Articles collected from December 2nd, 1948 - January 27th, 1949
Page Contents
INTRODUCTION
I have received many kind words from various people about the articles that I have produced heretofore and I thought something of a more general character might be acceptable to my readers.
My family has been residents of this Town for one hundred years, hence I should have and do have an interest in the Town which is quite natural. May I say that the population of the Town has been very much changed in the last few years, so much so that there are not many real old-timers left. So I have a hope that this article of mine may prove interesting and informative to those who are not so much steeped in the atmosphere of the Town as we old-timers are.
Some years ago, a lady was in my office and while I was attending to her business, I noticed a gentleman apparently with her. I did not look at him particularly, but when she went out, he remained standing. He said to me, "I guess you don't know me," at which I took a better look and recognized a childhood neighbour whom I had not seen nor heard of in thirty years or more. He had just come into Town on the bus and he said he didn't know the Town when he came to it. He had been living in California for many years. I mention this to show that there has been through the years, a decided change in the appearance of the Town. So let us see something of what it looked like in my youthful days and something about its people and their habits and customs.
I think that most people will agree that every town, big or little, has its own atmosphere, social that is. I would say that one thing that would have struck one in my young days, was that it was friendly Town. Everybody knew everybody, their good points and their bad ones, their poverty or wealth, their talents or their dumbness.
Now, let's see about the appearance of the place. First, it was a Town of small houses. Many families had only one, perhaps two bedrooms where the whole family bunked. Usually, they dined in the kitchen, breakfasted in the kitchen, supped in the kitchen, and sometimes, some of them bunked in the kitchen. I myself, for a time, had a bunk, not a bed, in a small room boarded off the large kitchen and as was quite common in those days. Many a morning I have lain in bed and watched the dear little red bed bugs climbing up the wall. I may say, they never bit me, so I didn't mind. Nothing like getting used to things and putting up with what you cannot help.
Very few of these small houses ever had a coat of paint. Instead of metal eavestrough, they had wooden ones. Anyone could make them, as they simply consisted of two boards nailed together in a V shape and waterproofed with a coat of pitch. There were no indoor toilets so people got plenty of fresh air. When winter came, a house would be banked up around it with earth. Cellars were earthen excavations. Few of the small houses had a solid foundation; they sat on wooden posts. One must remember that in those days, good white pine lumber was used and even new lumber soon became gray with the weather, but it lasted much better than the modern materials do.
We had pine sidewalks. It was quite a usual thing, when the stringers underneath began to decay, to have a loose plank rear up and upset one's gravity and hurt his dignity. Many a good man has had a fall. We had no stoned streets, except the one leading to St. Catharines. This began in front of the Town Hall, rounded the corner at Simcoe Street, thence to Mary and along Mary to Mississaugua St. The shade trees that are such a feature of our streets were small with boxes around them. In the summer, we were smothered with dust and in the spring and fall there was plenty of mud.
LIVESTOCK
There were some hundreds of cows kept in the Town and these roamed the streets and commons at will. One benefit they did confer was that they kept both Commons and the Streets cropped so that the said streets presented a much tidier appearance than they oftentimes do under modern conditions. However, there were also some disadvantages, one of them being that of swishing into something soft and smelly when a fellow had his best girl out for an evening stroll. I remember some neighbors of ours who kept a cow. One summer evening, as the sun was setting in the western sky, the son, along with another neighboring kid, came running and whooping down our street firmly grasping the rear attachment of the family cow. She was proceeding homewards at a sort of tame gallop, the kids helping to expedite her movements by means of a lath apiece applied smartly to Bossy's rear end. Just as they passed us, poor Bossy could not restrain her feelings any longer. I wish you could have seen and heard and smelled those two kids. They had lathered the cow and she slathered them. Wow! Then again, in hot dry weather, the cows would wander down to the waterside in search of coolness and they sometimes got their horns entangled in the gillnets on the reels. One cow could ruin a reel of net in a few minutes.
Another feature of the landscape was supplied by the flocks of geese that were quite common. We always had such a flock and in summer they were turned out to graze with the cattle. They would come home when day was done and call at the gate to be let in. I have many times seen stalking soberly down our Main Street, a long procession of geese, led by an old gander. Horses were often turned out too, particularly at night and it was a common sight to see horses, cows and geese mingling and cropping the grass on our open plain. And the mushrooms that were numerous on the same Common. After a good rain in the early fall, it was the mecca for plenty of those who loved their mushrooms. Of course, the grass being short, it was easy to find them.
The Town, in those days, fell into four divisions. There were the Dock and the Town, and between the two, there was a great gulf fixed. Also there were Irishtown and The Coloured Section. When I was on the Dominion Census in l90l, nearly every house in Irishtown had a widow in it. Incidentally, a few years ago, when I was in the Town Office, in going over the books, I counted eighty-six widows in Town and twenty-eight widowers. I guess married life must be more wearing on men than on women. How about it, girls?
IRISHTOWN
The widows in - was it Israel or Irishtown - were Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Fellows, and Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Eagan, Mrs. Hahassey, Mrs. McMann, Mrs. O'Brien, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Manifold and a few more. By the way, Irishtown became too prosaic a name and someone called it High Park. I remember when interviewing dear old Mrs. Lynch, I asked the name of the street on which she lived. "Sure," she said, "I don't know if it has a name, but I know it ain't Irishtown. That's Irishtown over there," pointing to Fellows' house, "an I trows it at em every once in a while." When I inquired what year she came to Canada, she replied, "Sure, I don't know; it was the year of the Cholera." There is now only one of those Irish families represented in the district, the Fellows. The original Mr. Fellows came from the same town in Ireland as my father's mother, Enniscorthy in the County of Wexford. The ground included in Irishtown belonged to the Hon. Wm. Dickson and was carved up as it is now on being sold.
THE BLACK SECTION OF TOWN
The part of the Town to which I have referred to as "The Black Section" was so referred to in my young days, because it was peopled almost entirely by people of African Extraction. There were the Mills, the Rileys, the Bannisters, the Warfields, the Wesleys, the Livingstones and others. This was the district around and above Mary Street. Like the Irish District, the original people are all gone. I used to hear people trying calculate Betsy Livingstone's age and as near as they could come, she was well over one hundred and twenty years old.
The house on Mississaugua St., lately the home of Sam Kenally, was inhabited by two families, the Wesleys and the Warfields. At one time, it was a tavern as they were called in days of yore, and was kept by my mother's father, Noble Keith, its name being "The Rising Sun."
The people in this section of town were mostly a quiet, fairly religious group. They had their own Church, situated where the deserted graveyard on Mississaugua St. now lies neglected. As their numbers dwindled, they gave up their own Church and the building was sold and now is used as a barn on the farm which used to be owned by John Oliver and now is the property of the Currie Brothers. In my early days, they occupied a group of seats in the Methodist Church, at the rear behind the stove on the right hand side. Mr. Wesley was a short, bluff little man, his face being adorned by a pair of flowing side-whiskers. Mr. Warfield was a tall, very sedate old gentleman. These two quite often took part in the Prayer Meetings in the Church. About the last of them that once lived in Town was William Livingstone, who passed away a few years ago. A good many migrated to St. Catharines.
As far as the population of the southerly part of the Town is concerned, there has been a complete change in racial origin of the inhabitants. All across that end of the Town there is now a population of Poles, Mennonites and a few of Italian origin. They are all good citizens, industrious and law abiding. I hope none of my readers will think that I am making any comparison between the present dwellers and their predecessors.
THE
EARES, MILLS, MURPHY AND SMITH FAMILIES
Up the street, in the Bradley House, lived Joe Eares an old soldier. Joe grew the finest strawberries I ever saw or tasted, in his garden. I used to love to hear Joe chat about his experiences in the Army. He was through an epidemic of yellow fever in the West Indies where his Regiment lost two hundred men and through a cholera epidemic in Toronto, and he escaped without a day's sickness. His wife and Mr. Black, whose family lived next door, were sisters. Alongside of us was the home of the Mills and the Murphy's. Mrs. Murphy had three sons named Mills and one Eddie Murphy. Mr. Murphy was an American soldier and was the Baker at Fort Niagara. He fell overboard and was drowned going home one night. Plenty of old timers would remember Charlie Smith who lived on our other side. Charlie was a mason. He and my dad always cut each other's hair. No barber shop for them. But Charlie's son "Wee Charlie" as his mother called him, became a barber. Charlie's son Eddie and his grandson Leslie are with us as is Eddie's Aunt Sarah who lives in the old home on Ricardo Street.
Read more about it!
THE DOCK AREA
Let's go down to the Dock now. This is the home district for me. Here I was born in a house on Ball Street, which later burned down. It was always a kind of family gathering. Jim McMillan used to describe its denizens as "the Patch Gang." Between the Town and us there was constant rivalry, sometimes even hostility. There was always a feud between the Fishermen and the Farmers, which frequently resulted in hostilities when both parties had partaken of the cup that cheers.
In a generation before mine, there existed an organization up town, which I have heard called by Doug Secord "the snotty cuff gang." The gang at the dock was not saintly, not exactly, but they were not too bad. They were neighborly and stuck together pretty well. More than once, they helped the police to quell fights in the neighborhood and they furnished about one-half of the volunteer fire brigade. Might I say a little about the families. Down near the end of Ricardo St., lived my Uncle Alec, Keith, Mike Collins, the Bests, the Murphys, the Abbotts and the Addisons. One little house below Fort George was the scene of an accidental poisoning and the fatal burning of two old people. The Best family, you have heard about already and many will remember Jack Abbott, a well-known teamster. Jack drove the Stage between Niagara and St. Catharines for a long time. The Addisons were a large family, the last of who was Frank who had the Lakeview house for many years. Another Charlie, usually known as Bing, was baggageman for the railway for a long spell. Bing was lame, a nice fellow, not bad looking, chewed tobacco and told some pretty tall tales on occasion. Some of his fellow employees on the railroad sent away somewhere and procured a very handsome, lavishly decorated certificate of membership in a Liar's Club, which they very ostentatiously presented to Bing, much to his disgust. Then, there was Skip Davies who ran Jack Redhead's boathouse. Skip too was lame, but there was nothing lame about his head or his tongue. He made a good job of the boathouse and was known far and wide. His last job was in Fred Best's butcher shop.
Read about Dock Area Residents!
THE LAKEVIEW HOTEL - THE ROUSSEAUS
[6 Picton St.]
The Rousseaus ran the Lakeview when I was small. The first Masonic Funeral I saw was that of John Rousseau. I knew his son Johnny very well in later years. He never ran the hotel much himself after his father died, but rented it out. I remember when Mrs. Long ran it, the roof was burned and when it was restored, the present upper storey was added to it. Johnny was a dapper little man, dark and dignified. My Uncle Alec used to call him "Little Dandycock." Between him and Windy Jim McMillan, there was no love lost. Johnny used to have a little gray pony and carriage and Jim, who was in St. Mark's Choir at one time, had a bit of a song he used to sing for Johnny's edification. "Its Bellringer Johnny of the Lakeview grip, Who drove his wee pony without e'er a whip. It was three glasses a day that he had to pay, before he could purchase the poor little gray."
After Mrs. Long, there were several lessees, a Mr. Butler, George May, Hank Bell, Pat Donnelly, John Simpson, Hank Bell again, Frank Addison, Hynes and Miles, Greenwood, and Addison again. While Greenwood was tenant of the place, Johnny Rousseau died and the property came into Jay Doyle's hands and he sold to Addison who ran the hotel for many years until his death, since which event, it has changed hands several times.
Read more about it!
THE AMERICAN HOTEL - THE McMILLANS
[44 - 46 Queen St.]
The McMillan hotel, usually known as "The American," was owned and operated by John McMillan in my younger days. John was quite a businessman and had a large establishment in the building at the corner of Queen and Regent Streets, where the Hydro Shop was. John served in Council for nine years and finally died in a hotel room in Toronto where he had gone on business. John had two sons, Jim and Dave. Dave was running the store when I was a kid, but gave it up and went to Toronto where members of his family carry on the Cartage and Storage business, which he founded. I remember both Dave and Jim as members of St. Mark's Church Choir when it was in the end gallery. Windy Jim, as he was usually called, was a whimsical fellow, full of fun and fond of pranks, like his son Bill. Jim served one year in Council. He ran the hotel for years after his father died, but since his death in 1899, the Hotel has changed hands several times. Jim and his father had what was called a "Sutlers store" at Fort Niagara at one time and Jim had a narrow escape from drowning while engaged in running the store. At the Fort, they had a metal lifeboat that was anchored out near the Fort. A heavy northeaster came up and somehow, one of the air chambers at the end of the boat became punctured and she was seen to be drifting end up out into the Lake. The officer in command ordered a crew out with another boat, which we knew afterwards as "the Barge," to tow the damaged lifeboat in.
Jim McMillan volunteered to go along but when he found that the officer, who patently knew nothing about handling a boat, was insisting on taking charge, Jim very wisely backed out. The result: two officers and six enlisted men drowned. You may see the monument to them in the old Fort Burying Ground on the bank of the river. One young officer was afraid to venture, as there was a huge sea running but the other taunted him into going. The one, who was afraid, made himself fast to a ringbolt in the stern and his body was still there when the boat was picked up at Port Dalhousie. Some of the others were seen clinging to the keel of the upturned boat, the last of them dropping off above the Four-Mile Point. Their bodies washed up along the Canadian shore. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Jim McMillan's are still living in Town.
Read more about it!
THE MOODY FAMILY
The Moody family lived in one of the houses on Lockhart Street. They were basket makers and planted basket willows all over the flats. They ultimately migrated to Toronto, where they are still doing business on Yonge Street.
THE KENNEDY FAMILY
James Kennedy owned quite a bit of property around the Dock. He was a Ship Carpenter and raised a large family, whose descendants are scattered over the U. S. A. Mr. Kennedy was a fine man, a regular attendant at St. Mark's. They used to occupy a corner pew in the gallery and the family attended church and filled the pew. None of them are left in Town although the house on Ricardo St. is owned by a granddaughter who lives in Chicago. I believe Mr. Kennedy was employed at the Shipyard which was located about where the Foghorn is now. This was where Jimmy Hutchinson worked, too, as my mother has told me of seeing him working with sleeves rolled up and bare hands when other men wore a coat and mitts.
THE BEACH
I remember when the railway along where the horn is now, was quite close to the water's edge. It was the building of Rousseau's wharf that made the beach. The removal of the wharf has had more to do with the erosion of the beach than any other contributing factor, including the high water. I remember a heavy northeaster in April of 1886, with as high water as we have had of late. This blow did a lot of damage along the waterfront. There were two feet of water over the flats and we had to move all our boats, nets, reels, etc. over near where the rail- way roundhouse used to stand and a bunch of us went home to dinner across the flats in a boat. The seas knocked down Redhead's Boathouse below the Wharf and washed over the railway tracks and filled up the cellar of the Lakeview House.
THE MORRISON'S BOARDING HOUSE
The Martin Morrisons kept a Boarding house in the building now occupied by Mrs. Steve Sherlock. It then stood along side of Ed Ball's house, facing on Ricardo St., with a lane between. This lane ran from Ricardo to Lockhart St.
It was the Morrisons who moved the house to its present site. Mr. Morrison was at one time, an engineer on the Erie and Niagara Railway. His son Jim became an engineer, living for years at the Falls, where his family still live. After his retirement on pension, he married Mrs. Goff and they lived in the house on Ricardo St. They are all gone now, but were very fine people. The Kennedys were all good Church workers and supporters of St. Mark's Church.
RICARDO STREET
A great many of the houses at the dock have been moved or altered. It seems to have been the custom in the old days to build houses close to the street line. In my early days, every house on Ricardo St. except one bunch of four, from Melville to King St., was so placed and all have been shifted except the Sherlock house on the corner. The four exceptions were those occupied by the Eares family, the Blacks, the Mills and the Masters. The Smith house used to be known as "the house that was built in a day." The men, who worked at the Car Works in the flats, had a bee. There is a lane between it and the O'Melia house next door that was open when I first remember it. There was a small house in the rear of the O'Melia house, fronting on the lane. This lane is shown as open on the Niven plan of the Town. Spadina cottage, next to the Railway track at one time, stood near the sidewalk and broadside to it. It stood empty for years and was known as "the likeness house," which is equivalent in modern language to "photograph gallery." It was bought by the late Col. E. H. Thompson, moved back and turned end on to the street. The O'Melia house used to be owned by Martin Doolin and he rented in the summers to house the colored waiters at the Queen's Royal. Later on the Morrisons kept a Boarding House there and Bing Addison owned and lived in it for some years.
JANE COWAN, FELLOWS AND
BALL FAMILIES
There was a dear, quaint, old lady who lived in the house where Fred Ball and his sister live. She was a Miss Jane Cowan, and when I was small, I ran errands for her and when she died, she left me her Bible, her most precious possession. She was an ardent Methodist and Prayer Meeting was often held in her humble abode. Joe Fellows, a brother of Bill, lived there afterwards. Joe was Section Boss on the Railway. Later on, Will Ball bought it and raised a large family in it. Will was a fisherman, a Captain in the Fire Brigade and Caretaker of the Fire Hall for years. The house next door was owned and occupied for many years by Charlie Ball and his wife Maria, or Rier as he called her. She was a Bissell, a daughter of Alonzo Bissell, many of whose descendants live in the Town and Township. The Balls were a nice, quiet couple and were my godparents. The Captain as he was called around the Beach, was caretaker of the Methodist Church for years.
MRS. DALY
Around the corner was a small cottage, sitting back from the street, facing on Ball Street. In the cottage, now owned by the Logan Family, lived an old lady, a Mrs. Daly. She was nearly blind and was burned to death. My sister was passing and saw smoke issuing from the house and she ran to Fellows' house and Joe and Bill broke in the door and found the old lady lying just inside the door, terribly burned and she died shortly after being found.
THE ELLIOTT FAMILY
[Elliott House - 66 King St.]
Down at the beach at the foot of King St., is the Elliott House, formerly known as "The Whale Inn." Here lived Tommy Elliott and his family and the house was known all over for its quiet charm and excellent cookery. When I was a small boy, the fishermen were all at the foot of King St., and it was there that I earned my first coppers turning a reel for Captain Charlie Ball. Poor Tommy lost his mind when he was growing old, and for years, he might be seen staring from a window near the rear of the house, a pathetic figure with a long white beard and hair. The family are all gone now and their remains rest in the churchyard of old Saint Andrews. They were our next door neighbors for fourteen years and one could not have better ones, kindly and generous. God rest them.
THE
CANTWELL FAMILY
Nearby was the home of Big Jim Cantwell and his wife Kate. Jim was a big hearty man, a typical son of the "ould sod." He prided himself on being a Fenian, although he once had Jack Raynor up before Bill Kirby for calling him such a name. And while he freely admitted in court that he was a Fenian and had damned the Queen, yet a fine of five dollars and costs was levied upon Raynor. Perhaps you may recall the character who said "the Laws a Hass." Kate was a character too. I remember arriving at their door in a pouring rain when taking the Census in 190l. Their front door was furnished with shutters, firmly tied with fish twine. Poor me out in the rain, Kate peering through the slats and demanding "What do ye want?" She firmly refused to let me in unless I agreed not to take her. Finally, I was reluctantly admitted. In my conversation with Jim, who had known me from a small boy, Kate kept butting in. Finally, Jim boiled over; "For God's Sake, lave me spake, woman." Of course, I had to behave with becoming gravity and at last made my escape.
BURK, MORAN AND BOLTON HOUSE
Nearby, there used to be a small house occupied by Abbie Moran, also Irish. After the death of Tom Burk, this land was purchased by Jack Bolton and the little house was torn down and the present house built. Abbie Moran then moved to the Daly house on Ball Street where she was our neighbor for some years. She had a son Pat, who was fishing partner with Jesse Mills.
JIMMY
TAY HOUSE
Across the street from us was another small house, the residence of the famous Jimmy Tay and his sister Moll. They had twin nephews, Jimmy and Frankie O'Neal. These two boys were nice kids, full of prankish tricks. One St. Patrick's Day, they made a wonderful effigy of the Saint and put it up in the chimney of the Daly house, which was empty at the time. They and the rest of us kids enjoyed the spectacle of old Jimmy with a long clothespole, trying to dislodge the figure and cursing the "damn brats." that put it up. Imagine the glee of Jimmy and Frankie at the whole thing. The family finally went to Buffalo. Young Jimmy married Jemima Cross, a sister of John Cross.
TURNER, McBRIDE, WILSON, McDERMOTT AND RAYNOR HOUSES
In a house at the corner of Ricardo and Ball Sts. lived Bill Turner and his wife Bella. Bill was a very easygoing sort of chap and Bella had "a tongue with a tang." She was the daughter of Auntie Mellon who lived at the corner of Melville and Ricardo. They afterwards moved to Youngstown, N.Y. Next door to them lived Jack McBride and a large family. Jack was a painter, when he did anything, which wasn't often. They went to Detroit from here. They lived at one time in the Reid house on Market Street. Next to them lived Mrs. Wilson, who had a little candy shop. She came from Northern Ireland, from a town called Ballymaladdie and ultimately went back there. Her house is now the front part of the Morrison house. All these houses on that particular lot have been removed, the only house on that property being the Brundrit house, which was built by Jack McDermott, who was the railway engineer for a long spell. Another small house stood beside Mrs. Wilson's, that of the Raynors. Here lived Judy Raynor, the widow of a soldier, with a son and a daughter, Joe and Mary Ellen. Another son, Jack, was my father's pal from boyhood. They were both born in the Army Barracks in Gibraltar. They played together, soldiered together and sailed together.
THE YOUNG AND QUINN FAMILIES
The property now owned and occupied by the Quinns was owned by James Young and his family. Mr. Kennedy told me that he bought this property including the two houses for Fifty-five Dollars for Mr. Young from the Bank of Upper Canada. The Bank was disposing of the assets of the defunct Harbour and Dock Company. Mr. Quinn, Sr., was a photographer and he had the larger house rebuilt and both moved back from the street line. Young's had a verandah roof over the sidewalk. They had a Candy Shop in the larger house. Mr. Quinn, at the time of his death, was Caretaker of the Public School. As a matter of fact, he died in the School, having overexerted himself wading through two feet of snow which had fallen. On Sunday, the 28th day of February, l900, there was a big blow with heavy drifting snow from the east and it was the following Monday morning that Mr. Quinn came to his sudden end. I think it was Will Richardson who first found him lying on the floor of the School.
THE AUNTY MELLON, MORRISON, DOLSON AND
SHERLOCK HOUSE
Aunty Mellon kept a Boarding house in the corner building. After her death, the Morrisons were in there and after them, Bill Dolson. Mrs. Mary Sherlock finally bought the property and since her death, it has become an Apartment house.
THE LUCK - TODD -
DORITTY - McMILLAN HOUSE
There was a frame house on a site in the Churchyard at the east corner of the property known as the Luck house, so called after its Owner, who was for years Sexton of St. Mark's. In May of l886, the vestry of St. Mark's appropriated $300. to buy the Luck house. This was done and the house was then sold to Jim McMillan who moved it to the Heaslip lot on Ball St., where it replaced the house in which I was born and which had been burned some time previously. I remember two families that lived in the Luck house before it was moved, the Todds and the Jim Doritty's. Steve Todd was a Carpenter and he had a large family of four boys and three girls. His wife was Mary Smith, a sister of Charlie. The family is all "dispersed and wandered," some of them to the Great Beyond. There are none of the Doritty's left here, the last of them having been the wife of Charles Butler. Jim Doritty was a good Carpenter and was also Town Assessor for years. Joe Doritty was manager of the Bell Telephone Co., for a long time, until he moved to Toronto where he still resides. The Doritties and the Masters played together as neighbors and kids. There were Charlie and Fred and Joe of the Dorittys and Joe and Charlie and Fred of the Masters. We had a comfortable way of excusing ourselves when we got into mischief. We blamed the Doritty's and they blamed us, which was a tacit agreement between the two sets of kids.
THE LANSING - LIDDICOAT - BARTLETT - FELL HOUSE
I remember Watts Lansing living in the Liddicoat house before it was sold to Captain Barlett. At that time, the Church Lane was open from Ricardo St. to Byron, but when the two acres were sold by the Church, the Lane was closed. Captain Barlett was a typical old sea dog, short and portly. One could always tell the state of his indulgence in the cup that cheers by the spread of his feet as he navigated the street towards home. Jimmy Tay was the choreman for the Captain. There was a very fine orchard of apples and quinces on the property at that time. The Captain always had a large flock of turkeys. It was common to see them roosting in the pine trees in the Churchyard. After the Captain's death, his wife went to England and died there; she sold the house to the Fells, who occupied the place as a summer home until they all died when the property was willed to St. Marks. Miss Clara Fell was a very fine type of person and took a great interest in St. Mark's Choir and organ. A very fine window in the easterly transept of the Church is in memory of her mother. She also gave the Sunday school the small organ that was used for many years, also as a memorial of her mother. The Sunday school Bell is a memorial to her father who died long after his wife. There used to be a well defined path along the top of the hill fronting the Fell property which we kids often used travelling past on the way to School. But the Fells shifted their fence out so as to close off this path and keep us kids from getting too close; now the property actually encroaches on Wellington St. a distance of at least three feet.
THE BARTLETT -
ELLISON - CANADIAN LEGION PROPERTY
The Lot over the way where the Canadian Legion is located, also belonged to Captain Bartlett and Mrs. Bartlett willed it to Miss Rosamond Geddes, who sold it to Henry Ellison, who built the brick house on it and where he lived until his death a few years ago. Henry Ellison was one of three brothers, the others being George and John. Henry and George were Masons and John was a Carpenter. My earliest memory of the Ellison brothers was seeing them play in the Town Band. They were all very musical. I often used to hear Henry tooting his base horn over the way. Henry and George married sisters named Cooper. George had no family and Henry left one daughter who lives in St. Catharines. Henry in his later years was a very successful gardener.
THE
ELLISON - McELROY - COLLINS - CLEMENT PROPERTY
George Ellison built the frame house on Wellington Street, now owned by Mrs. Powell. It was owned by a Mrs. McElroy for some years and then by Mrs. Bill Collins, who sold it to its present owners. The acre, of which this lot is a part, was bought from St. Marks by George A. Clement. On this acre at one time, were two cottages, in one of which my wife was born. These cottages were moved off; one of them to Victoria Street, where the late W. J. Campbell lived and the other up the River Road to the McFarland property where it still stands, facing the East-West Line. George Ellison bought half an acre from Clement and Henry, the corner lot where my brother now lives. Frank Eborall built the house on it, while he was Sexton of St. Mark's. It was a plum orchard when I first remember it and I have picked plums on it for Ned Patterson, who was a fruit dealer as well as a Baker. It has changed hands several times since Eborall's day.
THE
SWIFT - MILLS - TAY - BEAVEN - MASTERS PROPERTY
My own place was the last sold off the Clement Estate after George A. Clement died. It was formerly a double house and the side next to the Churchyard was the Sexton's residence. James Swift was the Sexton when I first remember him. He was a widower and afterwards married a Mrs. Gurvine and he joined the Roman Catholic Church after marrying her. The Mills family occupied it after that. They were later our next door neighbors on Ricardo St. Jimmy Tay lived in the other half for a time. The Beaven sisters lived in it afterwards for a matter of thirty years or more, before we moved in. The Beavens were the daughters of a Clergyman and were great Church workers. Miss Blanche Beaven taught the infants until she was too old to carry on; in fact she founded the class. She was rather an austere character, while her sister was like the Mary of Christ's time, a much more lovable person. They both did an immense lot of good in a humble way. For years, their house was the Meeting place for the Church ladies where a great lot of sewing was done for Indian children. The younger sister, Mary, died in l907 and Blanche, 20 years later. For years after Blanche gave up teaching the infants in Sunday school, she gave each child graduating from the class to the main school, a Bible.
THE ABBOTT FAMILY
After the Separate School on Davy Street was discontinued, the house was occupied for years by a family named Abbott. While they were Roman Catholics, Mr. Abbott was for years gardener at the Rectory for Dr. McMurray. There were two girls and a boy in the family and they attended Public School while I was a pupil there. They have all been away from here for many years.
I think I have covered the Dock part of the Town fairly well in this and my preceding articles. It is the section with which I have been most familiar and my early impressions of the Dock and its people are of course, more full than those of the other sections.
In that part of the Eastern Ward beyond Picton St., I do not intend to say anything about the people or places on Picton Street as they have been dealt with in the Main Street articles.
FOUR BLOCKS BOUNDED BY PICTON, WELLINGTON, CASTLEREAGH AND KING STREETS
The four blocks bounded by Picton, Wellington, Castlereagh and King Streets were deeded to James Crooks in exchange for his land near the Lake where Fort Mississaugua now is situated. After the War of 1812, it was decided that Fort George did not afford adequate protection to the River mouth, as the Americans had been able to make a successful landing near the end of Queen Street. So it was decided to erect a small Fort at the mouth of the River. Of course, there had to be a clear space around the Fort, so Mr. Crooks was moved to the District we are now discussing.
THE
CARNOCHAN - RICHARDSON - CLARK PROPERTY
When I was a boy, there was only one house on Wellington St., that now occupied by the Robert Clark family. This was the home of the Carnochan family who owned most of the land nearby, including the four-acre lot next and the land lying around the two schools. The Carnochans had a lumber yard southwest of their house and there used to be piles of lumber on the street and the Common opposite the house. The house now owned by Billy Richardson was the workshop and when John Carnochan married Belle Flannigan, he converted it into a dwelling and lived in it until he build the house on the corner of King and Castlereagh Sts. After the death of her parents, Miss Janet Carnochan bought the priest's residence from St. Vincent Church and moved it to its site on Platoff St., and there she lived until she moved to a new house on Castlereagh St., built by her brother for her. It is now the home of her niece, Miss Gertrude Carnochan.
THE
CARNOCHAN - WEBSTER HOUSE
John also built the house on King St., now owned by the Ernest Websters, this being the last one he built and the last one he lived in.
CARNOCHAN - CURTIS - YOUNG - BRADLEY - APPLEFORD - PFAFFS
He also built the house on Platoff St., now owned by George Curtis and occupied by Doug Young. Several families have lived in this house, although it is comparatively new: the Joe Bradleys, the George Applefords, George Curtis himself and the Ray Pfaffs.
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THE WOOD -
CAMPBELL - HAINES PROPERTIES
Between the two original Carnochan houses on Wellington Street, there are now two others, the first built by the late Arthur Wood who was for some years Sexton and Cemetery Caretaker for St. Marks. Arthur was a smallish man who wore a neat beard. He was English and had been in the Military Tailoring Business in England before coming to Canada.
His wife was one of the most admirable characters I ever met. They had two sons, one of whom was killed in Allenby's campaign in Palestine. The other is a Missionary in the interior of China, with the China Inland Mission. After Arthur and his wife passed away, I sold the place to Charles Campbell of Buffalo, a former Niagara man. I was the executor of Arthur's will. The property now belongs to Murray Haines.
THE PORTER - MAY HOUSE
The other of these two houses was originally a Camp building, left after the First Great War, bought and moved to its present site and added to by Mr. Tom Porter, and is now owned and occupied by the Stanley May's.
THE WINTHROP - HISCOTT - AYLESWORTH - PERRY PROPERTY
The further four-acre lot used to be a peach orchard and was owned for a time by Farbrace Winthrop. It now has nine houses on it, six of which seem to spring up like mushrooms. The first of these to be built was the one now owned by Miss Catherine Hiscott. I have forgotten the name of the man who built this house, but it has been owned and occupied by a Mr. Aylesworth, for a time Principal of our Public school, then by Eldon Perry, a farmer. After his death it was purchased by Captain Tom Hiscott. Tom was for years, Captain of No. 6, the Virgil Company of the old l9th Lincoln. Tom was a son of the late Major James Hiscott, who was Senior Major of the l9th when I was serving in its ranks, many years ago.
THE STEWART - HAVILAND HOUSE
The brick house on the other corner, near the old school, was built by Captain Tom Stewart, an old sailor and retired farmer, who later sold out and moved to Port Dalhousie. Mr. H. J. Haviland, a retired Preacher and schoolteacher, bought the property. Since his death, the property has been divided up and sold; there are now nine dwellings on this block, most of them only recently erected.
COGGINS -
LONGHURST - SAMSON - HAINES - McCUSKER
The block around the Schools was largely open ground when I went to School, the only buildings being those fronting on Platoff Street and two on King St. Most of those added have been built by John Carnochan except the Cross house on King Street. The two cottages on Davy Street between the two schools were purchased by a man named Coggins, who moved away to St. Catharines and then by Halstead Longhurst. The other one, next to the Public School was bought by and occupied by John Samson, who later on sold it to the School Board for use as a Junior Room. Now it has been bought by John Haines. Next to the Coggins cottage, now owned and occupied by Arthur McCusker, stands the High School Gymnasium. Built in 1909 by the former pupils of the school, it stands as a Memorial to Miss Janet Carnochan who taught in the school for many years and whose work in historical research is so well known the country over. The High School itself was built in 1875 and has been added to twice and now the march of time and the Provincial solons have pronounced it obsolete and over its doors, it would be pertinent to write "Ichabod," for its glory has indeed departed. Next to the old school is the Historical Museum, towards whose building, Miss Carnochan laboured diligently. And next is her last dwelling place, now occupied by her niece, Miss Gertrude Carnochan, a daughter of John and a retired schoolteacher.
JAMES HARTLEY
Among the men who lived in this block I should like to mention a few who contributed to the service of the Community, among them James Hartley. Jim was a Carpenter and had the long service medal in the Militia. He was a veteran of the Fenian Raid and was for a long time Bugle Major of the old l9th Battalion. I served with him in Camp in 1893. He was caretaker of the Public School for a time before his death. I have often thought of a story that he told me about himself. He arrived in this country from England, a raw youth, and was placed with a farmer near Kingston. He arrived there at night and the next morning after breakfast, he was sent by the mistress out to a field to get potatoes for dinner. As he went through the gate into the potato patch, something moved in the field and he beat a hasty retreat without any spuds. The lady asked where the potatoes were and he said there was a beast in the field. His story didn't take and he was bidden to get those potatoes or else. So James went to the woodpile and secured a weapon in the shape of a good, husky stick. Armed with this, he crept cautiously on hands and knees to the beast that did not appear to be awake and when he was near enough, he hit it with a mighty whack and smashed it. It proved to be a pumpkin and Jim said he never was able to live down the killing of that pumpkin as long as he remained in the neighborhood. Mrs. Hartley was a dressmaker and a good one. She and her daughters, two of them were members of St. Mark's Choir, as was one son John. John now lives in B. C. and one daughter Lily, Mrs. H. Longhurst, lives in Queenston.
THE HARTLEY - GORDON - DAVEY PROPERTIES
[16 Platoff St.; 20 Platoff St.]
Their old home is now occupied by Mel Gordon. Another well known man, Albert Davey lived around the corner on King St. Albert was also a Fenian Raid Veteran and in his later years was Provincial Policeman on duty at the Steamboat Wharf. His eldest son, also named Albert is still with us and his youngest daughter, Mrs. Ray Hardison.
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FORT GEORGE MILITARY COMMON
So far, we have dealt altogether with persons and places in the Eastern Ward of the Town. This part was not included in the original plot of the Town, but was added soon after the War of 18l2-l8l4. Within the boundaries of this ward are Fort George and the Military Common. For many years, the Common was the scene of Military Camps, now a thing of the past as far as Niagara is concerned. The four blocks bounded by King, Picton, Wellington and Castlereagh Streets were deeded to James Crooks in exchange for his holdings near Fort Mississaugua. I am not sure of the exact date of the building of this Fort, as I know of a plan drawn by Captain Davidson of the Royal Engineers under the date of 1823, showing the lands to be deeded to Crooks.
Fort George Common has greatly changed in appearance in my time. I remember the old Military Hospital, a large frame building, which stood within a picket fence enclosure. It was burned while I was a kid at Public School. Near the Hospital were various fruit trees and many an apple we had off these trees.
THE OLD PORTAGE AND BARRACKS ROADS
Davidson's Plan does not show a road across the Common from Picton Street any further than that running from Butler's Barracks to the Old Ferry. In fact, there was no road through until the Railway cut was made when the old Portage Road had to be abandoned. The old road from Butler's Barracks had pretty well disappeared, the end of it winding down a stony hill having been covered up by earth when Fort George was "restored" by the Parks Commission. This same Parks Commission entirely obliterated any remaining trace of "The Halfmoon Battery" in their mania for improvement, which I feel tempted to characterize as approaching an act of vandalism.
THE FIRST GOLF COURSE
The old Common used to be frequented by the Town's herds of cattle, horses, and geese. Here, too, were many nests of birds, plover, snipe, killdeer. It was also decorated by many brier bushes. Here too, was the first Golf Course, the headquarters building being used as the Clubhouse. Here we used to play baseball and football, not the present day so-called football.
From the end of Wellington Street to the Road down behind Fort George, to the Old Ferry, was a two-plank sidewalk. The number of soldiers' feet that have tramped up the hill from the wharf and over the common is legion. Here too, corn was grown for the Garrison at Fort Niagara before there was a Town. Here too, came Indians in days of yore. Here was fighting in wartime. Mr. Robert Cox told me how his grandfather had told him of helping to man the last gun at the Americans coming along Queen Street after making a successful landing beyond the westerly end of Queen Street. Why, this part of our Old Town fairly reeks of historical interest.
