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ALL IN THE FAMILY - A Wartime Story

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Information supplied by Sandra Townsend

For the McCann family of Malone, service in the armed forces was not only a duty but also an honour.

William Charles McCann and Letitia Gawley of Malone married in 1888 and went on to have three sons, John, David and Thomas, who enlisted, spanning both world wars. Son Charles was exempt from military service, to do his duty to his country as a farmer.

John McCann and wife , Margaret “Maggie” Brown

Donald McCann,  Son of David

John Ernest McCann, born in 1891, enlisted as a corporal in WWI in the 49th  Battalion in 1910 aged 19.   He returned in 1917 and was promoted to Sergeant of the 254th  Battalion, and served his time on a Canadian Training Base. His daughter, Alice McCann Sutton, proudly joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corp. (WWII)

CLICK HERE FOR OUR WOMEN AT WAR

Pictured on the right is David McCann, born in 1897, and friend who we think is Andy Gawley. They were actually first cousins and enlisted the same year, 1916. David was 18 and as the military later learned Andy was only 16. Andy was released for a medical issue and for being underage. David joined the 155th Overseas Battalion. He was part of a Machine Gun Unit, and  was deployed to France. In  the first three days at Passchendaele, he was buried in mud  by shelling, and suffered a shrapnel injury in his collarbone and ending in his shoulder  After treatment at the field hospital he was sent back to England for care at the Canadian Military Hospital. 

His son, Donald Arthur McCann, served in WW2

Andy's story is also compelling as he had lost his father David Gawley in 1913 to tuberculosis and was his Mother's sole support. Most likely the military may have shown mercy in their decisions in his regard,

Alice McCann Sutton

David McCann and possibly Andy Gawley

155th Battalion, Barriefield, July 6, 1916. No. 498 The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Barriefield, Ontario, (Now east Kingston) the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. After sailing to England in October 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 154th Battalion, CEF and 6th Reserve Battalion on December 8, 1916. The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF had one Officer Commanding: Lieut-Col. M. K. Adams. (Wikipedia)

William and Letitia’s son, Thomas James McCann, about whom we have written before in regards to Malone, was the youngest son and joined the war effort in World War 2 in the Midland Regiment, infantry. He was well known back home as Chief of Police in Marmora, an employee of Deloro Smelting and Refining Co., and post master in Malone.

William and Letitia’s daughter, Clara, was also connected to the forces in that her two sons, Orville and Cecil Pack were military men. Orville served overseas with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in the Provost Corp while Cecil saw action in Africa, Italy. Holland, Belgium and Germany.

THE SAILOR FROM ELDORADO

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photo navsource.org

We recently relayed the story of Annie Scott Bouchard, the single mother, school teacher in Malone, and a colourful character as told by Sandra Townsend. The following is a sequel - the amazing connection between Eldorado and the Antarctic - the story of Annie’s son, Arthur Scott Bouchard.

 

Anne Bouchard with her son, Arthur Scott Bouchard

Arthur’s first memories would be conceived surrounded by the rolling hills of Marmora Township in Malone. He was born May 9, 1920. 53.5 km. away in Flinton, Lennox and Addington County. His father, Charles Louis Bouchard was 47 years old, a declared laborer; his mother a 41 year old school teacher. Arthur was still residing in Flinton on his 1st birthday, but his time there soon came to an end. His mother, the youngest of the Shanick, (Marmora Township,) pioneering  Scott  family had recently lost her sister Mary(Scott) Brown of Malone. She was left with only  a sister, Kathryn  Hallett of Clyde, NY, and a brother Joseph Scott of Marmora from what was originally a sibling group of seven. Anna (Scott) Bouchard took a teaching assignment with S.S.#6 Malone for the 1922-23 and 1923-24 years. She had forged a bold life for herself, forsaking traditional roles assigned to women of the time,  choosing a   career rather than   dependence on    father or husband.

Arthur begins his life as Scott Bouchard alongside his Scott-Brown-McCann cousins in Malone and Eldorado. and would only learn of the existence of the Bouchard family as a 38 year old man, after the death of his mother, Annie Bouchard, in 1958.

From Scott’s Citizenship Certificate we learn he claimed residence in the United States from March 2, 1931. He would have been two months lacking of his 11th birthday. Had a plan been made to have his future development placed in the hands of military endeavours? Was time spent in an American school setting deemed pivotal to that decision? His navy documents indicate that he had a grade 8 elementary education and 1 year of high school. My instincts are that he joined his Clyde NY cousins for the last half of his education, while at the same time avoiding any Bouchard contact in Ontario.

Aug. 4, 1937 – June 22, 1945 Naval Service including Training

Cousin Alice McCann and Arthur Scott  Bouchard

According to papers offered to family after his death, Scott’s career in the Navy was as an Engine Man Chief, a rank equivalent of Chief Petty Officer, the highest rank available to an enlisted sailor. Unlike commissioned officer ranks, which are granted for life, enlisted sailor ranks require, re-enlistment after each enlistment period has been completed to maintain rank status. We see that occurring in Scott’s navy career dossier. He and the men that he supervised would have operated and repaired the Combustion Engines that kept running the large US Navy ships where he served. They would have worked in shifts night and day below deck to follow the Captain’s orders needed to complete the vessel and crew’s mission.

We note that Scott’s years of service occurred during WWII. He was granted with that service on his record

  • Fleet Bar

  • American Campaign Medal 1941 – 1945

  • Asia Pacific Campaign Medal 1941 – 1945

  • American Defence Medal – awarded for a Presidential Limited Emergency on September 8, 1939 and/or a Presidential Unlimited Emergency on May 27, 1941

  • United States Navy Medal

  • Veterans Helping Veterans 1993 Pin

But a most interesting part of his career was after WWII when Scott sailed as Engine Man Chief as part of the Navy South Pole Expedition Task Force 68 in 1946-47 a.k.a. Operation High Jump. He was on USS Philippine Sea (CV47) with  Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, the highly decorated polar explorer and Aviator, famous for being the first to fly over the south pole.


sANDRA TOWNSEND

Feb.1, 1958 Scott was placed as permanently disabled Retired from the US Navy and credited with 15 active service years as an Engineman Chief for his pension. He was just 3 months from his 38th birthday. After leaving the Navy, Scott worked at the Volkswagen Plant in Jacksonville, Florida. He developed a life of work friends to share social time with at the local Bar. He later retired to a hobby farm in Tallahassee, Florida, and died on January 22, 2007. As per his wishes his ashes were returned to the sea, where much of his life had been spent.

THE MYSTERY OF NORA COOKE

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We recently received this message from Karen Hardy in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan:

Hello, I have an extensive box of old postcards that were addressed to a Nora Cooke in Cordova Mines, Ontario…..I’m just curious if you have any info on this person. The postcards are from 1905-1914…..My parents bought these from an antique dealer in Saskatchewan in a town called Church Bridge, in the late 1980’s  or early 1990’s

Hmmm, well that’s a mystery. Our preliminary search came up with nothing for Nora Cooke in Hastings County, and in any case, how did these post cards, addressed to Cordova end up in Church Bridge, Saskatchewan?

The breakthrough?

We found "Hanora Cook" listed in the 1891 census for the Township of Marmora and Lake,  in which is located Cordova Mines.  She was 5,  the daughter of George Cook and Mary Ann Feeney. So we know she was born in 1886, and the Catholic baptismal records confirm she was born on Sept. 16 and baptized on Sept. 24, 1886

                                                                                                            1891 census

       

A quick peek at Ancestry.ca informed us that Hanora Cooke married Phillip McLaughlin “Mark” Teeling on June 16, 1915, and they went on to have two children, James and Gerald, both born out west. This is further confirmed by a 1926 census in Winnipeg.

So that explains the post cards being found in out west.

1926 winnipeg census.  (, Phillip was listed on previous page)

The wedding of  Hanora Cooke and Phillip "Mark" Teeling

But the postcards themselves give us the more interesting social side of their lives. We know, for example, from post cards written by Nora’s father, George, that he travelled a lot. Cousin Minnie makes reference to Frank (Francis), Donald and Bruce thrashing the wheat and flax in Lang, Sask.. “I’m alone with (the children) Gladys and Lorna” and she adds, “See you at Christmas time” - a hint that Nora is going out west,( following so many others in her extended family.) Hugh Cook writes from Lang, Sask. “ Tell Floss to write”, and Zita writes “Happy Birthday” From Milestone, Sask.. cousin Gertie refers to Joseph, Charlie and Father (who is Uncle Laughlin Cook.)

But who are all these people?

Well Nora’s parents had ten children. Her father, George had seven brothers and sisters, most of whom had a over ten children each. So that’s a lot of cousins for Nora, and a lot of post cards!

It makes Nora related to almost everyone in Marmora, including our one and only favourite barber, BRUCIE COOK, whose grandfather, Charles W. Cook, was one of Nora’s many cousins.

Zita Flossie Nora Bernadette Myrtle

Hanora Cook’s nine brothers and sisters….. 

Myrtle Theresa Cook   1885–1952.      James Ira Cook  1886–1961, Elizabeth Bernadette Cook  1888–1973, Joseph Geo. Cook   1889–1922, John Frederick Cook   1891–1918,   Mary Florence (Flossie) Cook    1893–1970, William Feeney Cook   1895–1970, Zita Marion Cook    1897–1963, Herbert Cecil (Bert) Cook    1901–1976 Hanora died in Saskatoon Aug. 20, 1975

Click here for more Cook photos

 

Thanks, Karen Hardy, for this little peek into the Cook family tree.

COMMENTS:

Ann-Marie Mohns This picture is of Nora's mom, Mary Ann Feeney bottom left and Mary Ann's sister Margaret (my great grandma) top, and I can only guess another sister on the right....always glad to hear anyone's connections.....

Paul McClimond

Great to put faces to names. I recently read (while doing some other Marmora / Cordova property/owner history searches), that George Cook and his family once lived / owned at Lot 16 & 17 Con 1, Marmora Township (on Quinlan Rd, south off Cordova Rd), approx 1880-1888. According to Hastings County - Marmora & Lake property assessment books. Then moved just up the road, north to Clemenger Rd. Lot 21 /22 (Cook’s Cheese factory, owned by Ira Cook.) Then moved out west according to MHF. (*A lot of interesting, historical Marmora & Lake Township property info at: archive.org Search word: Marmora 1871-1925 property/lot assessments, downloadable books (free) )

A SCOTT-BROWN-McCANN STORY

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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Aunt Annie?

MALONE SCHOOL TEACHER, ANNIE SCOTT BOUCHARD

By GG Niece Sandra Townsend

     When I embarked on the study of my McCann family roots (an effort that I have titled “The McCann’s of Malone”),   I was stymied when trying to find a fit for Aunt Annie. My mother’s generation were all gone. I was sadly confronted by “questions not asked”.    So I turned to my cousins’ collective memories. All of them had memories and stories of encounters with Aunt Annie, but no one appeared to know quite how she had earned the “Aunt” title or how she fit into the family dynamic. That is how “Aunt Annie” became my problem.

I came across a scrap of paper from my Mother’s Treasures, the contents of which held an outline of the James and Martha Scott family of Marmora. This scrap of paper had been given to my mother and her siblings by Aunt Annie’s son, Scott Bouchard. Mother and son Bouchard, both represented larger than life characters in the lives of my mother’s (Bessie McCann’s) Malone area siblings and first cousins.

What did I know?

I knew that Aunt Annie (1878-1958) had been a teacher. I knew that her son Scott lived in Florida and was retired from the United States Navy. However, I did not know Aunt Annie’s story. Where did she live?

She arrived at our home for occasional visits. She didn’t drive. Each visit left stories and memories. Sitting at her feet while she recited “Little Bateese” by William Henry Drummond, being told that we must address our mother as “Mother” and never “Mommy”. Being invited to visit her in her room at the McCann farm in Malone and given Welch's grape juice as an offering of hospitality. Learning that for a time she had an extended stay with my mother’s eldest sister Freda (McCann) Neal in Oshawa. Hearing my father amusingly tell us about coming home in the night after a late run from his job as a railroader and climbing into his bed only to find Aunt Annie there. Her visit had come unexpectedly and my mother had given up their room. This may have been the same visit that my father shared his concern, that when as our family of six young children were gathered at the dinner table, Aunt Annie felt the need to rinse her dentures in her water glass. Much to our parent’s relief not one of us reacted to this event despite our disbelief; not regarding the etiquette, but that you could remove your teeth!

So, my research began.

 Meet Anna Scott, born in 1878 as the sixth and final child of James and Martha SCOTT, both born in Co. Sligo Ireland. Anna’s nearest in age sibling, Joseph was six years older. Her parents raised their family in Shanick. My grandmother, Annie (Brown) McCANN and her only sibling, sister Maggie (Brown) McCANN called her Anna even though she was their mother’s sister, making her their aunt. Their mother Mary (Scott) Brown is Anna’s older sister. Anna’s nieces, Annie and Maggie (who married the McCann brothers, Charles and John) would play a vital role in Anna Scott’s later life. 

rT TO LT: lITTLE jOHN sCOTT, HIS MOTHER mARY sCOTT, aUNT aNNA sCOTT (STANDING), jAMES sCOTT jR., aNNIE bROWN (STANDING), mAGGIE bROWN, SEATED & mARY sCOTT bROWN

In 1901, 22-year-old Anna has left her parents’ home. It is a suspicion only but I feel that Anna may have attended the Ontario Ladies College in Whitby. Anna appears to have taken my mother, 13-year-old Bessie McCann (her grand niece) with her to what appeared to be a class reunion there in 1940, according to a postcard found in my mother’s treasures. My mother in later life, voiced, that her younger self’s desire was to be a teacher. Aunt Annie may have tried to foster that plan.

Twenty-eight-year-old Anna loses her father. James Scott dies in 1907 and his obituary indicates that daughter Miss Annie is teaching in New York State. Her oldest sister Kathryn is married to Dr. Thom. Hallett in Clyde N.Y.

In Anna’s thirtieth year her mother Martha dies in December of 1909. I have noted that women’s obituaries at that time did not seem to state a “survived by” statement.  By 1915 Anna Scott now 36, is back in Marmora Twp. And teaching at S.S. #6 Malone.

I know this from reading her brother John Scott’s obituary. He had moved from Shanick to Malone, to farm his sister, Mary (Scott) Brown’s land when her husband Wm. Armstrong Brown died in 1896. Her daughters, Anna and Margaret, were 3 and 1 when their father died. I suspect that Anna Scott was living with her sister Mary (Scott) Brown in her Malone home in 1915.

In 1921 I found 41-year-old Aunt Annie in Flinton, Kaladar Twp. Lot 22 Concession 4. She was listed as the wife of Charles Bouchard. There were two daughters, 12 and 8 and a one-year-old son Arthur.  I don’t believe that Anna is mother to the daughters. In earlier census, I note that Charles Bouchard has a wife Margaret and six children. Four of those children should have been still in his home in 1921. The youngest daughter would have been born after the 1911 Census. Perhaps his wife died after her birth. If that is the case where are the missing children? I know that Anna is mother to Arthur. His middle name is Scott and that is how we identified him.

This is the last time that Anna (Scott) Bouchard can be located in a released census.

Charles Bouchard is present on his property in the 1931 census. He declares as married and as a farmer. There is no one living with him listed as his wife. There are two older sons residing with him, 30-year-old Louis and 23-year-old Douglas. Louis does not appear in earlier census documents but his age aligns with a son Audley. Perhaps Louis is a middle name he commonly uses. Both sons declare as Trappers.

MALONE SCHOOL S.S. #6  Teacher describes break-in at the school house FAIRLY CAUGHT   Nov. 30, 1922  -Malone school CLICK HERE TO READ THIS AUNT ANNIE STORY     None of us who knew Aunt Annie are surprised by her reaction or actions in this story.

Anna’s story takes a remarkable turn, but one that speaks to the beginnings of Women’s Rights in Ontario and Canada. None of those who knew her would expect her to “toe the line” or tolerate a situation that did not meet her comfort level or needs.

 

As seen above in 1922 and 1924 our Aunt Annie has a new name. Her life with that name is next. It definitely has some missing parts, that she took with her to her grave. My imagination perceives a situation where a 41 year old very proper Anna, perhaps teaching in Flinton, either marries Charles Bouchard and conceives a child, or conceives a child and then marries. Either way, Charles Bouchard has a large family that are not mentioned in this census. Where are those children? What happened to the first Mrs. Bouchard? Anna appears to withdraw from this living arrangement, as she is in Malone teaching for the next two school years. I suspect that she may be residing with the duplexed household of Charles and John McCann, husbands to her nieces Annie and Maggie (Brown) McCann, with her son Scott.

The Charles and Annie McCann household moved to Eldorado in 1928.  The  1934 picture  above shows Aunt Annie at 55 and son Scott 13 on the front step of the Charles and Annie (Brown) McCann home in Eldorado in 1934. They likely were residing there at that time. The note states that Scott enters the US Naval Academy three years later in 1937.

The  Marmora Herald Sept. 28, 1950 states that JOSEPH JONES SCOTT “is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Annie Bouchard, of Malone”

In 1950 at 72 years old, Aunt Annie mourns her brother Joseph Scott. Her location is stated as Malone. So at this point she would be residing at her niece, now newly widowed, Maggie (Brown) McCann’s home.

I truly do not know how Aunt Annie, student, career woman, married lady (of sorts…), mother and most predominantly Aunt, supported her life. As she reached 70 years of age in 1948, she would have been eligible for the Canadian Old Age Pension. From what I am learning of that time, life got better for most in the post-war times relative to the Depression years and rationing of the War years; senior’s government pensions however did not keep up with inflation. I suspect that her son, who himself was only married briefly and late in life, contributed financially to her well-being. I have no proof of that circumstance. I do know that she mainly resided with her nieces Annie and Maggie McCann. Family, supporting family, certainly an historical norm and expectation. I do have proof of that from letters that Dorothy (McCann) Reeves saved from after she married and left her Malone family home and moved to Belleville

May 31, 1948 Dorothy’s Mother Maggie McCann wrote:

“Aunt Anna wants to go to Belleville soon on Business, but I don’t know if Dad will want to go some Saturday or not as you know he don’t like driving in the city anytime and he says Saturday is always heavy traffic.” “Aunt Anna asked if I minded if she stayed another month with me, and of course I didn’t mind as in the winter she stays more at Annie’s. Anyway, I didn’t mind.”    August 31, 1948  Maggie continued:

BURIAL Marmora Common Cemetery

THE GALLERY

“Maggie continued: “Aunt Anna is about to take a trip over to the States. She said she would like to go over to Annie’s this week and then she is planning to go from there.”

THE SCOTT FAMILY TREE

THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF BROTHER, JOHN SCOTT

 Post Script: After Anna’s death, a Bouchard step brother contacted her son Scott. Anna had never advised Scott that there was any Bouchard family. He was extremely upset by this news and had his name removed from her tombstone. At his death he chose to have his ashes placed in the sea in Florida.

MORE ON THE (VAN) STEENBURGHS

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We recently received from W. Laurence Burt, an album entitled “The Steenburgh Family History”, which outlines some of the highlights of the life of William Walter Steenburgh, son of William Henry Steenburgh (1847-1919) and Mary Emily McGinness (1852-1938)

William Henry Steenburgh and Mary Emily McGinness (seated) had ten children

 

After first building a "shanty" William Henry Steenburgh (1847-1919), and his wife, Mary Emily McGiness (1852-1938) built a log cabin, situated further back from the road. They had moved from Stockdale to Belmont Township in 1876. They located on the South half of Lot 19 Con. 2. The photo is of the original home near Rockdale,

Child #1, William Walter Steenburgh, (1875-1942) who married Sarah Catherine Cassandra Ellis, (1875-1946), moved from Stockdale to the South half of Lot 19 Con.2, Belmont Township. His parents, William H. and Mary Emily McGinnes located on the North half of Lot 19 Con.2, where they constructed log cabins and eventually, more substantial homes. Unfortunately , they soon discovered that the soil was shallow, and not suitable for farming.

 

After starting work as a lumberjack, at age 16, Wm. Walter worked at the Cordova gold mine, attaining the position of night superintendent. After he had a falling out with the manager in 1901, he headed off to Niagara Falls, involved in the construction of the tunnels for the new hydro development project.

The family, that soon included children, William Elgin, Hazel Blanche, and Elmer Walter, moved to various locations in the United States, where William Walter continued his work constructing various tunnels and shafts. His return to this area was in 1909, when the family returned for a visit to Rockdale and purchased the farm situated on Lot 16, Con.3. Bill Ellis (his brother-in-law) and Emily Estella Ellis (his sister) agreed to run the farm for him for a period of five years. After several moves, Wm. Walter and his wife “Cass”, returned to the farm, to prepare for their son Elmer Walter to take over the farm.

In 1932, Elmer Walter married Agnes Paugh in New Kensington PA. They returned to take over the farming operation, and later added several summer rental cottages. Walter added the Van to his name. His ancestor had dropped the “Van” at an earlier time. Elmer and Agnes had a daughter, Barbara Lee, and a son, William Walter “Skip”

William Henry Steenburgh, father of William Walter, purchased Lots 16 and 17, Con. 2, from the Young family. The house that was situated there was built by the Young family over a period of seven years. There was a large barn with a stone foundation. The farm was passed down to son Christy, circa 1919. He owned the property till 1952.

Several other people have owned the property. One of the owners, Jim and Marlene Marchmont, carried out extensive renovations on the farm house.

The Steenburgh family had a connection to the Cordova area “Barrons” family as well. Phoebe Evelena “Lena” (1872-1969) daughter of Wm. Henry, married George William Barrons (1875-1939).

 

Photo submitted by Ron Barrons

The family also had descendants in Marmora. Washington Archie “Floyd” (1883-1953), married “Columbia” May Sylvia Lumbie Ellis. Floyd owned the historic Warren home at 19 Main Street Marmora.

Steenburgh Lake and Steenburgh Road were named for Sidney Steenburgh. Sidney married Nancy Ann Maybee. He moved to St. Ola from an area near Wooler Ontario and operated the general store and post office in that area. He was postmaster from 1891 to 1905.

For more references to Steenburgh see:

The Anderson Collection Beatrice Steenburgh Tells her Story The Disappearance of Rockdale .

INTERESTING NOTE from Andy M. Sharpe:

Located on Concession 10, SW of Havelock

Very nice! I am restoring the first settlers house from Belmont township. It was 1838. The size and construction of the  (first) Steenburgh place looks very similar. Notice how the corner joints are a half lap and not a dovetail. This shows early settlers, that had limited skill in that area. As more people settle the buildings became more refined.

The Gawleys - A Marmora Pioneer Family

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We recently received a note and two photos from Sandra Townsend. She writes”

“In working on my Mother’s McCann Family history I was given historical family photos. Letitia (Gawley) McCann (daughter of James and Jane (McMaster) Gawley, was my mother’s grandmother. I am submitting a picture of a large Gawley Family Gathering. There was no key to identify the many in the picture. I suspect that it was taken prior to Andrew Gawley Sr. death in 1861, as I suspect he is in the picture. It is worth noting the two bicycles and horse and carriage in the shot. The young boys lined across the front appear to have engaged in a ballgame.”

Naturally we added this photo to our hat collection. (How could we not?) CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE HATS

She added: “A second picture with some damage was Andrew Gawley Sr.'s Irish born sons’, John and James Gawley, Lumber Camp Crew.”

The Gawley Lumber camp crew, owned by John and James gawley

We know John to be born in 1814 and came to Upper Canada with his father, in 1823, when he was nine years old, It was not until 1840 that he petitioned for a land grant. The location of the Gawley Lumber camp is not known.

For more on Lumber Camps, CLICK HERE


THE FAMILY TREE

ANDREW GAWLEY ( 1781-1861) AND JANE REID or REED . The Emigrants from Ireland, crossing with four children in 1823. (Jane, their mother died on the ship)

Letitia “LETTIE” GAWLEY 1865-1931, gt. grandmother of sandra Townsend

  • JOHN 1814-1873

  • MARGARET 1818-1863 + John Haggerty

  • JAMES 1820-1873 + Jane McMaster 11 Gawley Children

    Our writer, Sandra Townsend descends from Letitia, her great grandmother, the sixth child of this family group. Letitia married William Charles McCann, another pioneer family in the Marmora area, and had seven McCann children

  • JANE 1823- ?

    In 1834 Andrew married Dorothy Sarah Keyes, daughter of ROYAL KEYES, another early Marmora pioneer

Their children were

  • Richard + Elizabeth McMaster

  • Thomas + Ann Sherman 6 Gawley Children

  • Leitia + William Phillips 12 Phillips Children

  • ANDREW + Elizabeth Best 10 Gawley children

  • Royal + Anna Maria Smith 3 Gawley children, including the famous ANDREW GAWLEY Click here

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY WEREN’T LONG POPULATING THE TOWNSHIP !

Sandra Townsend added: in a census William Charles McCann claimed work as a teamster in Deloro. In looking at a picture of the Deloro Dinky, one of the men pictured with it, resembled him, compared to another family picture. If it is him it would be one of only three pictures that I have of him. He is misrepresented in the Gawley Family Tree, as they call him William Chamber McCann. I feel confident that I have connected him to a Potato Famine McCann family that took advantage of the Hastings Colonization Rd. They claimed their 100 acres in Millbridge. He had an older brother that inherited that land. Wm. Charles left there after the 1881 census. Those McCann's were from Co. Down,as were the McMasters. That connection may have found him farm labour in Rawdon, where he met Letitia. By the 1921 census they were renting in the town of Marmora with 16 year old son Thomas McCann and 15 year old daughter Margaret. They had become more casual with their census representation, calling themselves Charles and Letty. He never claimed ownership of property throughout his life, always stating farm labour or a teamster in Deloro as his work. It wasn't a time in history to inherit land if you were a younger son. I used the stories of the fire at the Smelter to help explain why he and his son John spent time working in Campbellford during the years of WWI. The Trent Canal was under construction at the time.

The Gawley Tree claim a son James for Letitia and Wm. Charles. No one in our family have any knowledge of this man, nor could I source him during my research.

THE ANDERSON PHOTO COLLECTION

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The Cordova Store 1938

On Sept. 08, 2021, an envelope of old photos was mailed to the Royal Hotel in Marmora. They were recently discovered at our library, and now in our possession. The benefactor was George Anderson, III, of Warner Robins, Georgia. The photos were from a collection owned by his grandfather, George Anderson. Many of them are from his summer trips, when he apparently stayed at Walter Van Steenburgh's cottages, and likely the hotel as well. Unfortunately, the resolution is low, and the photos are not that sharp when enlarged.

Here are the people who were on staff at the Royal Hotel in1935. There is only one name "Al F.Davis

Trips to Mud Turtle Lake, 1939 and 1940

The Steenburgh cottages Belmont Lake at Crowe River

George Anderson Sr. and his friends

George Wm. Anderson, Sr., Olga Louise Newbauer Anderson

Crowe River Bridge at Belmont Lake

WHO WAS CHARLES HAYES, MARMORA'S FOUNDER?

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Painting of Marmora works by Peter Hebner and Linda Sanderson Barber

We at the Marmora Historical Society have been asked how it came to be that 200 hundred years ago, our Town became the industrial heart of Upper Canada and a community upon which the province’s future was thought to rest.

How had one man, Ironmaster Charles Hayes, elevated this patch of wilderness to such heights? In little more than a year he had somehow built a new community, an Irontown, producing daily tons of iron products for settlers and even cannon for the colony’s defence against our neighbours to the south. It the most productive ironworks, perhaps in all North America, built in the middle of nowhere.

Cross section of marmora blast furnace

So, what was this man Hayes like?  We have found no picture of Hayes, and little knowledge of his adventures before and after Marmora. We know he arrived here in fall 1820, left in 1825, and during that time, that he brought over from Britain & Ireland hundreds of workers, many tons of equipment, and dreams of establishing an enterprise sufficient to allow the            colony to thrive and to do so without having to bow  or buy from, the Yankees.                                                                                                         

A Correspondent to William Lyon MacKenzie’s Colonial Advocate, later reminisced about the Ironmaster:

‘He (Charles Hayes) is an Irishman--a dapper neat little gentleman, of your own height, and as lively as any of his countrymen. He is married, but has no family; his name, however, will remain conspicuous in the early annals of Canada. He has laid out £40,000 on the Marmora Iron Works; and I am afraid it is no profitable speculation. He lost his election for Hastings, and I feel not sorry for it, as there is every probability, he would have joined the party (the family compact), who, for the misfortune of the country, have too long had the ascendency in our councils. As an individual, I esteem him; as a benefactor to this part of Canada, I respect him; but as a representative of the people, I should fear, and I am afraid, despise him.

 Notwithstanding his high-flung notions of government and kingly authority, he is a very kind master, and would as soon fall out with (Lieutenant-Governor) General Maitland, as with a workman. He has converted a desart [sic] into something like civilization; has a village of his own as large as Queenston; and, for want of an Episcopal clergyman, preaches himself, on Sundays.

He is very hospitable to strangers, even to a fault. The familiar manners of Americans he terms downright impudence and vulgarity. One day, in an inn, a Yankee came into the room where he and his lady were sitting, and began to squirt his tobacco juice about the room, commencing his acquaintance with "I guess you are Hayes, the iron master, at the Marmora Works?" Mr. H. wheeled round, and, with an exclamation which I had almost mistaken for an oath, told the fellow to march out of the room that moment, or he would put him out of the window; and the countryman was so prudent as to follow an excellent advice."

 

A STORY WITH A TWIST - Coming of age?

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Excerpts from “The Leaky Raft - A Story of Deloro

In a series of short vignettes, Rev. Dalton describes true life stories of two small boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble,  and the importance of the whole community in raising its children. Here is our fourth excerpt.

Vera

Along with our many new friends at this time was someone named Vera, taller than any of us and, as I remember, with red hair and some freckles. Vera was always around and was a part of our early wanderings and growing up. Underneath our house at #7 O'Brien Avenue was a storage area, if you will, housing everything from garden tools, lumber, and a saw horse to cut wood, old doors and more.

Does anyone ever know when one's genitalia becomes the object of one's discussion? We were at that age, I suppose, of "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." Remember that? It seemed that was the topic of this day, as we made our way into the storage area. There was Vera, along with myself and a few others gathered for this grand showing, as it were. I remember Bernard was there along with a couple of the Brooks' boys and, well, a few girls. Quickly the saw horses were moved, an old door flung on top—.-then—well, who goes first?

After long discussion, Vera said I should go first. Funny how you remember these moments. Up I go, down go the shorts, and there in all of my earthly nakedness lay my worldly genitalia for all to see. —silence--a pause —snickers from Bernard—and without blinking an eye--and to this day I am sure she knew what she was doing—Vera had a clothespin—the spring type—quickly and with laughter placed on my worldly genitalia, and she leftwith haste, laughing all the way.

Well, damn it, this I do remember—did it ever hurt. But even more, I felt as humiliated as one can be at that age. Everyone else was laughing as well—off goes the clothes- pin, thinking, as I reflect back—I'm ruined for life. This event became village knowledge, of course, and like Canary, was a moment one never forgets, but soon becomes a moment of laughter in one's exploration of life.

I'm left only with this saying in remembrance of this day. "Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time." —Author unknown

The whole book is readable on line on this website. Just click here.

THERE WAS A WAR

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Excerpts from “The Leaky Raft - A Story of Deloro

In a series of short vignettes, Rev. Dalton describes true life stories of two small boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble,  and the importance of the whole community in raising its children. Here is our third excerpt.

In those years, 1939 to 1945, in our growing awareness as a child that there was a World War going on, it seemed so far away, and yet right in front us as we were reminded through the many happenings in our little village that it was real.

Do you remember rationing? Gasoline for the car, sugar, butter and more that my mother carefully obtained with the little rationing book that was part of our life during the war. Father put the car up on blocks, and once a week he would don his brown army uniform and travel to Belleville, along with George Brooks and other men from our village, and join the ranks of the Hastings and Prince Edward regiment's reserves.

We were never sure if any of our village men and women would be called to active duty. My brother and I were now part of Percy Earner's cub pack- Did-Dib, you know—and at least every couple of weeks during the summer he would give us a couple of large empty grain bags and send us off to fill them with milkweed pods, for the war effort he would say. Never really knew why until one day we discovered the silky filaments in the pod were used to make parachutes for the war. Mr. Earner even got a letter from the government thanking the cub pack for the many bags of milkweed for the war.

It wasn't till years later that I learned that our village's Smelting and Refining Company was the only company producing cobalt and steffite for the war effort. Belgium lost its capacity to do so when the German army invaded.

The most lasting memory was when V-E Day was proclaimed in 1945. Our cub master sent us off to collect as many bulrushes as possible. We didn't quite know why. In that warm summer evening in June of 1945, at least twelve or thirteen of us cubs with bull rushes held high, lit and consumed with coal oil, marched from the top of the Malone Hill to Mr. Haike's General Store. There was such a celebration in the village.

Did I really know what this war was about? Did this little village and its people help a child to understand the devastation and loss of life in war? A seed was planted through these events in my life, and I am thankful to this day that this seed continues to grow in my understanding of my role in society in the search for peace.

"It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe it. And it isn't enough to believe in it, one must work for it. "--Eleanor Roosevelt

The whole book is readable on line on this website. Just click here.

Excerpts from “The Leaky Raft - A Story of Deloro

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In a series of short vignettes, Rev. Dalton describes true life stories of two small boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble,  and the importance of the whole community in raising its children.

The Journey Begins

This journey through the eyes and experiences of Jim and David will transport you a time and place where you will build many rafts, pick blueberries on the high rocks, encounter bears (yes, real ones), swim in rivers, and go upstream through the first, second, and third eddy past Terrions' farm, with just a bamboo pole, black line, one hook and a bucket of worms, and fish every eddy. Spear suckers in the Moira River at Ackerman mine. Tap maple trees (on the unknown property of others) and pre-boil sap outside on a huge wood fire. Know just about every farm and family within miles and be a special part of their family. Play "jack-knife" on the wooden steps of the general store and listen to the whippoorwill (magical). Ball games in the summer, skating rinks (two) in the winter, and a ski hill with a barrel jump. Daily visits to the cheese factory, where Mr. Callery would allow us to scoop out of the large vats our cheese curds for the day, much to the chagrin of our mother, who only saw stains of grease on our clothes.

All of this with a cadre of many friends who shared along with us, and we with them, on this magical journey. We would spend time with other’s families on their farms and in homes as they accompanied each of us, as I reflect back on this journey. They were families who cared for us, and in my words, were a village who raised a child.

As we grew in years, Marmora became our home away from home. The village that raised a child was Marmora as well. Our circle of friends grew. Howard Sabine, the Price family, especially Margaret and Margery, the twins, the Lynch brothers, and our family's church home, St Andrews United Church. Stories abound around Charlie Crawford's bus line, Sanderson Taxi, Hanna's Dairy, Breen O'Connor's pool hail, and especially the Royal Hotel on Saturday night. One cannot talk about this time in history without mentioning Dr. Hamilton Crawford, that rotund, almost magical doctor who knew everyone, gave us our first shots, and attended to the clinic in the basement of the Deloro Smelting and Refining Company office (how modem was that in the '40s). As well, we remember the building of the first Dr. Hamilton Crawford Memorial Arena.

There was Glen Allen Park, Marble Point Lodge, Tipperary House, Beaver Creek (where our so-called fishing skills grew), and Bonters cabins dock, where we would watch the sunfish grab our hooks to such delight Again it felt like we were a part of every family, and every family was our family.

We moved three times in Deloro, from our first house at #7 O'Brien Avenue, to the bungalow, and then finally back to O'Brien Avenue. My greatest recollections come during our time in the bungalow, right next to the Chemical Lab, and across from the company office.

Next week: Vera

The whole book is readable on line on this website. Just click here.

Excerpts from "The Leaky Raft" A story of Deloro - Introduction

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O’Brien St., deloro, looking south to general store

Thanks to the kindness of Rev. Jim Dalton, he has allowed us to print excerpts from his book, The Leaky Raft. In a series of short vignettes, Rev. Dalton describes true life stories of two small boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble,  and the importance of the whole community in raising its children.
Over the next few weeks we'll post a few of these stories,  starting here with his "Introduction"

Once Upon a Time...

There is a little village, hamlet , if you will, nestled off Highway 7 between Marmora and Madoc, Ontario called Deloro. You wouldn’t  know it was there save a small sign off the highway. And yet the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime takes place in this quaint, nondescript little village.  Born out of its gold mining history, the war years between 1939 and 1945, and continuing through  1952, this adventure of life in this little village is captured in the story of two brothers, Jim and Dave, and a host of other players, boys and girls whose lives would become so entwined that even today, some 65 years later, each event is as real as the day they happened. Some of the names and faces you will come to know are names like Beaver, Bucky, Canary (that's me), Davy, Blockhead, Bernard Jimmy, Ally, Bobby Troy, Jimmy, Billy, Tom, Pat, and others. Then there were the girls: Margaret, Anne, Vera, Evelyn, Jean, and more. And the village of caring people who affected their lives in uncountable ways are all part of the events in the lives of Jim and Dave Dalton. Tumultuous, scandalous, mischievous, dare-devilish, desire, hope, and love are just a few words that might begin to touch on the journey of these two boys and a leaky raft, many leaky rafts, sometimes more than two built each summer. Enter this story if you wish. May it be your journey as well.

Separate school

So picture in your mind, in the spring of 1939, a 1936 Ford winding its way from Highway 7 along a country road filled with curves and little tree-lined hills scattered on either side by small farms. Names like Richardson, Henderson, Vanheukalem, Dikun, Murphy, and Johnston are etched on weather-torn mailboxes. In this car are four people: Harold Dalton, his wife, Dora, and two small sons, Jim and David, aged three and two. The car winds around a corner past a road that leads to a cheese factory, then over a little knoll, later to be known as Flashlight Hill, past a little white-frame schoolhouse, the Catholic school in town, and on the right across the road, the much larger two-room public school,  whose teachers are Mr. and Mrs. Hooey. On they drive past a wood-frame town hall and the only local grocery store, operated by Mr. Haike and his wife. It's at this point the road takes a sharp left turn to go through the village and then up a steep hill out of town on to Malone. On this street, called O'Brien Street, are about forty homes, with families you will meet: Hector Boudreau, George Brooks, Sid Cheeseman, the Corrigans, the Browns, the Airharts, Mrs. Koski, the Hooeys, Alphonse Clemens, and many more, all who play a part in "raising a child."

But Harold continues straight ahead past the two town boarding houses on the left, operated by Mrs. Mclnroe, the Deloro lawn bowling green on the right, and a large, almost opulent home on the right, occupied by Colonel A.V. Yates, the general manager of the Deloro Smelting and Refining Company where Harold has come to be its secretary-treasurer. Straight ahead,  as Harold turns a small corner,  is the plant office building and the plant, where during the war years, 1939 to 1945 and beyond, it had become the smelter of cobalt ore and the manufacturer of stellite for the war effort. Stellite for jet engines was made from iron ore brought in from South Africa; its final journey to the plant was on George O'Neil's train, called "the Dinky."

The car and its weary occupants begin village life at their first residence, #7 O'Brien Street. Imagine, in 1939, in this little village James Dalton has running water, with a pump house right in the centre of the village, and a few still-usable outhouses scattered here and there. Every house has a huge shed at the rear and a large garden plot.

Next week: The Early Years

The whole book is readable on line on this website. Just click here.

REMEMBERING THE MARMORA-PICTON CONNECTION

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Picton dock c. 1953

Almost everyone in Hastings County is familiar with the Marmora iron ore pit, but not everyone is aware of the route that ore took to get to Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania. An important element of the logistics was the very deep port of Picton, and the docks built there by Bethlehem Steel and the Canadian Government. Traveling by train from the Marmora pit on what is now the Hastings Heritage Trail, and onto what is now Prince Edward County’s Millenium Trail, the ore was loaded onto ships headed to the US.

We were recently in contact with Sandy Berg of the Picton Terminals, once again a flourishing industry now owned by Doornekamp Construction. Their interest in the dock’s history resulted in their interview of Marmoraton Mine employee, Syd Bartle, and the following article in their newsletter:

PICTON — The industrial history of Marmora and Picton from the 1950’s to 2023 was brought into light recently when The Doornekamp Team at Picton Terminals had the privilege of meeting Syd Bartle of Brighton.

Bartle shared his memories and engineering expertise from his work at Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Marmoraton Mine and Picton port (now Picton Terminals) during the late 1960’s.

Bartle was born in Brantford, the only son of eight children. He worked hard so he could begin his mining training at the Haileybury School of Mines. Located in Temiskaming, the Haileybury School of Mines has been training the world’s best miners and technicians for more than a century to pursue careers in mining-related fields across North America and around the world. (https://www.northerncollege.ca/mining/)

In 1966, Bartle began his tenure with Bethlehem Steel Corporation as a summer student at the Marmora mine. Already, his training and expertise was respected as he was put in charge of the drilling and blasting program. Bartle graduated from Queen’s University Engineering in 1967 and was hired full-time by Bethlehem Steel where he continued to train and learn about all aspects of iron ore mining.

At the Marmora mine, Bartle managed drainage and stormwater and acted as a ‘Looper’ – a training program which required Bartle to conduct a daily loop of the Marmora mine to familiarize himself with all aspect of the operations. Bartle worked for Bethlehem Steel until 1971, having attained the role of Mine Engineer.

“I was lucky. Circumstances worked out for me. It was a good place to work and I liked it there,” said Bartle. The Marmora mine pelletization facility was the first operating plant in North America. “In the early 50’s, the steel plants were facing lower and lower grade iron ores but there was lots of iron around. You can only call it ore, if you can mine it and make a profit. The Marmora plant was designed to be a pellet plant and to produce approximately 500,000 MT per year,” said Bartle. Marmora ore was in the 40% range but after the pelletization process, the pellets contained 66% iron.

Trains of 30 to 35 cars, left daily from the Marmora mine to the Bethlehem Steel Picton port (today, Picton Terminals), annually filling 75-100 ships en route to Lackawanna (via the Welland Canal). The dock required deep water to accommodate the largest lake vessels of the day. The dock also had to be strong enough to hold the filled ore-storage bins.

Marmora mine (and others) closed in 1978 when the price of iron dropped. Bartle went on to work at Dofasco and never really retired. He’s worked across Canada (Ontario, Saskatchewan, NWT/Nunavut (Rankin Inlet), Labrador) and is still very engaged in mining processes.

The Doornekamp Team is grateful to Syd Bartle for providing a glimpse at the early history of the Picton Terminals port and how it has supported the economic vibrance of the regional economy for almost 75 years.

an up-to-date photo of The Picton docks, with the new kingston ferries in port

CLICK HERE for more about the history and modernization of the Picton port

Picton Terminals by Doornekamp provides logistics solutions and diverse port services which provide better, more efficient shipping throughout the St. Lawrence Seaway & Great Lakes region. Picton Terminals offers stevedoring and unique storage options, innovative solutions and proximity to large markets.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE MARMORATON MINE

Comment: Tim Wellman “The train went past my grandparents house on Front st in Trenton the ore pellets that fell off were awesome for slingshots”

The Dairy Freeze - a "Second-dairy" business

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REMEMBERING THE DAIRY FREEZE by Vince Lynch

Unable to find a photo, Vince drew a sketch for us

Probably most will remember the Dairy Freeze being located in the north-east corner of the Esso gas station, across from the town hall and the then fire hall. However, it was originally located on the east side of town, near the current Tim Hortons. Here is the story:

 The Dairy Freeze was built by Bruce MacKenzie in the mid 1950s. Bruce was the Sales Manager for the Deloro Smelting and Refining Company

The Dairy Freeze featured soft ice cream served in cones, sundaes and banana splits. Delicious milk shakes, hamburgers, hot dogs and fries were also on the menu.

Bruce’s son Brian, along with Joyce (Campion) Fraser and Terry Clemens worked at the Dairy Freeze. Joyce can remember once nodding-off, after a late night, to be awakened by a customer tapping on the window for service. Terry recalls being paid $25/week and remembers once spilling the ice cream milk product and being relieved that he was not reprimanded by Bruce.

 With the closure of operations at Deloro, Bruce and family moved to Belleville in 1961 and Bruce sold the Dairy Freeze to Cec Neal, owner of Neal’s Dairy in Marmora. Cec decided to relocate the building to the north-east corner of the gas station property owned by Ron Whiteman.

 It was a wise move, as it was more accessible for people living within walking distance and it was a must part of a stop to fill up with gas. It was also a mecca for those attending functions at the Town Hall; particularly teen dances.

Opening for the season

 The Dairy Freeze was primarily operated by the daughters (Anne, Jane, Joy and Judy) of Cec and Verna Neal. It provided summer jobs for the girls and financial support for them to attend university. It was not unusual for friends of the girls to step inside to help serve customers during busy times, particularly during breaks at the teen dances. The girls walked 2 blocks to work, with the daily cash float in hand and would walk home (often in the dark) with the daily cash revenues. Different times indeed!!

 Cec sold the Dairy Freeze to Ron Whiteman in the early 1970s. The Whiteman family operated the Dairy Freeze though to the late 1980s. Many local teens worked there over the years.

So there you have it. Everything we know in one fell “scoop”. If you have a Dairy Freeze memory, let us know (info@marmorahistory.ca)

The Neals: judy , joy, jane , and anne Verna and Cecil Cec’s retirement from the firse department 1989

NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN ANSON JUNCTION!

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BREAKING NEWS!

Well it appears we stand corrected. Our story on the Central Ontario Railway makes mention of Anson Junction, just south of Springbrook, as being “just a shed” as described in most references to the site.    But Lo and Behold, we received a letter from Bruce Farquar of Anson Junction that definitely proves otherwise

 

“I’ve read and enjoyed your research on the history of our area, specifically the railways.  I’ve researched the local railways for many years and live just east of what would have been Anson Junction outside of Stirling.   In your write-ups and all other publications I have, it is only ever listed as having a small shed type building.  In recent conversations with my elderly neighbour, Jody Sager,  who has lived around Anson for his entire life and also worked for the CNR in his younger years,  I was told there was a station of which he actually has a picture (see attached) and knew the people in the picture to validate it.  

 I just wondered if anyone of you folks knew of this and thought it may be of interest.  I cannot find any other information on the web or my books that shows this but it is hard to dispute. “

Mr. Farquar went on to explain the agent ( Tie and Hat ) is Frank Hutchinson ( Wife was Hazel ) He is still working on getting the name of the other man.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CENTRAL ONTARIO RAILWAY, CLICK HERE

June 3, 2023, Gord Young writes:

The "Anson Shed" was in use as a "clearance" for trains to cross after the station was lost. The Grand Junction/ RR/GTR/CNR, was considered "Superior", and,. the old Central Ontario RR the "Inferior".
Thus the COR engineer,, would have his head-end brakeman call Peterborough for clearance before going north or south before crossing.Quite a common practice on railways where a crossing was in a rather remote location.
The shed was also used by Maintenance of Way men for their lunch or "tea--n-pee break".
Sincerely.
Gord Young for Lakefield Heritage Research

STRANGE HAPPENINGS AT ROCKDALE SCHOOL

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The paranormal is always intriguing, Here’s a story sent to us by James Roffey, of New Brunswick, who once lived in the Rockdale School, just south of Cordova on County Road 48.

My parents,  Frank and Louise Roffey, formerly from Pickering, Ont.,   purchased  Rockdale  School,  after its closing in 1969 via an auction  for the sum of $1,000.00 .  Most of the contents at that time  were given to old Frank Youmans , who lived just 50 yards down the road on the west side,  and to  Mr . WalterVan Steenburg, who I believe ended up with  with the original 1869 School  sign. It was plain black and white framed with only Rockdale and date.    The remaining contents,   the blackboards,  the  desks with children’s names carved into them , old metal hitching posts for the horses , remained in the school, but probably now lost to time.  My parents were never much interested in history or preserving it .

Frank & son, James, 1973. Notice the outhouse at the back

 My family moved into the School House that summer.  I was four and my brother, Mike, 7 years old.    The property had no running water and only an outhouse for the first year and a well was drilled in spring of 1972.  Two more children were born while living in Rockdale,  (Marion and Daniel), making a total of six of us living in the old School House.

 Frank proceeded to convert the one room School House into a home and built everything by hand.  Lumber was obtained  at the McGregor saw mill  outside of Cordova Mines.   Stucco was added to the exterior over the wood clapboards in 1976.

 The events were many,  but  one stands out that plagued me for years while at Rockdale .  My bedroom was located in an addition at the rear of the Schoolhouse and in order to get to the main open living area I had to walk around a corner . Many nights (too many to recall) I would be woken up by the sounds of children playing , talking , laughing  as if  before school was starting .  At first I would get out of my bed and just stand and listen, then I would walk around the corner to get to the living room to try and see what or who was making all the noise but as soon as I got to the corner , all the noise would just stop . This event was played out over and over and over for as long as I can remember living at Rockdale .  

Frank & Louise, son Jim 1979, Rockdale school Frank and Louise are buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Havelock

 As we  became older,  we had outgrown the school house, and moved to  the town of Havelock Ont.  in 1982.  Growing up in Rockdale and the surrounding area was for the most part a wonderful  experience .   Being part of the transformation and history of the Rockdale School is something my family and I will always remember .  

If anyone has questions or would like any further information contact me at ajroffey@hotmail.com

To read more on the Rockdale school and other Township school, CLICK HERE

For more on the rest of Rockdale CLICK HERE

COMMENTS:

Pat Hill wrote: Not as creepy as the farm I lived at in Vansickle ,strange happenings there , the old Bowen farm, sounded like people walking up and down the stairs, haunted house and it’s listed as one on the internet. I loved it back there honestly, ,hidden door in closet to crawl space downstairs,c reepy, lots of old glass top mason jars in basement ,probably gone now.

James Roffey wrote: Formerly of Rockdale School House . I recently stumbled upon this website while looking at some history of nearby Havelock Ont. Just wanted to send out my sincere thank you to everyone involved in the creation and the continued work of collecting , organizing and posting of history as well the stories behind them. Looking back I have fond memories of growing up in the area and for the friendships bonded. Whether swimming at Deer River , getting Ice Cream from the General Store or playing Hockey on the outdoor Rink both myself and my family enjoyed our time at both Rockdale and the surrounding area. If anyone has questions or would like any further information contact me at ajroffey@hotmail.com Great work on the website and please continue doing all that you do. I look forward to reading more and will check back often . Thank you all again !

SEEK........AND WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU'LL FIND?

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For 24 year old Havelock resident, Eric Foster, “the dig ” has been a passion since he was five. He is a bottle digger/collector, digging and diving all over Ontario, in search of relics, treasures of our history.

Recently Eric contacted us, excited to have found a piece of stoneware from Marmora, which he is now restoring. On close inspection we find it reads as follows:

BLEECKER BROS GENERAL MERCHANTS MARMORA ONT

In 1875, George Bleecker was planning a future for his older boys in the retail business. Sons, Charles A. Bleecker, George B. Bleecker and William F. Bleecker would carry on the family business at the newly built general store and tailoring business at 13 Forsyth Street, known as the Spencer Block after the builder. It was a two storey brick building with a verandah, which over the years housed a variety of enterprises, including McTaggart’s Hardware and Ember’s Restaurant, eventually torn down in 2016 to make way for senior housing.

Digging in a small dumping ground in the Marmora area, about two feet deep. Eric found everything at the location to be 1910-1920 . He adds, “I also came across some nice Peterborough Knox Bros. sodas, but they are not overly hard to find, along with some medicines which were not embossed, unfortunately. “ Both he dated circa 1906.”

EARLY PIONEERS - The VanVolkenburg(h)s

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The war of 1812 - Detail of the site of the battle of the windmill paiting by henry f. ainslie

By Wayne and Matthew VanVolkenburg

My great, great, great grandparents, Jacob and Chloe VanVolkenburgh, moved their family from New York State to Brockville, Ontario in the early 1790s. The Brockville area had first been settled in 1784 by Loyalist veterans of the American war of independence, and Chloe’s sister had moved there a year later, likely staying with her husband’s uncle, Nicholas Mosher. During the war, Chloe – then 12 years old – had delivered provisions to Mosher when he was hiding in the woods close to her house near Albany. As well, Chloe’s father, Timothy Hodges, had died in an Albany prison after taking part on the Loyalist side in the Battle of Bennington in August 1777. As for Jacob, his loyalty to the British crown had been vouched for by Jessup’s Loyal Rangers Lieutenant Guysbert Sharp, who must have known Jacob in Kinderhook, NY, before the war.

Unsurprisingly, when war broke out again in 1812, Jacob and his son David both enlisted in the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles to fight for their newly-adopted country. In 1813 David was taken prisoner near Niagara Falls, marched to Boston, returned home, and then was wounded in the ankle in July 1814 at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane – an injury which affected him for the rest of his life.

From Brockville the family migrated westward, settling in Brighton in the 1820s. Some of the family settled for good there, while others moved on. One son, Timothy, returned to the US around 1835, settling near Coldwater, Michigan.

In the late 1850s Jacob’s son Phylander decided to move further north. The 1861 census found Phylander and his son Nathan settled in Trent River on 50 acres of land each, though between them only 16 acres had been cleared. That census also recorded Phylander in the northwest corner of Marmora Township, although he was only visiting his daughter, Margaret, at the time. Jacob's granddaughter, Margaret, along with her husband, William Nier, appear in the 1861 Census for Marmora Township. The agricultural census shows that they were living on 100 acres of  Lot 32, Concession 1. For reasons unknown, the Nier family packed their things around 1865 and moved to Michigan.

Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles

Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles

A seed had been planted, however, and Nathan, my great-grandfather, decided to move his family to the area, though on the other side of the county line. He purchased two lots that front on the west side of what is now the Vansickle Road. One was the south half of Lot 3, Concession 1, Methuen Township, where the 1871 census found that he had cleared 12 of the 100 acres. The other was Lot 27, Concession 1, Belmont Township, which Nathan purchased in 1874. In 1888, my grandfather John purchased the south half of Lot 27 from Nathan, cleared the land, and built a home and barn at that location. In 1909 Nathan gave John the remainder of that lot. Unfortunately, this land, once cleared, proved to be too sandy to be very productive. To help supplement his income, John worked for the Rathburn and Gilmour, Lynch-Ryan, and Pearce Lumber Companies. It was said that he was a hard man to keep up to in the woods. During one spring log drive, John lost his footing and was swept over the Cordova Lake dam. Miraculously, he survived the rough ride down the rapids, although he later said he thought his lungs might burst.

Briggs/vanvolkenburg house - 2405 Cordova Rd (2013)

Briggs/vanvolkenburg house - 2405 Cordova Rd (2013)

Around 1930, a tornado struck the area, tore the roof off of their house and destroyed the barn. Rather than rebuild, John and his wife Sarah moved into one half of a home owned by Lewis Briggs and their daughter Alice. They lived at this Cordova area home until their deaths in 1951 and 1954. Eight of their eleven children reached adulthood and settled in Oshawa, Marmora, Rochester, and near Crowe Lake.

1901 John, Sarah VanVolkenburg, with Theda, Alice, May, and Harry (front)

(For more on this house, CLICK HERE)

Longest-lived of them all was my aunt Theda, who was born in 1898 and died in 2000, aged 102. She lived through the entire twentieth century, but it did not treat her kindly. Married at 18, her first child lived only two days. Her son Verdon’s birth in October 1918 was followed ten days later by her husband’s death due to the Spanish Flu pandemic. She remarried to Bill Magee, but their three children died in infancy and he predeceased her by 30 years. Her only living child, Verdon, served in Italy in World War 2 and never returned home.

 Of all of my father's siblings, she would visit the most often. I think that losing Verdon, her last child, likely changed her considerably. She visited his gravesite in Italy at least twice [and took heart in the fact that the cemetery was well-maintained.]

 

COMMENTS:

Ronald Barrons: A significant Loyalist ancestor for many in the Marmora area is Sarah Kast McGuinness. Sarah's gg-granddaughter, Mary Emily McGinness, married William Henry Steenburgh. They lived at Rockdale. Many are descendants, including those of my grand mother Lena Steenburgh Barrons.https://uelac.ca/monuments/sarah-kast-mcginness-memorial/

Corneilius Quinlan: My mother's family were all from the U. S. and U. E. L. the Loveless's, Wallbridge's, and McKeown's. The Wallbridge's came in the very early 1700's. and settled on 2000 acres of land in Ameliasburg, Ontario, P.E.C. Lewis Wallbridge, the first speaker of the house for Upper Canada was a descendent of this family. The U.E.L came and helped build Canada, good work ethics and loyal.

Punkfest founder had  heart of gold

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WARREN HASTINGS (1937-2009) By Barry Ellsworth (Quinte Media)

Warren William (Spider) Hastings could be "kind of intimidating," admits his niece, Robin E. Jenkins. He was, after all, a six-foot-five punk rocker, with multi-coloured hair, body piercings and tattoos and he wore T-shirts with messages that would make a sailor blush.

But, as many testified last Saturday (Feb. 21, 2009), beneath that unorthodox exterior beat a heart of gold.

About 250 people filled the John R. Bush Funeral Home in Belleville to say goodbye to the man everyone simply called Spider. The Marmora-area resident died Feb. 15 at his beloved Spiderland Acres from health related issues. He was 72.

"I spent three-and-a-half years with him," Jay Young, 26, said just prior  to the 1 p.m.service. "He took me in when I was a kid. He turned my life around."

On the streets, not yet 16 and battling an addiction to alcohol, Young met Spider who took him to Spiderland.  "He took me in to visit his place and told me, you know, just to stay for a week," Young said. "He ended up putting me back in high school."

Spider also got Young into a career. The former cook at CFB Trenton taught Young culinary skills. Today, Young lives in Lanark, near Ottawa, where he is a chef and he plans to open his own restaurant.

Many of the young people Spider met were visitors to his annual Punkfest, held each year on the weekend closest to his birthday, July 13.At first in the late 1990s, Marmora residents liked Punkfest because it attracted money, said Jenkins, a Baltimore, Md. resident who had returned for the funeral of her uncle. Spider had no children.

"I used to come up for Punkfest a lot," the former Marine said. "At first, they (Marmora residents) enjoyed having people there because they were bringing in revenue." But sometimes there would be more people arriving to party than there were residents and people began to get nervous.

One year, an injunction was procured and Punkfest had to move to Marlbank. But as residents battled Punkfest and succeeded in limiting parties to 50 guests, or else a permit was required, Robin said, some of the stuffing went out of Punkfest. But it never died. Young said, whether there were five or 500 at Spiderland. "You couldn't stop Punkfest,"he said. "It was his birthday."

Robin's siblings, Sherman A. Jenkins Jr. of Bowling Green, Ohio, Rochelle E. Jenkins and Warren William Jenkins, both of Lockport, N.Y, were also at the funeral.

"My uncle would take them (young people) in, give them a place to stay until they could kind of get their lives back in order," Sherman said. "He would never turn anyone down. He saved a lot of good lives."

A one-time crony of the infamous English punk band The Sex Pistols, Spider was also a Woolworth's store manager. He got the nickname Spider when he was a stockboy in an A & P store in Toronto. A lady dropped a bunch of groceries because she thought a spider was on her, and he began to pick up the foodstuffs.' Someone said he looked like a spider and the name stuck

Community Press  Feb 26, 2009  Page 16 & 17

Here are the lyrics

Way out yonder on the Shannick road, out in the township of Marmora, was a little farm called Spiderland the favorite venue for a punk rock band.

The punk rockers came from all around, they turned that forest to a campground, they built an amphitheatre in the back 40, the rest of it's all history.

It was that Spiderland, Punkfest, heaviest show you could find, that Spiderland, Punkfest, a time for the beer and the wine, a time to get drunk and get high

Old Spider grew, became an old man, retired to the swamps of Marmora, called all his friends who were in punk bands said my 'parties are the loudest in the universe, man'

The French punx came with lots of drugs we had to fight some locals we just passed joints to the friendly ones come on over and lets share some.

At Dave's chip truck and the tattoo shop you could hear the bands rock a 3 day party underneath the stars, away from the cities and away from the cars

Anarchy alley was the back woods trail, we tripped, stumbled and we fell, take me back to the day when the living was right, come on over big party tonight;

The township tried to shut it down ; the OPP patrolled. They said at a meeting in the nearest town for too many years this has gone down.

 

REMEMBERING THE MILKMAN

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Luckily for us, Joy Neal Lynch, daughter of ‘Cec’ (Remember the Milk Man?) and Verna Neal, has written about her parents, making us take the time to reflect on how times have changed.

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“Cecil Neal was born July 13, 1919, in Marmora Township; the fourth of eight children born to Mary Ann (McFaul) Neal and Linday Neal, owner of a dairy business.. They lived on a farm South of Marmora. My father took over the dairy business owned by his father circa 1940. On August 18, 1943 dad married my mom, Verna Davidson. The wedding took place at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Marmora. The Reverend A.B. Caldwell performed the ceremony with Margaret Davidson as the Maiden of Honour and Victor Neal the Best Man.

 Mom was born on May 4, 1914, in Millbridge, Ontario; the fifth of eleven children born to John and Bertha (McGregor) Davidson. They grew up in Millbridge.  Mom worked as receptionist for Dr. Nichol in Madoc. After moving to Marmora, mom worked as a switchboard operator in the Bell dispatch office, located across the road from us, until 1945.

 In 1944, mom and dad purchased the house and property at 8 McGill Street, Marmora. The property, that included a large barn, was originally the site of the Pringle Hotel, one of four Marmora hotels in the early 1900’s. The barn was probably used to stable customer horses and perhaps a cow for milk and chickens for eggs and eating.

 The hotel was destroyed by fire on May 24, 1914. The property was purchased by Wm. Flynn and construction began immediately. The Flynn family moved in the fall of 1914. The house was subsequently occupied by the Woodhouse family until 1918 and then the Earl Prentice family until mom and dad purchased it.

Verna with Jane and Cecil with Anne 1946

Cecil and verna Neal 1944

Joy with Judy and Neal’s truck, 1955

 Mom and dad raised a family of four children: Anne, Jane, Joy and Judy. Our four-bedroom two storey house was on a large property that included the two-storey barn, a huge garden and three apple trees. We also had a wonderful well that many in the neighborhood used as their source of drinking water. 

In 1954 dad constructed a new dairy building on the south west corner of our property with the front bordering right on the street sidewalk, known as 6 McGill Street.

Until 1986 he remained everyone’s favorite milkman.

 

Dad joined the Marmora Fire Department in 1935 (age 15) and was appointed Fire Chief in 1961. In addition to our family phone, we also had the fire phone. All fire calls came directly to that phone and usually mom was the one to answer it. She had to then remotely activate the fire siren at the station and call the appropriate number of fire fighters, as well as try to locate dad. He would normally be delivering milk, but would hear the siren and head directly to the fire hall, often being the first to arrive. It was not unusual for a couple of nosey people to call in on the fire phone to ask mom where the fire was.

Dad was a founding member of the Hastings/Prince Edward Mutual Aid System. He also sat on the Public-School Board for 17 years, and in the late fifties, he purchased a local “Dairy Freeze” business across from the fire hall. It featured soft ice cream creations as well as hamburgers, hot dogs and fries. It was operated by Anne, Jane, Joy, Judy and on occasion dad. It was a good business that provided an excellent supplement for the girls’ education.

 Dad was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1988 and he retired in 1989. Following a short remission, complications with pneumonia set in and he died in Kingston General Hospital on November 9th, 1990.   His cancer was almost certainly related to his many years on the fire department and inhaling toxic fumes, especially in the early years, when respirators were not worn. He received an honor guard funeral and his casket was transported to the graveyard atop a pumper fire truck.

 Mom remained in the house for another 10 years. She did quite well on her own despite never having driven a car.  She was well supported by neighbours, friends and family. In 2000, she had a fall on the back step that ultimately lead to her being hospitalized and having to leave the house. She moved to the Bayview Retirement Home in Belleville and also did quite well there. Six years later, on September 6th, 2006, she died from natural causes in the Belleville Hospital. They are both buried in the Marmora Common Cemetery.”

Cecil and Verna Retirement 1989 Judy, Joy, Jane and Anne

MEMORIES

BARB CALFAS-DUFF My parents, Cathy and Len Callfas, bought a farm in Bonarlaw in 1969. There was a cement “chiller”built into the floor of a small building near the house…the milk cans, filled with cream, were placed in the cement holder and cold, well water would flow in and out to keep the cream cold.
In the dirt around the storage building, we used to dig up the circular discs with “Neal’s Dairy” stamped on it, . We later found out that the farm was where the cream was stored for Neal’s Dairy

PAMELA PHILLIPS: I spent a lot of time at the "Neal house" "Playing with either Jane or Joy. I was often invited for supper at that big long table in the kitchen. It was always a great meal as Verna was a good cook. One time Verna asked Cec to get a chicken for dinner (which I was supposed to attend) He grabbed the chicken and chopped off his head and the bird continued to run around te yard for 10 minutes. I didn't stay for dinner that night, I went home and recounted the incident to my Mom and Dad who had a good laugh over it. So many great memories of that family.

SALLY NEAL It is so lovely to read these stories and learn more of there lives. I am fortunate to be related to the 'Milkman'. Uncle Cec & Aunt Verna were true pillars of the community. They are still remembered fondly when my siblings & I gather and we share stories of our youth. Thank you for a pleasant trip down memory lane.

SHARON VESTERFELT: I remember this day so well.....I was talking on the phone and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blaze of light. I checked and our son Blair, who was only about 4 or 5 had lit a dried flower arrangement on fire in the front window with a lighter. I dropped the phone and grabbed water and immediately doused the fire. It sure scared us. Cec came to deliver our milk right around the same time and thought he had better come in and check the fire scene. So on that day, at that time, Cec wore two hats as they say...Cec the milkman and Cec the fire chief. He was an amazing man in our community. I also remember helping Judy, one of my best friends, look after the Dairy, especially on the Saturday nights of our weekly dances at the town hall. During the bands breaks, we were swamped with orders for fries, hamburgers, and cones. Good times.

IRENE CLEMENS: I remember those days when Cec made home deliveries, He not only delivered in town but also in the country.

DALE YOUNG GORSLINE: I was just telling my husband about Cec and his milk deliveries a couple of days ago! Even though I'm under 50, I do remember him delivering a bag of milk to us once a week. Mom used to leave an envelope with cash in it, in a spot where he knew to look for it. I also remember when I was in grade 5, I collected money from all the classes at Earl Prentice each morning and gave him our daily milk order for the school. I was always trying to convince him to give us more chocolate milk in the order.

MARLEAN McLEAN: Cec and Verna Neal were like second grandparents to me when I was young. They were so kind and loving. Always made time for me, invited me over and made it seem like I was priority. I will never forget my fond and special memories of them both I was so lucky to know them.

ANDY JOHNSON: Cec was a kind & nice man. On occasion he would take me on his route .The Dairy Freeze was the best. Real ice cream & fresh cheese curds were my favourite.

SUZANNE KELSH: Cecil drove our school bus for a while too. He was a great guy, both him and his wife were so friendly and outgoing, Everyone who knew them thought fondly of them

CORREY COLE I remember the dairy freeze my aunt use to work there I remember CEC and Verna real well. We rented the big white house they owned on Madoc street. CEC was a good guy Didn't Cec deliver the crates of milk to the schools everyday?

CASSANDRA PRESCOTT-FLYNN I was thinking about Jane last night and remembering our first day in grade one. My parents Sydney & Helen York rented the apartment over the dairy. It had a set of outside steps which I proceeded to fall down on the first day of school. Cec ended up taking Jane & I to school that day. Lots of good memories of Marmora and the Neals.