Ad in –November 18 1867- Almonte Gazette
About twenty businesses were in operation at and near the bustling village of Clayton in 1871, including a grist mill, a cooperage plant, Coulter’s and Gemmill’s hotels, McNeil’s tannery, the sawmills of Timothy Foley, Daniel Drummond, and William Smith ; James McClary’s planning mill, Timothy Blair’s carding mill and J. & A. Hunter’s woollen cloth factory. From–Bustling Village of Clayton in 1871
In January of 1873 the Hunter woollen mill was destroyed with a fire loss of $10,000 and was located on the river near Clayton at the site then known as Huntersville. The woollen mill at Huntersville, in the township of Ramsay, was totally destroyed by fire on a Monday evening.The operatives had all left the factory and the superintendent remained alone to prepare some work for the following day.
A very short time had elapsed when without warning he noticed the flames pirating through belt holes from the lower floor, and so rapid was the progress o f the flames that it was with difficulty that he escaped from the building. Before any assistance arrived the whole factory was enveloped in roaring flames. There was a small machine shop on the opposite side of the creek, owned by Mr. Manson; it became evident that the fire would soon consume it also.
The neighbours and factory hands speedily removed the contents of the shop, but the building became entirely consumed. The loss on the building and machinery will not probably exceed $8,000 while the loss of cloth and raw material will foot up about $2,500 more. It was insured only for $3,500.
The mill was the property of Messrs J. & A. Hunter, whose affairs are at present in the hands of an assignee. The property destroyed represented the largest portion assets of the estate, and while its loss will fall more immediately upon the creditors, it will also be a serious blow to the Messrs. Hunter, who, no doubt, would; have been able to arrange their affairs and start again but for this disastrous fire
In the March 28, 1879 issue of the Perth Courier there was a note that Mr. Alexander Hunter of Huntersville, Ramsay, woolen manufacturer, has gone into insolvency. He never got over the fire that destroyed his factory some years ago.
janaury 1880 Almonte Gazette
In January 1880 the Almonte Gazette reported that the furniture factories of Almonte and a foundry were closed-a woollen factory is for sale at Huntersville, and another at Carleton Place has been offered time and again for sale; it can neither be sold nor leased;— and it is a good new woollen factory with all the modern appliances.
October 23 1891-Almonte Gazette
In April of 1892 William Croft went to Huntersville to start a woollen and carding mill. The Perth Courier reported that Croft intended to have it in operation by the 17th of April There will be about ten employees in the factory but when running at its fullest capacity it employs sixteen. He was make the wool of the rolls, yarn or cloth.
In the years after I could find very little about Huntersville except an 1893 obituary about Mr. David McIntosh, telegraph operator at the Maberly station of the C. P. R., had been killed that morning.
“When the dreadful news reached here word was sent to his father who works in the woolen mill at Huntersville”.
Ad in the Almonte Gazette -1879
Almonte Gazette, Friday December 9, 1881
At Almonte, on the 5th Dec., by the Rev F. L. Stephenson, Mr. Robert John Giles, of Hunterville, to Miss Isabella Maneary, of Darling.
Perth Courier, Sept. 21, 1888
Innisville Inklings: We stated last week that Mr. Fenders and family had moved to Plum Hollow. It was to Huntersville. – Miss Lizzie James of Ottawa, the young lady who has been visiting in this locality lately has had her name changed on the 6th of this month to Mrs. Fitzpatrick.
Almonte Gazette-Novemeber 14, 1872
Birth at Huntersville, in the township of Ramsay, on Saturday, Nov. 1, Mrs. John Shannacy, of a son
MARGARET TOOLEY- She was born about 1860 in Huntersville
Perth Courier, September 30, 1881
Hunter-McEwen—Married, by Rev. E. A. Healey at the residence of Mr. D. Graham, Esq., Dayton, Dakota, on the 22nd September, Mr. Alexander H. Hunter, late of Huntersville, Lanark County, to Miss Mary C. McEwen, daughter of the late Rev. Duncan McEwen, Drummond.
A mere glance at the referenced portion of the Lanark County Atlas (1880) shows some of our important ancestral names, among them Metcalf, Gilmour, Affleck, Rea, Snedden, Naismith, Robertson, Toshack, Yuill, Houston, Scott, Cochran, Steel and Paul. Likewise there are noted the tiny communities of Bennies Corners, Huntersville P.O., Rosetta P.O., Galbraith P.O. and Middleville P.O., dotted among the usual 100-acre and 200-acre spreads of the landowners. There are intriguing locations of “carriage shop”, “tannery”, “B.Y.” (brick yard), “Town Hall”, “Union Hall”, “Lead Mine”, “C.F.” (cheese factory) and “L.K.” (which I can only guess means Lime Kiln)– The Millstone
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