The Fireplace Ghost on Highway 7

 

Nancy Hudson recognized this landmark still on Hwy 7 at Ramsay Conc 1. — she believes it was on the Dezell farm- Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.

 

Fictional Story written after I saw this photo.

A long long time ago in Lanark County a beloved Grandma died and left her daughter the old homestead that was falling apart. But make no mistake, that home still had lots of love. The family knew they could not afford to repair the house fully– so they decided to live there for a few months until minimum repairs could be made to sell it.

The old rocking chair that generations had rocked in was still sitting by the fireplace like it had for years. The fireplace no longer worked, but the electric heater still remained in front of the fireplace.  No matter how hard that heater worked, it would heat up the kitchen area, but bedrooms would always stay cold.

One night one of the children got up to get a drink of water and had to pass that very fireplace. Immediately the electric fireplace  roared, and he immediately turned it off. Drink in hand and ready to find the warmth of his bed he passed the fireplace on his way upstairs once again and the electric fireplace roared at full tilt once again. Once this same scenario had happened a few times the boy smiled.

Somehow,  the boy knew it was his grandmother’s spirit and he was eager to sit in her chair as she seemed to be signalling him. Before he could sit down he noticed that it appeared that someone was already sitting there. Even though no one was there, he could see the imprints of someone sitting in that very chair.

It was a mystery to him and to those he told the story to the next day. Maybe it was Grandma, or maybe it was someone who lived in that house before her and still haunted the home. Possibly, the ghosts next life was on hold–or, it could just be that someone, somewhere, was still happy to be in that chair  even if they were dead?

In the end the family never did sell the house and eventually it collapsed and the remains were taken away. To this day the stone fireplace still stands and folks who visit that fireplace and listen carefully can swear they still hear someone rocking in a chair.

Harper Lanark County—It Wasn’t the Harper Valley PTA

 

 

 

 

Author’s Note–HARPER, was  a post settlement in Lanark County, Ontario, 7 miles from Perth, on the C.P.R. It contains 1 Methodist church, school, telephone office, blacksmith shop, cheese factory, 2 stores and 1 private bank. Pop. 60  ...from Lovell’s 1906 Canada Gazetteer. The village was named after Joseph Harper w ho settled in the area.

Men waiting for their mail at the Harper Post Office–Photo from–Tay Valley Township

 

Perth Courier, October 14, 1837

The Early Settlers of Harper by Everett Bowes, SS10, Bathurst

We will now take you back to the time of 1850.  About this time where the village is now situated it was covered with forest.  The emigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England came out and started a small settlement which they thought was well situated.  These early settlers were mostly tradesmen.  There were two blacksmith shops.  One was owned by Miles Leighton.  Kenneth Cameron is the present owner.  William McVeighconducted another blacksmith shop.  He was also noted as a “vet”.  His place of business was located on the present Ferguson farm.We pupils of SS10, Bathurst thought we would find out more about the early settlers of the village of Harper.  I wish to thank Patrick Tovey of Bathurst for the following information.

There were two hotels.  One was run by Miles Leighton and the other was next to our present school grounds.  It was operated by a Mr.Cole.

There were two cabinet makers by the name of Marguerite.  Henry Margurite lived at the present home of Mrs. Robert Ferguson.  James Marguerite lived where James Warrington is at present.  The Marguerites were of Swiss origin.

Tom Churchill had a small farm.  He also made barrels which were used as potash containers.  Mr. Kerne now lives on the farm.  Joseph Warren a former school teacher, conducted a general store and post office. William Keays now owns this property.  On the same land was a house where lived Mr. Harper, commonly known as “Daddy Harper”.  He was a former school master.  On the north corner of our school grounds was a log house owned by Mr. Wiste.  He was a shoe maker.  Across the road where Mr. Alden Watt now lives, Richard Darou conducted a butcher business.  Later a general store now owned by John Spaulding was built byJohn Butler.  The farm now owned by Gerald Cunningham was first cleared and settled by Mr. Fisher.  Two other men, both named Fisher also got Crown deeds for farms on the 7^th Concessionlilne.  The home of Mr. Perkin was first settled by Mr. McNee.

A “grange” stood where our school is now.  This was operated by local residents who distributed grain and other things to those who desired it.  A library on a small scale was also here.

About the year 1885 a church was built by the Methodist congregation of the district.

Our present school was formerly located on land north of the village.  However, the location was not considered suitable for school grounds.  In 1920 it was moved to the present site.  The land was purchased from Eli Blackburn.

Related Reading:

THE STORY OF
THE VILLAGE OF HARPER

This is a manuscript in the Perth Museum research files.
Transcribed by Charles Dobie.

The Tragic Tale of the Rideau Ferry Swing Bridge

 

Last week I wrote a story about the Bascule Bridge in Smiths Falls. Apparently there was another story and Smith’s Falls beloved Heather Currie-Whiting told me another one told to her by her brothers.

They told me the old story that I think lots of people tell in various versions, about how the bridge master’s son had wandered out onto the bridge when he wasn’t looking, but the train was coming. So the man had to make the decision, does he close the bridge and kill his son, or does he let the train crash and kill all the passengers. They told me he killed his son by closing the bridge. There are all sorts of inconsistencies in the story that a six or seven year-old wouldn’t be able to work out and I can STILL see that little boy getting squished in my mind’s eye.

 

Here is one from the:

Perth Courier, Aug. 21, 1891

Authors Note: When the new swing bridge over  the Rideau Locks at Smith’s Falls was initially opened for travel– It’s new name was “Somers’ Bridge.”

It is our painful duty to chronicle the sad and untimely death of a little boy Jobie Hutton who was drowned at the ferry on Friday evening of last week.  The bridge had been opened to allow a yacht to pass through and it appears that in the closing of the swing bridge he stepped on and was caught in the railing where the swing bridge joins with the main bridge.

 

 

He could not extricate himself and when the swing bridge was slackened up he fell into the water and before help could arrive was drowned.  The funeral services were conducted on Sabbath morning in the Presbyterian Church (being a member of the Sabbath School and Mission Band) and was largely attended.  The funeral cortege left the house of his uncle shortly after 10:00 and proceeded to the church followed by a large procession of the sorrowing friends.  After the services were conducted in the church the children of the Sabbath School joined in the procession before the hearse and proceeded to the graveyard.  After a few touching words by Rev. N. Campbell the body was consigned “dust to dust ashes to ashes”.

 

Full short his journey was; no dust

Of earth his sandals clove

The weary heart that old man must

He bore not to the grave.

He seemed a cherub who had lost his way

And wandered hither, so his stay

With us was short and ‘twas most meet

That he should be no delver in earth’s clod

Nor need to pause and cleanse his feet

To stand before God.

 

The Bascule Bridge of Smiths Falls — A Ghost Story

Looking for information on Joey Bond

 

Two days I wrote about Joey Cram and former Carleton Place resident Karen Julian emailed me.

 

Hi Linda,

Isn’t Annie Joey Cram the same lady that had a store in Carleton Place? Her store was cluttered and her cash register was an old cigar box. I used to shop there all the time for yarn as she had a wonderful selection. I don’t remember what else she had in that cluttered store but she was such fun to talk too. Please let me know if I have the right Joey Cram – I don’t think there could have been two like her.

Karen Julian
Formerly of CP now in Straffordville ON

 

I asked Sandy Baird and she said no, that was Joey Bond. Her store was located just past the dry cleaners (Godfre’s) and before the lane way next to the hotel. Everyone wondered how she could find anything in her store.

She also didn’t recall anyone taking over from Joey Bond. Maybe briefly to get the stock down.  The building never burned down, and it is a wonder though it did not with all the stuff she had.

Sandie said had a brother nicknamed Bunny. She had heard his proper name once but cannot recall it. Bunny Bond dated forever into old age, with a local gal named Dorcus Bennett.  Dorcus was called Dick, had a twin sister, Martha Gertrude Groves who married Allan Groves.  Dorcus was Sandie’s father in law’s (Dr. Forbes Baird)assistant and after I tracked her down found out she made 600 bucks a year as an assistant in 1921. 

The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum has nothing on her.. so I am looking for info.

Tom–I remember Joey Bonds store very well. We were kids and went over there to get our firecrackers. She also sold us caps, and cap guns. She was never in the store and she was deaf. You had to ring the bell 10 times before she heard it, and you had to stand and write notes back and forth of what you wanted.

Valerie Edwards– Joey Bond was in the former Miss Hickson’s store when I was in school. Remember going there to get the gold & garnet ribbons we used to pin to our shoulder. She had an eclectic stock, sounds like what you listed for Miss Hickson, sort of. Things were piled all over. Beside her shop was Uncle Abe’s Barber Shop. He was a relative but have misplaced his last name in my memory. Remember the shop being piled high with all sorts & I think she still had the bell that rang when you opened the door. Uncle Abe’s barber shop was next door (taxi office there now).

Nancy Hudson–My mother was a dressmaker in Carleton Place in the 1950’s. I remember being sent to Joey Bond’s to get a spool of thread or ribbon ,etc. She was sure to have it if it could not be found else wear. Amazingly she could put her hand on whatever I was looking for among the clutter.. it had to be seen to be believed. I think her brother Bunny was a championship paddler with the Canoe Club in his youth.

Ted Hurdis— Hahaha, I remember this well. We would go in to buy firecrackers and Joey would make us sign for them. She had a book or ledger and the names in it were hilarious. We would sign Dick Tracy, Robin Hood , you name it !

Tom–OMG Ted. I forgot about that, but that is hilarious. I do remember that book and some of the names in it. When Bruce and Dave and Bob all went in there after a game of road hockey in the post office yard, we would all get firecrackers and no one who wrote names in the book, were anywhere close to who we really were. I always had to take her a note from mom and dad, but usually one of the lads would write the note for me because I was younger than you guys. I can remember being in there with them, and we would stand there ringing the bell and waiting for her to hear it and have her finally come out of her back room to serve you. Then we would have to pass notes back and forth 10 times before we finally got what we wanted.

Lloyd Hughes posted the following stores location on Bridge

H Bond barber

Mrs. H Bond Variety (formerly Mrs. Beach, formerly Miss Hickson)
Dorcas Bennett in the 1921 Census of Canada

Name: Dorcas Bennett
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Age: 24
Birth Year: abt 1897
Birth Place: Ontario
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father’s name: John Bennett
Father Birth Place: Ontario
Mother’s name: Eliza Bennett
Mother Birth Place: Ontario
Racial or Tribal Origin: English
Province or Territory: Ontario
District: Lanark
District Number: 97
Sub-district: Carleton Place (Town)
Sub-District Number: 47
City, Town or Village: Town of Carleton Place
Street or Township: Herriott St
Municipality: Carleton Place
Occupation: Dentiste Arnd
Income: 600

Searching for Elizabeth Cram–Updates on Andrew Waugh

I posted this photo sent to me by Darlene Page on the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page and it got many comments wherever I posted it. Darlene has been doing a lot of research for many years on her family tree and a family member had sent her this photo. As they say around here: “everyone is related to everyone in Carleton Place and the surrounding area” and sometimes I think that is true.

The picture was sent to Darlene from her cousin Kerri-Ann Doe O’Rourke. Her and I worked on it together , and that it hangs in her home

 

The photo was done in metal–there were a lot of photos done in metal around 1870 until the late 1880’s when a carnival use to come to the local towns in the fall. It is actually called a tintype and it was patented in 1856, tintypes were seen as an improvement upon unstable, paper daguerreotypes and fragile, glass ambrotypes. In contrast, tintype photographs were exposed on a sheet of thin iron coated with collodion, which required less time to expose than albumen, but was still inconvenient inasmuch as the photograph had to be taken with the wet material on the plate.

Darlene had the Carleton Place Library help her out with dating the photo a few years ago and they are 99% sure that this man is Andrew Waugh, father of Samuel Waugh.  This makes sense due to the family word of mouth history of who it was, and the age of the man in the photo. Andrew Waugh died in 1884 form TB.

Perth Courier, April 11, 1884

Waugh—Died, at Carleton Place on the 6th inst., of consumption, Andrew Waugh, aged 25 (?) 35 (?)

 

 

Elizabeth Cram and Andrew Waugh were married on Wednesday, March 23, 1870 in Almonte, Ontario. and she died a year earlier than him from TB also.

Vol 4, pg 264 – Andrew WAUGH, 21, Canada, Innisville, s/o Alex & Jane, married Elizabeth CRAW(Cram), 19, Canada, Beckwith, d/o Peter & Ellen, witn: Robert McFARLANE of Ramsay, 23 March 1870 at Almonte. (R McFarlane-Born-9 Aug 1849 Clayton, Ramsay, Lanark, Ontario, Canada—Died 10 Apr 1889)

Name–Andrew Waugh
Event Type–Marriage
Event Date–23 Mar 1870
Event Place–Almonte, Lanark, Ontario, Canada
GenderMale
Age21
Birth Year (Estimated)1849
Father’s Name–Alex Waugh
Mother’s Name–Jane Waugh
Spouse’s Name–Elizabeth Cram
Spouse’s Gender–Female
Spouse’s Age–19
Spouse’s Birth Year (Estimated)1851
Spouse’s Father’s Name–Peter Cram
Spouse’s Mother’s Name–Ellen Cram

Darlene also thinks also there was an article in one of the past Carleton Place Herald newspapers about “an Andrew Waugh” working in a local pub and a barrel getting blown up. He either lost his hand, or it was burned badly. The Waugh’s were living out near Innisville  she thinks  at the time before they moved to Carleton Place with his parents Alexander and Jane Waugh.

She also thinks there may have been a family farm out in Drummond. but  she hasn’t a clue where to find that info—if she could find that—a lot of questions would be answered!

Then there was information about Andrew’s son, Samuel, who married Nellie (Ellen) Martin–both of Carleton Place.

The Perth Courier Marriage 28 Dec 1894

At St John’s manse, Almonte, December 5, by Rev A E Mitchell, Mr Samuel C Waugh to Miss Nellie Martin, both of Carleton Place.

Name–Samuel C Waugh

Event Type–Marriage
Event Date–05 Dec 1894
Event Place-Almonte, Lanark, Ontario, Canada
GenderMale
Age21
Birth Year (Estimated)1873
Father’s Name–Andrew Waugh
Mother’s Name–Elizabeth Cram
Spouse’s Name–Nellie (Ellen) Martin
Spouse’s Gender–Female
Spouse’s –Age21
Spouse’s Birth Year (Estimated)1873
Spouse’s Father’s Name–Daniel Martin
Spouse’s Mother’s NaCatherine Callihan

006493-94 (Lanark Co) Samuel C. WAUGH, 21, stove mounter, Carleton Place, Carleton Place s/o Andrew WAUGH & Elizabeth CRAM married Nellie MARTIN, 21, Pakenham, Carleton Place d/o Daniel MARTIN & Catherine CALLIHAN wtn: Robert DRYNAN & William MITCHELL, 5 December 1894 at Almonte.

 

Darlene has actually found out that the whole family  is buried out behind St.John’s Anglican Church towards Innisville.

“As it turns out, with a lot of research…..  Alexander, Jane, their daughter Louisa, their sons Andrew, Samuel, William,  Andrew’s wife Elizabeth Cram and  William wife Jane Longman and a infant believed to be that of Andrew’s and Elizabeth’s  are all buried in a family plot at St John Anglican Church. They are all unmarked, this info was gathered by many news papers articles giving clues, a accidental digging in the 80’s by the church and the stories that many family members new about that was passed on to me. There may be more buried in the plot we will never know about but now we have found the first Waugh members of Innisville and Carleton Place Ontario.–Darlene Page

As with a percentage in other cemeteries they are buried there without markers or being written down in church records.  She found this out only by the newspaper in Andrew Waugh’s Mother’s announcement. Like they say–“you are never done in genealogy!”

About Darlene Page-

She is a descendent of Peter and Janet Kay. Their son Peter was her great, great, great grandfather. She can only tell you that they were living in Carleton Place, and that their son John was the original owner of United Cemetery–back then it was called the Cram cemetery. Peter, Janet Kay, and all of their children, and their children’s children are all buried there.  She visits their grave often and places flowers for most of them. You can view pictures of their gravestones on-line if you check here.

 

 

The Population of Almonte 1851

 

A Village situated in the Township of Ramsay, on the Mississippi River, C.W. – distant from Bytown, 35 miles. Population about 200.

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PROFESSIONS, TRADES, & c.

Gemmill, John, general store

Haskins, —-, planning and grooving mills

Leekie, Thomas, general store, 1/2 mile from the village

Mansill, Thomas, tannery, 1/2 mile from the village

McGregor, —-, innkeeper

McMorin, Rev. John, Scotch Church

Rea, Hugh, general store, boots and shoes

Reed, Samuel, carding mill

Richardson, Edward, grist mill

Shipman, Daniel, temperance inn

Shipman, Daniel, grist and saw mill

Wylie & Sons, general store

Wylie, James, postmaster

 

Who Worked for the Post Office the Longest in Lanark County?

 

Patrick Henrietta on the far left

Patrick Henrietta was born and lived on Lot. 6 Con 3 Drummond  was the rural mail carrier for R. R. #2 from Perth from 1920 to 1973. He was the only person in the Perth Postal area to have the same route for over 50 years and the last employee of Canada Post to work more than 50 years.

According to the history of Drummond Township a post office was opened in Henry Ireton’s store on the Perth- Innisville Road on June 1, 1890. Ireton held the position of postmaster until the post office closed on January 31, 1913.

Any recollections?