Hello Linda I follow you on Facebook and I am looking for some information. Do you have any history of our house in Pakenham?
We know it is probably 100 years old. Larry Villeneuve bought it approximately 16 years ago and has done extensive renovations. Larry Villeneuve and I are located at the corner of Elizabeth and Macfarlane St. Across from the post office. At one time a Dr. lived here and Paddy Manns mother resided here. Recently I had a young woman knock on our door and she wanted to see her home that she lived in for a time. Her husband lived across the street as a child. Any help would be appreciated. Joanne Craig.
BIRTH 11 Apr 1874Ramsay, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada DEATH 30 Oct 1946 (aged 72)Pakenham, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada BURIAL Auld Kirk Cemetery Mississippi Mills, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada PLOT Range C, Plots 111/112 MEMORIAL ID 127160935 · View Source
1946, Thursday November14, The Carleton Place Canadian, page 3 Ramsay Native Died Suddenly At Pakenham
A large number of friends and relatives paid a last tribute to the memory of Miss Isabel Yuill at her funeral which was held on Friday afternoon, November 1st, from the residence of Mr W.E. Scott. On Sunday evening Miss Yuill had gone to the home of Mr and Mrs W.T. McGill, Pakenham, and her death occurred there suddenly on Wednesday morning as a result of heart seizure. Born in Ramsay Township, 72 years ago, she was a daughter of the late Robert Yuill and his wife, Agnes Taylor. Nearly all her life was spent in Almonte and district and for the past twelve years she lived at the home of Mrs Thos O’Grady, Union street, Almonte, where she carried on a dressmaking business. Miss Yuill’s death is the fourth in her immediate family in the past eight months. She is survived by one sister, Miss Maude Yuill, of Almonte, and one brother, James, of Mather, Manitoba. Rev W.J. Scott, minister of Bethany United church, of which deceased was a member, officiated at the home and at the Auld Kirk cemetery where interment was made. Among the beautiful floral tributes was a spray from Circle No 2 of Bethany United church. The pallbearers were: Messrs Frank Paul, Norman Paul, Alex Barker, Andrew Stewart, John Sutherland and Robert Templeman Contributor: Gary J Byron (49329383) •
It was just an old kitchen fall-leaf table, made of hardwood and still in its raw state with never the stroke of a painter’s brush to mar the beautiful, natural grain of the wood, but what a historic background it had. What tales it could tell of the pioneer days if it could only speak, tales of frugal repasts set on its broad surface, tales of well laden Christmas dinners with a happy family gathered abound, or perhaps of the minister’s visit when it was covered with a snowy white table cloth and the children were put on their best behavior.
But the greatest tale of all would be the time it was used, over 102 years ago. as a pulpit for the first Presbyterian service held in this district. The service was held in a blacksmith’s shop long before a church was built, and this old table, a cherished souvenir of those early days, now reposes in the basement of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church, a strong link in the life of the church from the first Presbyterian missionary from Scotland to the present day.
Pakenham was the central point of the parish, which embraced Fitzroy, Torbolton, Pakenham. McNab and Horton. But to go back to the old kitchen table which is in as good a state of repair today as it was one hundred years ago there is a wealth of sentiment connected with it. Only the spiritual life of the church can endure and go on through all the ages to eternity, but when we look back over the long trail of time and follow the lives of those who have taken up the challenge of the cross, there is little wonder that the spiritual life of the church endures and strengthens with the years.
The material things of life crumble and fade away, but the spiritual endures forever.
The story about this table was told in 1940 and I wonder if it is still around.
Thank you Marilyn for extravagantly sharing your time and talents with St. Andrew’s and our community for over 50 years.I was speaking with Ken Hastie today and he told me that St. Andrew’s in Carleton Place also used to have a table like that and it is now at the Carleton Placeand Beckwith Hertage Museum
The influenza epidemic has left tragedy at the home of the Tims family on the 11th line of Pakenham. The father, mother and eldest son have died of Tuberculosis and the three remaining children are all ill. Michael Tims, head of the household died on Monday of last week.
He was ill for only a few days with the flu and then he was impacted by a cold which developed pneumonia, causing his sudden demise. He was a native of Ramsay, but for over twenty years had been a well-known resident of Pakenham. When he moved to Pakenham he married Miss Mary Farrell, daughter of the late Thomas Farrell
The funeral took place on Wednesday and another sad feature was that Michael Tims, his aged father who lives in Ramsay, was unable through illness to ‘be present. Indeed none could attend owing to illness. When Mr. Tims died his wife and children were also seriously ill. Their eldest son Thomas, a lad of seventeen, had pneumonia. He died on Thursday, and the funeral took place on Saturday.
On Sunday morning Mrs.Tims passed away, pneumonia also being the cause. She was 53 years of age. The pallbearers at the funeral were:
Messrs. P. B. Farrell P. J. Farrell, Thomas and Dan Herrick, W . Doyle and A. Nugent.
Three children remain: Monica, Basil and Willie. One of then is in the hospital and the other two are being cared for by Rev. Father O’Toole of Pakenham. The whole community was shocked when the news came of the death of the three members of this family, and the very deepest sympathy goes out to the sorrowing ones who are left.
William McFarlane passed away in 1838 and Mrs. Isabella McFarlane, being a strong woman, took over the simple log hotel that same year. It had opened in 1832, yet Mrs. McFarlane had no idea her old house would be used almost similiar to an army fort when Chief McNabb came into the village attempting a hostile take over. The volunteers ran to Mrs. MacFarlane’s place and grabbed what they could, whether that be:frying pans. kettles or other cleaning and cooking utensils they could take into battle. Word was the battle lasted all night and they did not have to serve Chief McNab.
After it burnt doqn she later bought some land from Andrew Dickson and built a large building on Graham Street at the weatern approach to the bridge and Isabella Mcfarlane’s pubilc house was known as sylish and became known as THE place to stop. It was also considered respectable and many a meeting was held at her hotel. She provided stabling for 6 horses and had spare beds and a sitting room seperate from the bar room.
I imagine keeping a 24/7 inn in those days was hard and in 1859 she placed an advert selling her inn and in 1859 James Cowan took it over. It was probabaly a good thing as the railway coming through Pakenham brought a large amount of rough and tough railway workers and the hotels were full of these railroaderds who spent their time drinking and arguing.
with files from: Whiskey and Wickedness- Larry Cotton Pakenham 1823-1860( Verna Ross McGiffen)
A public meeting was held at Pakenham Village on June 16 in reference to the school of that village. Mr. Andrew Russell presented regulations including the following to the consideration of the trustees, subscribers and others.
Hours of attendance from 10 to 4 with an interval of 15 minutes; and 5 minutes in the course of the former and 5 in the latter meeting.
The exercises of Saturday to consit of a repetition of the weekly lessons, with questions on the first principles of Christianity.
The school fund to be a pound per annum, with half a cord of wood or two and sixpence, the former payable in February and the latter on or before the 1st of December.
For purchasing maps and other classics apparatus, each subscriber shall advance an additional sixpence.
Pakenham: Was a postal station from 1832. It is located on the Mississippi River. It was known as Dickson’s Mills then Pakenham Mills. In 1842 the village’s population was 250 persons. It contained 3 churches – Episcopal, Presbyterian and Methodist, post office, grist mill, saw mill, carding machine & cloth factory, four stores, a tannery, two taverns and some shops
Jeri LunneyI will never forget her. They lived across the street from my parents in Pakenham. My brother, Ken Doherty, died at the age of 31 in Espanola in 1972. I had to drive from South March to Pakenham in the middle of the night to tell my parents. When I got there, my key wouldn’t open the door since my dad had an extra lock from the inside. It was his barber shop. I panicked then went across the street to the Paiges and woke them up. They helped me break the glass on the door and get inside. The family all drove to Espanola that morning and we were there for several days. When we came back the door had been repaired. Good neighbours and good friends!
Stephen BrathwaiteMary was warm and welcoming and mom to some wonderful people. Im glad i knew her.And the photos don’t do her justice. She had a soft beautiful smile. She was lovely
Sue CampbellI remember her well. Grew up in Pakenham.
Shirleen DuncanLittle Danny looks a lot like his great grandmother
Brenda ParsonsMost precious, lovely lady , yes with a beautiful smile. Anyone that had crossed paths with her was very fortunate.
Alice PaigeShe was a lively, sweet, intelligent woman. We were good friends for many years. Mary grew up in PEI. She was an Islander at heart but loved Pakenham and the friends and family she had here. She told me many stories about her younger life. A different time and so interesting.
Gayle DoxtaterShe was a wonderful lady. I got to know her when I worked at the Centennial restaurant in Pakenham.
Kelly Killeen PhillipsMy first job was at the Centennial . Mary was a lovely lady, great memories!
Katherine RitchieSuch a lovely lady. She was friends with my mother in law and when I lived in Pakenham she was always up for a little conversation when we met on the street
At the age of eighteen Mary was teaching at a one-room school at Albion, PEI (many grades in one room was no doubt valuable preparation for rearing six kids and welcoming all their pals). Throughout her life she cherished her Island roots, often returning to see family and friends. During the war, she was hired by the Bank of Montreal in Charlottetown to fill a vacancy left when her brother Dan enlisted in the army never to return. On a blind date in 1943, Mary met Bertram Courtney Paige, an RCAF officer from Bridgeport, Ontario who was training in Summerside. Before Bert returned overseas, they were wed in 1944 in Alberta where he had been stationed. Bert and Mary lived in Kitchener, Waterloo and Gowanstown prior to moving to Pakenham in 1965.
Mary was a quiet, private person who deeply valued her friendships with dear neighbours in Pakenham, as well as those formed while working as the bookkeeper in the early days of the Centennial Restaurant. She treasured the time spent as a life member of the Women’s Institute, as a member of St. Andrew’s United Church and the UCW, as a volunteer at the library, and at the card table playing bridge. The Millstone
The view shows the carding mill, planing mill and cheese factory.
BY JANICE KENNEDY– 2008– What did you do? I spent a perfectly languid summer day doing perfectly languid summertime things getting out of town, enjoying the scenery, strolling, nibbling and browsing. Could you be a little more specific? Sure. I went to Pakenham, part of greater “Mississippi Mills.” The little village on the Ottawa Valley version of the Mississippi River is barely more than a half-hour from downtown Ottawa, so it’s a drive-in-the-country destination that doesn’t impoverish you at the gas pump. Why Pakenham? There are lots of little villages around Ottawa, aren’t there? There are indeed, many of them certainly worth a daytrip. But what’s appealing about Pakenham, besides the proximity and prettiness of the place, is its ambience.
Some visitors might call it sleepy and it does seem to be the antithesis of bustling but I prefer to think of it as laid-back. A visit to Pakenham is an undeniably leisurely affair. Is that code for “leave the kids at home?” Maybe. What I like about Pakenham is the opposite of what appeals to my two young grandsons, whose tastes run more to water parks and go-kart tracks. If you don’t count the ice cream, Pakenham’s attractions tend to be more adult-oriented. Tell me about them. The village is both attractive and historic. At nearly 200 years old, it seems to have a settled sense of self.
Many of the houses some of them meticulously restored or maintained with their original character reflect the 19th-century love of Regency and Classic Revival architectural styles. In fact, if your interests run that way, you can take a detailed historical walking tour of Pakenham, guided by a helpful little pamphlet available free at most village businesses.
Dating back to the 1840s, Pakenham’s general store is thought to be the oldest continually operated general store on the continent. With everything from fresh baked goods to brass beds, it’s a great place to browse. What’s the highlight? Pakenham’s landmark is The Bridge. If you come by way of Kinburn Side Road, the exit you take from Highway 417, you enter the village by way of its famous stone bridge (“the only five-arch stone bridge in North -America,” tourist literature boasts). It’s an impressive structure, built in 1901 with locally cruarried stone cut in the squared look of the time, suggesting solidity and endurance. Small riverside parks by the bridge allow you to get a good look at the five sturdy spans and, on the north side, to listen to the rushing burble of the water over what is called Little Falls.
Pakenham’s century-old bridge is the only five-arch stone span bridge in North America. Then there is 5 Span Feed and Seed (“We feed your needs”). Besides agricultural and cottage supplies, 5 Span also sells outdoor clothing and local maple syrup appropriately, since Pakenham is in Lanark County, the heart of Ontario maple country. Which reminds me: A visit to Pakenham could happily accommodate a short jaunt to Fulton’s, the sugar bush just a few minutes outside town (directions at fultons.ca). Sounds wonderful, but aren’t you forgetting something?
Did you not mention Ice cream? I certainly did. Summertime’s easy livin’ , should always include at least one afternoon stroll by the river or in this case, relaxation on one of the park benches near the landmark bridge to contemplate the flow of the Mississippi a homemade waffle cone in hand filled with the smooth, cool glories of ice cream. In Pakenham, you can get your dose of frozen decadence at Scoop’s (111 Waba, just off the main street) or at the General Store. Either way, it’s a short walk to the river.
OK, I confess. Right next to the feed and seed suppliers, a small stand operated by local Cedar Hill Berry Farm was selling red, ripe and irresistible fresh strawberries. With visions of shortcake dancing in my head, I picked up a litre and doubled back to Watt’s Cooking? for a package of fresh tea biscuits (not quite shortcake, but close enough). That evening, in little more time than it takes to whip up a bowl of cream, we had our glorious old-fashioned summer dessert thanks to our Pakenham daytrip. I guess you could call that a sweet ending to a pretty sweet day? I guess you could, although it also made for a sweet beginning the next morning.
This was written inThe Ottawa Citizen==Ottawa, Ontario, Canada26 Jul 2008, Sat • Page 64
Pakenham downtown thanks to Marilyn Snedden via the collection of Margie Argue and her late brother Dan Paige–read-Pakenham Community Centre Photos
Do you ever watch a movie, set in a small town where people go into a restaurant or pass each other on the street and greet each other? You wish for instant that you lived in a town like that and Almonte is that with the Superior Restaurant and Pakenham is that sort of town with the Centennial. That is what these restaurants should be best known for. It is the place where families gather, where people go after church, where the guys gather before they go hunting. It’s where people greet one another when they walk in the door. For a moment you can feel like you belong and just take in the laid-back friendliness. Let’s keep these restaurants alive!!!!
The Citizen, Ottawa, Tuesday, September 6, 1977 An artistic salute to a good restaurant By Robert Smythe
The women at the Centennial Restaurant in , Pakenham, Chit., have been serving up good restaurant food and motherly advice for some time, and it is in recognition of their service to the community that the owners of Andrew Dickson’s craft ; store and gallery have put together a month long “Salute to the Ladies of the Centennial Restaurant”. Of course the show’s food theme affords the perfect opportunity to display predictable plates, goblets and place mats all of which abound at the Salute, in the earth tone chunkiness that you come to expect from local potters.
But those who have abandoned this homespun functionalism have done so with a good deal of humor. Their totally impractical tributes to the Centennial are the brightest of this group effort. Ice-cream is really the restaurant’s ace special, and so it is only natural that Paddy Mann’s vanilla cone banner should be hanging outside the old stone building. The image has also found its way onto colored T-shirts, screened by Jane Bonnell.
Gail Bent has made Gobelin tapestries of a stove and a Scottish frugal fridge (with only one carrot in it), but her funniest piece is Holstein By Any Other Name. It is a white wood udder, whose four generous teats are delivering a gushing stream of fibre milk down the wall into a waiting galvanized bucket. Across its side is emblazoned a silver MOO. Alice Paige’s jars of jam jelly look luscious sitting in the window with the sum streaming through them, especially when their deep clear color is echoed by a pair of ruby red satin lips hanging nearby.
Other clever and cute stuffed toys include some glossy eggplants, halved avocados, and a delicious chocolate wafer ice cream bar with a large bite taken out of it. Regular stuffed sandwiches come in several separate layers one for the lettuce, one for the meat, two for slices of bread. Inedible food was also heaped onto brooch pins. Of these, Neil Stewart’s jewelery work was exceptional. Using ivory, silver and brass he has assembled a miniature breakfast of bacon and eggs sunnyside-up, on a tiny round plate. Another piece features a slice of pie (a la mode?) and accompanying fork. At the other extreme of scale is Wayne Cardinelli’s oversized Blue Ribbon Pie in the Sky Award for the Centennial. The medal, which is at least one foot across, has been struck in clay for the occasion.
Sally TuffinI remember when it had red and white checkered tablecloths and shelving where local hand crafts were displayed for sale. Food was excellent.Then when I was a student at Pakenham Public we used to go out with friends to lunch at the Centennial.At the end of the schoolyear our bus drivers used to buy us all an ice cream at the ice cream counter. Worked there for a year when I was a teenager.
Heaps of ice cream in the biggest cone in the country (maybe in the whole world) goes for 50 cents at the Centennial Restaurant in Pakenham. Ont., on Highway 29 and it’s big. People come from all over the Ottawa Valley, and beyond, to try the cone they’ve heard about at the Centennial, as its name suggests, opened in 1967, and Elsa Stewart, its proprietor, explains: “We started serving the big cones around 1970. Some of the girls at the restaurant began scooping out larger cones and I encouraged them to continue.” She describes the cones, modestly, as “two, good-sized scoops.” Some of her customers liken them to softballs and its Sealtest and it’s good, but it’s the hefty scoops that really impress everybody. The restaurant keeps three freezers packed with tubs of ice cream and there’s good variety chocolate, vanilla, tutti frutti. strawberry, chocolate-walnut, maple, and heavenly hash a devastating mix of marshmallow-chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips and a few nuts. One of the nicest things you can do on a warm summer day is stop at the Centennial, pick up a cone and stroll two blocks to the lovely, old stone bridge that crosses the Mississippi River at Pakenham.
Bev Deugo I worked at Centennial Restaurant in Pakenham in the summer when Elsa Stewart owned it…scooped ice cream until my fingers froze ….Cones were huge, lineups were long, we scooped for hours on a hot summer day.
This arched landmark is one of only a few such bridges in North America. Built in 1903 across the Mississippi River, it is less than eight metres wide and was designed for horses and wagons. As the years went on, motor vehicle traffic put such stress on the bridge that it was threatened with demolition. Instead, after history lovers protested, the stones were taken down, catalogued and then replaced over a reinforced concrete structure in 1984.
Details: The bridge is near the intersection of Kinburn Side Road and County Road 29, just as you come into Pakenham.
While you’re in the area: The grey tower of St. Peter Celestine Roman Catholic Church dominates the village. The lovely stone building opened in 1893.
Who has been to the Centennial in Pakenham??? Carebridge Community Support1 min · So happy to work with community builder Omar of Pakenham’s Centennial Restaurant. Using donations from our MMTogether fund initiative we purchased gift certificates for tenants of 5 Arches Housing and members of the Pakenham SeniorsClub. The Centennial and Omar have been fixtures in downtown Pakenham for over 25 years!
Having lunch with my UCW group in Pakenham Centennial Restaurant had the best rice pudding with raisins and whipped cream. The best I ever tasted.
Elsa Stewart former owner
Turning over of Stewart House at Pakenham to United Church
Sunday took place when Mrs. Elsa Stewart, left, hands Rev. Murray McBride case containing golden key, while he already holds deeds given to properties. Other property is White House next door to shelter those on lay retreats and conferences. Photo by Peter Greene
Mrs. Elsa H. Stewart Deceased Pakenham, Ontario, Canada Order of Canada Member of the Order of Canada Awarded on: June 20, 1983 Invested on: October 05, 1983 R. ARTHUR STEWART, C.M. Operators of a model livestock-breeding farm, the Stewarts have been active in many farm organizations, founded university entrance bursaries to the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph for local students, and donated and worked in a United Church retreat house. They have also been major contributors to the restoration and revitalization of the village of Pakenham, Ontario.
Art and Elsa Stewart
Pakenham’s Stewart Community Centre was named for Art and Elsa Stewart who greatly contributed to the restoration and revitalization of Pakenham in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It was opened in 1974, replacing the old Community Hall. Art and Elsa were awarded the Order of Canada in June of 1983. Operators of a model livestock-breeding farm, the Stewarts were active in many farm organizations and founded university entrance bursaries to the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph for local students.
tJuliana Mcfarlane-Sabourin and Omar from the Centennial restaurantJuliana Mcfarlane-Sabourin and Omar from the Centennial restaurant
Any history on this home in Pakenham next to The General Store in Pakenham?KH McAlister 15h ·
This is a photo of the home of Thomas Lowe and his wife Ann (nee Coburn), but I’m not sure if it’s the same house. (My grandmother remembered her grandfather, Thomas, giving her pennies when she visited as a child (in 1916) to buy candy at a store that was very close to the house.) – photo from Ken Lowe
Sheena StewartThe Pakenham library has a ‘book’ with the history of most homes in the village
Rose Mary SarsfieldSheena Stewart I was just there on Friday looking for some information. Most of the Women’s Institute Tweedsmuir histories are at Archives Lanark and most branches have two or three books, so I was a bit taken aback when there were two shelves full of the Pakenham ones at the Pakenham Library. They are a great resource on Pakenham village.
Pakenham Twp. in historical LANARK Co.
Opened in 1823. Its earliest settlers were some of Peter Robinson’s Irish immigrants of 1825. Others came from the Richmond settlement in Carleton county. Pakenham village was founded by James Harvey in 1825. Was a postal station from 1832. It is located on the Mississippi River. It was known as Dickson’s Mills then Pakenham Mills. In 1842 the village’s population was 250 persons. It contained 3 churches – Episcopal, Presbyterian and Methodist, post office, grist mill, saw mill, carding machine & cloth factory, four stores, a tannery, two taverns and some shops.
Jesse E. Middleton, The Province of Ontario: a History: 1615-1927, published 1927
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Hi Linda…just scrolling through your posts and noted that you inquired about the same house in Pakenham with an old and newer pics..These are the same homes. I believe Tommy McCann owns it now. My Grandmother was a McCann—Allan Fulton
The identity of the Women’s Institute still lies profoundly in its beginnings. The story of how this historic organization came to be is one that resonates with women all over the world, and is engrained in the mission and vision Ontario WI Members still live by today. CLICK here–
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