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A
HISTORY
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OF
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A HISTORY OF
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the memory of the early settlers of this community.
Their trust and confidence in
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication 3
Treagh or Traugh ...................................................................... 5
History of
The Churches Built in
Names and Dates of Pastors ............. 18
Our
Priests of
Ordinations in
Father
Priests Buried in
Visit of
Our Religious
Veterans of
Changing Decades and Veterans
The Families ........................................................................................ 78—123
Poets and Dramatics ............................................................................123—136
The Mills, Blacksmiths, Stores ............................................................142—147
Some Interesting Facts ........................................................................150—152
The Schools ............................................................................................152—162
TREAGH OR TRAUGH
The first Irish emigrants who settled in
In an effort to obtain the proper meaning of these words, and to
find the reason for their choice of the name, the Irish
"As regards the name "Treagh" or "Truagh" by which
So it is difficult to have a clear expression of the meaning of the
word, and why it was chosen as the name for
Since most of the early emigrants to
(Country Town:
The highest point lies in the extreme north-west, where the Slieve
Beag rang, straddling the
The River Blackwater flows through the country which is well cul¬
tivated. The town of , which has a
Carrickmacross, a small town situated to the south-east is noted for its lace.
Places of Scenic Interest — Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Rock- corry.
Places of Architectural or Historic Interest — Clones, Glasslough.
—5—
HISTORY OF
by Desi
In attempting to delve into the history of
The name
Township 29, in which
It is not too difficult to understand that when
—6—
The settlers, who emigrated to this area during the years
Those who came to Township Twenty-Nine were chiefly from the
estate of
It is not too difficult to envision the many and varied hardships
these early settlers must have suffered not only on board ship, but also
when they landed, and had to make their way to
Among those early pioneers who settled in Township Twenty-nine
was
So in
Father
In the meantime Father Duffy was named
His neice had a stone erected over his grave, bearing the follow¬ ing inscription;
Hie Jacet
Presbyter
Que pie in Domino abdormivit
Dei I Decembris MDCCCLX
a native of
"parish of Auvhnammullen"
Beati mortui qui in Dominio moriuntur
Erected to his memory by his niece
From the date of Father Duffy's death until the appointment of
In the winter of
In the fall of
The construction of the new church was made the responsibility
of Father
—8—
also built the parish house which had been destroyed by fire during his
pastorate. Both these events and the many sacrifices of missionary life
sapped his strength and Father
Father
It was in the fall of
Father
For the remainder of that year, and until the fall of
When the changes among the clergy were announced at the
When Father Keefe left the parish in the fall of
For many years the
was obtained from Bishop Boyle to construct a church at the intersection
of the Green and Appin Roads. To the credit of the people and the leader¬
ship of Father Keefe, the beautiful church was opened on
In
In this same year Father
Upon his appointment to
He was succeeded by the present
In
—10—
THE CHURCHES BUILT IN
The First Church constructed in
In
As time went on the settlers cleared some of the land and started
to grow vegetables, potatoes and other crops. As they progressed mater¬
ially, they realized that very little spiritual progress would be made until
they had a church that would serve their needs. This church would hasten
the day a missionary would take up residence in their midst. Their
spiritual needs up until this time were attended to by Father
So in
—11—
In
Memorandum of agreement made and entered into this 4th. day of
Witness present: his
mark
his
mark
Memorandum of agreement made and entered into this 8th. day of
—12—
under the gallery to be finished in like manner, and a bede to show in
the under side, next to the plaster. To put 3 pillars under the girt, 8
inches square, and to be subject to other improvements of the trustees.
To put 4 tiers of good sufficient strong seats across the gallery well braced,
and 4 cleats placed or nailed in a horizontal direction 9 inches wide, and
to run parallel with the seats, and also a base board put around the gal¬
lery on the top 9 inches deep and all to be finished in a workmanlike
manner, and in such time not to prevent the plasterer from performing
his contract in whatever time he chooses, and the aforesaid work to be
subject to the inspection of the Trustees, or any other man they choose
to get, and in consideration of the said work being performed according
to the agreement, the above mentioned
Witness present his
mark
This church was used by the people of
The second church was erected in
—13—
The first church, built in
The church was completed and opened in the Fall of
This church was destroyed by fire
The third church was built in
The people of
—14—
The fire was first noticed by the janitor, who was sleeping in the Parochial House. He was awakened by the persistent barking of his dog who sensed something was wrong. The neighbors quickly gathered, when the alarm was sounded but little could be done as the Church was ablaze. The cause of the fire was a defective flue. It had been built about 20 years before and was a splendid structure 100' x 40' and could seat 600 people. It was finished inside in natural wood. A new altar had been built about a year before and the church was valued at 15 to 20,000 dollars and was only about one-third covered by insurance. It was fortunate that the wind was blowing the fire away from the other buildings or all would have been destroyed.
It was truly a sad
If the people were discouraged at the prospect of rebuilding, they
also were of different opinions as to the material of which to build the
church. Some were in favor of building it of brick, while others, and they
were in the majority, wanted it of wood. On
A decision was taken to build in brick. It was a failure from the beginning. The building was never completed inside because of the ap¬ parent poor construction. The materials used were not of the best quality — the bricks cracked, the mortar crumbled and snow and rain soon played their part in making a bad job worse.
It was difficult to establish where the true fault lay. The
—15—
on a legal technicality, that no proof had been established that the
The matter did not rest with this decision. His Lordship Bishop
This decision further discouraged the people who had to pay for
something that was a manifest failure. But the exterior of the church
was completed, and was dedicated to the service of
On
But the church building continued to give both pastors and people trouble — the bricks were of poor quality, the mortar was crumbling, the church leaked in the rainy season, and snow drifted in during the winter. Each succeeding pastor was faced with the question, "What to do?" The question was never clearly resolved and so each year saw the people more discouraged, some moved away while others lost their interest.
When Father
The problem had not improved by the time Father
In
In
—16—
:' ■■.■:■' " ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ • ■;-
After the arrival of Father
On
In the same year on
So after years of disappointment, financial difficulties and physical
discomforts, the people of the
—17—
PASTORS WHO SERVED IN THE
1—Father
2—Father
3—leather
Rt.
Father
4—Father
5—Father
6—Father
7—Father von
8—Bishop
9—Father
10—Father
11—Father
12—Father
13—Father
14—Father
15—Father
16—Father
17—Father
18—Father
19—Father
20—Father
21—Father
22—Father
23—Father
24—Father
25—Father
—18—
OUR
The history of the dates back to
About
The Immigrants who came to our shore in
The succeeding pastors; Fathers von
From
Since the had always been incorporated into
—19—
In
When Father Keefe returned in
The first meeting in
On
On
—20-
On
A cement mixer was borrowed from
The summer of
On
On
In order to finish the interior of the Chapel in time for Midnight
Mass,
On
On
Father Keefe celebrated Mass each
—21—
The first marriage to take place in the new Chapel was on
The first baptism to take place in the Chapel was on
On
During the summer of
The work begun in
The statue of our
The Stations were donated by the following friends:
In Memory of Donated by
1—
2—
3—
4—
5—
6—Mi-, and
7—Mi-, and
8—
9—
10—
11—
12—
13—
14—
—22—
On
the following donations were pledged for
—23—
Bishop's Residence
Dear Father Keefe:
I have your application from the people of the
requesting the Bishop's permission to erect a suitable Chapel in that Dis¬
trict for the benefit of the residents who are about seven miles from
the parish church, and who are unable the greater part of the year to
assist at
In view of the fact that the people of the district promise to supply nearly all the material necessary, a large part of the labor free, and have shown their serious intention by subscribing one thousand dollars to assist in the financing of the project, I hereby give the people of the district my permission to go ahead.
I understand that the people are determined not to incur a debt
in the process of construction, but will pay as they go. This is very de¬
sirable, for the group is too small to burden themselves with debt. It is,
of course, understood that the residents of the community who are mem¬
bers of
With all good wishes and kind regards, I remain,
Yours sincerely in
Bishop of
—24—
THE PRIESTS
One of the greatest blessings that can come to any home or to any
parish is to have a son called by
A vocation is a sacred calling — a quiet gift from
Writers on the Priesthood have referred to a priest as a lawyer
who pleads the almost hopeless cause of
Such have been the priests of
But the Church is desperately in need of priests; of young men
with the flaming zeal of the altar light; priests with the white purity of
the altar-cloth; priests with the silvery eloquence of the steeple-bell that
calls men so earnestly to
—25—
Rt.
—26—
went to , Dublin, to complete his theology, and was ordained
there on
—27—
Rt.
Father
—28—
tended
—29—
Most
—30—
He studied theology at the
In
Forced by ill health to withdraw from the administration of the
Diocese, the Most
His
When
The Archdiocese of Winnipeg, then and now, was approximately
half urban and half rural, and of the rural areas of the Diocese a large
part was truly missionary territory (as it is to-day) particularly so among
the Indians on reserves and the Metis living near small towns. It is to
—31—
He was instrumental on the formation of the
He was most devoted to children, the poor and the disadvantaged, and was most beloved by them. Although he has been dead almost twenty years, he is still remembered with great love and affection by the priests and the people of this Archdiocese, and his name is often on their lips.
Shortly after the beginning of
(This account has been furnished by Rt.
IN
Liegeman of
The glorious fight is won. Rest from your toil.
Ignatian zeal burned in your heart—gave wings
To tireless feet and led you by the hand.
From fair 's wave washed shores, by lakes
Beyond the Rockies' peaks of deathless snows
Your voice was heard—a potent voice that brought
A message straight from
Countless the souls who eagerly looked up
To feed on hope, and inspiration draw
From lips fast consecrated to the truth.
Crusader of
Home to the Island shores you loved so well,
To native hills your youthful eyes have viewed,
Home to the
Home to your own who crowd around you still;
Home, home to stay your weary feet have turned.
From
Was but a single step. Your noon of life,
Eclipsed, alas, sped swiftly to its eve.
A thousand lips in reverence breathe your name,
Above your grave a thousand mourners weep.
Angels of
—32—
ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD
Notwithstanding the fact that about twenty young men of the
parish were called by
On
This was truly a memorable day in the history of the parish for
not only was the ordination unique in that it was conferred by the Apos¬
tolic Delegate, but also associated with him in the sanctuary was His
Lordship
The secretary of the
His Excellency was assisted by
On
His Lordship was assisted in the ceremony by
Father
In the history of any
When he died
When the new church was constructed in
On
"CEREMONIES AT
"
About 10 o'clock,
After the reading of the Gospel an eloquent sermon was preached,
by a former
have for forty years enjoyed the peace and quiet in the old cemetery,
and
The Pontifical Mass concluded, the absolutions were pronounced
over the remains by Bishop
Father Duffy was born in the County
At the conclusion of the final obsequies at the grave, the unveiling
of the monument took place, the ceremony being performed by Bishop
The Sacrament of Confirmation was administered at 3 o'clock by the Bishop to about 60 children, after which the cemetery was visited by the Bishop and clergy."
This remarkable story of Father Duffy's body showing no signs of decomposition or decay has been handed down from one generation to the other. Sons and daughters tell of the event as they received it from their parents.
There are a number of persons alive who were present when the
casket was opened by
—35—
Since the people of
Some of our senior citizens, who were attending school when Fath¬
er's body was lying in the old cemetery, would go to his grave, offer
a prayer, make a request, and apply a pebble or clay from the grave to
the sore spot, and it would be well again. Even
We must caution that these are only personal, and private beliefs and devotions, and in no way have any official approval.
Father
The school was not far from the Rectory, and Father delighted in speaking with the children, and then taking them in to show off something that he had made. It was all new to them — so Father was an inventor.
No doubt most people have heard of the , just outside
Moncton,
—36—
Then there was the "impossible" Connoly's hill. It was a bane to
every horse that had to haul a load over its steep incline. Many a sleigh
or wagon was overturned while trying to navigate it; many a trace bro¬
ken ; many an angry word spoken to horse and government. There were
lots of ideas of how it should be improved, but no one took any action
until Father
Father
For the most part if people wanted ice for the summer months,
they would have to cut and haul it from French's pond,
Within a short time after he came to the
He was also looked upon as a "medicine Man" or what we call
He also owned the first radio in the community. It was a crystal,
head phones' set which worked well and could tune in
We often hear of embarrassing moments. Well Father
—37—
hold in the hall drew a large crowd, the hall was packed. The radio had
worked well all day, but to the embarrassment of Father
There are other things that people say he "invented", but it is
hard to find proof for these stories, so we had better leave well enough
alone, and simply say Father
PRIESTS BURIED IN
Father
It is a strange fact of history that of the twenty some priests who
served as Pastors of the parish only one, Father Duffy, who had spent
the most of his priestly life in
Father
Father
Father
On the same day his remains were laid to rest in
On
—38—
O'
The remains of Father
The funeral Mass was sung by his brother
VISIT OF THE
In the history of any parish there are always certain events that
seem to make a more lasting effect than others. It may be the building
of a new church, or an honour coming to some member, or the pastoral
visit of the Bishop. On
On that day two young men,
This was the first and only time that the special representative
of the
The
—39—
Calgary. In the party also was His Lordship
The reception he received was a wonderful show of love and affec¬
tion for one who was the representative of the
The
In the evening they arrived in
It was long after dark when the people wended their way home,
looking forward to the special event that was to take place
In another part of this book there is an account of this singular
event as the two young Levites prostrated themselves before
When the young Levites had received the
When the ceremony was concluded, and the new priests had blessed
the members of their family, the
—40—
warmth of his reception, and assured them that he would convey this
expression of love and loyalty to the
In the afternoon the party took leave of
To briefly account the remaining days of His Excellency's pastoral
visitation to the Island, it can be noted that after the proper liturgical
reception in the
On
He spent three days visiting these Islands meeting with a similar
reception and prayerful good will from priests and laity alike. He then
returned by the same ship to
As he prepared to bid a fond farewell to the Island, and take leave
of his hosts to continue his visitation in other Provinces, he expressed his
deep feeling of thanks to everyone for his welcome. It was truly an
extraordinary demonstration of respect and reverence that he would for¬
ward to the
OUR RELIGIOUS
by
The parish of
This step requires courage and generosity. Because of these brief
words of the vows, a pair of young hands puts her whole life into the
wounded hands of
—41—
are stiff and old, yes, cold and still in marble death. Like a sparkling
toast offered to
So the nuns who left
I suppose we could refer to these Nuns as "career women of
The lives of most of us are like a shot-gun, and the result is
sprayed all over the target. But the life of a Nun is a rifle and one clear
bullet, and her aim is the will of
But the Nun gives Him the whole cloth, convent, classroom, hos¬ pital, chapel, body, soul, all and she does this with a devotion, a dedica¬ tion, a bright joy that makes her life glow like a stained glass window.
And such are the Nuns from
Sisters of the Precious Blood
In Religious life she is known as
Date of Birth —
Parents' names —
Date of Profession —
—42—
Date of Final Profession —
St.
She is known in Religious Life as
Date of Birth —
Parents' names —
Date of Profession —
Date of Final Profession —
Number of years professed — 28
She has taught in
Congregation of Notre Dame
Date of Birth —
Parents' Names —
Date of Profession —
Final Profession —
Number of years professed — 42
Date of death —
Place of burial —
Congregation of Notre Dame
Name in Religion —
Date of Birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
—43—
Final Profession —
Congregation of Notre Dame
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number years professed — 53
Date of death —
Place of burial —
Name in Religion —
Date of Birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 8
Date of death —
Place of burial —
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
—44—
Number of years professed — 37
Date of death —
Place of burial — Cemetery,
The first perpetual vows in the
Name in religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 33
Date of death —
Place of burial — Cemetery,
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 43
Date of death —
Place of burial — Cemetery,
—45—
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed ■— 31
Date of death —
Place of burial — Cemetery,
With the exception of one year at the Academy of the
Name in Religion ■—
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 45
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 36
-46—
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 36
For 15 years
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 36
of Laundry
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 30
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Daet of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
—47—
Final profession —
dinator of
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 47
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 45
-^8—
Sisters of
Name in Religion ■—
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 54
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 55
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
—49—
Final profession —
At the
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —■
Number of years professed — 45
Date of death —
Place of burial —
She was a teacher for 45 years. She spent the first ten years
teaching grades 3-10. For the
Sisters of the Good
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 59
Date of death —
Place of burial —
—50—
Sisters of the Good
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 61
After her profession
Convent of the Good
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 36
Date of death —
Place of burial —
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 66
Date of death —
Place of burial — Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Kenmore,
—51—
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —•
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 42
Date of death —
Place of burial — .
Sisters of
Name in Religion -—
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 52
Date of death —
Place of burial — .
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Names of parents —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 53
Date of death -—
Place of burial — .
—52—
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 50
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 21
—53—
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 15
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 48
Date of death —
Place ob burial — Cemetery of
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 37
Date of death —
Place of burial —
-54-
The training and experience, over the years, fitted
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 54
Date of death —
Place of burial — Community Cemetery Holyoke,
Congregation of the
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Number of years professed — 42
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Pinal profession —
—55—
Number of years professed — 53
Mt.
In
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
During the 56 years of Religious life, with the exception of one
year of teaching at
Of these last three
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
—56—
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Final profession —
Sisters of
Name in Religion —
Date of birth —
Parents' names —
Date of profession —
Date of death —
VETERANS OF WORLD WAR
By
Patriotism is a virtue which inspires a person, motivated by his
love for his country, to make any sacrifice, even the supreme sacrifice,
in defense of his country. This was the spirit that caused so many young
men of
It wasn't easy to leave home and loved ones, not knowing how great
a sacrifice might be demanded before victory would be achieved, and the
nefarious enemy defeated. But with tears in their eyes, and a prayer
on their lips, and the good wishes and "safe return" of the whole com¬
munity, the following enlisted in the First
It is to be regretted that through the passage of time many inter¬ esting facts in the life of each volunteer have been lost or forgotten, and apologies are offered for lapses of memory and scarcity of facts.
—57—
He was the third son of
In searching through the old "Daily Examiner", there was found
on the front page, dated
"Had a pretty narrow escape the other night near the German trenches. A shell fell about 8 feet ahead of me; the man in front of me was thrown to the side of the road; the three ahead of him were killed instantly, and five or six others were wounded. It was coming near day¬ light about the time and the bullets were whizzing all around us by the thousands, but once 1 heard the machine guns clicking, I thought to myself this is my finish. It is great fun all right to see everybody trying to duck and causes many a laugh.
The Canadians have made a great name for themselves here accord¬
ing to all reports. Give my love to father, and all the rest of the family.
Well mother, I will have to close now by wishing you good-bye, and sending my love to all. I remain, as ever,
Your loving son
The son of
The son of
—58—
Urias
The son of
The son of
The son of
The son of
The son of
The son of
—59—
The son of
Was also a son of
Another brother who also joined the navy at the same time as his
brothers. He was an oiler on ship, and he, too, made dangerous voyages
in enemy waters, and also in convoying ships from
The son of
The son of
The son of
The son of
—60—
FLANDERS FIELDS
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
—61-
THE CHANGING DECADES
By
The period following
The "Frolic" which was a favorite way of getting special jobs done on the farm in the earlier days seemed now to be fading into the past. Large families with both boys and girls were well trained in performing all tasks on the farm and around the home. Not much money was paid out in wages; at harvest and threshing time there was usually neigh¬ bourly exchange of labour.
The war had brought better prices to the farmers for their prod¬
ucts. Prices remained good during the
In the fall, after harvesting and threshing was finished, some of
the oats were taken to the mill to be made into oatmeal. Wheat was also
taken to be ground into flour, bran, and shorts. Buckwheat was grown
by most people, and it too was made into flour, which was used in making
pancakes and bran, highly valued for hog feed. The mills servicing this
area were Dixon's, Dunsford's, and Holmes' in
The acreage of potatoes grown in the teens and early 20's was small.
The potatoes sold were usually hauled to
Seed Potato Certification in
—62—
on which the barrels were loaded, and hauled to
In
This continued for a couple of years while
The silver foxes which were first ranched and bred by enterprising
men in brought a boom to
Some others invested money in the industry with large ranchers.
The fox had made
The women in these years can never be given enough credit for
the manner in which they managed their homes. They helped with the
work in the fields, spun the wool into yarn, knitted the yarn into socks
and mitts, made at least some of the clothing for their families. As well,
they had to bake the bread and prepare all food that was eaten in the
home. It was not possible to buy food ready to serve at it is
—63—
Almost all cases of sickness were looked after in the home. People
were hospitalized only for operations and cases which just could not be
treated elsewhere.
The automobile appears in the teens. The first new car in
The motorists then had their problems too; the roads were narrow,
and the horses, which were still used by most people, were very scared of
these new machines on the highway. There were no service stations then:
the nearest garage was at
Social life in the twenties remained much the same as the two pre¬ vious decades. The neighbourly visits (ceilidgh) were still high on the list of social events in rural life. There was a great interest in these "get togethers". The evening would be spent in friendly conversation, at which the older generation in this area were very good, or perhaps a game of cards or some music depending upon the talents of those present. Conversation was an art that has perhaps been lost since the days of radio and television. Some of these people were really gifted and the wit and wisdom that flowed with their easy speech was something to be enjoyed. Many believed in mysterious happenings, and ghostly appear¬ ances. Each community seemed to have someone who liked to relate his experiences with the spirits, and on many occasions a thriller or two would be told that would make the trip home in the dark, to say the least, rather eerie.
The parish hall that stood across the road from the church for
many years (moved and demolished several years ago) served as meeting
place and recreation centre. Many good plays and concerts were staged
here. Dances, socials and other events were held regularly. A few of
the familiar faces furnishing entertainment were
The changes and improvements that took place during the twen¬ ties were slowed down by the terrible depression of the thirties which was experienced all over the world. Although the crash of the stock mar-
—64—
ket took place in
Those people who did not have a little money saved and who had a
large family to keep had a hard struggle during the depression years.
They depended on the merchants who operated a large business to give
them credit until the fall, when they sold what they had and honestly
attempted to pay their accounts in full. The general store operated by
The following items will give some indication of what farmers were
receiving for their products: (Quotation from The
Roops Meat Market Specials
boneless ham, sliced, lb round steak lb.
rolled roast beef lb.
Queen
sirloin steak t-bone corned beef chicken
(
The
In the late thirties, times began to improve slowly, and if money and the necessities of life were in short supply for a time, then the spirit of neighbourly association and dependence that was a necessary part of community life in those years, is a treasure that seems to be lacking in times when people are more financially independent.
The tractor made its appearance on the farm scene in the forties
and was destined within the
—65—
The homes were heated by wood fires, and lighted by kerosene
lamps; this too was to change. Rural electrification, a program promoted
by government in the
In the meantime, the world returned to conflict once again. In
On the home front emergency measures were brought in; food prices were frozen. This did not give the farmers much of a chance to recover from the poor years through which they had just passed. Later, food was rationed; a coupon system was used whereby families were supplied with coupons according to the number of people per household. Items like tea, sugar, molasses, and many others could be bought each month only in accordance with coupons issued.
To give some idea of the restrictions that were placed on people
by emergency measures, the following is a quotation from the
All men eligible for military duty and not employed in a war
supporting industry are ordered to report to the Employment
and Selective Services in
In answer to the call of their country, our boys went forth once
again to serve in the army, navy and air force in all theatres of war.
While most escaped none the worse for their experience, some paid the
supreme sacrifice, and others were wounded seriously. The names of those
from the
—66—
VETERANS OF WORLD
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Enlisted:
Service:
Parents:
and with 1st. Medium Reg't.,
Discharge:
Parents:
Service:
Detailed information not available
Ted lives in Moncton
Parents:
Service:
—67—
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Enlisted:
Service:
Rank:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service: ,. , R.C.E.
Rank: Cpl.
Parents:
Service:
—68—
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Parents:
Service:
Rank: Gnr.
Auspice now resides in
Parents:
Service:
Jimmie lives in
Parents:
Service: , , Wes Reg't.
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
-69—
Parents:
Service: Battle of the
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Father Keefe was then
priest at
Parents:
Service: Battle of the and the of Normandy
Discharged:
Parents:
Discharged:
—70—
Parents:
Service:
Rank: Sapper
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Re-enlisted:
Service:
Rank:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Parents:
Service:
—71—
McMAHOX,
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
moved to
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Service Police
Parents:
Northwest, with
Discharged:
—72—
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
Rank; Gnr.
Parents:
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
SAMSON,
Parents:
Parents:
Service:
—73—
Parents:
Service:
Discharged:
Parents:
Service:
with the
Wounded during the Italian Campaign, mentioned in Dispatches
there, received a Certificate of Merit signed by
Parents:
Service: Hospital Ship
Rank:
Discharged:
Parents:
SMITH,
Parents:
Service:
Rank:
Discharged:
Parents:
Parents:
Service:
age 22.
—74—
Parents:
Service:
Wounded: (seriously) at Antwerp, Belgium,
Parents:
Service: Defence of
and with 1st. Medium Reg't, RCA
Parents:
Service:
Parents:
The following were born in
Parents:
Parents:
Parents:
Parents:
Parents:
Parents:
—75—
Parents:
Parents:
Service with the
in Egypt with a peace keeping force.
Parents:
Served with
years in
Parents:
—76—
THE FAMILIES
As was related in another section of this book, twelve families
were the earliest
Some families decided not to appear in the book, some went into much detail, while others, the majority, provided facts, names, dates, marriages and names of children. Most families felt that this would be sufficient information to identify their family, and provide information Tor those who sought to recall friends and former neighbors.
THE
Another son
—77—
He also had two daughters who answered the call to the Religious
life,
Before we speak of
As we mentioned above
—78—
Another of
—79—
It seems very difficult to obtain any information on the family
with the exception of
THE
As in many families there is some controversy over origin and
dates of arrival of the ancestors of the
The family had its birth on the Island when
—80—
now owned by
The second generation of
The third generation of the
The
—81—
The
To show the other branches of the family tree in the 5th gener¬
ation will reveal many descendents who think of
The family of
The family of
The family of
The family of
The family of
Occupational notes and special talents:
1st Generation
2nd Generation
3rd Generation
—82—
4th Generation
Over one hundred and ten years ago
At
—83—
As was mentioned above,
Urias married
As was mentioned above
He later married
—84—
farmer, and they live in
Jackie,
The eldest son,
The other two boys,
At home with their parents are
—85—
THE
The other three boys:
Grandfather
When his son
When the father,
The eldest girl,
—86—
Rosemary, after graduating from the
Two years ago
The earliest records available show that the grandfather and grand¬
mother of the family were
The eldest was
—87—
When
Xoreen married
They had seven children, five girls and two boys.
—88—
The third girl of
Brendon
THE
They occupied land leased from
—89—
In
We can easily call the
—90—
In the early years brick was made on this farm to supply the
needs of the local people for fire places, flues, etc. There was also a race
track on the farm where many horses were trained. The
Jackie married
Kenny married
Donna
—91—
They had two sons, the eldest died on his way over, and
—92—
—93—
of
The eldest of the children.
—94—
chusetts, where she lived with some of her family. She died there in
The eldest of
—95—
are three girls and three boys.
As we once again return to a consideration of the family of Wil¬
liam and
As we stated above
Colette the eldest, was born in
—96—
"as told by
My great grandfather,
On arrival in
—97—
My grandfather
Three of my grandfather's children did not marry.
My father
—98—
Both
I am the youngest of the family, having been born
I live here on the old homestead where my great grandfather
Father
Father
—99—
As we record the remainder of the history of this truly remarkable family, blessed as it was with vocations to the Priesthood and the Re¬ ligious life, it will suffice to be factual in relating dates and events.
—100—
married
Adriena whose date of birth is not available.
—101—
The sale and conveyance was made to him on
—102—
It is interesting to note that a receipt for the sum of one dollar was received as part payment on one installment.
They had a family of five daughters and two sons, namely,
Their first child
—103—
the Pictou shipyard,
lie was always interested in community activities and served on
the
In
Kaye was born
—104—
town Hospital until the time of her marriage to
Marlene, born
Diane, born
Great grandfather
Shortly after his arrival he married
—105—
They settled in
Later on they moved to the where their family mar¬
ried and settled in this area. Both
—106—
francis Mcdonald family
One of the early settlers of
The other three girls,
—107—
I,
in
was
—108—
Also
—109—
They have five children:
—110—
which time
He married Maiy Malone, daughter of
He had a family of three boys and three girls. In a search of the
earliest parish records it has been possible to determine the births of all
five but
As was noted above
—Ill—
THE
In
—112—
After his death the farm was taken over by his son
The next boy born of their marriage was named
The
—113—
Desmond, who teaches in
There were nine children born of the marriage, four girls,
The four daughters entered the
In
—114—
Grandfather
We are particularly interested in the family of
The boys are:
The girls are:
Some of the boys married and they and their families are living
in other parts of
As for the girls in the family,
The girls are all married with the exception of
—115—
Another of
The remaining members of the family,
—116—
In
Marlene was married to
Her sister
The only son,
—117—
The eldest boy,
Their only daughter
—118—
Malone and
His son
He married
Cheryl graduates
He and his family now reside on the on the property
formerly owned by
Their family consists of:
—119—
He returned to
They had a family of four, two boys
—120—
Desmond and his wife Carolyn, and their daughter
—121—
Laurana (
Desmond married
THE
Other members of the family were
His son,
—122—
In
to
The youngest of
POETS
—123—
lives to the love and service of
But she is also proud of two young talented men who used poetry to express their feelings, and immortalize events and happenings of their day, so that we too could share, even now, the events they describe.
The expressions of love and affection that are written and sung
to
"My Island"
Yes laud the land of Uncle
Its cities, plaines and streams.
And praise in song your boundless West,
With all its golden dreams.
Still, there's a land more richly blessed
and dearer far to me
Tis ever fair
That woos the smiling sea.
Chorus
Then here's a toast to my land,
To dear Prince ,
Of all the lands mine eyes have seen
The sweetest spot to me.
Oh, 'tis a choice and rare land!
A fruitful, rich and fair land!
My little ,
That woos the smiling sea.
Luxuriant springs, the golden grain,
From off the generous soil;
The waters teem with rich rewards,
To bless the fishers toil.
While lovers of the rod and gun
This tribute pay to thee;
The sportsman's paradise thou art,
of the sea.
The luring waters tempt me in, Their freshness gives a glow That e'en the fabled Lydian stream Was powerless to bestow. And sweetly perfumed is thy breath By gentlest breezes blown,
—124—
Such zephyrs the immortal gods In Grecian climes have known.
Here peace and plenty dwell serene,
And Right and
In every dale there may be seen
The priceless little school.
The church on every hilltop stands
Outlined against the sky
And leading souls on high.
The many sons and daughters fair,
Shed lustre on thy name,
And strangers to thy sounding shores
Thy peerless worth proclaim.
Who would not love a land so blessed?
No happier 'neath the sky
In which to labor and to rest,
No holier place to die.
Oh, many an exile from thine arms,
Weeps on in silent grief,
For in his heart, thy verdant charms,
Can know no yellow leaf;
Out o'er the tide his spirit flies
To seek his home and rest,
Oh
Oh fold her to Thy Breast."
It's a shame that under the influence of
One such play "The
And the players like visions take flight.
We heartly thank you good generous friends
For your kind approbation to-night.
To please and amuse you has been our intent
With speech, song an' music's sweet charm.
And we hope you're all pleased with the hours you spent
With players of "Hickory Farm".
—125—
Chorus
Then friends never roam from the farm and the home Where you're safe from all danger and harm. Your work will be blest and you'll find peace and rest And a dollar or two on the farm.
Sure the Alderman wishes himself back in
And
But the devil a toe will he go to
To be dreaming of old
For where e're we may roam from our dear native home
Like poor exiles we'd pine for the loss
Of the meadows an' rills an' the lovely big hills
And the colleens of dear
Chorus
Where e're we might roam from our dear Island home
Sure no damsels we'd find that could charm
Or whose bright eyes would beam, as they sipped their ice cream
Like the loved ones way down on the farm.
And the Campbells have come so we sing a good tune
Sure there's nothing to cause us alarm,
For we know that our kind good soggert aroon
Father
If you feel cupid's darts and have lost your heart.
Ask your colleen to be your dear wife.
To the good Father go, he'll bless you I know
And make you both happy for life.
Then no more you'll roam far round the dear home, There will linger as a charm,
And to add to your joys you'll have fine girls and boys, And be happy for life on the farm.
So we'll stick to the farm and eat pumpkin pie
And raise carrots like
And take out the chiler to fight the horned fly
And the tatey bugs murder and kill
Nor we'll heed not the winds of the storm
Nor enjoy the King as we merrily sing
With a night cap to keep our toes warm.
Chorus
Sure a wee drop of booze wi'd the ould wife at home Won't onset you or do you no harm. And when w've no grog, we will drink good eggnog And be happy as lords on the farm.
—126—
Now our thanks we extend to each kind helping friend
Father
Friend
If atrip you ever take for sweet pleasures sake,
To old Hickory Farm you must come
And we promise you all a big butter cake,
Wi'd the gilt edge spread o'er wi'd the thumb.
Chorus
Then free you may roam round the farm and the home, And the song of the birdies will charm At night you may spoon by the light of the moon And play Romeo down on the farm.
Darkwod will be there to make love to the fair,
And right at their back honest fortune and
With keen
And the big Alderman,
While our little friends
All the tramps and the mosquitoes away.
Chorus
Then after we dine instead of the old wine
Sure we'de make something sweeter to charm
A wee tip like this which will ne'er go amiss
With the boys of
Kind patrons and friends ere the curtain descends,
We do pray you accept our poor thanks,
Till we all meet again may no toothache or pain
Play upon you their unwelcome pranks.
And your turkeys escape the black crow
And no bunion or corn your poor trampers adorne
Or play ping pong round your great toe.
Chorus
Then friends never roam from the farm and the home,
Where you're safe from all danger and harm
And when ever you die may
The
—127—
FAREWELL TO
Good people all, both great and small,
It almost makes us cry,
To think that in an hour or so
Then we must say good-bye.
We like the place so well, you know,
And some we dare not name
That when you make another pie
The boys will come again.
Chorus
So when you have a wedding,
A christening or a dance
And give the boys a chance.
We'll bring wee
And no wonder if we would,
And of course you'll see
We'll like to se A. J.
And his kind lady too,
And meet
And jolly little "
We hope to see
Her sister
And the girls from
Chorus
We hope to see
And your friend
The Villet boys and
We know ther's some from
Who will come back again
To meet the boys at
And join in the refrain.
Chorus
I wish we had a golden charm
Or were some great boss,
And we'd buy a farm in
And move from
We'd leave our cash with
And strive you all to please,
And we'd send
For butter and for cheese.
—128—
Chorus
We like your situation, And respect you one and all. We must congratulate you Upon your handsome hall. We hope you'll all come back again When we give another play And bring your fair young ladies And gallant boys so gay.
Chorus
Now a rousing cheer for the chairman, dear,
Your own aristocrat
For a kinder man ne'er clasped your hand
Then your own good genial "
We think he has the "golden charm"
On him not one does frown
And we know he'll do his best for us
When he goes to
Chorus
And now kind friends our ditty ends,
And it almost makes us cry
To think that in an hour or so
That we must say "good-bye".
Be still my heart for though we part
We'll all come back again
And if you don't believe us
It seems that a poet likes to put into poetry some of the memories
of home that he holds sacred and dear, and
The
Ah! sweetest retreat that the earth can hold, My thought of thee shall never darken,
Thy glowing hearth where tales were told, Looms up before me as of old.
A song of praise I would enfold,
So friends of mine please harken,
Ah! where is the heart that will ne'er forget;
The humble cot and parents kind, Who would not grieve with lashes wet,
At rise of sun or at its set, When thoughts of home his mind do fret,
As he leaves it far behind.
—129—
What joyous thought do fill the mind, Of him who homeward is returning,
As o'er the sea from a foreign clime, He swiftly sails across the brine,
His face assumes a look devine,
Tis love for dear old homestead,
Where he first saw the light of day,
Where his childish lips their first prayer said,
Where with brothers and sisters he often played,
Where oft in the fields as a child he strayed, Where the heart was young and gay.
Ah! home, what makes the name so sweet,
Whoever we may chance to greet, Would not return with flying feet,
To the cot that gave him birth.
'Tis Mother! Oh how sweet the name,
We cherish as we roam, For she our childish love did gain,
For us her love will never wain, 'Tis for her sake we come again,
Back to the dear old home.
To
Keep this little four-leafed clover,
As a token of esteem, Of your home across the ocean,
And the fields where you have been.
In the fields you love so dearly,
Where you walked beneath the moon,
There I found it as I rambled,
On a lovely morning in
Every morning in the springtime,
As I saw the clover field, I did hope that in the summer,
A little four-leaf it would yield.
For it was my one ambition,
No matter how long I would wait,
And send it to sister
So upon a lovely morning,
All forgetful of the clover, I did find it unexpected,
And my little task was over.
—130—
It was part of
Written on the death of
Ah! this is death, for here we find,
A casket in the room, And drawing night, alas, we see
A young girl in her bloom.
With gentle hands they smoothed her hair,
While sisters' hearts did ache, Ah! death, how bitter was the sting,
The tender cord to break.
'Twas but a few short months ago,
Her merry laughter rang, But now she lies so still in death,
And parting brings a pang.
Ah! see how peacefully she sleeps,
Forever stilled, her tongue, Her parents, brothers, sisters weep,
But yet, "His
Now her body's laid to rest,
By loving friends and true, The task is o'er, the mound is heaped, Adieu, dear one, adieu.
Written in memory of
Sleep peacefully: Now thy life is o'er,
Thy face no more we'll see, With wounded hearts and heads bowed low,
Thy friends do mourn for thee.
Thou visited our little Isle,
A few short months ago, And friends did make, who'll ne'er forget,
The one who's now laid low.
Oh! Loving parents bowed with brief,
That's hard indeed to bear,
But
Thy sorrow He will share.
Kind husband now your tears do flow,
Your loving wife is dead,
But
Where tears no more are shed.
—131—
But all must bear with patience true,
The will of Him above, Who calls away our dearest friends,
The ones whom most we love.
Be thou resigned, 0 weeping ones,
Her soul is now at rest. ___».*.*.*a
Written on the death of .
Calmly he sleeps in the cold dark grave,
Stilled is the heart so noble and kind, Gone from this world of pain and strife
Mourned by friends he left behind.
Gone from this world to the realms of light,
Gone to be numbered among the blest. .
Wearing the faithful servant's crown,
Gone to the home where the just find rest. \JS*°t' Ao<^
But the hearts of those he has left behind, ^ ^ * ;^
Are wounded with bitter grief and pain, d^, „,,r ^?XV«
For the wife and children he loved so well, ^V- ^s0j+-
Shall never welcome him home again. v C^
->~
In that home full of joy and gladness,
There is mourning and grief instead, For the husband father they loved so well,
Is numbered among the silent dead.
Dead, striken down to the current,
By the cruel electric dart, Closed are those kind eyes forever,
Stilled is that silent loving heart.
Oh! hearts that are crushed in sorrow,
Be proud of the name he bore, And look forward to meeting in Heaven,
When life's sad journey is o'er.
Kind friends, words of comfort are speaking,
Your wounds they fain would heal, All speak his praise, for all loved him,
And in prayer for his soul they will kneel.
Kind friends, farewell! all is over,
Thy life of toil and care, And soon may we meet in Heaven,
To be happy forever there.
—132—
wood. It was only natural that his sisters should pen a few lines in mem¬
ory of him, who was known far and wide as a man "of admirable qualities,
his social, free, and jolly ways, his poetical and histrionic qualification,
and above all his strong unswerving faith instilled in his youth in a good
He is now at rest in the old churchyard,
Where in chilhood he often strayed,
Where the shadows fall from
His poor tired body laid.
And his soul released from its weight of woe,
Has flown to his Savior's breast, To receive the faithful servant's crown,
In that home of peace and rest.
But the parting was hard, because we loved him well,
And the blinding tears will fall,
Though we bow our heads to the will of
Who knoweth what's best for all,
In a few brief years, for time is fleet,
Dear brother—gone on before We shall meet again where the just find rest
On the cloudless heavenly shore.
DRAMATICS
The Irish have always been recognized for their ready wit, their melodies and songs, their dancing and play acting. They can always find time for the lighter things of life.
It was no different for the early Irish settlers who settled in and
around
And when the time came to build for themselves a place to wor¬ ship, they gladly put their talents to work, and the result would be com¬ munity concerts, or social gatherings to which a small fee would be charg¬ ed for this worthy purpose. Basket socials, where the young lasses would bring what they thought was the best of their culinary art, and the young lads would try to outbid each other to purchase his "best girls" basket, were events at which budding romances found their beginning. These were the social events of the year, and were usually held during the winter season with a variety concert, consisting of a good dialogue, sev¬ eral songs, music and step-dancing. There was no lack of competitive bidding, and many's a lad was pushed to his last penny to buy the basket of his pretty lass.
—133—
The
During the early years the play that is best remembered by the
older people was "The
There was no chance of hiding your talents under the bushel in those day.-1.. So if you could sing or dance; fiddle or recite or play the piano or any instrument, the community shared your talent.
For a few years a quartet banded together to provide music and
song, and their ability to entertain, and provide the music for weekly
dances was acknowledged by all who heard them. There was
In
There were other plays staged during those years, but the one that
brought recognition to both the players, director, specialties, and the sup¬
porting cast was "
BUMPER HOUSE AT
FOR "AN COWBOY"
Capably Presented By
Charlottetown theatre goers have been entertained this season with
a more than ordinary number of amateur dramatic performances, and
last, but not least, is "
—134—
bumper audience in the
If the applause of the audience was any criterion of the play, there
was nothing lacking in "
As the story of "
The title role of the play was very capably filled by
The supporting parts, Hezekish
The specialties between acts consisted of vocal solos by
If we single out this play for special comment, it's surely casting
no reflections on the other productions. It was but a chance in a lifetime
to be invited to
-135-
Other communities on the Island also produced plays, and so there
was a ready exchange of them from community to community. Father
The only means of travel was by a truck owned and driven by
The
In
—136—
The motto of the
Our League was no exception. There was always a need for the members to organize picnics, card parties, teas, bingos, concerts, plays and almost any activity that would raise money for their undertakings.
It is not too difficult to envision the needs of the parish and com¬ munity fifty years ago. Things we take for granted to-day such as elec¬ tric lights, running water, electrical gadgets, modern detergents, etc.; things which make the workload of the ladies simpler and easier, were not available when the League was organized, and so the accomplish¬ ments of the ladies in those days are worthy of high praise, and they are indicative of the spirit of love and dedication that inspired their actions.
We must remember that a disastrous fire levelled the parish church
on
It is interesting to make note that the present confessional and
the vestment case were made in those early days by
One of the most difficult tasks in those early days was to keep
the floor in the church clean as it was not made of finished lumber. It
was no easy task to sweep it, and especially to scrub it, as had to be
done frequently because of the clay and dirt carried in from the unpaved
roads and pathways. Another task the members used to undertake was
the washing of the altar linens, repairing damaged vestments, decorating
the altars, and providing little extras for a wedding. There always seemed
to be something to do to make the House of the
Then there was the choir so vital a part in praising
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many sacrifices of time and effort. For years the organists were all faithful members of the League.
While devoting a great deal of time and effort to this work in and
for the church, the members never neglected the Spiritual Works of
In recalling the activities of the League since its organization, it
would appear that each new executive was presented with a new chal¬
lenge, and the response was always excellent, even if the maximum of
results was not realized. In recent years when there was no hall suitable
for recreation, and money raising, the members played a good part in
helping to raise money to finish the basement. They provided a modern
kitchen with its upto-date cupboards and equipment. After the present
church was built in
The old pump organ, that was used for years, had seen better days,
and was difficult to keep in repair, could no longer serve its purpose,
so the ladies of the
We feel quite sure that if the records were at hand many more interesting and worthwhile projects were undertaken and successfully completed by the members of the C.W.L.
The League members have always been an integral and necessary part of the parish and community life, and if we are to judge by their accomplishments in the past, we can look forward with confidence that bigger and better things will be realized in the future.
The new executive elected
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During the depression in the early
It wasn't too long after its birth that the movement spread to the
Island under the leadership of
Under the leadership of
The Directors were
It is interesting to note that from a very small beginning in
Interest in the credit union was maintained for a number of years.
It was used by the members to increase their savings, and also as a credit
institution. It provided a sure and simple source of credit when purchases
were made that required credit. The membership increased only slightly
to 73, not a large increase, but indicates that a high percentage of the
families in the community were members. The amount of share capital
had increased in
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At the annual meeting in
It is interesting to note that many of the original board of direc¬ tors, and the other officers, had continued with the union throughout its existence. Like so many other community and church associations, it always falls to a few to get them going, and so difficulty to get others to play their part.
When the union closed in
After the second church was destroyed on
But a native of the parish, at that time studying for the priest¬
hood,
So novel was the idea, no doubt the first such type of lottery on the Island, that tickets were not too hard to sell not only in the com¬ munities nearby, but also all across the Island.
The drawing took place at the parish picnic, and was made by
Bud MaeLean,
The earliest official records available indicate that
It would not be correct to say that he was the first postmaster
in
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The first post office was built in Chaiiottetown in
In
It was only in
In the following year rural routes were established,
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When
During all these years the post office at
In
Thus ended a service to the community, a service that was over one hundred years in operation. It was with sadness the people saw the last stamp sold; the last money order written; the last piece of mail received and given out. It's too bad we have to surrender to progress.
BLACKSMITHS AND CARRIAGE MAKERS
It is easy to understand the need for blacksmiths and carriage
makers in the second half of the nineteenth century since the only means
of transportation was by horse and carriage in summer, and horse and
sleigh in winter. So in the
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It wasn't long after
His daughter Carlotte married
The forge then closed until about
About the same time
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less demand for this type of work, and by
MILLS
In
According to information that has been supplied by
Another early mill to operate in the same area around
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About 18G5,
In
We find also that there was a sawmill in
Another sawmill was operated in
The first venture of
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backs, and sending it to the mill to be brought home to be knitted into
the warm clothing for the winter. Not only did the ladies make good
use of the wool, but the knitting bees got them together for a kalie and
a cup of tea, while the menfolk talked shop.
It is interesting to note, in
STORES
The first store in
In
After the store burnt, there was a time, until
In
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In
There was another small store in
The property is now owned by
We are inclined
There was lots of talent in
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of forming- a glee club or an orchestra as is so common
In this group was to be found
SENIOR CITIZEN'S HOME
In 19G5 a number of persons, under the leadership of Father Mc-
Tague, the
It was required that there be twelve names of couples or single people willing to occupy the units when constructed. This took time, and much talk, and some travel, but the names were secured. But it must be noted that not all those who expressed an intention to take up occupancy did so.
In the fall of
The first residents were
The home has been a great asset to the community not only in providing living accommodations for senior citizens, but its spacious com-
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munity room has been the scene of many improvised concerts, some put
on by local musicians,
A
The people of
The erection of the bell was directed to
During the winter months a
At
Father
After the Mass His Excellency, Bishop Spence blessed the bell and for the first time in twenty years its beautiful sound echoed across the
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hills to sing the praises of
A delicious meal was served by the ladies of the
visitors.
Prior to the meal, a variety concert was staged on the grounds,
featuring talent from the parish and many of those who came for the
occasion displayed their talents to the delight of everyone. Although
we could not name all those who took part, we would be remiss if we
didn't single out the "grand old fiddler"
Decorations and flags gave the church grounds a carnival like appearance. There were games for young and old, and a canteen with a variety of refreshments to suit the tastes of the children.
Later in the evening fruit cakes, about 45 in number, donated by
the ladies, were auctioned off by
Rain fell in many adjourning communities early in the evening,
but held off at
SOME INTERESTING FACTS
The number of baptisms and marriages in the parish since it was
established in
Period Baptisms Marriages
—150—
Confirmations Boys Girls
The First Baptisms
686 696
On
On
—151—
The First Marriage
The Bishop Baptizes
After the death of Father
THE SCHOOLS
It is very difficult to obtain detailed information about the early schools since there were no permanent records kept or they have been misplaced or the reports themselves left much to be desired.
The earliest school opened in
When the settlers moved inland to
So in
The number of children decreased to 71 in
So in the intervening years from
When in
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The first school built in
It is interesting to note that
It is to be regretted in this age of progress in education, that it is necessary to be engulfed by size, and purported advantages of bigness, that the one and two room schools must give way to the monster-bigness and close their doors. Whatever may be the future success of the new system of consolidated schools, surely none can deny the success enjoyed by most of the one and two room schools as is evidenced by the quality and success of the graduates.
Treagh -
Fair progress being made in a crowded school
Result of the examination creditable to the teacher
who however was not properly sustained by the parents.
The teacher is faithful and energetic.
Treagh
—153—
—154—
DeSable School District, No. 17 in is described as
follows; That is to say Commencing on the shore at Black Point on the
line between the farms of
Registered
17th.
—155—
—156
] 909-1911
Registered
18th
—157—
Closed
South
—158-
1950-1951
Registered
28th.
Maplewood
—159—
Westmoreland School District No. 145
It is in Queen's County and is defined at follows; That is to say,
beginning' on the old on the division of
Registered Herein 16th.
The property of
Upper
Boundaries and Extent
Bounded on the West by the division line between Lots 28 and 29
on the South by the
—160—
SITE
On the Upper , four miles from wharf,
Harbour, ll/2 miles from line of
Westmoreland
—161—
-162—