Lovely vintage, unwritten English postcards featuring kittens named “Landor’s Cats Studies Company” by Raphael Tuck & Sons, which was the largest British postcard publishing company of the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
I bought this from EBay for my Lanark County collection as I thought the message was quite neat, and I had not seen this landscape before. It was sent August 7th, 1905 and postmarked Lanark Village. The front is a scene “The Clyde — Lanark, Ontario ( as seen from the Lower Bridge)
It was addressed to Miss S. Sullivan in Arnprior c/o Telephone Office and sent by N. K in Lanark.
The message was:
“I was just settling down for a nice talk last night when some person cut it short. Say do not let the girls call unless I call first because the Boss has caught me overtime, and what I don’t want is to get caught again. Try and come to C. P.”
August 2, 2018 · Prior Fun Facts53) Switchboard operators for the Bell Telephone Company used to connect incoming and outgoing calls to local residents. Their office was on John Street in the building which is currently (2012) home to
This postcard was sent by a friend in 1907 asking Eva to come visit her in Carleton Place. I always love buying these as I try to find out who they are. The sender only had their initials, but I still could track down Eva Muir from Renfrew. Eva passed away in April of 1930. I could find out no more information about her.
Dugald James New lived and worked as a labourer for a period of time in Almonte, and from what I can tell he moved on to working with the Moore logging camp in the Ottawa region. ( thanks to Jaan Kolk) He was in love with Emma Buffam who lived in Appleton and them moved to Carleton Place and her nickname to everyone was ‘Kid”. I have also found postcards from other logging locations so I will do a few postcards each day so we can put their romance together.They dated by postcards for almost 4 years.
Postcards from Dugald James New to Emma Buffam in Carleton Place ( there are about 60 of them- and will put up two a day) thanks –thanks to Cathy & Terry Machin-
May 5,1910
Hello Kid,
Got a card from Ernie and he thought you were a dandy. When I go home to see you, you will be out. Say Kid, wish you were here you would have a lot to do as we have a lot to do. Did you hear anything about the wedding? Brice came home just before I left and didn’t have time to talk to him. Well this is ‘all the lies’ I can think of. Answer soon!!
Dugald
May 9 1910
Well Kid I got that letter you said you sent last week so I thought and would save you asking the Boogieman about it. Well kid, it rained this afternoon and getting ready to see the explosion in Hull.(Quebec) so I don’t have much time. Besides a lot of running around I have to do. Well kid I suppose you are having a good time, but answer soon, if not sooner. DUG
October 19, 1910, Ottawa ( postmarked Ottawa CPR MC)
Well kid,
We had to work tonight, and I did not have a chance to get up. I may be up tomorrow night if nothing happens. We are having one heck of a swell time I don’t think. I worked from twelve o’clock last night until seven this morning. Well kid, be good.
Dug
August 16, 1910 ( postmarked Train Number G)
Well kid,
Here we are having a lovely time working all day and part of the night. I saw Annie B this morning and was talking to her. I have not been in the water yet ( logging) and have no notion to go in. He has not asked me to go in yet. I think I will be here for a day or two.
Well kid, be good. Soon
Dug..
Do you want to chum with me???
April 10, 1912Caledonia Springs
Well, kid
We came down today, and it is certainly a nice place to drop off at as we mot certainly can’t get home until midnight on the freight train. We aew all now in the prime of health. If nothing happens I may drive down to the house on Sunday around 2 or 2:30 if it is good weather. Well kid, don’t write again until I see you, because I don’t know what kind of place this is and we never come back. I will close remaining your friend
Dug
January 3, 1911 Point Fortune
We got here okay and I think I will go out on the job tomorrow. Hope it won’t get that hard on me. But never mind, things may pick up for me. Mr Demers did not come out with us as his son Duncan came off the train we were on. I wrote a car from Rigaud to you. Answer soon if not sooner. I also don’tknow what happened to Tom. He was on the train when we left Carleton Place and that is the last we seen of him. Would you see if he is at home and answer right back?
Dugald
This is where DUGALD NEW lived when he wrote Emma Buffam from Ottawa-4 Avon Lane New Edinburgh— Notice how small it was. They had homes for mill workers and they had homes for logging labourers too.-
In the past, Pointe-Fortune was inhabited or visited by Amerindians, coureurs de bois, fishermen, log drivers, cellars, vacationers and farmers. The national road also passed through the village. But, the 1960s transformed Pointe-Fortune forever. With the construction of the Carillon hydroelectric dam in the early 1960s and the arrival of Highway 40 , Pointe-Fortune has become a small, isolated and quiet hamlet where the emphasis is on nature conservation, environmental protection, sustainable development and the recreation and tourism aspect.
Early lumber companies were very simple operations requiring a lot of hard work and luck and a little capital for wages and supplies.Most timber was illegally cut off crown land.This account of the Moore brothers of Aylmer describes the typical first generation of pioneer lumber men.Their nephews and sons went on to live near Des Joachim’s and be successful lumberers along the Black,Dumoine and Upper Ottawa river,especially David Jr.”Job Sr and David Moore Sr were the sons of Dudley Moore who arrived in Wrightville in the early 1800s.Together they formed the first edition of the Moore Lumber Company shortly after Philemon Wright made his first voyage to Quebec City.In their first operations they each took an axe and two or three men with a yoke of oxen,one cow,one bag of Indian corn,one bag of flour,butter and a small quantity of meat and established a shanty on Lac Deschenes.They made a few cribs of timber,rafted them (many cribs formed a raft with buoyant pine as the base and a few heavier oak and other hardwood on top) and took them to Quebec.By hard work and perseverance and modest growth ,year by year, they became very extensive lumberers.”(from an interview with an acquaintance of the brothers by Anson Gard) READ—The Last of the Wild Rivers
Photo from- thanks to Cathy & Terry Machin– Moore Lumber Co who Dugald New worked at as a cook and labourer.Photo from- thanks to Cathy & Terry Machin– Moore Lumber Co.Moore Logging Crew-Photo from- thanks to Cathy & Terry Machin– Moore Lumber Co.Photo from- thanks to Cathy & Terry Machin– Moore Lumber Co. along with Brooks Lumber Co.who were a huge outfit out of the US and bought land parcels all through Canada to cut wood. Thanks Jaan Kolk
Lanark Locker Plant was owned by my dads brother Gordon Caldwell. It was a general grocery store and butcher shop. Also a freezer storage area of lockers for people to store their meat like my parents did. Once a month we would go visit and pick up our frozen meat or my aunt and uncle would come to our house in almonte for supper and bring some. My uncle always put a couple of bazooka joe bubble gum in the bottom of the box for me
When he retired his youngest daughter Hilda Pretty and her husband Oral Pretty took over for quite a few years before selling it
Tales of Carleton Place
Larry Clark
No photos but I know the Kitten Factory was a big draw in Lanark circa 60s
Nicki Milnes
Larry Clark and a long time after that – until the 1990’s.
Mike Purdon
Both buildings still there. Pretty Goods grocery now
Ron Closs–Lanark Village Community Group
Lanark .5 to 1.00 owned by Don and Rita Miller. The store had everything and was a thriving business. Lanark Locker Plant was owned by Gordon Caldwell. Use to get fresh meat there and they would even hang peoples deer in the fall in the Locker Plant
Norma Sweeney
The millers were the most wonderful people. I remember going there as a child and buying Christmas presents , usually salt and proper shakers 😊. I’m thinking my mom had enough of those lol
Megan Smithson-Harrison
Lanark Locker Plant was my grandfathers store.
Donna Whyte
Megan Smithson-Harrison Lots of memories from that store worked there many years I loved your Grandfather such a kind caring man
Write a reply…
Andrea Snow
The millers opened the first postal box in the lanark post office when it was rebuilt in 1959 🙂
Also my dad still talks about being hung up in the meat locker… Georgette Cameron can confirm if it’s a fact or fiction though 😛
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Georgette Cameron
Andrea Snow …I have no idea about whether this happened or not but it may very well have happened. The Millers at the 5 cent to $1.00 store were sweethearts. It was really the only store I ever went to as a kid and I loved it! They had everything.
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Josie Montgomery
Georgette Cameron I remember your parents taking Francie and I to that store and we were awed by the number of things for sale, and we were allowed to look at everything as long as we didn’t touch
Georgette Cameron
Josie Montgomery I love that memory. Thanks for sharing. My parents loved you and Francie. ❤️
Krista Caldwell
And later on Store#4 Glenayr
Megan Smithson-Harrison 1979 with my Grandfather Gordon Caldwell. Owner of Lanark Locker Plant
Karen Hicks
Both stores were thriving buisnesses in the day!! Loved shopping and Miller’s. My husband and I would come down from Toronto and we would get T bone steaks
Herb Ballantyne
My mom worked for the Miller’s at the .5 to 1.00 store with Blanche Munroe and Mrs. Bowes (I think her name was Florence?).
Krista Caldwell
Did Rita own the flower shop after
John Presley
Remember the bread truck in the parking lot
Jocelyn Ford
If was a movie store too in the 90s
Robert Fisher
We used to rent 2 lockers from Gordon too keep our meet and frozen food in. We had no electricity! Gordon was always puffing away on a big cigar and one day while he was wrapping up a stake I had just picked out a big ash fell from his cigar and landed on my stake he just blew it off and kept wrapping! Didn’t even fizz on him but that probably happened a couple of times a day!
Megan Smithson-HarrisonRobert Fisher I don’t recall his cigar ever being lit. He chewed them to the knob. Not sure he even owned a lighter.
Milotte Leanne Tony
Lot’s of memories great store, also remember on Halloween night the Miller’s home was a must always had the best treats usually chocolate bars full sized ones
Anne Labelle
Any one remember the town police Pepsi fraser
Emily Desjardins
My Mom and Dad use to rent an apartment from Gordon Caldwell before the fire.It was above the store.around 1954.They were newlyweds.Millers store did have everthing. Many the lace handkerchiefs, buzz buzz pink lipstick, Evening in Parisand sweet peaperfume,fishnet stockings,iterchangable earrings…Does anyone else remember these things? Memories!
Sandra Brown
So many wonderful memories stirred up reading this just love it! Christmas time was always special would get all my money to go shopping at Millers as well Norma Sweeney they had everything! What was the name of the guy who drove the milk truck, he also had ice cream in tubes it was so good !
Sandi Schonauer
Those were very good days, Loved those stores,
Blair T. Paul, Artist – Canadian and International
The booming days of Lanark…all of these stores still exist but under new owners…good for them!
Faye Lee
Flower shop Rita Traill
United Church in the background.
Kim Richmond
I think we grew up in the best time possible. So many great memories.
Leona Stewart
Love everyone sharing. Such great memories!!! Dan Boothby just died in the last year
Karen McNicol
Precious memories!
Shirley Kargakos
The store looks so nice there.
Judy Arnott
The 5 to 1 dollar store. A child’s dream store, everything from clothes ,toys dishes sundries. The Lanark Locker Plant. Fresh local meat and produce, canned goods and freezer space for those of us who didn’t have a home freezer. You could order your groceries and Jim Anderson would deliver to your home. You were always greated by name and a smile from Gordon and Donna Whyte on cash. Free bones for soup or your fur friend. Lanark had everything your household needed
John Presley
Dave mclaren in post office
Rob Eady
Just want to confirm that this is the current thrift store and Pretty Goods . The street looks larger for some reason was in this picture.
Judy ArnottRob Eady no crazy boulevards
Janet Adele
5 and dime store we bought Christmas presents their when we were kids for each other
Haley Bowes
The Lanark Locker Plant was owned by my grandfather, Gordon Caldwell. He was a butcher, and the butcher table he used now resides at my fathers hunt camp in Middleville ♥️
When George Milton Argue was born on May 6, 1869, in Carleton Place, Ontario, his father, George, was 42 and his mother, Anne, was 42. He married Sarah Houston in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He then married Sadie Fawcett in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He died on September 21, 1932, in Fort Frances, Ontario, at the age of 63. George Milton Argue married the widow Sadie/Sarah Houston Fawcett in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on August 2, 1921, when he was 52 years old and she was 32. She passed away in 1954 and was not mentioned in his obituary.
George Milton Argue died on September 21, 1932, in Fort Frances, Ontario, when he was 63 years old.
Ottawa Citizen – September 22, 1932 – Argue
Suddenly at Fort Francis, Ontario on September 1932, George Milton Argue, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Argue of Ashton and brother of Mrs. J.R. Hill of Westboro.
Ottawa Citizen – September 22, 1932 – George M. Argue
A native of Ashton, Ontario, George Milton Argue passed away today at Fort Francis, Ontario following an illness of three days duration. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Argue of Ashton. Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. J.R. Hill, Westboro and Miss Elizabeth Argue, New Liskeard and two brothers, Wesley and Harvey, both of Westminster, B.C.
I love finding memories of Lanark County. This postcard I bought on EBay was from 1908. I had not seen the back at all as they had not shown it– so I was really surprised when I saw the back.
The signature of ‘Baldy’ was none other than Carleton Place’s iconic Jack ‘Baldy’ Welsh. The back of the postcard wished a Horace Merrill a Merry Christmas. So who was Horace Merrill?
War Canoe 1905 –Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum Photograph taken by Will H. Hooper. (l to r) Norm Gibson, Bob Green, Bill Sims, Billy Janoe, Jack Virtue, Harry McEwen, ___, Dr. ____, Howard Morphy, ___, ___, Tom Scott, Herb Singleton, Jack “Baldy” Welsh.
Horace Jefferson Merrill (deceased) was a Canadian senior single-blade canoe champion in 1904 and 1908-09. He was coach and captain champion of the Mile War Canoe from 1909 to 1911 and silver medalist ½ mile War Canoe from 1908 to 1911.
He was a member of the Cliffsides, first Allan Cup champions 1909. He Captained the Ottawa Senators hockey team. He was a defence man with the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) for eight seasons. Stanley Cup champs, 1919-20.
Merrill was an outstanding paddler in the decade 1902-1912. He was a member of the Rideau Canoe Club’s first war canoe crew in 1902.[3 Paddling for Ottawa Canoe Club(OCC) in 1904 he won the senior singles in the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA) competition. By 1906 he had switched to the New Edinburgh Canoe Club (NECC) and took second place in the senior singles at the CCA championship. In 1908 and 1909 he took the title as Canadian senior singles champion. In 1908, 1909 and 1910 he led the NECC war canoe crew to second place finishes in the half-mile Canadian championships. The crew came second in the mile race in 1908 and finished first in 1909, 1910, and 1911. In 1912 he served as rear commodore of the CCA.
Merrill retired to live and marry in Ottawa. He became the president of the Dadson-Merrill Press Company until his retirement from that business in 1945. He also served as a school trustee. In 1958, he suffered a stroke on an automobile trip to Florida with his wife, while driving through Cortland,New York, and was returned to Ottawa on December 19, 1958. He died a week later and is buried in Ottawa at Beechwood cemetery along with numerous other Senators players.
The famous Baldy Welsh The Carleton Place Canoe Club is the oldest continually operating club in the country and is the only surviving charter member of the Canadian Canoe Association. The club has consistently produced athletes who qualify for the highest levels of competition at the provincial, national and international level. These range from Ontario team members to Canada Summer Games team members, Junior World Championship competitors to Senior National Team members, Pan Am Games to the Olympic Games.-Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
No story of Carleton Place would be complete without more than a passing reference to W. J. “Baldy” Welsh, famous Carleton Place paddler. In 1952 he was a young 89, “Baldy”, as even the school children called him was spry and extremely active for his age. Baldy Welsh used to stand in front of the Post Office where he once lived with one of his sons who was the caretaker of the building. He used to wear a silver Maltese cross, dangling from a silver chain fastened in his coat lapel. It was something that meant a great deal to him when he won the double-blade single canoe race in Brockville on August 6,1900. The man he beat was Billy Dier, Brockville’s strong man.
Baldy Welsh was also on a four-man canoe crew that won a cup given by Barbara Ann Scott’s maternal grandfather, Mr. Derbyshire, in 1898. In 1952 the canoe he bought 50 years ago was still in a shed not 50 yards from the Post Office. Baldy Welsh was proud of the fact that his three sons, Jim, Frank and Emmet , served the First World War and his four grandsons, Jack, J. D., Tom and William, all served overseas in the Second World War.
Besides being a great paddler in his day, Baldy Welsh also found time for baseball, hockey and lacrosse. He retired from the CPR shop in Carleton Place in 1929 after 22 years spent painting locomotives and tenders. About all he had to show for it was his long service pass but he made good use of it. He never missed a regatta and after some big sporting event in Ottawa, the sports writers usually included a line that said:
“Among those heard and seen cheering loudly at the game was Baldy Welsh of Carleton Place.”
The former paddler was born of Irish stock and his father came from Tipperary, his mother from Cork so Baldy Welsh was Irish and make no mistake about it. He was a natural to play a leading role in “My Wild Irish Rose,” staged by the local Carleton Place dramatists in 1920. Baldy’s eyes lighted up when he recalled how he played the part of Colum McCormack, a prosperous farmer of County Kildare, and how he led a male chorus in a bonafied show-stopper.
Baldy Welsh was modestly proud of a story written about him in the Ottawa Citizen by Austin Cross, back in 1945. He discussed the old stone schoolhouse (Central School) on Bridge Street, and recalled the day in 1870 when it was opened.
Before that, he said, he went to the old frame school across the “school lane.” Half of the old school was moved to a corner a block away on Victoria Street where it is now a terrace dwelling. Baldy, of course, liked best to tell of his paddling- prowess of years ago.
As you know the Balderson Cow is nicknamed Baldy Welsh after Carleton Place’s iconic paddler from the Canoe Club. The Storyland Bunny is now named the Storyland Ballygiblin Bunny now he is residing in Carleton Place. Thanks Ted Hurdis and a high five from Lynette Stanfield!
Renfrew Street Pakenham 1906 after the storm- Bill Bagg Collection
Aug 21, 1906
Almonte
This town and vicinity was visited with heavy rains which began falling about noon and continued with brief intervals during the day. The rainfall being the heaviest known for years was accompanied by electric storms with the lightning being particularly sharp.
Lanark
Although no great damage was known resulted in the immediate neighbourhood word reached here this morning that Mr. W. Bradford, age 65, of the Township of Darling, brother of Mr. George Bradford, of this town and postmaster of White was struck by lightning yesterday and killed. Further particular, however, are wanting except it was known that he was struck by a bolt lightening while sitting reading a newspaper at his home at half-past three yesterday afternoon during the severe electrical storm.
Carleton Place
There was a nice rain fall and some lightning here yesterday afternoon in the town and immediate vicinity but there was no unusual downpour, but to the north and west, a few miles distant the fall was exceedingly heavy. No damage has been reported. The parched pasture land will be much benefited.
This photo came from the late historian and antique collector Bill Bagg, but we have some questions and hopefully one day we will find out where it really was.
Adam Armstrong disagrees with the location
Sue Campbell
9 hours
I agree. This can’t be Pakenham. I grew up in the house at 37 Margaret Street in Pakenham. The last house. Renfrew Street and Margaret Street would have connected at our house if there wasn’t a ridge. Looking up Renfrew Street from my house to the Hwy29. Then it continued across the highway up a huge hill going up to the Catholic Church. I am not sure where this picture was taken.
I have been putting up her postcards for the last few weeks– now I am going to document them all. Thanks Sally Tuffin!
This would be looking up the river from the town hall bridge. The left hand side would be where Spring St. Is now.
This is Metcalfe park at the base of Bay Hill looking up the river. The park was named after a Dr. Metcalfe. Postmarked Feb. 12, 1909. Both there’s two postcards were published by the Stedman Bros. store.
Postmarked Feb. 8, 1908. Published by M.R. MacFarlane in Almonte. These falls are up from Metcalfe Park where the river flows into the bay.
Bay Hill no publisher or postmark.
No publisher or postmark.
No.publisher or postmark.
Postmarked Feb. 1, 1910 published by Mrs. E. Grieg of Almonte.
Postmarked Sept.28, 1907. Unknown publisher.
Postmarked July 6, 1908, published by M.R. MacFarlane
Postmark July 19, 1906.
Postmarked Sept. 11, 1909. Published by M.R.MacFarlane.
Postmarked April 3, 1908. Published by M.R. MacFarlane.
Postmarked Aug. 22, 1907. Publisher unknown.
No date unknown publisher.
Postmarked Feb. 1, 1915. Published by Stedman Bros.
Unmailed, no postmark
Postmarked Apr. 12, 1915 Published by Warwick Bros. & Ritter, Toronto, ON
Postmarked March 2, 1915. Published by Valentine’s and Sons Montreal and Toronto.
Postcard from the collection of Doris Blackburn/ Karen Black Chenier
On July 9, 1913 Earl Thias, 16, was instantly killed when struck by a bolt of lightning during an electrical storm. He was seated on a wagon in a barn and lightning travelled down a rafter, striking him on the head. A crowd of men who were in the barn at the time, and each one of them was burned and shocked. A heavy gold watch worn by Abe Fielder was melted. Six horses, one cow and a mule valued at $2,000 were killed within a few feet 1913 of the men.
It took me awhile to find anything about this story on the postcard as people spelled lightening different ways. But, it did happen. Yes, this freak of nature did occur, and why they put it on a post card boggles my mind. But I had to document such a rare postcard.
lindaseccaspina 