There’s no trace today of a big dam that once stretched across the rapids of the Mississippi River at Innisville. Is there anything left of the two flour and grist mills–or a woolen mill that was once powered by water? There’s no sign ether of a former sawmill that employed the locals, and the blanket mill which Abraham Code operated above the bridge. That Innisville blanket mill was destroyed by a fire in 1879 and in the following year Mr. Code moved to Carleton Place where he commenced operation on the first steam mill on the Mississippi River at that point. Heck, the village once even boasted having a doctor named Dr. York.
At one time there were two hotels with bars that people sat around in and “chewed the fat”. In 1893 when an ex-railroader was charged with trespassing in Mud Lake, the court was held in a room of the Innisville Hotel. The conviction was registered and later it was quashed. Why? It was soon discovered it was illegal to use a ”pub” as a courthouse–even in Innisville.
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But Innisville slowly turned into a summer resort, and one by one they took down the mills. Word was there used to be thousands of suckers that swam in the local Mississippi waters. Bill Dickinson had a platform built over the river and a stone enclosed pool to hold the fish he scooped out of the river with a net. Then the summer cottages began to appear everywhere in the 30’s and they rented cabins a few years later to make extra money.
Bob Evoy had five cottages on the hill, and Jim Churchill built along the west side of the river and then sold out to Herb McManus. Later Arnold Jackson bought the Evoy cabins and Gordon Crampton owned the store and post office while he worked for the government in Ottawa. Mrs. Crampton used to cater to the tourists and the fisherman, and word was having a meal at Mrs. Crampton’s was like visiting your Grandmother’s. Everyone always came back–how could you not.
Bob Evoy had five cottages on the hill, and Jim Churchill built along the west side of the river and then sold out to Herb McManus. Later Arnold Jackson bought the Evoy cabins and Gordon Crampton owned the store and post office while he worked for the government in Ottawa. Mrs. Crampton used to cater to the tourists and the fisherman, and word was having a meal at Mrs. Crampton’s was like visiting your Grandmother’s. Everyone always came back–how could you not.
There was once a nice little Anglican church on the hill– but they took that down too in the 1930’s. On the height of the land on the highway they called it Williams Hill and the Highways Dept. established a roadside park in the late 40’s. Some Sundays there would be as many as 30 cars in that park alone enjoying a picnic. Now the remains of the former bridge is blocked by rocks and one of the old hotels deteriorates with age. It just doesn’t matter does it? Because no matter what happens:
“I’m proud as anyone– as Innisville is where I came from”.
Dedicated to the late Stuart White formerly of Innisville
Related reading —Tales from the Innisville Hotel
Dedicated to my friends Joyce White and the late Stuart White whose family came from Innisville.
Buy Linda Secaspina’s Books— Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac– Tilting the Kilt-Vintage Whispers of Carleton Place and 4 others on Amazon or Amazon Canada or Wisteria at 62 Bridge Street in Carleton Place
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