I used to watch a lot of “The Jetsons” when I was growing up. George Jetson and his family lived in a bubble-shaped, high-rise apartment building set on tall, thin columns, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and lots of metal beams. Although the show took place in 2062 I had no problems with change. So why did a simple photo of the town I grew up in years ago baffle me. Nothing looked familiar– so why did I and others question it?

Yesterday I posted the photo above on an Eastern Townships board —-This is the Fire station, in Cowansville, Quebec circa 1910. Well most of my fellow students on the Cowansville High School Facebook page disagreed…

Rob Forster– Guess it was a wet day?

Linda Seccaspina– I have no idea where this might be

Keith Le Chasseur –Well before my time sorry nothing looks familiar

Rob Forster– Since the fire station I know about was beside the old town hall on Main St, right where the shopping centre is now (pre hole) I at first assumed that view is looking roughly west towards the street, but enlarging the photo and looking more closely, there’s a boat at the foot of the land there. With that much presumably permanent water around, I can’t place this in Cowansville at all.

Keith Le Chasseur– Remember the old Rio firetruck peace of junk Tait Hauver’s dad was the fire chief

Keith Le Chasseur– Plus those telephone poles never were in Cowansville

Linda Seccaspina— So are you saying the McCord Museum has it all wrong? LOLOL

Wylie Forster -Yup

Keith Le Chasseur— yup

Linda Seccaspina– Should I write the learned folks a letter ? LOL

Keith Le Chasseur-– Not for me just saying we lived there.

Carole Beattie— Before my time too. Wow not often I can say that these days. lol I do not recognize anything either. They were either in a flood or in the river. 🙂

Rupert H Dobbin-– The extreme left there looks like bracing for the rail on a bridge. The sun is from the right so that’s south, south-east or south-west Hill beyond is gentle. Could be the south shore of the river at the bridge just above the dam. Otherwise I have no idea.

Linda Seccaspina— I agree with Carole.. it looks like a flood or river,.

Rob Forster— Consider that if the photo was in fact taken in Coansville, there’s a considerable and very steep hill right in back of that firehouse, especially in those days. The whole of Main Street is of course built on a glacial esker, a miles long continuous deposit of sand, that runs right through to Sweetsburg. I might grant that it could have been a snow melt pond or something on a small level patch of ground, but then there’s the guy in the boat. I don’t think that can possibly be Cowansville.

Linda Seccaspina-– see my new posting.. thanks to Ville de Cowansville

For anyone debating that the McCord Museum photo was not from Cowansville yesterday--Ville de Cowansville posted another photo– This is the fire station, around 1910, it was located on the north side of the bridge on South Street, where today is the beginning of the path that goes behind the building of Main Street. The Ritz was there, and after the Restaurant the Riviera.. Landscapes change through time.

Take this for example.. How many times have you walked by this building in Carleton Place Ontario and wondered about it? I personally thought it was just a lovely style of architecture, never thinking twice.

This is what the building used to look like below. The present Scotiabank building was constructed in 1974 replacing the 1902 structure. Originally the Bank of Ottawa and established in 1883 and operated out of the red brick building above, until a fire destroyed the upper part of the building.

When I wrote about this months ago people were just as baffled as I was about the Cowansville photo. Funny how we have no problem accepting the future– but have great issues with landscapes of the past. As Walt Disney said-“If there was no change there would be no butterflies.”

Photos and information from The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Want to see more? Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News