived of the advantages of education, yet, by
perseverance and industry, he has accumulated property which compares favorab:y
with any in the county. He ha'3 fine new buildings and 3 00 acres of laud, which he
manages with the help of his son. He has given a good education to all his children.
THOMAS \V. CONWAY, fourth son of Mr. John Conway by his second marriage,
was horn October 8th, 1869. 'VhEn 20 years of age he entered Rigaud College, and
graduated from that institution in 1891, with the highest distinction, obtaining 95 per
cent. in marks, and honorable mention from the Institute of Saint Victor. He was
married April 3 0th , 1895, to Margaret F., daughter of James Brennan, of East
Hawkesbury, and the same year received from his father his present farm in the 2nd
Concession. He owns a fine brick residence, and is one of the enterprising farmers
of this locality.
A
DREW CONWAY, born in 1824, came to Canada with his mother and brother,
from County Derry, Ireland, in 1844. He first engaged to work for Henry Allen, in
Caledonia, for $3. 00 per month; he then worked as cook in a lumber shanty, and
subsequently engaged to the Hamiltons. After settling on his farm, Lot 23, in the
2nd Concession, he took te::1.ms to the lumber wood; for a number of years. He was
married in 18S5, to Ann, daughter of John Harkin, of West Hawkesbury; they had
seven sons and two daughters, of whom five sons and one daughter are now living,
Tohn, the eldest, lives in 'Vest Hawkesburv; Andrew and \Villiam are at home;
Gregory, the third son, died in California; Patrick, whn attended Rigaud College,
receiving his diploma in 18 9 2 , and Henry, are in Michigan; Margaret A., married to
James Linns, lives in this place, Mrs, Conway died .March 6th, 18 93.
Mr. Conway: from a small beginning, has risen to be one of the leading farmers
of the township; he has a fine farm of 200 acres, a good brick residence, and all hIS
children have received a good education.
JAMES KENi'\EDY, born in County Cavan, Ireland, was a soldier in the English
army, and came to Canada with the Royal Staff Corps, and worked on the Carillon
canal. He was married in Montreal, to Miss Mary McDonald, and afterwards went
to work for Hamilton Bros., of Hawkesbury. He was drowned in Hawkesbury in
18 39, leaving a widow and ten children, who lived on Lot 22, 2nd Concession, which
::\lr. Kennedy had bought from Hamilton Bros.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
60r
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 J, 18 35.
Thomas, who was a blacksmith by trade, died in Erie, Pa.. in 186 5.
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 TITLEV, was born in Rigaud, in 18 3 1 .
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 L'Orignal; 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 a1l living. Mrs. Titley continued to manage the f.um, with the help of her
children, and bcught 50 acres more; she died in 1889, aged 59 years,
Margaret, the eldest daughter. who is nnrried, lives in Glengarry; .Mary L., also
married, lives in this place. Theodule, the eldest SO'}, nurried, in 18 9-1-,
liss
Rosanná De Cire ; his two brothers, Solomon and Adolphus, live 011 the homestead;
the three conducting the farm. Zodique, the second son, who is m:uried, also lives in
East Hawkesbury,
CHRISTOPHER SPRATT carne from the North of Ireland, and settle,l 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.
Iary, the eldest daughter, is married to John Middleton, of Point
Fortune; Elizabeth, the second d.:mghter, is in Massachusetts j Ethel, the third, is a
teacher in Cypress River, Manitoba; and Christopher, the eldest son, is also in
Ia.ni-
toba. The other children remain at home.
JAMES BEGGS was born in the County of Antrim, Ireland, 15th October, 18 2 3,
and cilme to this country in I8_p. He followed his trade-that of shoe-nuking-in
Vankleek Hill for several years, and while there was conv
rted and becam
a sta.unch
suppo
ter of the
Iethodist Church. He was m uried in I8....8 t..:> :\Iargar d Cow,tn,
and afterwards came to this section and bought 100 acres-the ea3t half of Lot 7. in
the 2nd Range, on which he lived till his death. \Vhen
Ir, Begg
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 18th October, 1874. Mrs, Begg.. died 14th
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 sev
ral 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 1\1r, Beggs settled here, JOHN BOA settled on all adjacent
Lot; he lived here till his death in 1875 or 1876, 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 Alex.\11der Lamb of Point Fortune, Mrs. BO:l is
39
60z
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
an active worker in the cause of temperance, and is President of the \V. 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 Jive in this section. The
following obituary of Mr.
IcPhaden is taken from the Lachute WatcÍlman:-
" Died 20th December, 1875. One more of the old landmarks has gone-Mr.
John McPhaden. Pope says: " An honest n
an is the noblest work of Gad," 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 4 th 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
I I in the 3rd Concession, a farm now owned by Mr. Doe; ROBERT SMITH, sen., who
still Jives here, at the age of 93, and his son Robert; JOHN WILEY, who passed away
some time since, leaving a large family. Stephen an,j James, two of the son5, both
well-to-do farmers, live in this Concession; the latter nas been Reeve and Deputy-
Reeve for several years ; John, another son, lives in the 2nd Concession; and the
widow of Robert, another brother, lives with her family on the old homestead.
J OH N 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, were a'so
among the early settlers.
The small church here, called the Dempsey Cll1pel 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, \V. 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 m')ney, were: James Taylor, Robert Smith, jun., and John
McDuff, sen. These formed the committee. The church is built on land given by
Robert Smithson,
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, 3 rd Concession. Seven children have been born to Mr, and
Mrs. Tay)or-two daughters and five sons, but two of the latter died in childhood.
. R?bert! the eldest son, is a carpenter at Vankleek Hill; John S., the second son,
IS farmmg III Breadalbane; Joseph B., the youngest, married, resides on the home-
stead. Margaret, the eldest daughter, widow of James B
ggs, 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.
60 3
JOHN CAPRON, eldest sún of John Capron, was bore. 3rd October, 1856. \Vhen
II years of age he began carrying mail on horseback from Vankleek Hill to Point
oortune, 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 Woo.ls, Frank-
lin Count}", N.Y.; he has also dealt in horses and cattle, in company with his father,
helping to supply the
Iontreal 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
4 th Concession, built on it a brick residence and new outbuildings, and in 1888 came
here to live. Mr. and 1\lrs. Capron have two children-both sons.
AMEDÉE LEROUX, son of C. Leroux, a prominent farmer of St. Placide, who was
Mayor of that place for over 20 years, wa3 born in St. Placide in 1841. \Vhen 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. III
1862 he was married to Miss M. Desjardins, of St, Andrews, About 1880 he went
to Dak()ta, where he remained seven years, acting most of the time as foreman on a
large fa! m; since his return to this section he ha
, in connection with his fJ.rming,
been engaged extensively in cheese-making, owning six factories-three in Prescott
and three in Argcnteuil. Mrs. Leroux died in 1886, leaving seVén children-two sons
and five daughters j the daughters, who are all married, live in this County, The
sons, Anselm and \Vilfred, have attended college at Grande Ligne, Que,
JCISEPH LADuKE, son of B. LaDuke, was born in Rigaud in 1830. \Vhen 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 tInt time to a
great extent wooded. He continued lumbering fourteen winters after his marriage,
but worked on his farm during the summer, and afterwards bought the north half of
Lot 22, which gave him altogether 100 acres.
Mrs. LaDuke died 18th .March, 1895, leaving four sons and four daughters,
who are all, with the exception of two, residents of thi:; 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 1st June, 1860; he remained at home,
with the exception of a few winters spent in lumbering; until 1889, in 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.
DAI'IEL 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 J8 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
60 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
lower farm. \Yhile engaged with them he had bought his present farm in the 3 rd
Concession. In] 864 he was married to Catherine, daughter of the late Neil Ward
of this place, and the S:lme year remo\'ed to his farm,
1r. and \1 rs, Hoysted have
had ten children, of whom eight daughters and one 50n are living; the eldest son
died in childhood.
Mary, the eldest, wife of Peter McIntee; Anna, the second, wife of Thomas
:fcCormack ; 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.
\VILLIAM CUNNIXG carne 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, rem lÍning 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 14th March, 1856, always remained at horne, with the exception of one year
spent in lumbering on the Ottawa. He has managed thëfarm since 1875, In 188 5
he was married to Edith, daughter of James Mark, jun., of East Hawkesbury. They
have five children-three sons and two daughters.
THOMAS HOYSTED carne from County Kildare, Ireland, to N ew 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 country. lJ e tiid so, corning 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 l\Irs. Hoysted have
six children-one son and five daughters. :\Iary A., the eldest, married to James
Milway, lives in lIarrington; Ellen, the second daughter, widow of A. LeDuc,
Elizabeth, married to StelJhen \Vyley, and Kate, married to Anùrew Allison, jun., all
live in East Hawkesbury. Julia, the youngest daughter, lives at horne,
s tioes 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 Postmac;ter. On his removal to Vankleek Hill,
he was succeeded by Mr. Proudfoot. Mr. Proudfoot has been engaged in chee
e-
making in the factory here for the past six sea<;ons, 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 oLert.
NELSON MARTIN BURWASH, second son of Nelson Burwash, was born 5th March,
1851, and has always remained at home. \Vhile quite young he joined No. 4 Com-
pany, 18th Battalion, and .accompanied it to Cornwall and Prescott in 1868. In
1873 he was married to .Mary J., d..mghter of James Steele; they lived in the 4 th
oncession three years, at the end of which time he bougllt his father-in-Iaw's farm
m the 3rd Concession. Mr. and Mrs, Burwash have five sons and three daughters.
'Wilfred Henry, the eldest son i<; in Manitoba; James Nelson, the third son, is attend-
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
60 5
ing the Academy at Vankleek Hill, and the others are all at home. Mr. Burwash is a
good farmer; he has all the modern farming hnplements, and has brought his farm to
a fine state of cultivation.
People who, years ago, were troubled with wild animals will, no doubt, be sur-
prised to learn that these are not yet extinct.
Alice, the fourteen-year-old daughter of Mr. John \Vard, one ev
ning in Septem-
ber last, while going for the cows, saw some animal running across the road which
leads pa.st the woods at this place. The d06" which waC) with her ran after it and
chased it up a tree. Alice \vent to the foot of the tree and watched the animal some
time, hoping some of the men would come in sight, but no one appearing, she decided
that she must try some other phn 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. II Giving thi5 note to a little boy who was with her, and who
could not talk plainly, she told him to run with it to the house. He did so, and soon,
to Alice's relief, her brother \Villiam appeared, who, on looking at the animJ.l, pro-
nounced it a lynx. He went b.lck to the hOJse and procured a g,m, the young girl
remaining at her post during his ab
ence, and on his return he shot the lynx, which
proved to be a very large one -t\VO feet high. and measuring 3 feet 3 inches from "tip
to ttp."
ANDREW ALLlSO
came from Roxburghshire, Scotland, to Canad.1. 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 plans for canal locks.
He was first employed as foreman for
lcK
y & Redpath, contractors, 0:1 the locks
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 compl
tion
of this work, he came to E3.
t Hawkesbury in February, 18 33, anrl bought Lot 28,
4 th Concession. Subsequently, he was foreman on the Cornwall Canal and the locks
at St, Ann's, and with three others took a contract for the construction of Lock No, 3
and all the clllverts on the Beauharnois C:lIul. H
waC) next Inspector of :\IaC)onry on
the 06densburg R. R" and for the Government on the Richeìieu Can.l.llocks. He
then returned to the farm, and during the remainder of his life toak an active part in
the affairs of the township, being a member of the first Township Council, and was
also Reeve. He added to 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.
They left five children, of whom two sons and two daughters are still living.
Janet, the youngest, married to John \V. Higginson, lives in \Vest Hawkesbury;
Agnes, married to John Kirkconnell, lives in Bruce County j An irew, the younger son,
lives in this place.
WILLIAM ALLISON, the elder son, lives on part of the homestead farm; and has
always remained in the place with the exception of a year spent in school in Mon-
treal. lIe is widely known through the County for his public spirit, In 18 5 0 , he
was elected Deputy-Reeve, and the year following, Reeve, of the to\vnship, which latter
office he held for 2 I years in succession. In 1864 he was \Varden of the County,
and has been Justice of the Peace since 1854, being the oldest holding that
office in the County; he has also been Clerk of the Court for the past 2 I years. His
marriage took place in 1847 to Miss Ann McCormack of East Hawkesbury; they
have three sons and three daughters living.
Andrew, the eld
st, \Villiam, the second son, the eldest d.lUghter, m.uried to
Dennis Hurley, and the third daughter, married to \Villiam
Iullin, all r
side in East
Hawke5bury. The sec'Jnd daughter is married to D.miell\IcCusker, 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 daughter
,
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 bough t his present
farm, Lot 29, 2nd Concession.
He ha5 two daughters living in this country-Mary, the eldest, married to Robert
Dickson, lives in this place, and Martha, the second, lives at ho:ne; William John,
the eldest son, is in the N orth- West.
The name MOONEY is very familiar in East Hawkesbury, and part of the 3rd Con-
cession has always been known as the" 1100nq 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 Mooney'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 183 [ ; he
was a
hoemaker by trade, and worked at his trade for three years in Hawkesbury
village. On November 16th, 1835, he was married to Elizabeth Spratt, and in 1837
mo\"ed 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 1St January, 1887, at the age of 86. Mr. and Mrs, Mooney had thirteen
children,-nine sons and four d:l.u'Shters, of whom six sons and two daughters are no\v
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 F:mny, daughter ofthe late Edward Sproule, of \Vest Hawkesbury;
they have one son and two daughters. After his father's death, Me, Mooney took the
farm, which is in a fine state of cultivation, and is provided with all the improved
farming implements.
Mrs. Mooney, Sf" 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 remaii1ed 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 extrccting gold and silver are from the rock, After 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 17th, March 1880, to
Henrietta, daughter of Henry Vogan of RiceviIle; 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 O
' PRESCOTT,
60 7
SAMUEL MOONEY was born in County Antrim, Ireland: in 1804. He learned the
stone-cutting trading in his nati,'e place, and worked at it for some time before coming
to Canada in 1830. On arrivi ng 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
light house on the Island of Anticosti, He was married in 1835 to Miss .Mary
Lough, whose native place was also County Antrim. In 1837 they moved to the farm,
Lot 30, of the 3rd Concession, which Mr. Mooney had bought a few years previolls ;
there were only about 6 acres of the farm cleared at that time. 'Vhere the " Monte"
now runs, there was no road, but the 3rd Concession load was open.
Mr, and Mrs. Mooney had two sons and Ihree daughters; Mary, the eldest,
married to Thomas Dandy, lives in Manitoba; Jennie, the second, is the wife of
Robert Rwherford of \Vest Hawkesbury. and Nancy is married to Solomon Grout;
\\ïl1iam (of whom a
ketch has already heen given) resid
s in this place; Samuel, the
youngest, has always remained at hùme. Mr. Mooney died 31st March, 1890, aged,
86 ; 1\1rs. Mooney still survives, and at the age of 86 is active, and retains her facu1ties
to a remarkable degree.
CHARLES MOONEY, is the younge5t of the four brothers whose father, Alexander
Iooney, came to this country in 183 I. He lived a few years with his brother, Samuel,
and spent some time in lumbering. He was married in 1844, to l\fay, daughter of
James McNie of East Hawkesbury; they Iud seven children,-five sons and two
daughter
, 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;
.M ary, * the youngest, lives on the homestead with her brother, James c., the fourth
fOn, who was born J 8th September, 1864. He has always remained at home, and has
managed the farm, both befort and since his father's death. In 1892 he was married
to Eliza, daughter of the late John McInnis of Vankleek Hill. Mr. Mooney has
always been a fancier of fine horses, and has exhibited a good many prize winners at
Prescott and several other Country Fairs.
'VILLIAM !\lcNIE} second son of James l\1cNie, was born 14th March, 1853, on
the farm where he now resides. He remained at home until the age of 22, when he
went to California fOl eight years. \Vhile in that State, he acted as foreman for
Cha
, F, Reed, of Sacramento County, who managed a farm of 5000 acres. In 1883
Mr. 1\1cNie 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.
1\1r, 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. Lc>yalist, was the first settler in this section, coming here
in 1826 from \Vest Hawkesbury; previous to his removal to \Vest 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, \Vas b:)fn I nh Decemb
r, 1814, in East Hawkesbury,
and always remained at home, He was married 13th February, 1837, to Clarissa,
daughter of Timothy Pool of L3.chute; they had eight children-three sons and five
daughters. 'l\vo of the daughters are now deceased.
· Now deceased.
608
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
Charles, the eldest son, lives on Vankleek Hill; "Tilliam , the second son, is in
Montreal; Hannah M. and Elizabeth A., the former married to J. Rutherford, and
the latter to John Mooney, are hoth residents of this place; Clarissa A. V., widow of
Mr. Burgess, lives in New York State.
:;\Ir. Samuel Orton died loth October, 1871, aged 57 ; Mrs. Orton survives him,
and is living, at the age of 82, with her son Levi. 1\1.-. Urton, like his father, was
a Christian man, highly respected by all. He look an active part in the affairs of the
township, was Collector and Assessor, and held several other offices.
Levi S., the third
on, 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 th
late
Ad.111 :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 Aha E.,
who is in Lowell,
lass.
JOHN MATTHEWS came from Radnorshire, \Vales, to Canada in 1836 or 18 37,
with six children. He first came to Carillon, remained there a shùrt time, and then
mo\'ed to Centerville, buymg, on the North River, the farm now occupied by his
third son, Sam
el Harvey Matthews. 1\1r. Matthews, the subject of our sketch, for
the sake of his health, went to Portland, l\Iaine. in 1862, aId remained there till his
death, which took place in 1853, atthe age of 62.
John, the eldest son, was born in Beguilby Parish, Radnorshire, 'Vales, on 1st July,
18 3 0 . He was twice married-first in 1858 to Lucy, daughter of Timothy Bristol
of E. Hawkesbury. In February of 1860, he came to this p1ace, and bough t a
farm in the 3rd Concession from Mr. Bristol, his fa:her-in-law, who lived with him
till his death. Mr. Matthews' first wife, who died in February, 1881, left one dc1Ughter.
Hi.. second marriage took place in 1882, to Sarah, daughter of \Villiarn Nichols, of St.
Phillippe; they have one son.
1\1r. Matthews experienced a serious loss lJy fire in January of 1882, his house
with its entire contents being burnt; he 103t in this fire 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 [400. l\1r. Matthews has since built a neat
brick residence.
DAVID STEPHENS is a son of Ebenezer Stephens, who came from Vermont to
AJgenteuil County, Que., in 1804, and settled in Fpper Lac-hute. David, who was
the second son, was born there in 1816, He was at Grand Brulé in 1837, at the
time the church was burnt, and saw the bodies taken out. He was married in 18 39
to Caroline, daughter of Leroy Leavitt, one of the pioneers of Ch1tham ; they have
had eight children, of whom two sons and two daughters are now living.
1\1r. Stephens carne 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; Oavid,
the eldest son, a sketch of whom is given, resides here; Mary Ann, unm3.rried, lives
on the homestead. Levi, the second son, born in 1850, has always remained at
l.ome, 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
18 3 I, to Montreal, and remaintd 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 m' PRESC01 T.
60 9
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
lrs. Rutherford in .February, 1884, at the age
-of 84; they had seven sons and two daughters.
James Rutherford, the fifth son, born 11th June, 1841, began lumbering when
seventeen years of years, and followed this occupation about eight years. In 1864
he was married to Hannah 1\1., àaughter of the late Samuel Orton of East Hawesbury j
they lived in \Vest Hawkesbury (\\ here Mr. Rutherford had bought a farm some time
previr>us) until
larch, 1883, when they came here and bought the old homestead
from the widow of \Villiam 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; \Yinetta E., the younger, is a teacher; 'Vilburn J., the
second son, is in Manitoba, and the others are all a t home.
CHARLES C, Mommy, youngest son of Charles Mooney, was born in 1866, and
remained at home until about 2 I, when he went to California, and there spent som
time, .\fter his return he bought, in 1889, the farm, Lot 34, 3rd Conces<;ion, which
\'Ia.. owned by the late Charles Tweed. In 1890 he married .\largaret Anna, daughter
of John Douglas of 'Vest Hawkesbury; they have one child -a daughter. In 1895,
Mr.
Iooney added to his farm by buying from Andrew Allison part of the old Tweed
hom.:stead. He has always made a specialty of keeping fine horses.
CORXELIUS HURI.EY, second son of D
nnis Hurley, was born in 1833, in East
Hawkeslmry. In 1860 he went to California, where he remained five yeals, engaged
in mining and different occupations, Two years after his return, he took the farm in
the 4th Concession from his fa\her, 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 d.wghter, is
married to James Allison of this place; the other childrèn still remain at home.
.:\IARTl
OGDEN, third son of Joseph Ogden, was born in East Hawkesbury in
1833' In If 57 he started on a visit to the \\r estern 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 hii nnrriage on the farm he had
bought before going to the \Vest. He was married in St. Andrews in 1863 to Eliza-
beth, daughter of Donald McLarty, who came to St, Andrews from Scotland, and
\Vas a pilot on t he 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, receiveå first prize from the Montreal Witlless for an original story-" A Cana-
dian Heloine," published in the history of Pt. Fortune.
!\Ir. Ogden was a member oCthe 18th BJ.ttalion, in his brother's (Captain Ogden's)
1\0. 4 Company, and was with this Company at Ottawa in 1866, during the Fenian
Raids.
ST. EUGÈNE,
St. Eugène, 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 h
re, which does a large business, Two
similar mills have been burned, but, phænix like, another has arisen from their ashes.
610
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 arc Joseph Proulx,.
son of Isidore Proulx, M.P., of Prescott, and :l\1iss 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 stHI 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
sti1l oliler 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 51. Eugène, which,
although it be but forty years since it summoned public attention to itself, is to-day
one of the most flourishing villages iT} Eastern Ontario.
The story of St. Eugène commences with the primitive histo: y 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 un trammelled wild-
ness reigned supreme about her,-then commences the story of the settlement of 5t,
Eugène.
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
needs, 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 spiritu:J.1. Over road.. 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 I rish, 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, fJr it is said-
where the pne::.t is, there will the people Le also. And so, though a barn served for
the service of Holy Mass in true pioneer fashion, the community flourished and
grew like the mustard seed spoken of in Holy \Vrit, until in November, 18 54. Fr.
Bourassa built a small chapel 60 x 30, which in appearance o:lly could be caUed a
church. Henceforward the misiion WLH attended more frequently and at regùLu in-
tervals, until about November, 1854, Fr. J. J. Collins succeeded Fr, Bourassa and
became the first resident pJ.stor. The times of his pac;torate were very severe, and
the place under such trials must have seemed very unpromising. But through 3IL
HISTORY OF PRESCOIT.
611
the troubles and hardships (and they were weJl-nigh overwhelming), the good Father
struggled on-wOlking 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.
..\ fterward
, when better tidings came and the township increased in numbers,
the zealous pastor persuaded his
ood people to build better accommoòations. A new
church 225 x So 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 becCìme Archbishop of Ottawa.
Under Fr. Duh
mel 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.
Eugène Guigues, first Bishop of Ottawa. Indeed the yocng 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. A rchambault from L' Assomption, P.Q, Soon afterwards, however,
he was chosen by Rome to sl.cceed as Bishop of Ottawa, Rt. Rev. Bishop Guigt'es,
who died in Febru:1ry, 1874-
To succ(ed him as parish priest of St. Eugène, the Rev. .Father Fabien Towner
was selected in October, 1874, by His Lordship, the new Bishop, and was accord-
ingly transferred from Thlll so and St.
ralachy mission, Previous to his appointment
to Thurso and S1. Malachy l\1ission, where he was parish priest for three years, Rev.
Father F. Towner hað assisted for one year the Ven. Father J. J. Lynch, P.P., at ABu-
mette Island, when the pari
h work called him to missions in the Province of Quebec as
well as in Ontario, stich as: Roecliff, Deux Rivières, Des Joachim, Point Alexander,
Trout Lake, Sheen Brough and O\her places.
Arriving at 51. Eugène he found a large pari
h extending from the 3rd Concession
of East Haw ktslJllI}" to the 9th Concession, called the IC Grand Chantier," and includ-
ing some 440 Frencl', Irish and Scotch families. His Lordship, Bishop Duhamel,
while vi
iting her
in 1882 (Æ his pastoral visit, realized that the church accomn
o-
dations were too small for the congregation. Accordingly the 7th, 8th and 9th Con-
cessions were formed into the new parish of St. Ann of Prescott. Father Towner,
acting on the instructions of the Rt. F. ev, Bishop, with the assistance of Rev, Vicar
General Routhier, in December, 1882, selected a lot on the road of the 8th Con
ce5sion, upon which the new parish church was commenced. September, 1884, saw
Fr. Towner's zealous labors completed and crowned wilh !ìllCCeSS, 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. Eugène, and justly proud was the good pastor at thus witnessing the consumma-
tion of his work.
In 1885 his 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 \Vent to Europe
in April, 1885, returning in August, just before a fierce conflagration took place,
which threatened to destroy the whole vilbge, including the church. However, a
part of St. Eugère was spared, and to. day it stands strong and robust in a glorious
youth. And what a b
autiful village it is! \Vhere before, were woods untrammelled
and unmalked 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 mllst soon disappear before the onward progress of the thrifty villagers.
612
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
And not only has St. Eugène b
com
a successful village, but under her zealous
pastor, the Rev. Father Towner's care, sprang up the neighboring parish of 8t.
Joachim, in Chute au Blondeau, with its resiJent pastor. like at St. Ann's. \Yhere
once was a poor Illission attended by a visiting missionary, there is no\v th
fruitful
parent St. Eugène and the two off-shoots, St. Ann's and St. Joachim's, with three
handsome churches and a magnificent presbytery at St. Eugène, erected in 1888.
Surely a marvellous increase is this won ierful growth of St. Eugè.le. May the good
work continue! And round about St. Eugène m3.Y there spring up mmy missions to
crown and bless the eff0rts of her pr
ests and people and all those who love and
honor the parish of St. Eugène.
The REV. FABIEN TOWNER wac; born in s
. Johns, Que., educated in
Montreal College and at Ottawa, graduating in the latter city in 1865. He was
ordained 29 th 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 18 74 he was trambted
to St. Eugène, 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 aU
who know him.
PATRICK KELLY was born in 1830; he lived in the 6th Concession, a Id engaged
in farming until 1873, in which year he came here and engaged in the hotel business,
and in 188 I built the brick hotel he no.,v occupies. He has b
en bJ.iliff since 13 7 I,
and Township Trea;;urer since 1875, and Ius also b
n Licen;;ed Auction
er for the
counties of Prescott and Russell for the pac;t 20 years. \Vhile ffi3.naging hi.. farm he
also dealt in live stock for some years, He was m1rried in 18 57, to Mary l\I-:Manus,
of Rigaud j they had fourteen children, of whom six are now living. Th
elde3t,
:l\1icha
l, i;; a dealer in agricultural implements in this place; one d \ughter is muried
to S. Seguin, conductor on the Ca.n3.di:ll1 Pacific R'lilroad, and th
second dlughter is
a l11::mber of a Sisterhood in the United States. The second son, Thomac;, is a clerk
with D. Jameson, merchant ofVankleek Hill; Agnes, the third daughter, i.; a teìcher,
and lives at home; and Alice, the youngest, is still attending school.
SIMON LAB
OSSE, J. P., and ex-l\I.P., was born in St. B
noit in 1836, and is a
son of Pierre Labrosse who founded St. Eugène in 1853. Mr. L'lbross
was m uried
in 1861 to Miss Ethier, of Sl. Joseph, County of Two Mountains, and has five sons
and two daughters living. [saie, the eldest son, is employed in his father's store;
Eugène, the second, i
a prie;;:t in
Iontreal ; Louis J, is a dealer in hay and grain in
this village, anJ :he two youngest sons are still in college. The daughters remain at
home.
Ir, Labrosse opened a store here in 186'), and ha:; since done a large bu..i-
ness, He was elected to Parliament in [882 by the Conservatives, and served the
people of his constituency for eight years; he has been a Councillor, Deputy-R.eeve,
and Reeve of the Township of East H1.wkesbllry, and 'Varden of the CountIes of
Prescott and Russell. After the establishment of the Po
t-office here in 1862, 1\1r.
Labrosse became P0stmaster, and acted as such for 18 year:), resigning to attend
Parliament.
PAUL LABROSSE, a son of Pierre, and brother of Sim)l1 L1.b:-oss
, was educated in
St. Andrew;,; and St. Placide, but his home ha" been in St. E'lgène for m1l1Y years.
He is COU'lty Auditor, and has been Treac;nrer, Assessor and Clerk of the Township,
Justice of the Peace and C']01missioner îor the trial of s:n.:tli causes, a'ld taking affi.
davits j he is also Secretary-Treasurer of the village school. .Mr. Labrosse lives in
one of the finest hOll
es in St. Eugène,' He was married in 186 5 to Miss Anna
Ethier, of St. Joseph, County of Two Mountains.
HISTORY Oft' PRESCOTT,
61 3
'WILLIAM MARK, sr., came from the North of Ireland about 1825, and bought
the farm where his son, \Vil1iam J., jr., was born, an j now lives. The latter,
the subject of our present sketch, worked on the river and at lumbering fer 18
years; he was one of those employed on the first Carillon cal1al. He afterward
returned to St. Ellgène, where he has since lived. In 1860 he was married to Miss
Mary Ritchie, of East Hawkesbu ry. 1\1 r, 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 Rigalld; he was
born in that town, 12th June, 186 J, and was cduca ted 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 tenirory of many
square miles. Dr. Bedard was married 2nd February, 1891, to l\Iiss 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 J9 years. and afterward bought a farm in his native
town, He then came to St, Eugène, kept a carriage shop here for 5 years, and
afterward bought th
hotel where he now is. This is a fine large _brick building, known
as "The \Vindsor." 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
Col
ege. He has since obtained a position with Ramsay & Son, of Montreal, and is
511cceeding in business.
Samuel O'Reilly, son of Philip O'Reilly, was born in 1860, and lived on a farm
until 17 years of age. H.
afterwarù spent some time in the
'tate
, then réturn
ù to
Canada, and attended a Business College in Belleville, O,lt. He came to this place
in 1888, and opened a store in company with his brolher, John M., who died four
years laler.
Ir. O'Reilly also spent several years as clerk in stores here, In 18 9 1
he opened the Balmoral hotel, where he still remains. He was married in 1889 to
Miss .McCall.
NAPOLEON LABROSSE, son of John Baptist Labrosse, was born in St. Her:n is,
22nd March, 1365. He attended Rigaud College from [880 to 1882, and after-
ward') engaged as clerk to I. Sauvé, of St. Andrews, where he remained three
years. He then eng3.ged as clerk for Mr. S, Labrus
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 busines
.
ARCHIBALD McKINXON came to this place in 1837, from the County of (
Ien-
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 stilJ cen-
ducts. He was married in 187 I, to Miss Anna Forbes, of East Hawkesbury; they
have two sons and one daughter.
ALFXANDER KINGSBURY, son of the late Edward Kingsbury, fJ.rmer of J.,iver
Rouge, was born in that place ill the year 1828. He left home at the age of fifteen,
and engaged in lumbering on the Ottawa, for Ephraim Barron, for about two years;
then went to Ha.11ilton Bros. of Hawkesbury. and remaineù with them twenty-eight
years, serving most of the time as foreman; he also spent much time on the Gatineau.
61 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
'Vhile with the Hamilton Bro
., Mr. Kingsbury bought his farm in the 4th and
5 th 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 horst's. Mr, Kingsbury has
been for many years, and is still, a Councillor and School Trustee. He was married
in 1867 to Margaret, d.mghter of Archibald Albright; they have two sons and three
daughters; Livonia, the eldest, is married to John Capron, jun., and
ives on a farm
in the 4th Concec;sion ; the other children are all living at home.
GEORGE ALBRIGHT was born in the Bay settlement in 1812. He was married
in 1839 to l\Iary Burwash of River Rouge, and moving to that place, remained J7
years; he then came to East Hawkesbury, and bought a farm in the 4th Concession
which was co\'ered with forest, and on it built a log house. Mr. Albright served as
Councillor and School Trustee; h(' died 26th August, 1881, aged 69.
Irs. Albright
still 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, On one occasion, when a report reached River Rouge, where she
li\-ed, that the Rebels were near, she and several other women hid themselve3 one
l
ight 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 East 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 ]892 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 18th Battalion of Prescott for three years.
He was married in 1879 to Emma E. B.lI1croft 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 2 I Yt:ars 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 \Yestern States, and on his return bought his pres en t farm in the 5th
Concession. He was married in 1877 to Rachel, daughter of the late Christopher
Splatt; they have five daughters and one son, all but one are at home and attend-
ing school. Mr. Albright has been 'Yarden 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 182 I, He married Miss
Beers of the same place, and settled here, engaging in farming and trading, and
afterward ketping 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 wa<; no Prote:;tant minister in Pûint 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 agleement for $10 per month, and
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
61 5
sued
frs. Beers for $1000, but received only $100. He then went to Kingston, and
from that place to Ottawa and A ylnu r; in the latter place he engaged as jocke y,
his weight being only about JOO pounds at the time. 'While in this vicinity, Mr.
Capron carried the mail from Lochaberto Ottawa, a distance of 30 miles, often making
the journey before taking breakfast; in the winter he drove a stagè 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, and 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 L,l.l1caster ;
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 ha,> 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 Mor,treal markets. Schools were few
and far vetween in his younger days; l:e commenced work at an early age, al
d 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, daugh
er of Andrew Yale, ship buiider of Montreal. They have had
four sons aTld two daughters; one of the latter, the eldest, died in childhood, bUt
tbe others are all living . John, the eldest son, is marricd, and Ii ves in this place;
Ho race is lumbering on the Ottawa; Theodore is married t and farming in Glen-
garry; Amy, the daughter, is married to Euclide Legault, Jiving 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
W.1S 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
1 886 a
Postmaster by Mr. A. LeRoy.
There are two churches here-.\nglican and Methl>dist-
rected by the con-
tribution of the surrounding inhabitants. Services are held in t:lese 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 \Villiam LeRoy, was born in 18 45,
and learned the blacksmith trade when quite young with A. A. Beaton of \Vest
Hawkesbury, and has followed this trade ever since. His shop is built near his
residcnce orl the 5th Concession, which he bought in 1863. Mr. LeRoy ha;.; been
School Trustee for the pa
t eighteen years, and is now Secretary-Treasurer of the
School Board j he has been a member of the Board of Healt l ) for the past nine or
ten years. He was appointed by Government, in 187z, a<; Lieutenant in Company
No. 7, Reserve :Militia of Prescott. He was married in 1866 to Miss Emily Burwash,
and has h,"o sons; the eldest, S.:llTIuel Martin, is an Engineer in \Vashington Terri-
tory; the other, l
alph Gilbert, works at the blacksmith trade with his f,\ther.
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.
616
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
is now owned and occupied by his son Matthew. He had a saw mill for forty
years on Burwash creek, but as the Jand became deared, the creek gradually
dried lip, and the mill became useJess. :Mr. Burwash also spent about ten years on
the Onawa, running a boat between Carillon and MontreaL He always took an active
Vl.ft in the mihtaryaffairs of the County, and held the rank of Major for a number of
ycars; 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 sti.l living. Jane, the eldest., is Jiving
in Ottawa; the eldest son. Stephen, married, is in Manitoba; Emily, the second
daughter, married to A. A. LeRoy, Jives near the homestead; Cecelia, married to
Tohn Ritchie, Jives 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 FatJnie Hooker of St, Andrews, and has
two sons and one daughter,
A1'\DRF.W ALLISON, eldest son of \ViiJiam Allison, was born 8th October, 18 5 I. in
East Hawkesbury; with the exception úf 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 fhomas
Hoysted j they have six children living-four sons and two daughters. Mr, Allison
has been Councillor for t\\'o 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 18...8, and le-
mained at home during his younger years, with the exception of five winters spent
in lumbe,ing. He was manied in 1876 to Abigail E., daughter of the late Sam'lel
Orton, and moved to his present farm in th
5th Concession; he has three sons and
two daughters, Mr. 1\Iooney is a School Trustee, but has always refu
ed the office of
Councillor; he was a member of the 18th Battalion, and accompani-:-d 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 18......, and
remained at home until I 7, at which age he commenced lumbering for Hamilton
Brothers. 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 I 872 he was married to Mary
Ellen, daughter of the late Francis Harvey; they have three daughters; Jennie, the
eldest, is at home, and the two younger at school. Mr.
IcCallum has built a brick
residence, 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.
J AMES HURLEY, third son of Dennis Hurley, was born in 1840. When about
25 he spent a year in Illinois, but liking Canada better he returned, and two years
later, bought his present farm of 170 acres in the 5th Concession. He has since pur-
chased 100 acres in the 3rd Concession. He was married in June, 18 7 0 , to Margaret,
daughter of the late John \Vylie; they have two sons and five daughters, all hving
at home, Dennis Stephen, the eldest, spent a year in Rigaud College, and Catherine
S" the eldest daughter, spent é\ year in the Gloucester Street Convent, Ottawa.
Mr. Hurley was Treasurer of the township
and Councillor for four years, and
for se'"eral years was Civil Engineer for the township; for the past thirteen years he
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
61 7
has handled the money for
fessrs, LeRoy and Ogden's cheese factories, as well as
several others; in 1893, the output of three factories being $35,000, and in 18 94,
$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 yean, eleven of which
were spent with the troops in the East and \Vest 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, anù 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
EÇtst Hawkesbury, on the place now owned by John, his son j 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, 18 9 1 ,
at the age of 88 years; his widow, who was Margaret Connell, still survives him,
and at the age of 75 is very active, Mr, and Mrs. Maneely had one son and five
daughter
; 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 \V. Higginson of Hawkesbury,
and has since worked in different parts of the country-in
Ianitoba 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. McConnack, and is living on the
old homestead: they have one son and one daughter.
'VILLHl\I LERoy, son of Archibald LeRoy, who came to this place from River
Rouge about 1846, was born here in 1847. anrl has always remained on the farm.
He was married in 1878, to Jane, daughter of George Albright; they have tWQ sons
and one daughter, all hving at home. In 1878 the homestead fum was divided. and
'Villiam 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 \VorJ
, 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
18th Battalion when sixteen years of age.
DANIELJ. LERoy, youngest son of Archibald LeRoy, was born in [868, 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 west'half 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. 1\1r. LeRoy is living on the old
homestead with his sister, Miss Christiana, the youngest daughter j 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,
\VILLIAM A. MOONEY, son of Alexander Mooney, was born 9th August, 184-0, 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 18th Battalion; on his return
he engaged as clerk for Hamilton Brothers, but in the fall went to California, and
40
618
HISTORY OF PRESCOTI.
remained in that State and in Nevada, employed in the mines as engineer and in the
assay office, until the spring of 187'l. Shortly after his return, he had a serious ill-
ness, caused by the poisonous fumes inhaled in th
assay office. In August, 1873,
he was married to l\Iiss S. P. LeRoy; they have two sons and five daughters; Edith,
the eldest of the latter, is married to \V. 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'
\VILLIAM 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 lives. 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 \Varden 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 \Villiam LeRoy, was born here in 1837; he has always
lrved at home, with the exception of one year spent in traveling through Nevada and
California, and is now located on the
ast half of Lot 2
, 4th Concession. He h t"
been twice married: firsl, in 1860 to Miss Simpson, of Vaudreuil, who died in 18tJ4,
leaving a daughter; he was married the second time in I8
I to Miss 1\lary LeRoy, of
River Rouge, by whom he has four daughters. Mr. LeRoy ha
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 18th Battalion Infantry, During the
time of the Feniiin raids, when Ensign of his Company, he was called out and spent
t\\'o months in Cornwall, He was afterwards Captain of Company NO.4.
Mr. \Villiam 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 :\Ianin, was Abigail, daughter
of Solomon Grout, who came from Massachusetts. She died III August, 1875, at
the age of 66 years.
SOLOMON GROUT, sen., was the first settler in Barb; he cut the road from St.
Eugène, built his house where the road now runs by Burwash Creek, and just in
front of the spot on which !\Ir. 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 the farm 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 fi\."e months. The hardships which
he encountered, if related in detail, would fill a good-sized volume; among the inter-
estmg things he relates are, an account of seeing Brigham Young and his wives when
in Salt Lake City, and the fact that there W,lS but one house in Carson City when he
first reached it. After spendmg about eight years there he returned to this settle-
ment and bought the farm of James Gamble. In r865, 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; \Villiam S.
IS in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company at \Vinnipeg, and the others are at
home, In 1875 Mr. Grout came to the homestead, and the year following buill his
present fine brick residence.
HISTOR Y OF PRESCOTT.
61 9
SAMUEL BURWASH, son of Thomas Burwash, 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 So acres on his own account; he
was married in [892 to Miss Sophia Carkner, of \Vinchester. 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 f,um 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
11th January, 1895, at the ::ge of 80 years and 6 months. Mrs, Albright died 21st
AprIl, 1887 ; they left two sons 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 J 8th Battalion, and accompanied
it to Cornwall in [866; 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.
\VILLJAl\I S. MOONEY, eldest son of Samuel
looney, was born in East Hawkes-
bury, 4th May, 1843; he 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
J870, in partnership with Mr, Solomon Grout, built a steam saw-mill on the 4th Con-
cession; they remained in partnership, in the miU 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 S1. Eugène, and in 1873 bought his present farm in the 4th and 5th
Concessions-llo acres. He was married 4th November, 1873, to Maria, daughter
of James l\IcNie; they have two sons and two daughters.
lr. Mooney W.lS a
member of the 18th Battalion for 2 I years, and during the last four of these was 1st
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 Ree\'e; 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 sketch was born in
1829, He was married to Eliza Pennoycr, and had ten children, of whom five sons
and two daughters are now living. Mr. Ogden died 3rd September, 187[, at the age
of 42; Mrs. Ogden marriéd a second time, to I
ichard Gregor, and is living in New
Hampshire. Of l\Ir, and
Irs. Ogden's chiidren aU 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 9th
ovember, 1854, who is living
on the old homestead, \Vhen 18 years of age he went to the Eastern rownships,
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 he moved to
the <>ld homestead, and in 1881 \Vas married to Abigail, daughter of Martin LeRoy,
620
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
settlemen there.
ARCHIBALD LERoy, seventh son of Martin LeRoy, was born in River Rouge,.
Argentcuil COU?ty, 27th.
ecembe
, 1849. 'Vhile. living in his nativ
place. he took
an active part. In the mIlitary affaus of Argenteml. In 1866, as Pnvate In No. I
Company, 11th Battalion of the Argenteuil Rangers, he accompanied them to
Ottawa. He was then appointed Corporal and Sergeant, and in lð68 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 W3S married to Susan, daughter
of Cha
les !\lcGregor, of River Rouge; tbey have eight chilàren 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 5th Concession, and
adding one more to the families of LeRoys, who are well known and respected in
East Hawkesbury.
'YILLIAM
1. ALLISON', second son of William Allison, was born 16th 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. \Villiam Sherman. In 1886 he was married to
Emma, daughkr of the late Alexander Cameron, of Point au Chêne, Argemeuil
County; they have five children-four sons and one daughter, Mr. Allison, who li\-'es
on Lot 32, has made many improvements in the house and outbuildings, and also on
the farm.
J AMES HAUGHTON came from County \Vexford, 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 carne to his farm in
the 5th Concession, which he had bought in 1832 from Barnabas Vankleek. \Vhile
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, ] 883, at
eighty-three years of age, and Mrs. Haughton died 17th February, 1840, aged twenty-
eight.
THOMAS HAUGHTON, their son, was born 3rd March, 1835, and 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. :\1r. Haughton has a very pretty cottagt: and fine barn; 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, and Mrs, McCormack died in 1839.
Michael McCormack, jr., came here in 1840, and commenced the management of
his fann on the 5 th Concession; he was married in 1850 to Mary, daughter of Thomas
\Vallace, 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,
621
Hoysted, and has two children. Catherine, the eldest daughter, married to Peter
Lefebvre, lives in West Hawkesbury; \Villiam, the eldest son, unmarried, is in
Mexico; Ellen E, is married to John Maneely, contractor and builder, of this place;
Mary Ann, 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, lreland, with his wife and one child, about
1830. After remaining in Montreal a short time, he carne to Point Fortune, left his
wife there, and walked to East Hawkesbury, where he engaged to work a year for
Joseph Ogden for 1) 5, 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. 1\1r. and Mrs,
Hurley had eight children, four of each sex, who are all living.
Irs, Hurley died in
February, 1874, at the age of eighty, anå her busband died ill 1882, aged eighty-four.
Mary, their eldest child, married to :\1r. Brennan, lives in Illinois; John, the eldest
son, a blacksmi th by trade, has been Ii ving 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 \Vest
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 coun ty, size 128 x 58, and 52
feet high; a windmill pumps water for his stock, 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 \Vt:st Hawkesbury, sOllth
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 prime\'al condition-burn-
ing log-heaps, small clearings and cabins, giving evidence that the section has but
622
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
recently been invaded oy the pioneer. Anon, we come to another section, WhiCh,
from its orchard
, broad fields, and good buildings, evidently has been long settledÞ
" The Ridge," which is mentioned in Plantagenet, commences within about a mile of
the eastern boundary of Caledonia, and is sharply defined, running across the remain-
in o 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 j Mr.
Henry Blaney, not long since, raised 2,000 bushels frum 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 poin ts 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 rise:; 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 pl;:ice 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-roo 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 ::\1r. Chesser was enticed to this spot by the rich growth of pine
with which the Flats were covered; but the cholera of r832 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 belie\'ed he was going home to die,
As he shúwed 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
KICHOLSON; the former took up Lot r6, 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 BRAD LEV and JAMES
PROUDFOOT.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
r."
U- J
The former came from the North of Ireland in his youthful days, and after find-
ing employment some years at Plantagenet l\liIIs, he came to Caledonia in 1836, and
took up Lot3 18 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 rec
ived,
a few days previous, hi
final stroke of paralysis. . . . . :\lr. Bradley, whose
education was very limited, was acknowl'dged to be a man of superior intellect and
great natural ability. Since the establishment of CounLY Councils up to some ten
years ago, the deceased represented his township as Ree\>e in that body, and filled
the office of 'Varden 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 \\ere pro\>erbiat.
He was generons 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, whico was often publicIy 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 horne, 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 nnted for his perseverance and determinati8n-he never yielded
when sure that his cause was one of equity, as long ac; 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.
He at 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,
1\1r. 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 daugh ter.
Henry J., the eldest of the children by the first marriage, settled on 100 acres
near the homestead
and some time afterward bOLlght 200 acres n]ore. He married
Mary Proudfoot; they had three sons and three daughters. Mrs, Bradley died 8th
:\1 arch, 1879, and he was next married 19th 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 comforl.-
able circumstances, His farm is under thorough cultivation, and besides keeping
ten horses, thirteen cows and a numbt:r of .sheep, he has raised in a season 2,200
bushels of oats, 1,000 bushels of potatoes, 100 bushels wheat. and 100 bu:)hels corn.
He has been School Trustee many years, J llstice 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 PROUDFO.>T carne from Dumfrieshire, Scotland, to Caledonia in 1831.
He was empìoyed four years by Mr. John Chesser as manager of his farm, after
which, he purchased the claim of Alfred Chesser to 100 acres of Government land, on
which he lived till his death, 28th February, IS87. .Mr. Proudfoot was a man of
much natural ability j 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,
62 4
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
and took great pleasure in the works of Hugh :\1 iller. 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 j he was married in January,
1864, to Sarah Frances, daughter of \Villiam Bradley. Mr. Proudfoot has been
Township Treasurer for ten, and School Trustee upward of twenty years. His father
cleareù 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 brough t to this locality
by a man named Davis j 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 intelEgent 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 ye3.rs 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, anù 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 lreland 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 hnd at
Fenaghvale, which was divided among their four children-Philip and Richard L.
Downing, Mrs. \Villiam Bradley and Mrs. James Bradley (now Mrs. Michael
Molloy),
PHILIP DOWNIKG 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 \Visconsin,
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 j 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 17th November, 1884.
James Bradley Downing, the youngest son, remained on the homestead-a fine
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
62 5
farm 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-title 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, So x 30 feet, was commenced in 1874, by Rev. Arthur Phillips, the
present incumbent of Hawkesbury, Building Committee-Philip Downing, who
also coJlected the funds, and otherwise took a very active part in forwarding the
work; R. L. Downing, John Sproule, Henry Blaney, and \Villiam Bradley; the build-
ing was completed in 1877.
Re\". \V. 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. 'V. 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. \Y. 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
anù 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 there in 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,
ived on the homestead till his marriage, 23rd July, 1868, to Jessie
Blaney. In 1876, he bonght 150 acres of Lot 5, 6th Concession, whi..::h 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 :\lr. Renwick's industry may be
obtained from the fact that, in the comparatively short period of nineteen years, he
has erected comfortable buildings, and clea:-ed 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 hi.. hand.;, 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, carne to New York city
in 1830, in which city he married, 15th April, 1831, Elizabeth Ann McKee. The
following year they went to New Brunswick, and settled at Blaney Ridge, parish of
Prince \Villiam. In 1839, they carne to Caledonia, and settled on Lot 14, 5th
Concession, which is now owned by Henry and J Ohl1 \V oods. Mr. Blaney died
here, 15th February, 1848; Mrs. Blaney died 11th January, 1870; they had two
sons and two daughtels. 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 :i\1unicipal Council and
a School Trustee for many years; he was married 29th November, 1878, to Ellen
Downing; they have four sons and two daughters.
MICHAEL TERRY, from the parish of Grange
Iouclar, Tipperary, Ireland, came to
L'Orignal in 1843, with .his wife, three sons and four daugh ters. About a year later,
he carne to Caledonia, and settled on 100 acres of Lot 18, 6th Concession. Mr.
Terry died here many years ago, and Mrs. Terry dil::d 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 11th 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] 000 to 1500 bushels of grain, He has eæcted an attractive
brick house and other buildings, and his home gives evidence of taste, as well as
th rift, in the proprietor. He has been a Municipal Councillo r, and for t wen ty 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 !he milk prod.uced by the many good dairies hereabout.
One of the quite early settlers in this section \\'a
HENRY \Voods from Ferma-
nagh County, Ireland, who located here in 18.p. 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 fal m. 1\1rs. \Villiam Ingram, a daughter of the late Mr. Henry
Woods, also lives in this section.
HISTORY O}l' PRESCOTT.
62 7
ST. AMOUR.
Two miles or more southward from Fellaghvale is a Post Office established in
1885, with the above name. The section is one of the newly settled districts men-
tioned on a furmer 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 l\Iaxville.
From this place a road leads to the southern part of the Township, where a
section bordering on Kenyon is well imprm'ed; 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 Gælic is the language spoken; while they are extremely kind
and hospit2 ble to strangers, the latter may be sure that he has not the passport to
their affections unless he can speak with them in Gælic,
DUNCAN :\IcLEOD \Vas 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
loc2ted, in the 8th and 9th Concessions. His father, Alexander 1\IcLeod, 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 9th Concessions. He be-
came a man of prominence and influence in the Township, serving several years in
the Council and as l\1agistrate; 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, settleà 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 :\lay, 1881 ; issue, one daughter and a son-the latter died in ir.fancy ; 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 12th .\ugust, 1862,
to Sarah, daughter of John McInnis, of 'Vest Hawkp.sbury,
\Viiliam Mc Leod, brother of the two named above, received 200 acres of the
homestead; he has long been one of the ;\[unicipal Councillors and a School Trustee.
JOHN J. MCCUAIG, who resides here, is one of the active and prominent men of
the Township, having served as Reeve severa.l yea.rs, .as School Trustee, and in other
local offices. His father, John 1\lcCuaig, 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 McLEùD, now 84 years of age, lives 011 Lot 6, in the 9th Concession.
He came from Glengarry, Ont., and settled here in 184-1-, taking up 50 acres, to
which he subsequently added J 00, He has four sons and thlee daughters living;
John A., one of the former, married, now has the m:lI1agement of the homestead,
628
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
DUNCAN MCCUAIG, who has a good farm here, is a son of Donald McCuaig, who
carne 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
on 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 daughtersj one of the latter,
marrie3, 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
7th 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 Prescott 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 ollly 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, elC,
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 KeIlog, who had discovered
the medical properties of the springs, and turned his knowledge to practical account
by charging a sma]] fee to the frequent visitors. In 1835 Mr. Lemuel Cushing
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 fo]]owed by J. L. \Vilkmson, and he by T. Crawford, who owned the
property a number of years, It was then purchased by Cushing 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 01<' PRESCOTT,
62 9
The mineral springs are four in number-saline, sulphur, gas and intermittent-
and they have so salutary an effect that they are resorted to by hundreds of invaiids
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 anum ber of years, and Justice of the Peace; he was also
Captain of the
[ilitia, 3.nd 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 12th April, 1847. In 1867 he
went to the Military School in Toroato, 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 j he has
also been Chairman of the Board of License Commissioners of Prescott. In 189-:' he
was elected Reeve of Caledonia, which office he still holds; in 1893 he was \Varden
of the United Councils of Prescott and Russell. He has also been Justice of the
Peace for the past 20 years, being, at the time of his appointment. th
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, Aifred
Evanturel. Hc has been President of the Farmers' Institute of the Countv 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 remdined there five years, and afterw.lrd
s(Jent the same length of time in Maxwell, ant, managing a general SLOre, \Vhile 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
[rs.
McDoug3.11 opened a millinery store. Being a sufferer from erysipelas, 1\1r.
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 J he also keeps a grocery and fancy store open during the summer mon ths.
He has been twice married, the first tim
in 1859, and the second in 187-1, to }\Lu y
J., daughter of the late Alexander R. McDonnell, saddler, of Alexandria.
ORMAN \V. KENNEDY, eldest son of the late Wm. Kennedy, of Stukely, Shefford
County, Que., was born in that Township, and received his ea.rly education in
\\'aterloo Academy, under the principalship of C. Thomas. He was married in 1880
to Miss AmandaJ. Davis, of \Vest 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 est3.te and hotel during
the winter; he is also agent for the Bcll Telephone Co. in this place,
DONALD McMASTER, eldest son of Ronald McMaster, was born in 1859, on the
farm where he now lives. 1n [884 he took the Lake Cottage in Caledonia Springs,
630
HISTORY OF PRESCOT.L.
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 daughter5 are now living. Mr, Mc:Master 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
11th April, 1869, aged 80, and Mrs. McMaster died in 186 3.
John, the youngest son, born 9th 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, Ewen, 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, conling here in
1818. He was also active in t
e affairs of the Township during his lifetime, acting
as School Inspector, etc. He hved on the west half of Lot 13, 1st Concession, now
owned by his grandson, Do l1ald 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 carne 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 Br
dyville.
Alfred and Longueuil were united for municipal purposes up to the year 18 54, when
the former was detached, and J oseph
rcGovern 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
Cholette, 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 then sent to take charge of the parish, and was the first resident
prieH; he continued the building of the church, finishing the outside, His SuccesSor
was Rev. Father Boucher, whc remained until 1885, when he sailed to England
entered a monastery, and died there in 1892. Rev. Father Laniel, from Aylmer, the
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 previous:yacted
as Curate, was appointed Parish Pries.t by .Archbishop Duhamel, loth August, 188 9.
Rev. Father Bedard was born 111 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.,lgraduating from the latter, In 1888 he accompanied Arch-
bishop Duhamel to Almonte, officiating there at his first )'lass, and shortly afterward
came to this parish. Since taking charge he has finished the interior of the church,
and built a fine brick presbyt
re; the latter building was blessed by Archbishop
Duhamel, who celebrated Pontifical Majs here 15th August, 1895. There are 800
communicants belonging to the church; the buildi'1g is a fine, large stone struc-
ture,
LAF AIVRE.
This little village is situated in the 1st CJncession 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 Frfnch, all owning good farms. The
first settler in Lafaivre was H. LAFAIVRE, who was born in 1838 in St. Hermas
County of Two Mountains; he came to this place in 1848, and for six years his wa
the only house here. He cleared the hrm 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. 1\1r, 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
18 73, in which year the Post-Office was established and given his name, He ha" also
kept a general store for many years, and deals extensively in hay and
rain ; 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.
TH():.\IA
BRADY came from County Cavan, Ireland, to Canad3. abo It 1830, His
first wife åied in Ireland, leaving two sons and three daughters, who accompanied
him to this country. On his arrival he first came to Alfred and seLtI
d on a lot in
the 3rd Concession-the farm now owned by John :\IcCl1sker. He W.1S married the
second time in 1838 to Mrs. Beers, \\ ido\V of Elisha Beers; the baer had been
drowned in the Long Sault rapids, and his widow was engaged in teaching befOle
marryi:lg Mr. Brady. By the latter marriage there were born to
lr. and 1\[rs, Brady
two sons and two daughters-Francis, Andrew, :\1 ary and Anna,
r r. Brady took an
active ;>ar t 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
lrs. Brady died in February of 1887, at the
age of 81.
63 2
HISTORV OF PRESCOTT.
Francis, the eJdest son, born 28th February, 1841, in Alfred, was married 7 th
Jl1ly, 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,
P. A. Smith,
Irs, Brady died 26th May, 1895. In 1872 Mr. Brady bought his
present farm, which is directJy opposite the Papineau residence, and has since made
many improvements on it and built a brick residence. In the river here is a smaJ1
Island called Mill Island, where :\lr. Joseph :McGovern had a large steam saw-mil] for
a number of years; this mill was burned.
ALPHONSE PRÉSEAULT, third son of A. Préseault, was born October, 18 4 0 , in St.
Benoit, County of Two Mountains, and carne to Alfred with his father's family when
10 years of age. \Vhen 19, he went to Sagmaw City, Michigan, where he was em-
ployed 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 22nd August, 18 7 I,
he was married to Miss O. Seguin, of \Vest 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. Préseault bought his present farm in the 2nd Concession, and
has since purchased 150 acres more in the 1st and 5th Concessions j he is an enter-
prising farmer, and takes an act ive part in the public affairs, having been Councillor
and Deputy Reeve for 12 years, In 1892 he built, and still conducts, a cheese fac-
tory on his farm.
JOHN CASHION was a U. E. Loyalist who resided in the Mohawk VaHey,
ew
York; on the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, he, with his wife, walked to
Martintown, Onto He afterward joined the British Army, in which he held a cum-
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 L.lck
from L'Orignal, finding his way through the forest by means of blazed trees. He
continlJed to clear land for some years before his marriage, which took place in 18 37,
to Mary Lammaman of England. Seven daughters and two sons were born to them,
of whom one of the latter died in childhood. The remaining son, Tames, and the
third daughter, Anna, are the only ones living in the county, the others being in the
States and in Russell County. Mr. Cashion died in 1885, aged 7 8 , and \Irs.
Cashion in 1890 at the age of 7.'l.,
James Cashion, the son, when about 18 years of age, went to the State of
ew
York, and leuned the blacksmith trade, He spent ten year3 there and in Saginaw
City, Michigan. He now Jives on the old homestead with his sistcr Anna; he has
been 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-
provemen ts.
MICHAEL BROWNRIGG came from Kilkenny County, Ireland, to North Planta-
genet in 1826. JOHN R., his eldest son, was born in 1840, and at the age of 17 Legan
teaching school. He taught three years in Plantagenet and Alfred, and afterward
became Book-keeper for Joseph McGovern, a mill owner on the Island; he remained
here seven 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,
1\1r, Brownrigg removed to his present farm which was cne of the first settled in
Alfred. He has taken part in the Township's affairs, having been Towmhip Clerk
for 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 l\1oDtreal i Catherine E. is attend-
ing school in Plantagenet ; and John E., having completed his education in Rigaud
College, is no\v 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 a.nd 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,
"AlbeIt," 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, foliowed navigation for 23 years, beginning
when only I8 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 189--1-, 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 CJme to Alfred in 1831, and settled on the farm now
owned by Charles Rivers, He died there in December, 1864, aged 104 years and II
days. 1\1rs. Lytle a Iso 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 III the business on the Ottawa nineteen years; he was
married to Margaret, daughter of\Villiam 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. l\ir, 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
lary, 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 21st 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
'Vest 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 PapineauvilIe,
remaining with him five years. During this time, when 18 years of age, Mr. Blaney
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 Chl:ue, 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.
Blaney 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 wurked their way into the front rank of the business men of the
4 1
634
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
County, He was born 15th February, 1843, on the farm where he now lives; he is
the youngest son of James McCusker, who carne 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.
fcCusker died 15th April, 1881, leaving two sons and two daughters; two
had died in childhood. He was married the second time to Margaret, daughter
of , Villi am 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 tine one, built of cut
stone was erected in 1880,
HUMPHREY HUGHES \vas born near Arklow, in the County of , VickI ow, IreJand,
February 7th, 1792; he was married in 1823 to Miss Mary Langrcl1, of CarJow
County, and they carne 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 j 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,
Jr.
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 4th, 1871; they
had five sons and lour daughters, of whom one son and two daughters are deceased,
Abraham, the youngest son, was born 11th July, 1865, on the farm \Y here he now
hves, in the 2nd Concession of Alfred. Hé was married in 187 [ to :\Iary 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 1\1 ethodist Church.
JOSEPH
IARTINEAU was born in the County of
Ion
calm, Que., in 1840,
"Then 1 I years of age, he went with his father, who was a carpenter, to :i\Iontreal,
and remained there three years, afterwards coming to North Plantagenet, where they
lived the same length of time. They then c.ame to Alfred, and 1\1r. Martineau, sr.,
bought the farm now owned by the subject of cur sketch. 'Vhen Joseph was 16 years
of age he commenced lumbermg, 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 j 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; his widow still survives him in Papi neau-
ville.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
635
Henry Smith, jr't 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 falher-in-Iaw. 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 el
e-
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
lrs. Smith are both members of the Baptist
Church.
HOLMES SETTLE
IENT.
JOHN A. HOLMES, second son of Thomas Holmes, was born 17th Decen1ber,
1841, in this Settlement, where he has always remained, In 1870 he bought his
plesent farm, opposite his father's, in the 5th Concessior1. He was married 261h Octo-
ber, 18j6, 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 besp
ak 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
ion, all living at home.
Effie J" the second daughter, is organist in the Episcopal Church, 4\.lfred.
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, several 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 Holm
s. The Holmes brothers, Joseph Langrell, \Villiam 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 builùing
dedicated to Protestant worship in the Township of Alfred, and since its completion
has never been unoccupied on the Sabbath, except occasionally, when the service;; 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 Re..., 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 p!irish priest, is now in Rome
63 6
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. Cadieux and
several others. The first exhibition was held in 1891, in Alfred Village, and has since
been held annually. Mr. Evanturel was :elected First Honorary President, and
resigning in I R94, was succeeed by Father Lombard,
FRANCIS EUGÈNE 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' bltertrète 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, he was lÌ1arried to Miss Louisa Lee, granddaughter of Hon.
Judge Vanfelson, of the Superior Court, 1Iontreal.
Mr, Evanturel accompanied Sir Oliver 1Iowat to the Interprovincial Conference
at Quebec in 1887, and spoke in fifteen counties during two months, at the two last
general elections.
LoUIS PHILIPPE LABROSSE, third son of p, Labrosse, was born 1st August, 1847.
in St. Eugène, 'He first entered the employ of his hrother, Simon Labrosse, of
St. Eugène, as clerk, and remained there twelve years, with the exception of one
spent in California.
He was married 24th 1Iay, 1871, to Marie Emma, daughter of the late Edward
St, Denis, of St. Eugène; the following year he bought the hotel now owned by
Mc
lillan, in Vankleek Hill, and after conducting this two years, sold out and returned
to St. Eugène, remaining there a year. He afterward kept a grocery store in Vankleek
Hill for four years, which he sold to E. Labro5se, 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. 1V{r. 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 1Irs. 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
1Iount St. Mary Convent in the same city; the youngest remains at home.
J, NAPOLEON BÉLANGER, eldest son of Magloire Bélanger, was born in Rigaud
in 1849. 'Vhen 17 years of age he commenced clerking in St. André A vellin, but
after a year took up the teaching profession, and taught several years in Ottawa, Hull,
1Iontebello 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 \Vas
Clerk of the Township Council five years. As may be seen by the above,
Ir,
Bélanger 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. Bélanger 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 for a 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. Eugène 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. (2uesnel 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 17th January, 1875; he
attended the )Iodel 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, 12lh
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 :\Iiller, 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 se\Oeral rods at his own expense, and
through his example sidewalks are now laid throughout the village,
HONORÉ BÉLANGER, eldest son of H. Bélanger, was born J 4th April, 1874, in
this place. 'Vhen 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 ir.terests of his employer
and customers,
'VILLIA
I SÉGUlN was the first Reeve of the Township of Alfred, about the year
1855, He is still Jiving in Alfred Village, at the age of 8.1, 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.
HilI was the first Postmaster, and was succeeded by John Lawlor, who was followed
by the present one, L. P. Labrosse.
MÉDÉRIC GAREAU, a farmer living in the 7th Concession, is Assessor, Ditches
and 'Vater Course Engineer, and Secretary of the Agricultural Society.
63 8
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
9th 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 [835; their descendants still remain here. Among
the other early settlers were Bélanger, 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 log:; are floated down it-
nters 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 as}Ject 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 îarming suc-
cessfully, and have all the temporai comforts generally found among this class.
PLANTAGENET MILLS,
Previous to [8[1 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 1\1r. Hagar his property in Plantagenet.
ABNER HAGAR came from Weybridge, Vt., to Montreal in I8ob, to which city
four brothers had preceded him, He there entered into partnership in mercantile
business with one of his brothers-Jonathan j but on the approach of the war of
I8 [2 J onatha n sold his share in the busines
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 3 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, anù 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
Planlagenet 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 Ivir, Che
ser, 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 \Valtham, .Mass.;
and on his father's farm upon the Waltham Flat
was a good portion of the timber
cut which entered into the composition o( the famous United States frigate "Consti-
tution," The date of his birth was 1 7 84; the later years of his life were spent in well-
earn
d 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, wh.:>se 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. \Vhile there, he was
a student the greater part of the time at Peach am and St. J ohnsbury Academies-
insti!utions, even then, in high repute, and the experience and knowledge obtained
from his connection with their literary and debating societies was an admilable out-
fit for his subsequent entrance into political life.
He returned to Plantal.;enet in 1848, and engaged in fanning 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 carne into his
possession, and he erected a woollen mill. His ability was soon recognized, and he
was called to serve his fellow-citiæns in various public positions. He was Township
Clerk, Municipal Councillor, Reeve and 'Varden of the County. In [867, 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 [887 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 ofthoroughbred 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.
\Vhoever 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 0.' 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 Plan tagenet. 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
Caleàonia Flats where he and other members of his family died from cholera in
18 3 2 , He left fùur 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 two 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 Co!. 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
Çlarence, Ont :-
"CoI. 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 Dalho
sie, 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 \Vas promoted from the ranks to a Lieutenancy.
" In this country, the office ofCol. of Militia andJust
ce of the Peace were quickly
followed by a seat in Parliament for the County of Prescott. 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 deìight, and high handed procedur
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 he3.ven : there is the way by which I
expect to leach 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 u1lwilling to go to Heaven by one or the other of the
e roads
deserves to 1: 0 to-01l horseback. I advocate, Mr, Speaker, an equal division of the
Reserves between these four churches."
J A
IES MOLLOY, of whose family there is a sketch in the history of Fournier,
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
64 1
came to Plantageuet in 1825. About the same time came PETER GEORG EN and his
brother \VILLIAM, 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. \Vm, 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 partial1y 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 III 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. 1\lr. 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.
Ir. Ritchie, son of Chief Justice RitchIe.
Besides a good public school there is a Bi-Lingual School, which was established
by the Ontario Government in 1890, A fine brick building was erected for this
School and for a Town Hall, which was afterward purchased by the Public School
Board. The teachers in this school are: ], 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 \V. A. Chamberlayne.
-:\Ir, CHARBONNEAU, who was born at St. Eustache, was clerk there a while, then
at L'Orignal and Brown's \Vharf, 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 amoun t of re].l estate; several farms
and an hotel in the township of A!fred. He has been .Municipal Councillor many
years, Deputy Reeve and Reeve, and a member of the School Board twelve years.
He was married 11th July, 1872, to Louise Larveque of Alfred.
P. J. PQTTS is the youngest son of James Potts, who came from the County of
\Vexford, Ireland, to \Vest Hawkesbury about 1837, and settled on Lot 18, 5th i:3ng
.
64 2
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
P. J., the son, spent twenty years in the Yeon House at this place, rendering it
very popular with travellers, throngh his intelligence, sociability and regard for the
comfort of his guests. In 1893 he left this 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 13th September, 1888, to Miss Proulx, a daughter of J.
Proulx, M. P. for Prescott.
ROBERT BANFORD is a twin son of Wm. Banford noticed III 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 j 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.
\VVMAN A. CHA
IBERLAVNE, 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 Re\r o 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 merc1ntile business, and besides
the time no\v devoted to this, he is Agent for several Loan Companies of Toronto.
ARTHUR ROCLEÄU, who has been PostmJ.ster here for eight years, also has a fine
store,
HOTELS,
P. A, LARIVIÈRE is proprietor of the Yeon House j he was born in \V' endover
in this township. His father, Pierre Larivière, conducted an hotel in \Vendover 28
years, Peter, his only son, was educated at Rigaud College, and while there learned
telegraphy; he left Rigaudin 1874. He became telegraph operator for the C. P. R.,
in J 878, 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. \Vhen 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 in Thurso, 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 1st 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 Briti!3h 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 7 I, He left seven sons
and one daughter,
François Xavier, the youngest son: bought a farm, built an hotel, and settled in
Plantagenet in 1873. He has four sons and two daughters. John Baptiste Adolp:1Us,
his second son, besides the" Commercial House," has a farm of 7 5 acres about two
miles from the village. He is al50 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, \Vm. Story, came from Scotland, and settled in \Vinchester about [845.
The son, William, has followed milling business, and has b
en in the employ of Mr,
Hagar in his flour mill here for twenty-two years. He was muried 1st July, [864, to
Virginia, daughter of Patrick Ryan, of this township; they h:tve three sons and two
daughters. The former are in business in Ottawa, and the younger daughter is a
teacher in th:1t city; the elder daughter is nurried to J. C. Brown, merchant, of
Point Fortune.
Of the prof
ssional men, \V. J. DERBY, M.D., is the only English-speak-
ing medical practitioner in the village. His fd.ther, 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 iocality, 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 Í11 1882, He practised two years in Rockland, Russell
County, and came to Plantagenet in 1884; he was married I I th 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 BÉLANGER is the intelligent and genial Municipal Clerk of Plantagenetj
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 Bélanger, cam
to Alfred in 1855, and was one of the first settlers in
the 9th 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 here in 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 ÿrescott several years. He was married in 1870 to the youngest daughter
of the late André 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,
LP. He was elected to the
House of Commons in 1891 by the Liberal party, by a majority of669; he was re-
elected in [892.
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 18
2-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 .M:ills-
one, the" Plantagenet Springs," being owned by Mr, Wm, Rodden; the other, "Car-
ratraca Springs," by Mr, P. B. "'inning; the latter also has a fine quarry on his farm
of 2 So acres,
TREAD\VELL.
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
TreadweIJ, 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.
\VILLIAl\1 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.
Kains 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 \Vas presen t at the capture of \Vashington during the war
of 1812-14. In 1818 he came to Can3da 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, Ca}Jt. 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 \Var in 1853, when he was called
home to England, and served as senior purser on Nelson's old ship, the " Victory,"
This vessel hy all the time at Portsmouth, during which Capt. Kains received as
purser .1),100 sterling a year. He returned to Canada, and died in Montreal in
18 57, but was buried in St. Thomas, where his son, 'William K., resided. He had
six childrén-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, ]ohn,-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
lontreal Bank at Fort \Villiam, at the head of Lake Superior; the latter at St.
Thomas.
. \Vm. K. Kains married 18th October, 1858, Henrietta, daughter of \Vm, Ham-
1Iton, 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, \Villiam K. Kains, still holds. Mr. Kains has had
little to do with public matters, confining his attention st] ictly to his own 3ffairs, in
which he sustains the reputation of an intelligent, honorable man. He is assisted by
his SOli.
HI,STORY 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
\Villiam Darlington. The cemetery belonging to it is also on :\Ir. 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 :\fcCuaig, Cheney & Co., 'Vest 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 r894, when he sold out. He is now em-
ployed in the Hughes factory. He was married 26th :\Iay, r890, to Maggie. daughter
of Oliver Blaney, of Riceville ;
Iiss 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 bus mess ; he is !lOW building a hous e
on hIS fathf>r's farm. :Mr, and :\Irs. 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 00 the homestead, but the farm is
managed by his son, Henry \V, 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
s
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 9th September, 182 5,
to Alexander
IcDonnell, and later it came into possession of Alfred Chesser.
BENJAMIN ANDERSON came from the County of Derry, Ireland, about 1829,
and settled in
.outh 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 185 I. He had four sons and three daughters;
James, the eldest of the former, remained on the homestead,
Alexander 'Viley, the youngest of the family, learned the blacksmith trade,
bought Lot 2 r, 6th Range, erected a carriage and blacksmith shop and saw-mill, and
lived there eighteen years. He was married 25 th September, 1867, to
Iartha 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 cut
64 6
HISTORY OF PRFSCOTT,
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, fwm which
their employees obtain their supplies.
l1r, 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, '1 he
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,
LÉON 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 villa!;e 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 DIXON, proprietor of the Grand View House,
1r. 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 P AREl'T.
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 31st Ju]y, 1393, to Menodore Legault.
MIss NAOMI LEGAULT is teacher in anothel department of this school. She is
a native of St. Louis de Gonzague, Beauharnois County, Que., and was educated at the
Iodel school of Plantagenet. She has been successfully engaged in teaching, two
yeals at St, hidore de Prescott and three at Curran,
Curran is the home of l\IR, 0, 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 faU 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 19th October, 1856, to Rosannah
Smith, of Ansonia, Conn. He was appointed :\Iunicipal 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
aàapt him, He has a nice cottage here, and the possession of a farm affords him
recreation and a pleasan t change from the arduous labors of his office.
CENTERFIELD.
About three miles from Plantagenet
lills, 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. II 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 p:-efer the more euphonious one of Centerfield.
To one who has crossed the level, sandy and dayey land between this and the
Ottawa, timbered with cedar and other evergreens, the ridge of high land which he
meets at Centerfitld, 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 tluifty, h:udy
class; their farms show that thty are tilled for a purpose, and their stock that it is
properly cared for, a11(l 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 C'r 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 de
ree 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 hnd and farming
to appear to him a work of drudgery-a lonely, hum-drnm 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 h{: began to realize the necessity of making
his farm yield enough to support his family; and to this end he worked. and hi'5
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
Ic-
Auley, Andrew and ATchie 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, 1\1r, McAuley taking up Lot 14, in the 4th,
Concession, where he died more than a century ago, after having lived here over
forty years.
048
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
PATRICK 'V. McDoNNELL, who was married 24th December, 1860, to Esther, a
daughter of !\Ir. Mc_\uley, is now the proprietor and occupier of his late father-in-
law's estate-a fine farm of ISO 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 'Vendover, on the Ottawa, which he con-
ducted till 1868. At that time he was induced to remove to the (arm 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,
a
d knowledge of the science of agriculture. He has eamestly 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
})eace, has been a School Trustee many years, a member of the l\Iunicipal Council
and Assessor. He has had eleven children-seven sons and four daughters.
DANIEL MCCORl\IICK came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, to Plantagenet
in 1847, and bought ISO acres of Lots 14, 5th, and 14 in the 4th Concessions; he
lived h
re 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 fOleman; he was married 21st November, 1872, to Margaret
IcAuley, 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 l\fcAuley, 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 No\'ember,
1879; he had two sons and four 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 l\IcAuley, where he carried on a
profitable business for m2.ny 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 ofa 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 coulltry 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
an:lOng the substantial and pr05perous fanners, of the township.
JUHN l\1CCRANK came from the County of Antrim, Ireland, about 1827, and
settled on Lot 13. Concession S. He had four sons-James, John, Daniel and
'Villiam, and three daughters; of the latter, one died yo'mg;
lary and Eliza
married. live in this section. '
'Villiam, 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 14 th 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; 'Iorgan, the youngest, is
teaching in the Smith Settlement; John, the eldest, is a Yeterinary Sur6"eon in Platts-
burg, N, Y.; James is a mechanic in Vancouver, B.C. j Patrick and Margaret A., the
) oungest daughter, are at home; the eldest daughter is married.
ROCKDALE.
Rockdale is the name given to the place where BEN]A:\HY A
DERso
-noticed
in the history o.f 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 pIa}' 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 :::850 to Maria Johnson. He 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 wa.s enabled to do much good and display his sound judgment. A Christia.;
man, an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and of a pacific disposition, his first effort
was always to make peace between contestants, and in thi" laudable design he was
usually successful. He died about 1875 ; Mrs. Anderson survived till 12th November,
18 9 2 .
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 homesteJ.d.
He was married [8th April, 188J, to Adelia Coot of
Iontrea], and since that event
he went to the North 'Vest, and was employed some time on a survey in Alberta,
He has been a School Trustee several years, and was a member of the 18th Batt3.li')l1
till its disorganization.
Very soon, or about the same time that
Ir. Anderson came to Plantageaet
came also Alexander Shields, George
IcAu]ey and Samuel \Yilkinson, and setlled
near him.
4 2
65 0
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
CHARLES HENRY CARDWELL is a citizen of this locality, His father, George
Cardwell, came from Bristol, Engiand, 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 \Vorks 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 i
to a 64 pounder rifle gun. His brother, George CardweH,.
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 So acres of wild land here in 1881, and though he is usually
employed at h
s t.rade in the city, h
has cleared one-half of his la!1d, and erected
comfortable bmldmgs. He was marrIed loth June, 1879, to Betsey Cresley, and his
mother lived with them till her death, 24th April, 1895.
In a neighborhood nut far distant from Rockdale, reside two brothers, ANDREW and
SAMUEL DERBY, who came from the County of Derry, Ireland, in 1847. On his arrival,
Andrew purchased 250 acres of land in the 6th Concession, of which he still retains
ISO acres, the remainder having been given to one of his sons. Mr, Derby is another
ofthe pioneers whose perseverance, industry ar
d 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 ,V, J.
Derby, M.D. of PJantagenet 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, 9, 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 So 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 bas 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 \VILEY, it is said, was the first settler in the 6th Concession; he came
from the County of Derry, Ireland, and settled here in 1845, his wife and six children
arriving the following year. Four of his sons are now living in this section, staunch
supporters of the Methodist Church,
SAMUEL 'VILKINSON 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. BeJl was the first clergyman who preached here.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
65 1
PENDLETON,
This is a small hamlet located on the boundary between North and South Plan-
tagen et.
The level h:
nd and the
roves of M
ples, or other
eciduous trees, which appear
here and there In the expansIve, well cultIvated fields, gIve a most pleasant, park-Jike
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
cross
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 Henrr Moffatt; a l::rge and flourishi
g che
se 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 19 th April, 1888, aged 93, was one of
the pioneers in this section, and <:ame about th
time Ry.an 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, Vittoria, Salamander, Badajoz, Ciudad, Rodrigo and Belsaco. '
The old veteran never could get over the disappointment he felt that \Vaterloo
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 \Vexford, I
e
and, came to Canada about 18 17
with his family-a wife and seven sons, After lIvIng on the St. Lawrence till abou
1820, he came to Plantagenet, and settled on Lot 19, in the 9 th Concession, where he
spent the remainder of his days,
Matthew, his eldest son, settled i? Leeds,.where he died
ar1y in the fifties; George
spent his life on the homestead; Jonn, a taIlor by trade, lIved near the homestead,
and died in. I 870; Moses, when quite y.omlg, 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 near Curran, and died there;
Patrick, a twin brother of Dennis, settled on Lot 16, 9 th Concessio:l, where he
died in 1865. .
Dennis purchased 100 acres of Lot 20 In the 9 th Concession, and lived on it
till his death, 31st March, 1879. He was married about 1835, to Bridget McCormick
she died 2nd 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 fin
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 12th October, 18S1 to A.lexina Durocher.
65 2
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 }'ears.
MOSES SHANE from \Vexford 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 "'est,
and subsequently was one of the early settlers at this place; he died 21st May,
18 7 8 , 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 canie from Tyrone County, Ireland, in ,837, and bought 100
acres of Lot 12, Range 13 in South Plai1tagenet; he subsequentlyadùed 200 acres
to this purchase, He married Martha Caldwell, a daughter of one of the vioneers
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,
,893, 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 ouilt
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 ousiness, 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 7CO cows; the output of this factory in 189
amounted to 115,-
000 lbs. 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 abou t 75,000 lbs.
Seme antiquarian. whose name we regret we do not knew, has employed a por-
tion of his time in the mefullabor 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, r.ow owned by :\lartin 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, the teachers were, 'Vm. McDowell, Patrick Benson, Margaret
McAleese. The school-house on the Lot of Dennis Ryan was burnt about 1X42,
but another was soon erected. Teacher in 1844-45, John Bradley; Peter Biggar, 18 4 6 ,
1847 é1l1d 18 4 8 ; J. L. P. O'Hanley, 1849 and 1850 ; John O'Connor, 1852 and 18 53;
Margaret Smith (now Mrs. Falkner), 1854; Dr. H:ukin, 1855; Robt. 'V. Lendrum,
from 1855 to 1857 ; Oliver Barton, from ]857 to 1861 ; John R. McLaurin and Stephen
N, Clark, 1861 and 1862; A, S. McLennan,1862 and 1863; Robt. 'Valsh, 1863 and
1864; Joseph Kyle, 1864 to 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; 1\1rs. MalY Molloy, J8;9;
S, S. Burns. Edgar McLean, 1880; Peter McDonald, 1881 ; Ida PhilIips, 1881 and
1882; Calvin Morrow, 1883 and 1884; Mary Wight, ]885; Margaret McLean, 1886;
Edward C. Wight, 1886 and 1887."
The following were Superintendents during the above period: Rev. Colin Gregor,
ReY. Matthew Eloer, 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 0' Rourke, came from the County of M:1Yo
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, 1
68. He was married in
December, 1847, to Ellen, a daughter of Jacob Read, a pioneer who settled on Lot
15, Range 9, in 1826;
Ir. 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,
ustaining a large stock of
cattle and three hOises. He has been married twice; the first time. in 1883, to
'Vinnifred Fisher, and the second time, in 1892, to Suah 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, Íj 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 \Villiam, and their sister Jane, had been here about twenty years before
the arrival of Robert.- John died 13th P;ovember, 1867, aged 64; 'Villiam died 12th
March, 1863, aged 63-
ROBERT SMITH, with his wife, son, James, and six daughters, sailed for Canada in
1844, on the ship "Salome". She had b
en three weeks on her 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 9th Concession of North Plantagenet. and lived
there till his death 28lh 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, SOllth Plantagenet, subsequently buying
50 acres more. Mrs. Smith died 21st June, 1870. Their children, like those of the
elder Smith (Robert), comprised one son and six daughters, The land Mr. Smith
purchased was in iLs primeval state; bUlas it lies along the Nation river, he was more
fortunate than the pioneer who settled at a distance from b..Jth river and roads. ßùt,
still, he had a great deal of hardship to overcome, in the vanquishing of which he has
displayed the characteri!-tic courage and
ndurance of the old country pioneer. He
was a member of the School Board several years, and terminated this connection
therewIlh by resignation.
His son, Robert, who now has the nunagement of the homestead, is a member of
the same Board; he was 111arried, 18th October, 1893, to Caroline Blaney. The ferry
across the Nation river is near the dwelling of 1\1r. Smith, to \vhose management it
belongs.
ALEXANDER GORDON, from the County of D
rry, Irela'ld, settled, about ISI 5, on
the ation river in South Plantagenet, on a Lot now owned by his grandsorls, Alex-
ander and James Gordon. He lived here till his death; his children were three sons
and two daughters. John, his eldest son, was mJ.rricd, 14th February, 1830, to Agnes
Andason, and bought Lot 13. Range 10, of South Plal1tag
net, wilJ land, of which
he cleared 100 acres. He died 24
h 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 j he joined Com-
654
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
pany No.2, Capt. Shields, of the 18th 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
.1v1cDonald; Eppie L, is teaching in a neighboring district; and the two sons, Nurman
and Grant, are at home,
DO
ALD McDoNALD, from the Isle of Skye, came to Plantagenet in 1820. His
brother, Neil McDonald, a surveyor, had been here for some time: and surveved
much of the land hereabout:; he lived on Lot 7, Concession I I. 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
ation 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 coul
get control of it, the current bore it swiftly
over. He clung tu 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 97th 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, 9th 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, 17th September, 1888, to Aggie Gordon; apparently he is gaining the reward
of energy and industry,
ALEXANDER H, FRASER, 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 atlrac-l
tive looking farm, Mr. Fraser has for some years been a member of the Schoo
Board. He was married 8th January, 1879, to Mary, daughter of George Clark, who
came from Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland, to Côte 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 fam1 on the Ottawa in East Hawkesbury, where
he still resides, He has been thrice married, the last time-22nd May, 1855-to
Catherine 'Vade, 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 t;;:rected in the Smith Settle-
ment. The records show that
H1 the - day of May, 1843, "A meeting of
the adherents of the Presbytenan Church was convened at the house of , Vii ham
Smith, to devise means and raise funds for the erection of a chape1. A subscription
list was then. taken, and a building committee appointed composed of the following
gentlemen, VIZ, :-John Beggs, John Smyth and George Pre5ley.
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
655
" An agreement was entered into between the committee and John Gordon anp
James Anderson, on the 17th February, 1843, to erect a building
6 ft, x 26 ft., of
sided timber, and finish it for the sum of thirty pounds j to be fit for use on the 15th
November, 1843."
The Rev. Colin Gregor was the officiating minister, and the Register shows that
the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was åispensed to communicants on the 22nd
June, 1845, 13th September, 184 6 , and on the 24th October, 1847.
After this, the Register states without date: 'ó The Rev. Colin Gregor receives
a call from the congregation of Guelph, which he accepts, and the Rev.
1atthew
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, 27th July, 1852."
"September 17th, 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 :\IcLean, John Gordon and many others,
" At a meeting of the Presbyterian Church in Plantagenet, held 17 th October, 1857,
lr. K. Fletcher was appointed to take the chair.
ó' Resolv
d: That a fund be raised for the purpose of purchasing a Glebe and
building a :\lanse, (or 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 3eparate mission, to which the first minister appointed was Rev. Colin
Gregor. He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Ferguson, who, however, \vas 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 16th 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 1st, 1889, Rev. John Birrell came and remained
two years. There has been no settled pastor here since; the Rev. \Vm. 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, carne in November,
18 94, and is laboring to the satisfaction of h15 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, 5 th May, 18 3 6 , aged 45.)
" This stone was erected by his sincere friend, C. P. Treadwel1."
65 6
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT,
South Plantagenet.
This township is hounded on the north by Korth Plantagenet, east by Caledonia,
south by the counties of Stormont and Glengarry, and west by Russell. 1 he l
nd 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 it:; northern boundary. A barge
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 carrying freight of differ-
ent kinds, chiefly bay; the distance is about 25 miles.
Along this river dairying is better than grain-raising-hay being a prolific crop;
though corn and wheat are raised to some extent; but pease being too rank in growth,
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 11th Concession.
One or two still smaller streams also help to irrigate the land, and are utilized for
different purposes,
The parish of St. Isiòore 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
Parent was the first Postmaster; the present Postmaster is Joseph Parent, _
The parish has a good slone R. C. Church, the present priest of which is Rev,
I. C. Boulet.
RICEVILLE.
This little village is located in the west part of the township on the Scotch
river. Though the chef-lieu of the township, it is a quiet place, neat and remarkably
pleasant. It stands on the Rid
e referred to elsewhere and near its margin. Fine
farms border the roads leading from the piace, all posses
ing 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
three stores, an hotel, carding, shingle and provender mills, a cheese factory and a
few shops,
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
,V. H. S:ott, 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
Enghnd 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, 11th January, [863. He
left three sons and two daughters; Ann, the eldest daughter, a girl of twelve years,
died 9th October, 1838.
CHRISTOPHER, the second son, received one half the homestead, and his
brother Heury 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; both
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 man}" years to s
rve in
this office. Though tarmll1g 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. :\1 etcalfe: 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.
1\:1r. 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 185 [to Mary, a daughter of Neil Campbell, the first
settler at Lochaber Bay-a very enterpri'iing, estimable citizen. Miss Campbell
first came to Riceville to teach school, and being a staunch member of the BJ.ptist
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 da.u
hters; 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 \h.
McLaurin, he wa,> appointed Postmaster; he has also been Auditor for the School
Board, and is an active member of the Royal Templars-a. L()dge having been
formed at Riceville in the fall of 1892-and agent for the HamIlton Trust & LoaA
Co. He was married in June, 1386, to \laggie Gardner, sister of the Ors, Gardner of
Montreal.
An impetus was given to settlement and business in this section by the advent
of PETER McLAURIN, a land surveyor, about the year rS45. He came from Bread.
albane and had formerly erected mill.. on the line bet\veen Caledonia and P!anta-
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 j 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.
65 8
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
ALEXA
DER
IcLEAN, who removed from this place not long since, was another
man promin
ntly 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,
Cen. 13, where he lived till his death, 20th January, 1873; he was 86 years of age. Mrs,
Frith died 16th January, 1846, Mr. Frith wasa 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 t\vo sons, Samuel and Ebenezer,
The latter, who is the youngest of the sons, is the only one now remaining in Rice-
viIle, the other three, Samuel, James and Joshua, having removed to 'Vinchester.
::\lR, EBE
EZER 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 Campbel1, but she is now deceased; they had five
sons and three daughters, The eldest son is deceased; the second, J. E., is agent
for 'Villis & 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. ,V. is Dental Surgeon in 'Vinchester, 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
Xe\V 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 \Var ; in consequence of this military ex-
perience, he was employed to drill the Volunteers at the HiU in 18 37.
Irs. Vogan was a witness of the marriage in Ireland of Capt. .l\IcCann, noticed
in the history of 'V. 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 'Villiam.
Henry Vogan was engag,::d in mercantile business for some time at Vankleek
Hill, after which he followed farming a few years in 'Vest Hawkesbury; then spent
two years in British Columbia, returned and was foreman ten years for 1\1r, 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 dwelImg,
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.
1r. Vogan was married to
lary McNally in 1869; her father was the Rev.
James McNally, the first :\lethodist minister that labored in Riceville. He came
from the County of Cavan, Ireland, with his family to \Vest Hawkesbury in 182 5,
and settled in the neighborhood of the present Henry Post-office. He died about
18 77; 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
HISTOI<.Y 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.
\VILLIAM 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, 15th 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 lst, 1895,
GEORGE A. RYA
is a brother of Mrs. Nicholson, and is assistant in the Post-
office, and Secretary of the Town3hip Agricultural Society ; he was married 21 st
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 !<'ournier. 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,
\VILLlAl\I 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, :"1r, Dunning married a daughter of the late Peter
McLaurin.
Riceville has a good school building, pleasantly located, in which there are two
departments, eelch in charge of a competent teacher. The first school house was a log
structure near the house of .Mr. :\Ietcalfe j 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 from basswood.
A steam saw-mill was erected here by Dorty Leger, in 1889 j he sold it and
built another in 1892, and is now adding a sash and door factory,
The ::\1ethodists are an influential boùy 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 (\Vesleyan) was erected at Frank-
lin's Corners in 1849. The earliest records to be found relating to this denomination
in South Plantagenet are of a " Quarterly
1eeting Conference of the Ottawa Mission,
held at Riceville, 30th October, 1847,"
Present-Rev, Jas. Gardner, Pres. Elder j Rev. T, Lewis,
lissionary; \lexis
JohnsoIJ, Henry Caldwell, Class Leaders; Justus Clark, Jas, Moffat, stewards.
The history of the Baptist Church at this place is given in the annals of the Rev.
::\lr. King in his accoun t of his labors in N otfield and other places after leaving
Dalesville, Que. He says:
., Besides laboring in N otfield, I had also to labor in Riceville. sixteen miles
north of Nott1eld. The small village of Riceville takes its name from the wire 0
660
HISTORY OF PRESCC,TT.
Peter McLaurin, who was a daughter of Dr. Rice, Mr.
lcLaurin came from
Breadalbane, and had been a member of the Baptist Church there,
"The settiers 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-<i member of the Baptist Church in
10ntreal, when
Tohn Gilmour was pastor. This man was zealous for the good of souls; when there
,,'as 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.
'I This practice he continued for some years; being acquainted with .l\Ir,
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
at
cnded 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 \'.'as a Mr,
McNall)', who baptized a few persons in the Scotch river; the Methodists got a firm
hold in the plac
, and nnny joined them.
"The next Baptist that came to the place was Miss Mary Campbell, a daughter
of Neil Campbell, of Lochaber. She carne to Riceville and taught school for some
time, and was married to Christopher Metcalfe, who at that time \vas keeping store
here j he was a. professor of religion and a Baptist in principle. A 5 yet there had
been no baptism here by a Baptist minister, but at length Brother Rainboth, who
was laboring in l\otfield and .Papineauville, preached in Riceville on his way to and
from these p!aces. 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 ùaptisrn, 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 !'Ouls. In the year 1862 a church was formed of eighteen
believers; in 1865 it consisted of twenty m
mbers, 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 :-
Eresident-Jas. H. :MoIIoy,
Vice-Presidellt-'Vm. Lendrum.
Treasurer-Ceo. Cutt,
Secrdary-Alex. McLean.
Directors-James Moffatt, \Vm, Brodie, Lewis Parker, James Surch, E. Frith.
Attditors-Sttphen Surch, John Caldwell.
Prizes in 1894-$231; total receipts-$351.53; expenditure- $23 0 '95.
JOHN MUIR is proprietor of one of the m;tny fine farms that may be found in
the vicinity of Riceville, His father, 'Villiam Muir, carne from Hamilton, Scotland
to L'Orignal in 1846; he was by traùe a carpenter, and he followed this in the
employ of Sheriff Treadwell nine years. After leaving L'Orignal, he spent a few
yeal s in the viII age of Riceville, and then bought 100 acres of Lot 10, 14th Conces-
sion, in South Plantagenet, on which he lived till his death in February, 1876; he
had six sons and four daughters. J ames, one of the sons, remained on the home-
stead; Júhn, another son, in his younger days followed the lumber business. In
18 73 he bought 100 acres-Lot 10, 13th Concession, which was partially cleared.
He was married 29th July, 1875, to Catherine Bradley, Mr.
luirhas 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,
661
ous maples around it and along the roarlside; his hop-yard comprises three acres,
He has been a School Trustee and Municipal Councillor f"r some years, and is a
staunch sU!Jporter of the Methodist Church. Two of his brothers, Robert and
Thoma!>, and h
s si
ter Jane, married to Alexander )lcKercher, all live in l\Ianson-
ville, Wood County, Wisconsin; William, another bro
her, lives in South PIJ.nta-
genet.
OLIVER BLANEY is another of the farmers of Prescott who rnay justly quote the
language of Cæsar, Veni, 'llidi, viti. 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 II, 13th Concession; his death occurred in 1868,
He was twice márried; 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
14 th January, 1861, to Nancy Caldwell, In 1864 he bought 275 acres in the 13 th
and 14th Concessions of this township, which was then almost in its primeval stale.
At the time of this purchase Mr. Blaney owed $600, and had no means of paying it,
save what he cou!d earn by physical labor ; but to-day he is free from debt: his land
is mostly cleared, he has set out a fine orchaïd of 200 apple trees, has three
acres of hops, has eïected 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,oeo 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 enrage in this
industry more largely than ever. 1\1:-. Blaney has been a School Trustee for many
years, also a Trustee and Secretary of the
lethodist Church. He has four sons and
five daughters; Henry C., the eldest son, is in California; \Vm, Thomas is in
lani-
tuba; both are married and three of the daughters are al50 married,
CHARLES 1", LENDRUM resides on the Nation in the vicinity of RiceviIle, 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
\ssistant
Engineer; he also was the architect of the Court House and Jail at L'Orignal i he was
afterward sometimes emploled in Montreal. A year or two after his arrival he
bought 200 acres, Lot I I, Concession II, which was only partially cleared, and the
rest was cleared by himself. He died 20th )Iarch, 1880; :\[rs. Lendrum died 2..gh
December, 1887, They left eight sons and three daughters; two of the fonner have
since died. CharJes P., the youngest of the family, and Thomas, next older, remained
on the homestead; the latter died from the result of an accident, 7th Fehruary, 18 93'
The following obituary is from the Adz'crtiser (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 Telnplar Society of this place, and his Societ v
cannot replace him with one of his abilitie
and deportment. The funeral was one
of the largest ever known in this place, there being upwards of one hundred carriages."
\Villiam J. Lendrum wa
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 Royall\lilitary College of Sandhurst.
An extract from a lengthy obituary, published in an English paper, and copied by
the Ottawa Jour1lal of 7th January, 1893, says :-
"Sergt, \Villiam J, Lendrum, Y. C., had won the Victoria Cross for acts of
heroism and unrivalled bravery in the Crimean \Var and in India."
0662
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, is a Royal
Templar.
JOHN MOFFAT, eldest son of James 1\10ffat, mentioned in the history of Penàle-
ton, born in 18 37, remained at home until 1864, in which year be ,,:as married to
Sarah, daughter of ...
lexander \Vestw?od o
Mo!1treal,. and moved to hIS present farm,
in the 12th ConcessIOn. In connectIOn wIth hIS farmmg, Mr, 1\1offat 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
10cal1 trade, 1\1r, 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 he was elected Reeve, which
office he still holds. Being well posted on the Code of Ontario, 1\1r, 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 110 acres, six of which comprise his hop-yard.
FRANKLIN'S CORNERS.
Franklin's Corners was once an important place in the township. The first
Methorlist Church was erected here in 1849, which was demolished a few years ago,
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, from Ellckinghamshire, 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
16 and followed it successfuIJy forty years. At the age of 21 he bought a farm-Lot
10' Concession 14; he married Elizabeth Muir. His death took place 13th January,
188 7, 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 1\1., 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 b
siness. 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, \ViJliam 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, M r. 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.
'VILLIAM 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 in 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, J 01111, 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,
lr, John Stevens, has a fine brick residence and farm adjoining that of
Ir, Hunter,
lrs, Stevens died in 1895; three of her sisters, daughters of Mr, Samuel Hunter,
married to prosperous farmers, settled in this township-:\Irs. Henry Nicholson,
Mrs, James Nicholson, now a widow, and .Mrs. J ohl.1 \Vilkes.
LEMIEUX.
In the north-west part of the township is a Post-office, established aoout
twenty years ago with. the name Lemieux-a man bearing that. name being the first
Postmaster. A saw-mill was erected here about ISso by Archie Burton. The m.ill
is now owned by \V, N. Barrie, an enterprising Scotchman, who enlploys 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. McInnis,
John Macauley, and Henry Bradle} ,
A Post-office was
stablished a few years since on Lot 5, Concession II, 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, and 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 25th 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 chd.pel. The first priests who visited the place came trom 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-
lr.
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 interim 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, Onésirne 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 Gédéon Magnan, \V ho died three years later, in July, 1888.
The next priest was the present incumbent, Rev. E, Dcssicr.
664
HISTORY OF PRESCOTT.
A Methodist Churc.h was erected at Fournier in 1873,
Besides the two chur<:hes, Fou.rnier has thïee stores conducted by J. N. Lapointe,
a tannery which has been 111 operatIOn by Nelson Baker about twenty years, a cheese
factory and a hotel conducted by DUNCAN MACGREGOR.
.Mr, .Macgregor's grandfather, James l\Iacgregor, 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 PJantagenet in J 823, and purchased 300 acres of
Lots 5 and 6, Concession T 2, and, some years later, he bought 200 acres in Con-
cession J 3.
The elder :Macgregor (James) was accidentally drowned about 1846, in the
Xation River near his own dwelling, Margaret
lacgregor, his 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 R0ad. exploring timber limits. James, the second son, has part
of the homestead, and Duncan, the youngest, has another part, comprising 100 acres,
of which ahout 85 are under cultivation. From this, in the summer of 1895, he
cut J So tons of hay, and raised 166 bushels of barley and 200 bushels of wheat.
JOHN PAXTON, from the Vi])age 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 cumprising Lot I, Conce5sion 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, ",.ho
supplied them with means to come to Canada. John and Thomas followed Stephen
and James at different periods, some years later. After living twelve year:; with his
uncle, John Paxton, James entered the employ of the Hamilton Brothers at Hawke
-
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 I.{O
acres of the land bequeathed thtm by their uncle. James Smch has been one of the
prominent men in local affairs, haying served twenty-four years as School Trustee,
fourteen as Councillor, and five a<; 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 1, Concession 12. He brought two young
bo}s, 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. L1.st season, T 8t)S, besides cutting 100 tons
of hay, he raised 5 00 bushels of barley and over 500 busheis of wheat.
JA!\IES H. MOLLOY, jr., who died early in 1896, and who, in September last
( 18 95), 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 years,
The following sketch of the family \Vas 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\Vestmeath, 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 177 I, and joined the King's troops and was employed in the
Quarter-Master General's department till the year 1783. Came to Montreal in 17 8 5,
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, 29th October, 1783, to
Eleanor Staats, widow of the late John Amory, issue of marriage as follows:
,; Alice Molloy, born loth January, 1784, at the Hogsborough, near Albany; James
Molloy, born 21st February, 1788, at Montreal; Joachim Staats Molloy, born 2nd
September, 1789, at Montreal; died loth March, 1791; Marie Charlotte Molloy, born
11th May, 1794, at Montreal, diEd 30th 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, 18th 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, 1fr, 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" 14th
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 \ViIliam 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 \Varden of the County, He was a candidate for
Parliament in 1886, in opposition to Mr, Evanturel, but was defeated by a sman
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.
9=or anl'thing in the Drug or crhemical
ine wrile or caU upon
J.
E. Tr
mble
Dispensing Chemist and Family Druggist, Importer of Drugs,
Chemicals, Perfumery and Toilet Articles, A complete
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AND
Corner St, Cðtherin
@
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MQntr
ol
TELEPHONE 4028
Prescriptions our Forte
Webster Heuse
SECOND Block from the Grand Trunk Station, St. James Street,
and three minutes walk from the C. P. R, Station. Electric
Cars pass the door for all parts of the City.
\\'hile the cuisine and attendance at this house is second to none
m the city, its low rates have secured so large a patronage from the
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Mr. O
c. Webster
Has had long experience in the hotel business, and his desire for the
comfort of his guests renders his house the ideal home of the traveler
J. EVELEIGH & CO.
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MR. A. T. FORnES, a native of Argcnteuil, the ohliging' manager, \, ill he pleased to see and greet his
friends at alltimes. (See folio 186.)
I?ccl{et 13ccl{s,
etter Cases and l3ill ijccl{s.
THE SUN
Life Assurance Company
OF
CANADA.
HEAD OFFICE,
MONTREAL.
* * * * * *
INCOMB for year ending 31st December, 1:395 .$1,528,054
-ASSeTS at 31st December, 1895 5,365,770
Life. -Assurance.s in force January 1st, 1896 34,754.,840
SURPLUS over all Liabilities (except Capital Stock) 534,944
* *
* *
POLICIES ABSOLUTELY NONfORfEITABLE.
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In the event of non-payment of premium the policy is continued in force
as long as its reserve value will pay for.
Policies are incontestable from the fir:,t, save that the Company rescrves
to itself the right to contest payment during the first t\\'o years in cases of
intentional fraud.
Losses paid immediately upon completion and approval of proofs.
Send for new Prospectus.
R. MACAULAY. HON. A. W. OGILVIE. T. B. MACAULAY.
Presidcnt. YÍ<'e-President. Sccretary and Actuary.
MACDONALD O XLE
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\ranagers City Agencies.
O. LEGER.
W. D. LIGHTHALL, M.A" B.C,L., F.R.S.L.
C. A. HARWOOD, B.C,L.
Cable Address, flLIGHTNALD."
Telephone No. 2382,
lrighthall
f{apwood
BARRISTERS AND ATTORNEYS,
Cham hers: City and District Bank Building,
180 St. James St"
=
MONTij(f\'l.
Legal Business of all kinds promptly attended to, in
a satisfactory manner.
W
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P
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2355 St. Catherine St.,
. MONTREAL
Carries one of the finest st"cks of
Fruits,
Provisions, &c.
TO BE FOUND IN THE DO[\'1INION,
Parties who have not as yet had dealings with me will find it to their
advantage to send in a trial ordcr; thcy will find prices right,
quality unquestionable,
Telc]JlJoncs 4 :!:.J 7 and 3
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Canadfaa
Hi:storr,
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