Good morning,

I just read your post about Joe Baye relatives looking for info and you visiting his grave at Auld Kirk. My mom grew up near the floating bridge. My grandmother Annie (Moulton) Giles and Ellen (Slack) Baye were good friends. One of Ellen and Joe’s granddaughters, Eleanor, spent a lot of time at their cabin by Floating Bridge.

Mom and Eleanor became good friends. Eleanor was Mom’s maid-of-honour. Mom loved the Baye’s like grandparents. I was told when Joe died his little black horse was gifted to Mom. The beautiful horse was never without it’s netting and was never made to take a quick step unless Joe had been drinking. When this happened Mom said you could hear the poor thing snorting and puffing and the whip cracking when they turned onto the 12th line! Another time when he was drunk he cut the tails off Mrs.Bayes cats.

After enduring enough of Joe Mrs Baye confided in my grandmother and they sent away for some kind of herbal medicine that would stop you from drinking. After Mrs Baye sneaked in into Joe’s tea or food, he became deathly ill and Mrs.Baye thought she had killed him. But he didn’t die and supposedly was not as fond of alcohol after that.

Joe made excellent axe handles from the near perfect hickory limbs he harvested from neighbours property. Mom laughed and said everyone had to go to Joe to buy an axe handle because Joe had cleaned out all the good limbs.

Joe loved music. Joe and Ellen put up an outdoor dance platform at their cabin and couples came from all around to dance. That is where my Mom and Dad met.

The Mississippi runs along county road 29 behind many Lowry farms. I understand Joe trapped all along the Mississippi River. Joe was certainly a well known character at one time.

Author’s Note

Thank you for your story.. Keep sending them in!!

Did you know?

On the return trip they camped against Indians Landing on the Mississippi Lake, sometimes staying there for most of the summer. Joe and Johnny Baye made their local headquarters there in the 1880’s and 90’s. They sold boats including dugouts made of ash and basswood, and many of their axe handles and colored hampers and clothes baskets were sold in the stores of the town. Joe Baye and his white wife also lived at the Floating Bridge on the Indian River in Ramsay. He died in the Almonte hospital in 1928.

where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and theSherbrooke Record and and Screamin’ Mamas (USACome 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. Tales of Almonte and Arnprior Then and Now.