After the 1923 fire, the new building housed Leo. McDiarmid’s Sports on the corner of Elgin (victoria) and Bridge Street. Guns could be purchased or repaired, and ammunition and decoys were sold. Later Cliff Caldwell and his wife Edna operated a hair salon and lived on the second floor. About 1950 George H Doucett bought the building and his insurance company operated there until the early 70s. Mr. William S. Rowat was his office manager and after he lost an eye and could no longer drive, Mr. Doucett’s nephew Allan joined the staff. Mr.and Mrs. Dan Nichols occupied the upstairs apartment and the building was later purchased by Howard McNeely who operated a barbershop at 120 Bridge.
The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum has loaned several pieces from our collection, including the curling stone seen here. It was purchased at Leo McDiarmid’s Sportsman Store, Carleton Place
This 1933 receipt from The Sportsman’s Store is a recent donation. We love their slogan: “The Sport Store of A Sporty Town”! It was owned by Leo “Sport” J. McDiarmid (1884-1967). Leo was the only one of four brothers who fought in the First War and survived. Opening the store after his return to Carleton Place, Leo also was involved in local politics. Together with his mother Mary, he unveiled the Carleton Place Cenotaph in 1924, created to honour the town’s fallen sons.–Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Visit us at Lambs Down Festival on Saturday to learn all about wool!
Cram’s Tannery was located at Sussex and Campbell Streets, and owned by Albert E. Cram, who lived at 77 Lake Avenue East. This quote is from the “Do You Remember When?” newspaper column, written in February 1953 by Leo McDiarmid (he wrote under the pen name “S.C. Ribe”):
“Joe Schwerdtfeger, Pete Lever, Steve Jones and Billy Garland, who were employed at Cram’s Tannery, could whisk the wool off a sheep pelt while you were saying ‘Jack Robinson’. The pelts were put into a curing vat, the wool baled up and shipped, a lot of it to the United States.”
The “Do You Remember When?” series of entertaining and historically informative weekly newspaper articles, appeared in the Carleton Place Canadian during the 1950s. A collection of columns is available for reading at the Museum.
Mary and William McDiarmid lost three sons in the First War. Victor (age 20), Harold (age 22) on Vimy Ridge, and Arthur, who was gassed on Vimy Ridge but came home to endure hospitals and sanatoriums, before dying on January 20, 1919 at the age of 19.
When the town of Carleton Place dedicated their new War Memorial on May 24, 1924, it was Mary McDiarmid, on the arm of her only surviving veteran son Leo, who slowly but proudly walked up the path and unveiled the monument.
I am indexing all of the families of Fortingall/Kenmore/Weem/Killin in Perthshire in order to reconstruct family trees. I am doing so in order to reconstruct the McKercher families, which is a smaller family from the area – as I need to find the female marriages and childrens birth order to relate. My work is here: https://www.mckercher.org
Most of my work is vast spreadsheets, but I am adding families into the index as I relate them. All McKercher/McKerracher in the index proper, but only a subset of other families so far. I do have errors here and there – I am correcting as I fill out more families.
As I work, I am connecting with the families that immigrated – correcting sooo many incorrect trees floating about. Having all the families organized means I can see the patterns of immigration more easily, i.e. the Glengarry families, the Stormont, the Lochiel, the Argenteuil, Bruce, Elgin and so on. There are missing records in Perthshire between 1800 and 1855 as families were on the move due to evictions and seeking work, as well as because some started not to bother registering births. The ministers in the area record the fact on some obscure page of the parish records. This makes connecting harder, so I am using child naming order, as these families really adhered to it for the first or second generations after immigrating.
I previously commented on your blog to correct for a McDonald family that was actually a McCall/McColl/McCail family in the Scottish records. There are a fair number of aliases thrown about in Breadalbane, and the immigrant families finalized their last name as one or another, leaving no note of the fact for their descendants.
There are 3 branches of McDiarmids in Breadalbane/Glenlyon. 1) the Baron McDiarmids of Craigeanie, Glenlyon/Fortingall 2) The Royal McDiamids of Morenish, Killin/Kenmore and 3) The Black lipped McDiarmids of (not sure yet) Killin/Kenmore.
The McDiamids do not appear in surrounding parishes until later, as the above migrated about.
Of the Craigeanie McDiarmids – an Angus McDiarmid married a cousin Catherine McDiarmid in 1782. Two of their boys – James and John immigrated to Beckwith – noted down the page here:
Their older brother Duncan stayed in Craigeanie where he died in 1867. Their younger brother Archibald died in Dunblane in 1855.
James married 1st Mary McNaughton and 2nd Susan Malloch of Carie, Kenmore (whose family immigrated as well)
John married Mary McLaren of Balquhidder.
The other McDiarmids listed who immigrated to Beckwith was a Duncan (and son Angus) – who came from Comrie, Perthshire. McDiarmids are not native to Comrie – so he is from Breadalbane/Glenlyon – small chance he could be from Argyll, but I don’t think so. Likely moved to Comrie and then took the opportunity to immigrate.
He married 1st Margaret McGregor and 2nd to Mary McPherson alias McVurrich (The McVurrich’s resided for the most part on the north shore of Loch Tay).
A number of trees with Duncan McDiarmids family have his birth as being that of a Duncan from Argyll – whose parents childrens naming does not fit with his own childrens – this the 1778 date. It is the incorrect parents/birth for him. They have his death as 1836.
I am trying to find his death record and an actual birth year based on his death that has not been guessed at. I believe he may be a cousin to John and James (as he can’t be a brother).
Your article references a Leah as having submitted it. Do you have her contact info?
(As an aside – while I have mapped out the family of Duncan McKercher of Beckwith, I may have the incorrect parents/connection. Will sort in time)
This 200-acre farm – lot 24, concession 5 was originally a Clergy Reserve. In 1854 it was purchased from the Crown by Angus McDiarmid.The price paid was 100 pounds Sterling. Angus McDiarmid came to Canada with his father, Duncan, in 1818, and settled on the west half of the farm. Being a Clergy Reserve, he could not obtain title, but remained as a squatter until the lot was thrown open for sale.
This history of the east 100 acres is rather vague. It seems certain that a man named Leslie once lived here, but at what time and for how long is not known. He, too, must have had only squatter’s rights. In any case the entire lot was farmed by Mr. McDiarmid long before thedate of its purchase.
Angus McDiarmid married Annie Livingstone, a first cousin of the African missionary, her father, Donald, who is buried in Kennedy’s Cemetery, being an uncle of the explorer. The McDiarmids had a family of eight children, named as follows:
Donald, who died while he was studying to enter the ministry; Dr. Peter, who practiced medicine
In Iowa; Dr. Duncan, who practiced in Western Ontario; Dr. James, who also practiced
in Western Ontario; John, who inherited the farm; Margaret, who married John
Ferguson, living on the farm directly to the north of her home; Janet, who never
married; and Mary, who married Joseph Kidd. A fourth girl, Jessie McDiarmid,
although only a first cousin of the others, was brought up as a sister.
The present home is very old, having been built by Angus McDiarmid but the date is not known. It is a log house. The logs were covered with metal siding around 1900. Today the house is covered with aluminum siding. It was screened from the sixth line by a grove of trees which was planted by Dr. Duncan McDiarmid while a young man.
He had been teaching in a grammar school in Glengarry County, and had asked for a raise of salary to 700 dollars. On being refused he resigned, and while at home he planted the trees. Some of these trees are still growing on the property today. At one point there was an earlier log home which stood at a point to the south of the present one, and across the creek, but all traces of it hav disappeared. Angus McDiarmid, on his decease was succeeded by his son John, who married Janet McRorie. John conducted a singing school in The Derry during the 1870’s. He died at an early age leaving two boys, James and John.
His widow married Samuel Simpson, who lived on the farm until John the 2nd reached his majority. John the 2nd also known as Jack married Tena Drummond and had four children, Viola, Roy, Earl and Eric. John died in 1938 and Earl took over the farm. Earl married Mary Thom and they had two daughters. Marjorie married Douglas Campbell and lives on the ninth line of Beckwith. Catherine married Neil Thomas, their home is built on a corner of the McDiarmid farm. Earl died in 1975 and Mary in 2002. John Campbell, Earl’s grandson and his son Joey Campbell are farming the McDiarmid land today. Earl’s grandaughter Janine McLeod (Thomas) and her family live in the house built by Angus. Seven generations of the Angus McDiarmid family have lived on and worked this farm.
Kennedy Cemtery-459 Glenashton Road Lot 24, Con 8 The cemetery was named after the Kennedy family who settled in Beckwith in 1818 from the Parish of Comrie of Perthshire Scotland. The land belonged to John Kennedy and later owned by Robert Kennedy. An annual memorial service is held in June of each year, along with the Dewar Cemetery. 4.
459 Glenashton Road Lot 24, Con 7 The Dewar Cemetery is named after the Dewar family who settled from Perthshire Scotland in 1818. The land for Dewar Cemetery was donated by Mrs. Archie Dewar on the condition that the family plot would receive perpetual care.
Old Kirk of Beckwith township. The remains of the recently demolished Old Kirk Ruins may be seen near Carleton Place on the Seventh Line road of Beckwith township, two miles south and a mile east of Blacks Corners. The stone church was built in 1832, replacing a log church building. It served the first two Canadian generations of the first large settlement of Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlanders in the district of Upper Canada north of the Rideau River.
Perth Courier, November 7, 1873–On Monday last Angus McDiarmid of Beckwith went to Prospect village to make some purchases. On returning home, which he had left in apparent good health, he was taken suddenly ill and sat down by the side of the road where he was afterwards found dead. The cause of his sudden death was heart disease. He was a man much respected in his neighborhood.
The Lanark Era – Wed May 19th 1897Malvern, York County, Ontario, on Saturday, Dr. McDiarmid, aged 67 years. A son of the late Angus McDiarmid, and a cousin to William, Duncan, and Robert McDiarmid of Carleton Place .
The Derry” while recognized as a community for almost two hundred years has never been officially recognized as a place name on a map. Yet “The Derry” is a well known location throughout the larger community of southeastern Lanark and southwestern Carleton Counties, Ontario. The Derry compromises the former school section, SS No. 6, and generally recognized as lots 17 through 26 of concessions 5 and 6 Beckwith Township. In “The Story of the Derry”, (p. 52), George Kidd writes about origin of “The Derry” as the name of this community.
The origin of the name “Derry” is directly connected with this farm (S.W. 1/2 Lot 22, Concession 5, Beckwith; Robert Ferguson farm). The story is told by James D. Ferguson of Winnipeg: “The word ‘derry’ means a grove, such as is comprised principally of ash, oak or birch trees. It seems probable that my grandmother, finding all these trees growing on her son’s farm gave the place this name, which eventually came to include the whole community.” Mr. Ferguson states further: “There is a song which I heard sung long ago, but I remember only the chorus- Hame, Derry, hame: and it’s hame we ought to be Hame Derry, hame: to our ain countree Where the ash and the oak and the bonnie birchen tree Are all growing green in our ain countree.”
There is a place in Perthshire of the same name. The fact that it is always spoken of as “The Derry”, and not “Derry” seems conclusive evidence that the word is the Gaelic name for a grove, containing especially those trees mentioned in the song. The baptismal records for Donald Ferguson’s children all include “Donald Ferguson in Derrie and his wife Mary Ferguson his spouse had their son baptized”; providing additional insight about the origin of the name given to the community.
Until the last quarter of the twentieth century, many of the farms were owned by descendants of the pioneers who had arrived beginning in 1818. The Ferguson, Kidd, McLaren, McDiarmid, and Stewart families lived on farms carved out of the forests by their ancestors. Other families associated with the settlement of the Derry – Leach, McEwen and Davis lived nearby as did descendants of the Scott family. But a decade into the twenty-first century much has changed. Only one surname of the pioneer families, i.e., Kidd, is found on the many mailboxes which line both the sixth line, now Kidd Road and the fifth line, now Ferguson Road. A great-great-great-granddaughter of Angus McDiarmid lives in the home which he built and a great-great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Leach lives nearby in the fourth concession overlooking the farms of The Derry.
Found in back of the stud walls of the back kitchen of 237 William Street in Carleton Place. It was from the McDiarmid Clothing Co at 74 Bridge Street. It had been cut up into 7 pieces.– and Manny Gomes remounted it.Photos from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum McDiarmids was just up the street from the Keyes Building on Bridge Street where The Granary is located-note the balcony.
The Canadian Bank of Commerce moved into the McDiarmid Block in 1928 and took over Abdallah’s store under the management of Mr. Kent. Some of the tellers were: Bob Hinch, Dave McLaren, Art Bittle, Isabel McLaren, and Dolly McCauley.
Just a note that in the 1970s, the McDiarmid Estate disposed of the McDiarmid block. This building was in the hands of the McDiarmids for eighty some odd years. William and Fred McDiarmid operated a men’s clothing store from approximately 1894 up until the 1930s. Terry McLeod and Bill Cheffins owned Downtown Office Supplies during 80s and 90s and Terry and Bill restored their storefront to resemble the one of the 1890s.
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After the 1923 fire, the new building housed Leo. McDiarmid’s Sports on the corner of Elgin (victoria) and Bridge Street. Guns could be purchased or repaired, and ammunition and decoys were sold. Later Cliff Caldwell and his wife Edna operated a hair salon and lived on the second floor. About 1950 George H Doucett bought the building and his insurance company operated there until the early 70s. Mr. William S. Rowat was his office manager and after he lost an eye and could no longer drive, Mr. Doucett’s nephew Allan joined the staff. Mr.and Mrs. Dan Nichols occupied the upstairs apartment and the building was later purchased by Howard McNeely who operated a barbershop at 120 Bridge.
This photo is of Sarah Evangeline McDiarmid. She’s posing at the base of the stone CPR underpass on Mill Street. Today it’s almost completely overgrown and unseen. Evangeline was born in 1889 and grew up in the big stone house at the end of McArthur Street, a daughter of William McDiarmid, store owner, and Mary Lavallee.
Evangeline was married in 1913 to Harry Ruhl, and a second time to Charlie Bates in 1959. She passed away in Carleton Place on June 14, 1976.
This image of the McDiarmid ladies (and men!) washing up after a picnic was taken about 1914. The McDiarmids lived in the big stone house at the end of McArthur Street, where they had a tennis court in the side yard.
Tennis match, three persons on the court. ca. 1910 -Public Archives
July 1894–Public Archives Carleton Place
1893
Perth Courier, Nov. 9, 1888—
Mr. Archibald McArthur, of Carleton Place, has donated $1,000 to Knox College to establish a scholarship to be known as the Arthur McArthur scholarship
This photo was taken from the roof of the McArthur stone house on McArthur Avenue, looking north. Here’s a few shots taken from the same roof last month.
Your 200th Memory– I can’t remember where I got this photo of children playing in Carleton Place– but back then it was a different time. Jennifer Fenwick Irwin== These are the McDiarmid children, at their home on McArthur Avenue.
Doug B. McCarten Agree that there was a lot of freedom to just be a kid back then and it was SOP in small towns across the country…. Today there are many new things to consider leading to lesser freedoms for kids which I think makes them less prepared for life. Growing up now is much more complicated than back then.
Norma Ford –Back then there was always some parent that would tell your parents what you were doing and you got it when you got home or the next day.
Myfanwy Charbonneau –Thats the way I grew up, little supervision and lots of trust to do the right thing, growing up was fun, playing in the woods, climbing trees, walking wooden fence lines, picking wild fruit, playing his and seek in the wild juniper bushes, then head to the house and eat lunch, and out again until chore time. I loved those days. They make me feel young again.
The house on High Street that is called one of the Findlay homes today was originally built by James Patterson who resided there. Before Mayor Patterson built the house James McDiarmid married Jane Morphy, daughter of William Morphy who was a son of the original Edmund. Their home was on High Street on the same lot where James Patterson built his home. They had two daughters, Mrs. McGuiness and Mrs. George Willis- also three sons, William, Duncan(Shake) and Robert. Robert is the one that gave this information to Mrs. F. C. McDiarmid who recorded it.
Other High Street Homes
Last night I was watching Clara’s Deadly Secret on W and I thought I recognized landmarks in the beginning and then at the end I was sure– so I went to Youtube and clicked on the movie–and sure enough it was the Findlay homes in Carleton Place– then I googled it and found the Millstone article.. no mention of the Findlay homes– but there is no doubt and Pinehurst in Almonte was used for the interior shots. http://millstonenews.com/2013/05/what-is-claras-deadly-secret.html
Jean Isabel Galbraith Findlay Home
Findlay Home on Joseph Street and High Street
A View Of The Residence Of A. Dulmage, Carleton Place . Where is this? This used to be the old Iveson–Peter Iveson home on Joseph and High Street–
Peter Iveson- My grandfather EH Ritchie bought it in 1920,my mother Agnes Iveson Inherited it in 1974,and we had to sell it after she died in 2003. You can see the barn behind,the front was a farm house built in 1875 which was gentrification at the turn of the 20th century,the back kitchen and outside kitchen with the maids room and bathroom and back stairs was added in 1910. It was called “the Willows” because of the willow trees which were removed as they conflicted with the town’s waterworks which were constructed during the Great War. The house sat on three lots and was surrounded by spacious grounds and flower gardens
Duncan McDiarmid, his second wife Mary (a widow) their son John and Duncan’s daughter from his first marriage to Margaret McGregor arrived in Quebec from the Parish of Comrie, Perthshire aboard the Brig Curlew. They, along with two other families the Fergusons and the McLarens, walked from there to Beckwith Township to start a new life and hopefully a better one.
Dr. George Edward Kidd wrote in his book The Story of The Derry, “Duncan McDiarmid was the elected captain of the group, and he called a final halt to his little band when it had reached lot 22 in the fifth concession. Here, in a maple grove and by the side of a spring which still runs water,…., they made their camp. Later they filed claims on nearby lots, and here they made their new homes.”
It appears that the rest of Duncan’s first family arrived after as they are not on the list of passengers on the Brig Curlew that brought Duncan, but are present in Beckwith Township by 1820 according to the census of that time compiled by the Town Clerk.
Of the first family, Angus McDiarmid, eldest son of Duncan and Margaret, married Annie Livingston, daughter of Donald and Janet (Jeanet) McAra. The Livingston family also traveled on the Brig Curlew in 1818 from the Parish of Dull. They settled in Goulbourn Township on the border of Beckwith. Angus settled on a clergy reserve, lot 24 concession 5, and here he and Annie raised their family. This family consisted of John, Peter, Duncan, Donald, Janet, Margaret, Mary and James.
John McDiarmid bought out his siblings’ share of the farm on Angus’s death and remained there until his death in 1876. He married Janet McRorie and they had two sons, John Duncan and James A.
Peter, Duncan and Donald all went on to teach, then Peter and Duncan turned to study medicine, while Donald began studies to become a Baptist Minister.
Donald died before his studies were complete in 1864.
Peter first practiced medicine in Scarborough, Ontario, but then made his way to Fontanelle, Adair County, Iowa and married Anna Hetherington in 1874. They had one son Pierre who died in Fontanelle in 1922. He too followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor.
Duncan McDiarmid took over the practice worked at by Peter in Scarborough and he married a widow, Agnes Purdie, who had two children from her previous marriage, David and Viola Jacques.
James attended McGill Medical School, but was still living at home in the 1871 census.
Of the daughters, Janet died young and unmarried in November 1871.
Margaret married John Ferguson in 1867 and died in 1877.
Mary married Joseph Kidd in 1869 and stayed in the Derry. They had the following children, Margaret, George Edward, Elizabeth M., William Livingston, James, Angus, John, and Annie. Mary died in 1889.
John Duncan, son of John, grandson of Angus, took over the farm and married Christina Drummond. His son John Earl then managed the farm and it is still in the family today.
Duncan McDiarmid’s other children from his first marriage did well for themselves as well.
Peter, youngest son of Duncan and Margaret married first Janet Livingston, sister to Annie, Angus’s wife. They had one daughter Jessie who was later raised by Angus and Annie after Janet’s death around 1841. Peter then married Janet McIntosh in 1842. They had the following
Elizabeth
Peter
Duncan
Ellen Jane
Margaret
Alexander
Donald
Christina
Catherine
Catherine, the daughter who came on the Brig Curlew with Duncan and her step mother Mary, married Alexander Kennedy about 1823. He was a son of Donald and Catherine Ferguson. They first lived in Beckwith, then selling their farm and moved to Carleton County, Nepean. Catherine died 1890.
Elizabeth married Alexander Scott and they lived on the 9th concession of Beckwith.
Christina married Robert Kennedy, brother to Alexander Kennedy. They lived in Beckwith, later part of Robert Kennedy’s farm becoming the Kennedy Cemetery. Christina died in 1873.
The history of Duncan’s second family is well researched on his one son James who married a Carleton Place woman by the name Jane Morphy. More information is available at the Carleton Place Public Library by another researcher. James was a merchant in Carleton Place.
Daughter Ann married Alexander Ferguson in 1839.
I have no information on son Duncan except he became a Presbyterian Minister.
Donald married Elizabeth McIntosh in 1847 and became a Baptist Minister.
I have no information on Hugh except he was to have moved to Toronto.
The son John was left the farm on Duncan’s death, and he later sold it to Alexander Ferguson, his brother in law, and moved his family to Osgood, Ontario sometime after 1861as far as I can tell.
Yesterday I posted this picture (on of my fave photos) in the story Who You Going to Call? The Constables of 1861 ( see photo credits below) – Got a note from one of my favourite local historians Ray Paquette, and well I have to share. So what was in that empty spot next to the Brown stone home on Mill Street in Carleton Place that is now an empty parking lot? Here are Ray’s words:
Originally the building was Don Switzer’s Chrysler dealership during the the ’50’s. The Switzer family lived in the former Brown residence. The dealership later became *Milt Phillips Motors where I worked while in grade 11 and 12 along with the office manager, Leo McDiarmid , the sole survivor of the four McDiarmid boys who went joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WW I.
The Brown Bolton condominiums was the Ritchie Feed and Seed while Don MacGregor ran a body shop out of the site of Slackoni’s . The Carleton Place Hydro office was in a home on the site of the municipal park while the large warehouse on the corner of Mill and Beckwith was the site of Rubino Bros Produce.
I first met Milt Phillips when he was my neighbour on Herriott Street. At that time he was a Sargent in the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps stationed in Ottawa. His family and mine are entwined through my sister who was/is good friends with his twins-Lynn and Lee. Sadly, my former boss *Milt Phillips passed away recently in his ’90’s in February. Ray Paquette
Author’s note– I learned a lot about Milt Phillips from Wally Cook when I was fighting to get the North Industrial Park name changed to the Dunlop Industrial Park. These men that were once involved in our running our town were amazing and should never me forgotten. I once asked Wally if they ever had closed/off camera town council meetings and he shook his head and began to laugh,
“Heck, we only had one because McKittrick was sick and we didn’t know what to do.”
Top photo credit–Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum photo-by Blaine Cornell–This is his Dad Herb Cornell with Ray McIsaac- Check out the corner after the old Taylor’s Garage. There was a building there where there is an empty parking lot now next to Spartan’s Pizza
PHILLIPS, Milton Ernest Gordon Passed to glory on Monday, February 20, 2017 at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa in his 93rd year. Born in Smiths Falls to Gordon and Eva Phillips. Beloved husband of Doris (nee Dodds, deceased in 2012). Loved by children Susan (Dennis) Bjerstedt, Lynn (Bob) Barrett and Lee (Marsha) Phillips; eight grandchildren; and eleven great- grandchildren. Milton was a WW2 veteran and retired from the Ontario Government in 1987. Friends are invited to visit with the family at the Lannin Funeral Home, Smiths Falls on Friday, February 24, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. until time of Funeral Service in the chapel at 1:00 p.m. Interment to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery. As expressions of sympathy, donations to Billy Graham Memorial Foundation or any charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family.
The new fire hall on Mill Street was under construction in 1978. It later became the Youth Centre, and has now been torn down and is the site of the new Public Washrooms.
Note the absence of a clock in the Town Hall clock tower, and the two houses this side of town hall. The red brick one housed the Hydro Electric Commission for many years. —Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
I was searching for something about a Munroe child being an acrobat in the New York World’s Fair and somehow I came across this video and text from the Carleton Place Library. This fits right in with our upcoming Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum Gala Dinner featuring Julian Smith who will discuss his work on the restoration of the Vimy Ridge Memorial– I thought this was great.
We are so honoured and proud to share with you this local documentary prepared in 2007 to commemorate the 90thanniversary of the Battle at Vimy Ridge produced by our summer student, Emma Kinsman. The video was presented and placed at the Perth Regional Historica Fair in 2007.
The video centers on the McDiarmid brothers of Carleton Place. Four of the six McDiarmid brothers enlisted in the First World War with only 1 returning home. Harold and Victor McDiarmid were killed at Vimy Ridge, and Arthur, who returned home to die after being exposed to poisonous gas.
Following the war, Mary McDiarmid and her only surviving veteran son, Leo, unveiled the Cenotaph in Carleton Place which was created to honour the town’s fallen sons.
his documentary was made in 2007 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle at Vimy Ridge. It was produced by Emma Kinsman about the McDiarmid brothers of Carleton Place. Four of the sixMcDiarmid brothers enlisted in the First World War with only one returning home. Harold and Victor McDiarmid were killed at Vimy Ridge, and Arthur returned home to die after being exposed to poisonous gas. Following the war, Mary McDiarmid and her only surviving veteran son, Leo, unveiled the new Cenotaph in Carleton Place which was created to honour the town’s fallen sons.
This is the second panel of the Giant Tiger Mural. It’s a full one! From left to right: Mary McDiarmid, local teacher and David Findlay, founder of the Findlay Foundry, with the Gillies McLaren sawmill and workers in the background, at center, an ariel view of Carleton Place showing the Findlay Foundry on the north bank of the river, a wagon load of stoves heading to the train station to be shipped and the CPR train bridge with a train heading north. Various lumber mills, churches and our town hall fill the background. Carleton Place has a full and varied history!–Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
It’s Canada’s 150th birthday…
It’s the 120th anniversary of the Carleton Place Town Hall…
We are also honouring the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.
Join us this year at our annual fundraising Heritage Dinner as we honour these milstones. Architect Julian Smith will discuss his work on the restoration of the Memorial. Recently named to the Order of Canada, Mr. Smith has worked in both the heritage and contemporary fields on culturally significant sites in Canada (including Carelton Place), the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Tickets are $50 per person (with a $25 tax receipt). Dinner by Leatherworks Catering, with live musical entertainment and a silent auction. More details to follow.
All proceeds raised enable the Society’s continuing support of the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum, their exhibitions, programming and public education events. This is our major fundraising event of the year. Other annual fundraisers include the Junk and Disorderly Sale on March 25/26 and our Vintage Clothing Sale held this year from April 21 – 23.
Tickets available beginning January 23 at the Carleton Place Chamber of Commerce and at the Museum.–Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
Victor McDiarmid, age 18, poses with his sisters Jane and Evangeline at the Carleton Place Train Station in 1916. Victor was on his way overseas to fight in WWI with the 75th Battalion, 1st Central Ontario Regiment.
A high school student and skilled hockey player, Victor was one of four brothers who served in WWI. Only one came home.
Victor was reported “missing, presumed dead” at Vimy Ridge, April 8, 1917. Victor’s body was never found. His name is on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. We will remember.
McDiarmid—Died, at Carleton Place on the 13th May, Ormand M. McDiarmid, youngest son of Mr. Duncan McDiarmid, aged 9 months and four days.
Perth Courier, Sept. 8, 1899
We regret to announce the death of Mrs. W.R. McGinnis of Carleton Place, from Bright’s Disease, on Friday morning last in her 48th (?) year. The maiden name of the deceased was Matilda McDiarmid and she was a sister of Messrs. William, Duncan, and Robert McDiarmid of Carleton Place. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Her husband died 13 years ago of typhoid fever at Toronto
Perth Courier, July 30, 1897
James H. Reilly, once a resident of Carleton Place, died at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on Thursday of last week. The body was brought to Carleton Place by William McDiarmid, Jr., to be buried from the home of his uncle D. McNeely in Cram’s Cemetery.
The basic facts from Parts 1-5 are from the flyer that I added on too which were passed out on January 1: Carleton Place-A Valley Town at Confederation 1867 by the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
Parts 6 on– are facts I am personally researching and doing as a 150 challenge…
FACT–Did you know we used to have fire boxes in Carleton Place?
Fire Alarm Boxes–where are they now? In the old days, with wooden houses built close together, and lit by whale oil or gas jets, the threat of fire was constant and very great. Thus, the fire department as well as the police department had boxes. Police boxes were coloured blue, and fire alarm boxes coloured red and both operated similarly, via telegraphy, before the public phone system was thought sufficiently reliable to entrust with life-and-death matters. A citizen broke the glass cover and pulled a little hook, which telegraphed the box location to the authorities.
The installation apparently began in in the 1880s. At the time, few people had telephones, and many fires were reported by children or neighbours that ran to the fire station to report a fire. The system was seen as a great step forward in bringing safety and security to all citizens. The alarm transmitter consisted of copper wire mounted in a glass case with a nickel frame, which received calls from public alarm boxes and relayed them via telegraph lines to the nearest fire station. This informed the station manager exactly which alarm box had been rung — but did not provide any information on the nature of the emergency.
FACT–Did you know that the Carleton Place Curling Club began in 1886?
The Carleton Place Bonspiel Team, were the winners of the C.C.C.A. Trophy, 1896-97. In 1903 Carleton Place curlers, with William Baird and Dr. D. A. Muirhead as skips, also won the Lanark County Curling League cup.
Cold winters drove curling indoors and the bigger clubs began to build indoor rinks after 1840. By 1900, Canadian curling clubs had moved almost exclusively indoors. Indoor rinks, and later, modern ice-making technology brought the sport closer to an art form, eliminating snow, ice bumps and much of the luck that had previously made up the game.
In Lanark County, contracts for erecting drill halls were let early in 1866 at Carleton Place and Almonte. Construction of the Carleton Place armoury was aided by the promise of a £50 grant by the municipality.
It was built by William Pattie on the Beckwith Street site of the recently demolished skating rink bordering the park which then was the village market square. During the 1880’s the hardwood floor of the Carleton Place drill hall on Beckwith was flooded for a curling surface. .
In 1909 a roller skating rink with a new skating floor was re-opened at the militia drill hall on the market square. Supported by its hand hewn beams, it remained a useful memorial of the perils of the 1860’s until destroyed. Tragically that year the curling rink, the militia drill shed all burned during the Great Fire of Carleton Place.
“The Carleton Place Curling Club (CPCC) was formed in 1886 with a two sheet covered rink built on to the end of the Drill Hall. A fire in 1910 destroyed this structure and put an end to curling in Carleton Place until 1921 when a new covered rink was built on Charles St. with three sheets of natural ice.
In 1956 the CPCC entered the modern age of curling by purchasing granite stones. This made the game easier to play and thus more pleasurable. The club also became incorporated in the same year and the next year, 1957, saw the installation of artificial ice and a large increase in membership.
In 1994 the present club was built on Patterson Crescent with four sheets of ice and all the modern equipment such as rink heaters, dehumidifiers, de-ionized water and good lighting to make it more pleasant to play in. A large well equipped lounge was also built for after game chat, parties and rentals.
Ladies have been an integral part of the curling program since 1924. However it was not until the early 80’s that ladies became full members of the club and assumed positions on the Board of Directors. They had their own separate club until that time. The first female president served for two years beginning in May of 1989“. —
![MIKAN 3550370 Tennis match, three persons on the court. ca. 1910 [128 KB]](https://i0.wp.com/central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item)
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lindaseccaspina 