Obituary of Henry John Vansickle - "Norwood Notes" - Peterborough Examiner - October 20, 1890: "Henry Vansickle; a former resident of the Township of Asphodel, died in the 87th year of his age. Deceased was well known and highly respected in this section. He was one of Asphodel's oldest settlers. Born in Vermont in 1803, he emigrated to Asphodel in 1836, where he resided until 1870, when he removed to Methuen and resided with his son John until the time of his death. Deceased was a consistent member of the Methodist Church. The funeral took place on Sunday to the Rockdale Cemetery and was largely attended. We extend our sincere sympathy to the bereaved relatives."

Our story of the Vansickle family in the Vansickle area north of Cordova starts with John Vansickle (1830-1904),  who,  in 1857,  moved from Dummer Twp. near Norwood to settle the Vansickle Settlemet  (originally known as "Vansicklar") at Lot 4, Conc. 1,  Methuen Township.

John was born July 20, 1830,  the son of  Henry John Vansickle   (from Vermont)   and Phoebe Comstock (from Massachusetts),  who both emigrated to Asphodel Township (near Norwood) in 1836.  Upon his death in 1870,  he was considered one of Asphodel's oldest settlers.  One newspaper clipping described Henry as a teamster with  "12 yoke of oxen at one time and he used them to take out pine for export to England to be made into masts for ships."

John Vansickle and his wife,  Amanda McLaughlin (see photo above) stayed on in the settlement to which his name had been given and raised a family of 10 of nine sons one daughter. His first money was the sale of potash, like that of most of the pioneer settlers, and then he was  shantying  for the Pearce Company- the only company to carry out lumbering operations in the settlement-".  His lands on Methuen Township may have been purchased from the Pearce Company..

In a newspaper article in  1946 entitled  "Old Vansickle Settlement To Be Without a Vansickle",  son,  John Wellesley said of his father,  " When I was fourteen he drew lumber from the mill of TP.Pearce in Marmora for the erection of the present home" approx. 1872. My Dad paid $11.00 a thousand and you could not find a knot in it. It was the choicest pine.  The wolves used to come up on the roof of the old house which had been first the log shanty. They did not molest us but would kill our sheep within 25 rods of the house."   He then related how his mother carried his brother Robert when a baby, six months old,  all the way to Marmora and back (28 miles) in one day to get to the late Dr. H.M. Jones to pull a tooth.   John said, " His father  was not established in the settlement many years before he came into possession of the property of his his brother and brother-in-law. This gave him 300 acres. Brother David decided to travel to the USA and his brother-in-law,  who kept a small general store and Post Office in Vansickle for about two years,  moved to Norwood where he retired. John put in 26 winters as foreman for the Pearce Company lumbering in the settlement. He was a member of the Orange Order of Norwood for about 50 years and had only missed attendance at only two walks. His name is among the honored in this part of Ontario. The land in the east side of the settlement, Hastings County, was deeded to John Wesley on .,August 25, 1888 from Thomas Peter Pearce of Marmora,  Hastings County, (son of the old Pearce Family of Norwood Dummer area) for the sum of$400.00 Lot # 4, Concession 1  (Lake Township)  for  two hundred acres.

Children of John Vansickle and Amanda McLaughlin

William Henry 1856-1894 m Sarah Bowen 1856, traveled to USA and a story goes he was shot in Michigan.

Mary Jane 1861-1935 m. Isadore Lees Darrah 1856 living in Marmora

Robert 1863-1938 m. Sarah Hamilton 1866-1943 living in Vansickle

David Balfour 1865-1945 m. Margaret Griffen 1870-1952 living in Belmont Twp.

George 1868 m. Laura Wansburough living in Fargo, North Dakota

John Wesley 1858-1947, m. Annie Eliz. Foster 1860-1946, living in Dummer, then moved to Vansickle

Thomas James 1875-1959 m. Susan Helen Revoy 1878-1964, living in Vansickle

Fredric Albert 1877-1961 m. Frances Taylor 1875-1954, living in Grafton, and buried in Fairview Cemetery W. Plot 40, Halimand Twp.

Joseph Charles 1982-1942 m. Mary Esther Branch 1881, living in Havelock, inherited

Henry Edmund 1880-1971, m. Hannah C. Howe 1884-1965, living in Marmora