This brings me down to the family of William Code of which I am one. William Code in 1848 married Elizabeth Hicks, a sister of William Hicks. There was also Captain James Hicks who kept store at the corner of Wilson and Foster Street in Perth; he was captain for the Tay Navigation Company. Sometimes the journey to Montreal was made in 3 days, sometimes 3 weeks. Robert Hicks kept store in Ferguson’s Falls. Mary married James Kerr, an uncle of our present town clerk. The family were all born in Enniskillen, Ireland.
The marriage to Elizabeth Hicks took place in Perth. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend Harris, in the house on Drummond Street opposite that of the late Senator McLaren. My mother was one to be remembered. She possessed all the attributes, I may say, necessary to greatness in her sphere: kindly, thrifty, and solicitous for the welfare of the family. In later years I heard her say:
“Thank God, no member of my family has disgraced me or the name! I have every reason to be proud of them!”
During the early days of her widowhood the burden was heavy, but later she retired to the red brick house near the river, on the southeast side.
Written words on left were “Born” dates. From the Code Journal
After the death of my father, William Code, in 1868 John took charge until 1872; in that year he left for the West. From then until 1876 I was in charge with the exception of a few months during the winter of 1874. We boys had to work hard in those days, especially on the farm. The hotel property was rented to James Young, later of the Queens Hotel, Perth as already stated. He occupied the place until it burned in 1878.
My brother and I endured all the hardships of farming in those days. The evening meal was brought out from the village as we were about 3/4 of a mile out. I have a very vivid recollection of the job of removing the chaff and straw from the rear of the thresher, and of the thrashing bees– where the good housekeeper put up the best the place could offer– and that would compare favourable with anything we can offer today. But we were a voracious crowd and quantity counted.
River driving made things lively in the summer season. As many as three or four hundred men would be engaged in sorting logs for the mills downstream, mostly operated by Messrs. Boyd Caldwell Co. and Gillies and McLaren. The logs were sorted, boomed, and then hauled to Carleton Place by cadge or tug. Captain Moore handled the latter.
I remember well the late Boyd Caldwell, an able business man, and a person of acknowledged integrity. He was a commanding person in appearance, and always with a head direct displayed dignity and determination in every movement. Let me relate an occurrence in the days of my boyhood. I was requested to take care of his horse, and told to feed him oats when cool enough. I thought the animal was too warm when I went to perform the service, and left the oats on the floor behind the horse. Boyd began to chastise me and yelled,
“My boy, your intentions were good, but you fed him at the wrong end!”
This may be considered from the sublime to the ridiculous, but it shows his humourous strain.
Tomorrow: The DeHertels, McLarens and the defender F. A. Hall
Note—When the post office opened in 1851 a clerical error resulted in the community being called Innisville. The error was never corrected.
History
The first industrial process on the site was operated by the Kilpatrick family beginning in 1842 and established as a tannery shortly thereafter. In 1882 a new owner, Thomas Alfred Code, established Codes Custom Wool Mill with a range of processes, including: carding, spinning, fulling, shearing, pressing, and coloring of yarns. In 1896, its name was changed to the Tay Knitting Mill, and it produced yarn, hosiery, socks, gloves, sporting-goods, sweaters, and mitts. Another change came in 1899, when a felt-making process was introduced and the mill was renamed Code Felt. The company continued to operate until the closing of the factory in 1998.
51 Herriott – The Code Mill is actually a collage of five different buildings dating from 1842. T.A. Code moved to Perth in 1876, and bought this property by 1883. Code spent 60 years in business in Perth. The business started with a contract to supply the North West Mounted Police with socks, and continued for many years manufacturing felt for both industrial and commercial uses.
Code Felt Co today– Click here..
In the 1883, Mr. T. A. Code established Codes Custom Wool Mill with a range of processes, including: carding, spinning, fulling, shearing, pressing, and coloring of yarns. In 1896, its name was changed to the Tay Knitting Mill, and it produced yarn, hosiery, socks, gloves, sporting-goods, sweaters, and mitts. Another change came in 1899, when a felt-making process was introduced and the mill was renamed Code Felt. The company continued to operate until the closing of the factory in 1998. The following year, John Stewart began a major restoration and introduced new uses for this landmark. This impressive limestone complex with its central atrium now has an interesting mix of commercial tenants.-Perth Remembered
How did I get this?
I purchased this journal online from a dealer in California. I made every attempt to make sure the journal came back to its rightful location. Every day I will be putting up a new page so its contents are available to anyone. It is a well worn journal full of glued letters and newspaper clippings which I think belonged to Code’s son Allan at one point. Yes there is lots of genealogy in this journal. I am going to document it page by page. This journal was all handwritten and hand typed. Read-More Local Treasure Than Pirate’s Booty on Treasure Island
How did it get into the United States? The book definitely belonged to Allan Code and he died in Ohio in 1969.
Allan Leslie Code
1896–1969 — BIRTH 27 MAR 1896 • Ontario—DEATH JUN 1969 • Mentor, Lake, Ohio, USA
Andrew Haydon–He was the author of Pioneer Sketches of The District of Bathurst (Lanark and Renfrew Counties, Ontario) (The Ryerson Press, 1925) and Mackenzie King and the Liberal Party (Allen, 1930).
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)
lindaseccaspina 