Linda – I am looking for information about the historical settlement of McCreary that was located Ramsay Conc3 Lot 3. There was a school located there and Claudia Smith told me that she had read that there was also a cheese factory although she couldn’t remember the document. Do you have any info about it? Laurel Cook
So I emailed Rose Mary Sarsfield and she sent me to Stuart McIntosh
Stuart McIntosh said:
McCreary School was located on Hwy. 7 just west of what used to be the Falcon Restaurant.
I believe the McCreary Cheese factory was located on the west of the Falcon on the road south of Hwy. 7 which leads to Scotch Corners. This road is on the junction of Highway 7 and Tatlock Rd. According to my cousin, the cheese factory was located on the left side of this road not far from the junction. Hope this is helpful. Ray Lowe, a supporter of the Anglican Church in Clayton could give you better information.
The McCreery family came to Lanark from County Armagh* in 1823, settling at Ramsay Twp. Con. 3 Lot 3E, next to William Hamilton Con. 4 Lot 3W who had been settled there in 1821. William MCreery Jr. (1810-1892) – the McCreerys’ second oldest son, age 11 when they arrived, would later marry Margaret Hamilton, who was 5 years old at the time. Most families came out from Ireland with friends and relatives – or knew someone already settled. One wonders if these families knew each other in Ireland. It’s hard to determine. It was common for families to indicate only their County of origin. Each came from a village, townland and parish – but these origins often remain obscure. Having failed, to date, to find parish records for the McCreerys in Armagh, I will attempt to hone in on them below – but here I will concentrate on existing Irish settlers before 1823.
The earliest migrations to this part of Ramsay Township occurred in 1820 – but before going back to that year and the settlement of Boyd’s Settlement, I will digress slightly to the settlers who arrived about the same time as William Hamilton in 1821.
William Hamilton had been settled July 21st 1821. John Hamilton had been placed at Lanark Twp. Con. 9 Lot 10W two days earlier on July 27th, William Wilson received Ramsay Twp. Con. 8 Lot 4W on the 30th and William Wallace received Ramsay Con. 7 Lot 7E one day later on July 31st. on the same day as Robert McFarlane (from Scotland) received Ramsay Con. 8 Lot 7E, and Thomas McLelland received Con. 7 Lot 7W – and James McFarland (from Scotland) received Con. 8 Lot 6E. John McIntyre (also a Scot) had received Con. 8 Lot 8E in July 21st. and Stewart and William Houston received nearby lots Con. 7 Lot 5E and Con. 7 Lot 6E on the 8th of August of the same year. Five of these families all gaining land at much the same time – the Hamiltons, the Wallaces, , the Houstons, the Wilsons and (perhaps even) the McLellands were Irish. Lacking records which might indicate that some or all of these Irish settlers came out together, or that they came from the same place
From Leaders of Tomorrow
SUMMARY: My name is Brian Bailey. I grew up in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, where my Irish ancestors landed and took root in the 1820’s. I am now 65 years old and counting. My search for my Irish roots began when I was seven years old, and came home from school asking my mother if there was anyone famous in our family. She too had been curious about this as a young person and had asked the same question to her mother – who told her that the McCreary side of our family were directly related to Thomas D’arcy McGee. My mother’s aunt, Laura (McCreary) Ferrill who had grown up in rural Lanark in the 1880s was the self-appointed family record keeper. When I was growing up, the family held picnics at Boyd’s Settlement where the family had landed and stayed on. This study adds to my Aunt Laura’s collection of names in the 1940s. Like my mother, I am a story teller and was more interested in the story than the names and dates. This is the story (or rather part of the story) as I know it.—From Leaders of Tomorrow
Some time in 1823, it would seem just before the arrival of the Peter Robinson Settlers from Ireland, a group of Irish settlers were granted lots along what is now the Highway proceeding east into the first five or so concessions of Ramsay.
These were the McCrearys, the Kinchs, the Dowdalls, the Warrens and the Shepperds. Accompanying the McCrearys was Elizabeth Magee, mother of Elizabeth Magee McCreery, and grandmother of Thomas D’arcy Magee.
Thomas D’arcy McGee travelled often to Ramsay to visit his aunt Elizabeth Magee McCreery (his grandmother having already died) between 1857 when he moved to Canada and his death in 1868. A tombstone with his name on it was found in the basement of the McCreary family homestead at Ramsay III-3. But that’s neither here nor there. It is interesting that D’arcy’s daughter Mary Euphrasia McGee married a Quinn, as there were several Quinns from Ireland nearby in Ramsay. Coincidence? Files from Bytown.net
A copy of the article from the Carleton Place paper in 1944-Brian Bailey
Did you know that one of the landmarks for Scotch Corners used to be “to turn off Highway 7 at the lXL Cheese Factory”? It was a hopping corner with traffic jams consisting of farmers waiting to get their milk weighed in and upon leaving, a quick trip to the back to the whey vat pick up some whey to feed their pigs.
Local lad Alfie Poole had the answers to the local stories in those days and there was a reason as to why this particular cheese factory was called ‘the IXL’. Seems there was a couple of cheese factories down the road and no one wanted to mix them up. There was one past the St John’s Anglican Church on the Ferguson Falls Road called the “Fair Play” and another opposite the church called the “Grab All”. These were the actual names I kid you not.
Well the farmer’s around the McCreary settlement were having none of that, and wanted to have the best cheese factory in the area. So up the factory went and it became known as the IXL but was sadly destroyed by fire in 1969.
02 Apr 1969, Wed,
Page 5
August 18, 1979 William Gordon James
William Gordon James, R. R. # 1, Carleton Place, a former reeve of Ramsay Township and warden of Lanark County, died in Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital, Saturday, August 18, 1979 in his 73rd year after a lengthy illness. Born April 20, 1907, Gordon was the eldest of the late William E. and Annie James of the James Settlement in Lanark Township. In earlier years he spent some time surveying in the Rouyn District of Northern Quebec. At one time he played on the Union Hall Ball Team. Mr. James was active in community affairs. He was a member of Lanark Township Council, Reeve of Ramsay Township and Warden of Lanark County in 1964. He was a Past County Master of Lanark County Loyal Orange Lodge. Mr. James was an active member of St. George’s Church, Clayton, and later of St. John’s Church, Innisville. He took a keen interest in the Union Hall and IXL Cheese factories. As well as his wife, the former Wilhemena Dunlop, Mr. James is survived by one son, Charles and daughters, Eleanor (Mrs. David Aldus) R. R. # 1, Carleton Place, Marilyn, R. R. # 1, and daughter-in-law, Evelyn James. Mr. James is also survived by his grandchildren Lisz and Shelley Aldus and Marshall and Travis James. Also surviving are three brothers, Warren, Perth; Frank and John E., R. R. #2, Carleton Place and one sister, Eleanor (Mrs. Ray Bartlett), Carleton Place, as well as his aunt, Mrs. Eleanor Stewart, Calgary, Alberta. The funeral took place from the Alan R. Barker Funeral Home, Carleton Place, Tuesday, August 21, 1979 to St. John’s Church, Innisville, for service at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Roger Young officiating. Interment took place in St. George’s Cemetery. Pallbearers were Leonard Dowdall, John Weir, George Wright, John R. W. James, Steven Bartlett and Gary Hudson.
January 11, 1980 Gertrude Elizabeth Dowdall
Gertrude Elizabeth Dowdall, wife of the late George Norman Dowdall, R. R. # 1, Carleton Place, Ontario died January 11, 1980 In Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital after a lengthy illness, age 76. Mrs. Dowdall was born in Dalhousie Township, November 28, 1903, daughter of the late Hugh McDougall and his wife, Elizabeth Fair. She received her early education at Watson’s Corners. Mrs. Dowdall was a retired Registered Nurse, a member of the first graduating class from the former Rosamond Memorial Hospital, Almonte, in 1925. She was married to the late George Norman Dowdall November 10, 1926, in the United Church, Balderson. Mr. and Mrs. Dowdall farmed in McCreary’s Settlement, near Carleton Place. Mrs. Dowdall attended St. John’s Anglican Church, Innisville and was a member of the St. John’s ACW. As well as sons Ken, St. George’s; Bill, Mel, and Leonard (Mac) Carleton Place; Donald, Forester’s Falls; Wayne, Maitland; Mrs. Dowdall is survived by daughters, Anna (Mrs. Art Ferguson) and Pearl, Newmarket; Lois (Mrs. Eric Robertson), Drummond and Doris (Mrs. E. Craig) Appleton. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren. Mrs. Dowdall is also survived by her sister, Mrs. Ruby Rodger, Perth. She was predeceased by one brother, Melville McDougall and sisters, Effie (Mrs. Lester Jamieson) Almonte and Pearl McDougall. The funeral took place from the Alan R. Barker Funeral Home, Carleton Place to St. John’s Church, Innisville for Service at 2:30 p.m., January 14, 1980 with Rev. Roger A. Young officiating. Interment was St. John’s Cemetery, Innisville. The pallbearers were John Weir, Charles James, George Wright, Dan McCreary, Bob Dezell and Lloyd Code.
The Old Fashioned Carleton Place Picnic Tackberry Hill? McCreary’s Creek?
The Old Union Hall Cheese Factory By Berenice McKay
Some Fromage About the Hopetown Cheese Factory
Poutine Curds From the Appleton Cheese Factory?
Pakenham Cheese & Butter Factory– McCreary Blair Storey
Watson’s Corners And Vicinity 1891–Shetland Ponies and Cheese
When the Cheese Crashed Through the Floor
Joseph Campbell McCreery inheritted the family homestead at Ramsay Con. 3 Lot 3 and the mantle of responsibility for the McCreery family (the spelling gradually evolved to McCreary) . Joseph’s older brothers, William and John moved off to settle Montague Township, leaving Joseph in charge and he responded by becoming a scion of the community, donating land for a school and supporting his family and others. His middle name suggests that he had a Campbell grandparent. His picture (right) showed up in an unusual way. In the mid 1980’s I caught wind of an auction sale at the McCreery homestead (Ramsay Twp. Con. 3 Lot 3) when it was being sold. This picture had been found in the barn, and it was clear that none of the bidders recognized the man in the picture who had dominated life in the neighborhood for many years. I bought the picture for $2.00 – there being no other bidders – convinced that it was my great great grandfather. My mother, who had spent many summers at the homestead as a guest of his son, Hiram McCreary, did not recognize the man in the picture, but contacts with other family members resulted in other pictures of Joseph with his family (see below) making it clear that this was indeed whom I thought it might be. Joseph Campbell McCreary, a contemporary and first cousin of Thomas D’arcy McGee – married Harriet Bailey, daughter of the ill-fated schoolteacher and sister of William Bailey listed in William Magee’s will. —http://www.yclc.ca/indexzu.html
lindaseccaspina 
Reblogged this on lindaseccaspina.
LikeLike