Photos from the Trotman family
a friend whose name I have forgotten, owned the craft store The Rag Doll and I use to help her at busy times just for fun. I think it was before Sandra was born. Her store was where Krista Lee had Apple Cheeks
Peddler’s Parish 1980 — “There was Nothing Under the Lord’s Day Act to Stop Him!”
People of Carleton Place–Karel Versteeg- Peter van Rossum 1957
Lynne JohnsonDonna Lowe Ward grew up next door
Donna Lowe Ward–Keith and Freda Black –Keith Black was the clerk I believe Shane Wm Edwards. We lived next door.
Shane Wm EdwardsDonna Lowe Ward Did he have an official sign on the house saying Notary Public or Town Clerk? I have a memory of that
Shane Wm Edwards I believe he had a metal sign at the front door.
Katie PoirierI lived in this house when I was a small child. We bought the house from a lady named Freda Black. She moved to Blacks corners over 30 years ago. Her one stipulation when she sold my parents the house was that she be able to come back on a certain date as that was the day the house turned 100 ( I would have to ask my parents which day that was)It’s a fantastic house. The current owners are only the 4 th owners of that beautiful century house!!
Phil MacLeanlived there as a kid, my aunt and her then husband fixed it up, loved that house
Karen ClarkMy parents Keith and Freda Black lived in this house from 1958 to 1984.
Julie KirkpatrickKaren Clark I have very clear memories of going to the house with my class to make candles. We were making them in empty milk cartons and used an electric beater to make ‘foamy’ wax for the top layer. I think it may have been Doris Blackburn’s grade 5 class I was in. Kevin was in the class so I’m guessing that was the connection?Every single time I drive by the house , I think of that day with your Mom. She was very patient and kind
John EdwardsKeith and Freda Black were co-sunday school superintendents at St. James Anglican Church. Keith also carried a big shotgun which he effectively used as a Starter in Canoe Club regattas while clenching a pipe between his teeth.
Suzanne Turner–Turner’s were across the road from Blacks
Joan StearnsKaren Clark you had the loveliest parents, your Mom. Made flower girl dresses for my daughters. We lived two doors down on Hawthorne.
Please send any memories to me.
Before and After on Lake Ave West — H. D. Gilmour
Threads of Morals on Lake Ave West
The Forgotten Cemetery at the End of Lake Ave West
Ed Fleming — The First Funeral Parlour in Carleton Place
The Last Man to Let you Down? Political Leanings at Local Funeral Homes?
“Sufferin” Sinders! What was Happening on Lake Ave West Today?
Whatcha’ Talkin Bout Willis? — This Old House in Carleton Place
1956 Carleton PlaceOn January 26, 2019 we had the Carleton Place Winter Carnival and in January of 1956 the Ottawa Citizen reported that the ‘glamourous’ Miss Carole Mcintyre daughter of G. E. McIntyre of Lake Ave West won Miss Eastern Ontario at the Perth Winter Carnival. Some were worried there might be shenanigans afoot as yet another Carleton Place gal Joan Hendry was crowned Miss Eastern Ontario the next year in 1957. In 1960 the Carleton Place Chamber of Commerce, assisted by the Ladies Auxiliary, agreed to sponsor and select the town’s representative for the Eastern Ontario Snow Queen contest to be held in Perth on February 20,1960. It was noted that a Carleton Place girl did not win that year.
Lake Ave West Carleton Place Photo Carleton Place and Beckwith Museum
This was my Grand Parents house, Michael and Julia McCann. The house was sold when they died but the back parcel of land was kept for sometime and we had a Christmas tree farm. The land was sold I think in 1982 or around there. I also had an Aunt, Alice Quinn who lived on Neopolitan Street. I believe Doris Quinn is doing a tree on the Quinn side. I have alot of history in Carleton Place and loved seeing the house.
Wes White-remember many meals and sleep overs within that house as a.kid. it was owned by the Noyse-Browns at that time.
April 5 at 1:53 PM · One I took in August 2019
Johnna Ferrill GloverClaire and Timmy Noyes-Brown lived there. They had ponies too
Wes White-Johnna Ferrill Glover … and goats, chickens, ducks and pigs. Lol
Dan WilliamsBird’s eye view of all the parkin’ up at the point back in the day.
read more at Whatcha’ Talkin Bout Willis? — This Old House in Carleton Place
Also read
George Willis — Photographer and Son of Pioneer Family
Before and After on Lake Ave West — H. D. Gilmour
Threads of Morals on Lake Ave West
The Forgotten Cemetery at the End of Lake Ave West
Ed Fleming — The First Funeral Parlour in Carleton Place
The Last Man to Let you Down? Political Leanings at Local Funeral Homes?
“Sufferin” Sinders! What was Happening on Lake Ave West Today?
Whatcha’ Talkin Bout Willis? — This Old House in Carleton Place
71 Lake Ave West — The McGee House
Okay, so maybe I lied a tad.. did William Nichols have an amazing world? Maybe not today’s standards, but in those days William was definitely the king of his castle. Have a look at what Jennifer Fenwick Irwin wrote– not too many local history books have this information. How tragic was this? The Nichols family were one of the iconic Carleton Place families and need to be recorded.
William Abner Nichols was the son of local lumber baron Abner Nichols. Both served terms as Mayor of Carleton Place. William married Catherine Hands and they began to raise a family at their home on Rosamond Street. Little Anna was born in 1896 but was weak from birth and only lived two months. Son William Abner was born in 1899 and named after his father. Little William died in an accident at the age of 2, on Rosamond Street. His mother gave birth shortly after this accident to another boy, and in a strange memorial to her lost son, named the new baby William as well. This is why genealogists get confused!
The family moved to Lake Avenue, just down the street from Grandfather Abner Senior, perhaps to avoid the scene of the accident. Another son was born in 1905 and again named Abner, after his father and grandfather. When this baby was three weeks old his namesake, Grandfather Abner Nichols, died at his home on Lake Avenue of Bright’s disease at the age of 69. Already mourning his father, William must have been completely overwhelmed when his new baby died just two weeks later of whooping cough. Poor Catherine only lived another 11 years before joining her children up in heaven. Jennifer Fenwick Irwin– Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
William A. Nichols – 1870/1933
Mayor of Carleton Place – 1902 – Planning & Sawmill Owner.
Second Line Drummond: Beneath the dome of nature’s vast cathedral when the level rays of the setting sun were beautifying with gentler touch the surrounding landscape, clad in all its vernal freshness and grandeur when all was hushed in the stillness of the departing day, a fair bride, leaning on her father’s arm, advanced to the altar to be given away. When the ever changing tapestry of sunset was hung around the horizon wall then in the early twilight were uttered the solemn and impressive words which made William A. Nichols and Katie A. Hands man and wife.
The groom is the only son of Mayor Nichols of the firm A. Nichols and Son of Carleton Place and the bride is the youngest daughter of Thomas Hands, ex-warden of the county. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W. J. Mucklestone, M.A., of Perth assisted by Rev. Mr. Elliott of Carleton Place. The bride, carrying a beautiful bouquet of lily of the valley, was attired in a white silk and crepon with tulle veil and orange blossom. The bridesmaids were Miss Minnie Hicks, cousin of the bride, and Miss Florence Nichols, sister of the groom.
The groom was assisted by F. Robinson of Morrisburg and William T. Hands, brother of the bride. The guests who numbered about sixty couples were from Perth, Smith’s Falls, Franktown, Carleton Place, Galbraith, Lanark, McDonald’s Corners and Dunbar, Dakota as well as those from the surrounding country. The wedding repast over, the sounds of merriment and happiness arose from every area in the spacious and elegant mansion of Mr. Hands. On swift wings, the night hours passed away and the mists of morning had risen and were scattered before the guests had all departed.
Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, amidst the congratulations of many friends, left on the 1:00 train on an extensive tour. They will visit Kingston, Peterboro, Toronto, Niagara Falls, and other points of interest after which they will take up their residence in Carleton Place. The bride was the recipient of many beautiful and costly presents, all beautiful in design and workmanship. Conspicuous among them were a gold watch and chain from the groom, a piano from the bride’s father, a silver tea service from Mayor Nichols and a marble clock from the employees of A. Nichols and Son while a wicker rocker, a set of China dishes and a handsome easy chair were among other presents that showed the esteem in which the young couple are held.
Nichols, William Abner
Birth : 1870
Death : 1933 St. James Cemetery
Gender: Male
Hands, Catherine Alice
Birth : 1875
Death : 1916 St. James Cemetery
Gender: Female
SUDDEN DEATH OF FORMER WARDEN W. A. Nichols of Carleton Place Passes Suddenly Following Stroke –1933 Almonte Gazette– The many Almonte friends of William A. Nichols of Carleton Place, were deeply, shocked to learn Tuesday of his sudden following a stroke. An outstanding career in the lumber industry and municipal political life of Lanark County was closed early Tuesday with the – death of William A. Nichols, well known and popular-resident of Carleton Place. He was born in Carleton Place on Feb. 4, 1870, and he filled his life with a variety of services, entering municipal life at an early age and at different positions. He had not been in robust health for some time but there was never a thought that his condition was serious and the news of his death was a great shock.
Related reading:
Linda is known for her complaining and whining- but she does it when she feels things could be better in Carleton Place. A touch of insanity? Maybe- but no one is perfect. So, on July 31st Linda complained about a few things again.
While I know sometimes the call of nature comes when you least expect it– there surely should have been another place to put the porta potty on the most photographed tree in Carleton Place on Lake Ave West.
Maybe it is not a huge deal to some– but honestly, if you are trying to sell the town to tourists– this is not a “good look”!
Thanks go to Joanne Henderson, Manager of Recreation and Culture who came to the rescue– and today the porta potty was moved.
Sometimes words (and apps) are not enough to express how grateful you are. The tree would like to thank Joanne Henderson with a funky tune by Sly and the Family Stone. Thanks also goes out to Nicole Guthrie!
“I want to thank you for lettin’ me
Be myself again..
Thank you!”
Now if you really need somewhere to go down by the docks.. it’s across the road.
Photo from Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum— 24 Lake Avenue West was built in 1895 for the Dunham family, and is now The Pickle Dish.
Margaret Ann Rochester Dunham came from the wealthy Rochester family of Ottawa, Ontario. Her father was a brewer – her uncle John Rochesterwas Mayor of Ottawa in 1870 and 1871 and a member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Carleton from 1872 to 1882.
Mayor of Carleton Place – 1900 – Dry Goods Merchant
The Rochesters were a pioneer family in early Bytown that branched out into timber and mining enterprise across the Canadian shield. Many of the Rochesters had distinguished military careers but sadly Margaret Ann did not choose well when she married. She purchased a lot at 24 Lake Ave. W. from William McArthur in 1890 and the house was built in 1895 the year after her uncle died. She and her husband William Matthie Dunham and their three children resided in the home until 1911.
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William Dunham was a dry good merchant and served as mayor of Carleton Place in 1900. He was known as a bit of a drinker and not terribly successful at supporting his family. Instead, he chose to depend on his wife’s inheritance. The social gentry of the Victorian era were ostentatious and displayed their wealth for all to see and the Dunhams were no different.
Even though sickness and disease ran rampant, and lives were lost daily to the ravishes of chickenpox, smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, meningitis, tuberculosis and cholera, the family surrounded themselves with the ornaments and chattels of the rich. The interior of their home was often dark as sunlight was purposely kept at bay. Heavy furniture filled the rooms and family oil portraits hung on the walls. The Rochester-Dunham home was overflowing with vases, figurines, needlework and lace.
Margaret’s Uncle John had been a staunch Wesleyan Methodist and helped establish a local order of the Orange Lodge and was also a Freemason. But for the first time religion started to lose its grip on broad groups of people, and no matter how many Biblical texts were written on the wall of their lavatory for moral uplift William Dunham became an issue for the rest of the Rochester family.
At some point he was asked to leave the family home and moved across Lake Avenue into the Mississippi Hotel and took a room. Stories have circulated that he would sit on the upper balcony nursing his sorrows with ale and gaze across at his former home. Dunham died at the Hotel in 1913 at the age of 65. I have no doubt his dance with the bottle grew heavier after his daughter Annie Rose died in the family home in February 1897 of meningitis at the age of 14. Ancestry. com said Annie died Sunday, April 18, 1897 It is said her spirit still lives on, haunting the third floor.
The home at 74 Lake Ave West was purchased in 1911 from Mrs. Rochester Dunham for use as a manse by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. At the time of Union in 1925 it became the property of Memorial Park United Church. Used for a time by Barker’s Funeral Home, the house is said not only to contain the ghost of Annie Rose Dunham, but also many lost souls who have found their way into the old manse to protect young Annie’s morals from being influenced by her late father– the unscrupulous William Matthie Dunham. ( see clipping below)
1881 Census for Annie Rose Dunham–
| Name | Annie R Dunham | |||
| Gender | Female | |||
| Age | 8 | |||
| Birth Year (Estimated) | 1883 | |||
| Birthplace | Ontario | |||
| Marital Status | Single | |||
| Religion | Engl Church | |||
| Province | Ontario | |||
| District | Lanark South | |||
| District Number | 84 | |||
| Sub-District | Carleton Place | |||
| Affiliate Film Number | 30953_148151 | |||
1936 Carleton Place Directory courtesy of The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum. Not only was H.D. Gilmour a builder in Carleton Place– his wife’s family was part of Almonte history. Below is one of his homes on Lake Ave West that is presently being renovated.
Mrs.H. D. Gilmour of Carleton Place was a niece of the late Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Shipman, with whom she spent her early years. Mr. L. W. Shipman was a grandson of Daniel Shipman and the last of the Shipmans to live in Almonte. He lived to be quite an age, and many will remember him riding his bicycle or driving his car around town when he was in his eighties. Over the years he could be seen bicycling, or in later years driving his car, out to the old cemetery, there to work cutting the grass and weeds and brush – trying to keep the resting place of his ancestors in a decent appearance. He had evidently been obliged to constitute himself a one-man cemetery committee, custodian and caretaker for the upkeep of the cemetery. Since then there has been no one.–Almonte Gazette 1970.
More on the Gimour family from the North Lanark Regional Museum
Appleton’s Twisted Chimney
Digital Photo, Fall 2012
Donated by Sarah Bennett
This digital photograph from 2012 shows the once famous log cabin cottage in Appleton owned by the Gilmour family (left side of photo). Here is the full story, written by Kenneth Godfrey:
My grandfather, Harry D. Gilmour built this cottage, and put a ‘beehive’ shaped stone fireplace into one corner. He asked Beatty Hamilton, a well-known bricklayer from Carleton Place, to build its chimney, but literally with a “twist”. Beatty was at first not pleased with the idea, as he feared that folks might think it a poor job on his part, but H.D. (who enjoyed verbal and visual jokes) prevailed, and persuaded him to build it as a spiral, and I think it stood for many years until a fairly recent renovation, and alas, the chimney (like many other unique quirks from the past) is no more.
More on Beatty Hamilton from Carleton Place from Jennifer Fenwick Irwin from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Museum.
“Saw your story about Hamilton Beatty the brick layer”. This was where he lived at 274 Joseph Street, before he covered the original siding with brick. Also attached is a close up photo of the house from two summers ago when they installed limestone lintels on the windows, and it shows the clapboard underneath the present brick.
Buy Linda Secaspina’s Books— Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac– Tilting the Kilt-Vintage Whispers of Carleton Place and 4 others on Amazon or Amazon Canada or Wisteria at 62 Bridge Street in Carleton Place
Well, I’m talking about the little log house at the end of Lake Ave West in Carleton Place that everyone has driven by a million times. Did you know it was the oldest house in Carleton Place within the town limits, and it became a historical site in 1980? The owners spent several years trying to return the little house to its original state, and one of the first moves was to remove the siding and expose the original logs. It was built in 1820 by George Willis, an early Beckwith pioneer who was granted 100 acres to establish a farm. The first marriages in Carleton Place were those of Sarah, daughter of George Willis, to William Morphy, and Mary, daughter of Thomas Willis, to John Morphy. There was no choice really. The newspapers reported that they were arranged marriages, as the only other choice was the Moore family.
Photo below after a storm in the 70’s in the Carleton Place Canadian- courtesy Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
The house was to remain in the Willis family until 1871. Across the road from the house was the family cemetery. The little cemetery, about 15 or 20 feet square, is found at the extreme end of the town’s park, near Lake Avenue and close to the Mississippi River. This was a burial ground, where members of one of the first families of settlers of the town were laid in an unmarked graveyard. Discovery of this site in 1946 was reported at a Carleton Place Parks Commission meeting, at which the suggestion was made that the area should be marked as a historical site by erection of a cairn. Later the remains were exhumed and moved to the United Church cemetery. Thanks to our curator Jennifer Fenwick Irwin at our Museum she has sent me this picture.
From Glenda Mahoney– Text reads the willis were one of the early irish settlers in carleton place. The old log house on lake avenue past the high school is the old willis house
Did you know the Carleton Place Orangemens Parade used to begin at the Willis house on the 12th of July? It was a marshaling ground and headquarters as the Willis boys were part of a third generation prominent among the performers in the bands. Word is the little house has only had less than five owners. When they renovated the home they found some coins, but Mary Cook wrote that the initials of John Willis were carved on one of the original logs years ago. Now that was an historical find!
And now you know the rest of the story 🙂
This is near the boat launch at the end of Lake Ave West. Anyone remember what happened?
Another photo from Jennifer’s pile of goodies at The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
lindaseccaspina 