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We all know that everyone has two parents, four grandparents, and eight great grandparents, but have you ever thought about the fact that, if you go back 15 generations, you have 65,536 g+grand-parents?!...and that only takes you back to the 1600's. That's a lot of people coming together to add up to you.
The ruins on Main Street above the dam are the footprints of the main buildings of the Pearce Company, whose mills and yards covered this ledge right down to the Crowe River. For over fifty years, logs were driven downstream to feed the water-powered saws of the Pearce Mills. The thriving family business was also based on a woolen mill, retail stores and even Marmora's first hydroelectric plant, powered by the waters of the Crowe River.
On May 11, 1893, it was announced that Captain John Devlin was to command the steamer "Helen" to make daily trips to the head of Crowe Lake and the fishing grounds. By 1910, Marmora was named "Venice of the North" with new ship building centre and another steamer, "Christina" was blowing her whistle up the lake (for some, too late at night!).
Marmora's first commercial brickyard (now known as Nayler's Common) was made prosperous by brick-maker John W. Nayler in the early 1880's and 90's.
The clay in the pond area was baked in kilns on this property.The kilns were built by hand and fired by wood continually for at least a week using 40 to 60 cords of soft wood at a firing.About 75,000 bricks would be baked in the kilns at least three times a year.
Many of the red brick homes and business establishments were built with bricks from Nayler's brickyard.Charles Bleecker's residence on Madoc Street (1887),Dr. Parkin's house on Forsyth Street (1888),A.W. Carscallen's thirty room residence on Forsyth (1901),Gladney and McDonnell's Store (1909) and Pringle's Corner Building (1914).
Bleecker House, Madoc & Victoria
The Carscallen House, 55 Forsyth St., Marmora
By 1911,the clay in the pond area ran out and the brickyard remained abandoned for years.The Village of Marmora purchased 22 acres of the property surrounding the brickyard with the intention that it would be developed for public use.On August 16, 1994, Nayler's Common,Wetland and Trails were officially opened to the public.
Nayler's Common Grand opening, Bridget Stevens, Guy Follen, Joe Hulsmans, Clarence Logan (sign maker)
The Marmora Village Town Hall, built in 1913, has served as Law Courts, Badminton courts, Movie Theatre, and Operating theatre for tonsillectomies. It has swung to the sounds of minstrel music, reverberated with the laughter of vaudeville, and rung to the rally cries of union leaders, recruiting officers and politicians, including Prime Minister Arthur Meighen, and Provincial Premiers, Howard Ferguson and Bob Rae.
Let us know if you know of any other uses of the past.
Been to Blairton lately? By 1868, when Blairton was in full swing, the mining company built 40 cottages for its employees. The business section was laid out in an "H", with 3 general stores, two bakeshops, three hotels (Purdy House was one) and two boarding houses. There was a post office, operated by Roger Bates, a school, railway station, numerous liveries and blacksmith shops. By 1882, it was all done, and all assets, including 30,000 acres of land were sold to T.P. Pearce for $30,200.00. Even the old Methodist church was packed up and shipped to a farm in Moose Jaw!
Blairton Mine - Manager's House
Blairton was named after Mr. Blair, who was the largest shareholder in the Cobourg, Peterborough & Marmora Railway and Mining Co., that planned to take iron ore from the Blairton Mine to Cobourg. From there, it was shipped to Rochester and finally delivered to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (1860's)
Humpty Dumpty was the name given to a Royalist cannon mounted on St. Mary's Church, Colchester, England, at the time of the 1648 siege of the town during the Civil War?
General Fairfax, commander of the Parliamentary forces brought two "culverins" which brought down the belltower with the cannon. Apparently all the kings horses and all the kings men could not put Humpty together again.
In 1938 Crowe Lake was host to three Canadian swimming champions who gave a brief exhibition of their talents. They were Miss Thelma Bougnner of the Toronto Dalphinets and Canadian and Michigan Diving champion; Miss Halena Tomska of the Detroit Athletic Club, holder of 6 American records and Canadian champion of 100 yards free style and back stroke; and Gordon Kerr, champion back stroker and holder 10 Canadian records. Mrs. Kerr was the niece of Mrs. Cora Bleecker.
Halena Tomska
Our mandate is to collect and display anything to do with the history of Marmora, Ontario. Enjoy our content and feel free to contribute your stories and memories.
Visit us upstairs at the Memorial Building on Forsyth street. Tuesday 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM & Thursday 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Who are the miners in our logo?
They are borrowed from a sketch by Susanna Moodie called "The First Mine in Ontario at Marmora"
We will continue to upload images, stories, and your contributions, so check back often!
Town Hall -Click on the picture for more
Marmora Historical Foundation, Above the Library, Marmora, Ontario, K0K 2M0. Copyright © 2014 Marmora Historical Foundation. See Terms of Use Here.
