Photo from–Centretown Buzz
In the Almonte Gazette today I found many social notes for Stewarton. I searched and searched and found nothing in Lanark County. Where was Stewarton?
After some research I found out that Stewarton was the Kanata of its heyday in the 1920s as Ottawa ended at Waverley Street to the south in those days. An interesting tidbit is that Stewarton was named after the Stewart family that had a farm where the Ottawa bus station is now. Many downtown streets to the south were named after their kids (McLeod, Flora, Isabella, Florence). You were allowed to name a street if you provided most of the labour for it in those days.
Imagine if local folks back then in Lanark County could pop into a spiffy vehicle like today and instead of shopping in Kanata (please shop local) they might drop in and spend some time in Ottawa’s first suburb called Stewarton.
Stewarton May 27 1921-Almonte Gazette Social Notes
Miss Hollis Russell is spending a few. days in Ottawa.
Mrs. J. Hanson, of Pakenham, is visiting her sister Mrs. A. Fulton, at present.
Miss Bessie Carswell, of Glasgow, spent Thursday with her aunt at “Breezy Knoll.” Mr. ans Mrs. A. McDonald, of Ottawa, spent the holidays at the home of Mr. H. McDonald.
Miss Gertrude Fulton spent this week with Mr. and Wilbert Fulton at Cedar Hill.
May 27 1921-Almonte Gazette
Messrs. Gordon .McDonald and Gordon Exford went west on the harvest excursion on Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. R Taylor and family spent Tuesday evening with Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Campbell at Breezy Knoll.
Photo from bytown.net
In 1890 the Exhibition Grounds in Ottawa were renamed Lansdowne Park after the Marquess of Lansdowne, Governor General from 1883 to 1888. Even then calling the exhibition ground a park was a misnomer since it was only an indifferent collection of quaint mainly wooden buildings set in worn out grass with few trees except in the north east corner together with a small stagnant lake which was the remains of the canal inlet. Many people questioned the location of these grounds so far out into the country – with the city only extending as far as Stewarton, on the other side of the railroad tracks, built in the 1870’s where the Queensway now runs, three quarters of a mile away.
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In 1833 William Stewart purchased lot F to the north of the present Queensway, which would later become Stewarton, the southern edge of future Ottawa by the end of the nineteenth century.
Photo from bytown.net
Stewarton Bridge was a wooden swing bridge over the Rideau Canal located at the end of Archibald Street (continuation of Argyle Avenue). It was built in 1890 and joined the village of Stewarton on the west side to the village of Ottawa East. Stewarton was named after William Stewart who had a large tract of land on the west side and whose house was located at the present side of the Victoria Museum Building. These villages
were later incorporated into the City of Ottawa and the bridge was later referred to as the Ottawa East Bridge. —bytown.net
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 and now in The Townships Sun
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