Death of Mr. A. Stevenson – The many friends had scarcely returned from following the late Mr. Snedden to the grave before they were called upon to wend their way thither again, to mark their respect for the memory of Mr. A. Stevenson, J.P., who has gone over to join the “majority.”
The deceased gentleman came to Canada from Glasgow , where he was born, with the other members of his mother’s family, together with his step-father, the parent of the late Mr. Galbraith, of whom the deceased was a half-brother, in the year 1821. The family settled in Ramsay, and at that time our late townsman was about nine years old. He resided with his family for some six or seven years, and then went to Montreal , where he learned the trade of a cooper, remaining there about seven years, when he removed to Carleton Place and commenced a cooperage for himself.
He followed the trade for two or three years, his shop being on the site now occupied by Lavallee’s hotel ( Leland). In 1833 he married, and moved to his own farm on the 2nd con. of Ramsay, where he remained until 1870, when he came to Almonte, and has since resided here. Mr. Stevenson was a member of the township council from 1852 to 1856, and was for many years a Justice of the Peace. For over thirty years he was Pork Inspector for this district. After forty-nine years of married life, he has left a widow, who feels her loss keenly, and a family of two sons and three daughters. The deceased was a very quiet, unobtrusive man, and was consequently not as widely known as many less worthy, but in all the various positions he was called on to fill he brought a strong conscientiousness, combined with a good share of common sense, to bear, and thus succeeded in establishing a claim to the respect of those with whom he was brought into contact.
Owing to frequent attacks of asthma he was latterly confined much to the house, but he was not long confined to his bed. He died on Sunday morning last at the ripe age of 77 years, and was followed to the grave on Tuesday by a very large number of the people of the town and country. Those who knew the late Mr. Stevenson were conscious that he felt severely the death of the late Mr. Galbraith, from the shock of which he never recovered.
During the 1874 and later, when the cheese was being made at the Rosedale Union Hall Cheese Factory, Andrew Stevenson would load a wagon up with 25 or 30 boxes of cheese, and head for Pembroke with a team of horses. At this time the building of the railroad was in full swing and camps were set up in different places.
John Dunlop 1837-1914 was my great-great-grandfather; the Andrew Stevenson mentioned would have been his wife Euphemia Stevenson-Dunlop’s brother, who was also a Justice of the Peace. This story was written a few years ago now since my granduncle Norman Gilbert Dunlop died Dec. 27, 2010, 15 days short of his 103rd birthday, and the author, Berneice McKay, has also passed away.
Years ago I used to love reading the bathroom walls of “The Laff” on York Street when I frequented there. I had no idea about the history nor did I care. Same goes with documenting Carleton Place history. I never thought local hotel magnet Mr. Peter Prosser Salter ever went beyond the Carleton Place town lines. It goes to show you to never judge a book by its cover, or a hotel for that fact.
Over the years history has known The Layette at 42 York St. as Grant’s Hotel, The Exchange Hotel, The Bodega, The Salmon Arms, The Johnson House, and The Dominion House. In 1936, it finally became the Chateau Lafayette and if you have never been there I would suggest you visit for a spell or two or three.
The Laff has had a reputation as once a brothel and rumours of John A. MacDonald frequenting the pub when visiting. It’s also been tossed around that a young Queen Victoria once walked on those very floors, and one wonders if one her signatures or comments is still in one of those ladies bathroom stalls. Hold on… Queen Victoria was said to have never visited Canada, so was it fake news from newspapers gone by? Or– were her many children that visited mistaken for her highness? One thing that is quite clear: there was lots of drinking and talking going on in Ottawa and probably a lot of click bait in newspapers.
But who knew a Carleton Place man was going to become part of its history?
Photo of the Queens Hotel/ Chatterton House etc. on Bridge Street. Chatterton House Hotel guest register dating from 1886 to 1889 was transferred from the City of Ottawa Archives Photo from the Carleton Place & Beckwith Heritage Museum
In the late 1880 the once McIntosh Hotel on Bridge Street in Carleton Place was bought by Peter Prosser Salter who doubled the size, and renamed it the Queen’s Hotel. It was flipped in 1882 to the widow Mary J. Chatterton who allegedly ran a house of ill-repute and by 1886 she had sold it back to Peter Salter.
Salter ran it until about 1890 when he sold the business back once again to Mrs. Chatterton. Mrs. Chatteron wasn’t poor by any means and owned much local real estate due to her “lucrative business practises”, but it seems she sold it back to him a few more times.
On the 20th of October 1899 it was noted in the local newspaper and the Ottawa Citizen that Mr. Salter, proprietor of the well known Queen’s Hotel in Carleton Place had disposed of the property, with Mrs. Chatteron once again being the purchaser. The price was noted being up into the double tens with five digits.
On November 7, 1900 the Ottawa Journal reported that Mary Chatterton still had the complete management of the Queen’s Hotel. There was no word if the alleyway business re-opened, or why Salter and Mrs. Chatterton seemed to be playing real estate ping pong with the Queen’s Hotel through the years. Was it for tax purposes?
Before going to Ottawa Peter Salter bought and reopened the Carleton House, the oldest two storey stone building in Carleton Place in 1900 after his final sale with Mrs. Chatterton. He renamed it the Leland Hotel and it still stands today as the office of MP Scott Reid.
This is a picture of the Queens Royal Hotel, built by Peter Prosser Salter in 1899 and was part of the Lake Park Resort just outside of Carleton Place- Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum photo
A two story hotel was constructed along the Mississippi Lake in 1887, and it was later rebuilt after a fire as a luxury four-story facility by Peter Salter. It offered white linen service, room service, sandy beach, panoramic view of the lake and a number of modern conveniences – running water, private bathrooms, etc. It was the hub of a busy summer resort and attracted crowds from the town and from Ottawa for fine dining, dancing and even horse racing on the custom built track as Salter had many prize horses and loved to win and see his name in print.
Salter had owned at least three hotels in Carleton Place: the Queen’s Hotel in the late 1800s, the Leland Hotel from 1900 to 1904, and Lake Park Lodge which was called the Queen’s Royal on Mississippi Lake until 1926 when Mr. Larson bought it and added the famous Queen’s Royal Smorgasbord.
In 1936 Peter Karson had heard that a small lucrative hotel, the Bodega, at 42 York St. in the Byward Market, was for sale — cheap. Its owner, former Carleton Place resident Peter Salter, was in his 80s by now and a familiar sight around Ottawa in his horse-drawn carriage, carnation in his lapel and a beautiful woman beside him.
The three Bouris boys from Ottawa (Mike, John and George) had gained enough experience by 1936 to go into business for themselves. A little short of capital, they were helped financially by their former employer, Peter Karson to buy the Bodega.
Digging in the newspaper archives after seeing the sale of the hotel I found out that Peter Salter had not only owned the Byward Market hotel, but he had actually owned TWO Bodega Hotels in Ottawa. The first hotel, Bodega Chamber, was near the Parliament buildings on Wellington. It was advertised as the most complete private hotel in the city with European and American plans. The hotel was patronized by the leading Members of the House of Commons and had “Incandescent Light” throughout the 36 rooms. However, a notorious second one was opened in the Byward Market later in 1909.
Bodega– Byward Market was never known as a luxury hotel with impressive guests, and was never a prize hotel such as the Bodega Chambers. This Bodega Hotel was known in the media as “the bucket of blood” in Ottawa for its problems and rowdiness.
The York Street establishment was as a place for the local farmers and their families to ‘camp out’ after hours, and the rest of the regular clientele was the riff raff of Lower Town. ( It was actually called Upper Town in those days)
You had your loud and obnoxious lumbermen, and your typical drunks, and a bouncer called Lucien Leblanc who weighed in at 350 pounds and was called “Moustache.”
Peter Salter had decided to open up what was to become known in years to come as The Chateau Lafayette because his first hotel, the Bodega Chamber was expropriated. The Bodega Hotel at 34 Wellington ( where the War Memorial now stands) was a popular drinking spot and, most likely, a house of ill repute the same as the Queen’s Hotel in Carleton Place.
When the electric trams began running from downtown Ottawa to Britannia-by-the-Bay, it was a favourite haunt of the military band members who gave concerts Sunday afternoons at the west end park. No matter how popular it was Prime Minister Mackenzie King wanted it shut down as he wanted a grand approach up Elgin Street to Parliament Hill
In 1928, the Bodega Hotel on Wellington closed and in 1929, Peter Salter opened a new version of the Bodega Hotel in one of the Byward Market’s oldest buildings on York Street now known as “The Laff”. It was reported in the Citizen that Peter Salter, with his boutonniere and many beautiful female companions, was at the helm once again.
This was the same hotel that the Bouris brothers bought in 1936 after it being for rent for two years, renaming it the Chateau Lafayette. They hoped the name would appeal to the French-Canadians of the Byward Market. It had 34 rooms, each with its own sink and at either end of the halls were a shower and toilet.
Prostitutes once again plied their trade here with men who registered with phony names and the Bodega had long-term residents too. Even after it was sold Peter Salter remained and became the night manager for awhile and lived at the hotel until his death in 1952.
It goes to show you when you least expect it history surprises you with facts no one knows and that is why it is so important for us to keep finding and sharing these stories from the past.
Jules Pilon used to be a stableman and handyman at the Leland Hotel in the days when Peter Salter owned it. He was an elderly, kind, humourous French Canadian loved by all.
One lovely Spring day a well known matron had her young son out for an airing in his carriage. The young squire tucked in the carriage was not fully appreciating the beautiful weather, and his crying was heard wide and far. As she crossed the Central Bridge the mother encountered another infant who was also crying at the top of his voice.
While the ladies stopped to chat Jules Pilon came along with a cute little white pig under his arm. He paused by the group of ladies and quickly raised his voice to be overheard above the two crying infants.
“By Gar ladies, I think I got the best one,” he said as he patted his squealing pig affectionately and strode back to the Leland Hotel.
Story 2
The pupils of the old High School used to watch for old Jules Pilon and at every chance ask him what the weather was to be. He would glance up at the sky in every direction and would reply the same each time:
This information was sent to me from Allan Lewis from Bytown or Bust that he has asked me to share. Please visit their site and their Facebook page.
NB–With files from the (Ottawa Branch) Ontario Genealogical Society, and Michael W Doyle
Al sent me an email this morning about Michael W Doyle in Arizona who is researching the Lanark Doyles. So, I thought this might be of interest to quite a few people in and outside the area.
The notes I have collected include the following about Leo Doyle. Leo G. Patrick (1894-1955) was the last child of Michael J., and he operated the Leland Hotel in Carleton Place.
Doyle was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Carleton Place and lived in the Leland Hotel with Bridget Duggan for the rest of his years after his father died, although there is doubt of any personal relationship between them.
Leo was 22 when his father died and Bridget was 34. Bridget predeceased Leo when she was 69 and is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery beneath a lovely head stone that informs us she was born on June 6th, 1882, at the ‘Leap Enniscorthy Co, Wexford, Ireland’ and died on November 17th, 1951. (In fact, what should probably have been inscribed on the head stone was ” Born at The Leap, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland”.
There are some interesting stories told about Leo and Bridget and the Leland Hotel. It seems that Carleton Place continued to be dry after the prohibition period of the 30′ s, right through until after WWII. Yet the Leland Hotel continued to operate, serving liquor to the population at large and certainly to the Findlay Foundry workers, who used to come in the back door of the hotel (the Foundry was located on High St., right behind the Leland, which is on Bridge Street). Part of the cost of doing business for Leo and Bridget were the fines they had to pay, and the occasional jail time served for the illegal sale of liquor. The few days ‘time’ would be served by Leo in the Perth jail.
Leo served in the Canadian Army during the war and received a full military funeral when he died. Leonard Doyle, his nephew, who was a pallbearer at the funeral, remembers that it was raining and one of the Honour Guards slipped and very nearly fell in the grave before they got the coffin in, in spite of the fact that Leo was a relatively small man, as the Doyles went.
Leo is also remembered as having worn glasses and keeping his hair slicked straight back, not unlike his nephew, Roundy. The Leland Hotel was sold in an estate sale after Leo’s death to Vic Bennett (who owned a garage on the corner of High and Bridge Sts., and it still stands today, housing Lanark Conservative Rep Scott Reid on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.
Carleton Place Historical Notes
This is a photograph of Bell Street heading towards Bridge Street c.1870. The photograph features some of our first hotels in Carleton Place! On Bridge Street facing the camera is the “Waterloo Hotel”, which was built in the late 1830s for innkeepers Robert and James Bell.
Napoleon Lavellee took over in 1846, later renaming it the “Carleton House Hotel” after building a third floor in 1856. He operated until 1870. It was then renamed the “Leland Hotel” by Peter Salter in 1900. Levi Brian then bought the hotel and sold it to Leo Doyloe in 1907. In 1904 Michael Doyle managed the hotel and his son, Leo, took over in 1916. On the right side of the street is “McCaffrey’s Hotel”, operated by Absolam McCaffrey from 1863 to 1870. Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
The Leland Hotel at 224 Bridge Street was built in 1830 for Robert Bell, and is one of the oldest stone buildings in Carleton Place. Opened in 1846 by Napoleon Lavallee as the Carleton House Hotel and was operated by him until 1870. During 1870, Napoleon Lavallee removed his hotel business to his large new stone building that he built at the corner of Lake Avenue and Bridge Streets known as The Mississippi Hotel. The Mississipi was later taken over by Wattie McIlquham who later built an addition to the building.
For thirty years thereafter the Carleton House Hotel was run by others including George Cornell, A Broom, A.J. Fulton and then bought in 1900 by Peter Salter and named the the Leland Hotel.
In 1904 it was renovated by Michael Doyle and operated by his son Leo after his father’s death. In 1955 it was converted into a business premises, and it should be noted that the building’s walls contained some of the town council meetings in the 1840s and 1850s.
Revere House
The Revere Hotel was on the right hand side where Petals and Paint exists now. The reason I am showing this angle is because Doc McGregor first had his office between the Leland Hotel and the Revere House. This space was later walled up. If you look closely at the stonework there has been some work done. The mysteries of Carleton Place.
J Rathwell’s Royal Hotel (it was located in the empty lot next to where the Leland Hotel was)
From the picture it looked like quite a grand hotel, but sadly it closed and remained vacant for years. The Drader family moved to Carleton Place around 1932 where Simeon worked as a carpenter. In 1953 he purchased the old Rathwell hotel which by then was in very bad way and falling apart.
Drader renovated the building and constructed nine apartments in the building that was known as the Drader Block. In 1954 Simeon and Mary Drader celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The Rathwell Hotel was demolished in 1956 and Simeon Draper also died in 1956.
Of note: I read this morning in the newspaper archives that in April of 1915 three of Carleton Place’s hotels lost their licenses. Lee’s Hotel, the Central Hotel and J. E. Rathwell of the Royal Hotel. The Mississippi, the Queen’s and the Leland kept theirs and there was speculation of “who paid off who” at the announcement. Gossip never stops does it?
Corner of Bridge and Bell St Charlie Costello’s Supertest I believe This was my father at the corner of Bridge and Bell in 1944 See the street lights
Rathwell Hotel is the building across the street with the balcony. only one of those fake front buildings left… and the moose would be the only one of that heritage left
lindaseccaspina 