William Craig Stead (W.C. Stead) Quarry Owner and Family

W. C. Stead’s house located on the 2nd line of Lanark County (Rootsweb)

Drivers who transported the limestone for the above church from the W. C. Stead quarry. read-Quotes on Andrew Dickson and Local Quarries

Photo- Rootsweb-ancestry.com
SS # 5, Herron Mills school, which was originally SS # 5, Gilles Mills when John Gilles sold his mills to John Herron, in 1871. Photo- Michael Umpherson
Among the teachers was Margaret Weir, the future Mrs. W. C. Stead for the year 1885-1986 — read-Ladies & Gentlemen- Your School Teachers of Lanark County 1898

William Craig Stead and Margaret Weir – and Family.

This is a photo of Aggie Stead, daughter of William Craig Stead and Maggie Weir.
Agnes Catherine was born June 30, 1892, and she married Tom McCurdy in June 1913.  
On the right is Eva Jean Stead, born February 10, 1896, and she married Edward Lawrence Desjardine (Jardine) in April of 1917.

William & Margaret Stead’s – Four Boys.

William Craig Stead; their daughter; Margaret Stead; his wife, Elizabeth Weir and Ida Stead (Mrs. Peter Dunlop); Eva Stead (Mrs. Edward Lawrence Desjardins (Jardine).

Maggie (Weir) and William Craig Stead about 1931.

Hugh Weir was born at Blantyre in May of 1837 (died 5 Dec. 1917)
Elizabeth Hodgson was born on January 6, 1832 (died 6 Nov. 1913)
They were married in Argyleshire on March 20, 1857.
They are buried in the Crawford Cemetery west of McDonald’s Corners, Ontario.

The Hugh Weir farmhouse near Elphin.

The above photo is of Margaret Weir, daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Hodgson) Weir, born 28 August, 1863.  She taught school at SS # 5, Heron Mills in 1885, where she met William Craig Stead, born 12 January, 1865.  They were married in Perth, Ontario in 1886 and had the following children; (Ida Mary is on the left and Margaret Weir is on Margaret’s lap)
William J., born Feb. 1887
Elizabeth “Bessie” born Feb. 1888
George., born Apr 1889
John William, born Jan 1891
Agnes Catherine, born June 1892
Allan Hugh, born March 1894
Eva Jean, born Feb 1896, Mrs. Edward Lawrence Desjardins (Jardine).
Ida Mary, born Aug 1898
Margaret Weir, born 1902. 

George Stead and Mary Jane Rodger  

John Stead and Margaret Lawson

George Stead and his wife, Mary Jane Rodger, who were married April 20, 1892.
There children: Jennie Stewart Stead, born September 1893; William Henry “Harry” Stead, born April 1896 and Addie Craig Stead, born March 1897.
Other children were: Frank George Stead, born September, 1900 and Mary Edith Stead, born May 1908.

The William Stead who emigrated to Lanark County in 1830.

 William b. May 24, 1802 in Farndale Parish, North Yorkshire

              d. October 18, 1844 , at Middleville, Lanark Twp.

              m.  Jan 19, 1828 at Lastingham Parish, N. Yorkshire

 Elizabeth Weldon

              b. April 17, 1796 – Lastingham parish, N. York.

              d. May 16, 1889  at Middleville, Lanark Twp.

Children :

              1. George Stead        May 25, 1828

              2. Ann Stead              March 24, 1830

              3. Jane Ellen Stead  March 18 , 1832

              4. Elizabeth Stead    January 20 , 1835

              5. Mary Ann Stead    1836

              6.                                 Feb. 20 , 1840

George, b. 1828, at the age of 21 went to New York city and took a ship to San Francisco. He spent five yrs in the gold fields. He returned to Lanark County about 1853 and established a mill (April 9 , 1855) on the Mississippi River (Ontario) at  the  mouth of Dalhousie Lake. He had both a saw mill and a grist  or flour mill.  He sold this property to the Geddes family in 1880. The mills burned in 1878. George went to the Dakota  territory and bought some land near Turtle Creek (Manvel). He returned to Dalhousie Lake and moved with his family to the Dakotas. (1882)

In 1854, George married, December 21, Elizabeth Henderson of Middleville, Ontario.

Their children were :

     1. Martha                          September  3 , 1856

     2. William Henderson      May 23 , 1858

     3. Helen Myra                   April 11 , 1860

     4. Anne Maria Henderson S.  July 26 , 1861

     5. George Henderson      December 29 , 1865

     6 Jane A  Stead                June 1868

     7. John Lawrence             June 22 , 1876

From letters written to the parents of Ronald Thompson in 1852 and 1853 George Stead relates his experiences. George Stead left New York for San Francisco on a sailing vessel April 1, 1852 to make the entire trip via Cape Horn. After a stormy  winter passage of the Horn and encountering ships in distress with whom they shared food they  arrived in San Francisco on September 1. After  four days in San Francisco they  boarded steamers for Marysville and Sacramento for the mining country. Mr. Stead spent  three years in the gold fields. He then returned east walking across the isthmus of Panama and carrying enough gold to purchase sawmills and flourmills on the Mississippi River (Dalhousie Lake). He operated these mills for twenty years, until suffering a heavy loss by fire. He sold the remainder of his property  and went to North Dakota in 1880.(The Geddes family purchased this site March 10, 1882 from The Canadian Mississippi River by Hilda Geddes) He bought a section of land 16 miles north of Grand Forks and made his home there until his death  twenty-one years later. The letters stating these adventures were  preserved by his parents and were received by his son, George Henderson  Stead, from a sister Mrs. W. A. Moore, of Hamilton, Ontario.

This is the text of George’s letter (I transcribed it as it appeared to be spelled in the letter without any corrections of spellings): letter from George Stead to his father, William Nov 28, 1853, from the gold mines of California. (The I is Bob Douglas husband of Susan) Letter is in the possession of Susan Middleton Douglas:

“To William Stead Lanark Co., Lanark Canada West”

“Long Bar November 28th 1853

Dear father I once more take the opertunity of writing you a few lines hoping that they may find you in good helth as they leave me at pressent when I wrote to you last I did not know where to tell you to direct my next letters to in my last letter I sent you a draft for six hundred dolars on the (crossed out word) people’s Bank in montreall which I hope you will have gott some 2 or three weeks before you git this letter  when I wrote last I was In sacrimento citty I took a tramp away into the southren mines and every place I came across looked to me to be a very dull show for making much money this winter so I came back to where I was last winter I can make 2 or 3 dolars a day here but I consider that very small waiges in this country  I had the offer of 50 dolars a month for the winter but would not take it I always like to be my own bos in this country and keep trying my luck althoug I should not make so much money as I perhaps might doo by hiring out I hired out 3 days last week to an acuaintance of mine and he gave me 5 dolars a day I intend going about 15 miles from where I am tomorrow for to take a weeks prospecting in some coarse gold digings for where I am there is no cahace for making very big waiges because the gold is very fine and thinly  sold and every yeaar the ground gits more and more worked over  my old friend Peter Lawson favoured me with a letter some time ago  I once wrote him a letter and I had it in that old pocket book which I got of you the night before I left home along with all the letters that I got from home and I lost the whole consern and I never have had an opertunity to write him another  some time last winter I wrote to you of having sunck prety dep and got a good prospect  he wished to know how I sucksedid in it I never went to the escpence of gitting a pump and working it but left here shortly after that for the mountains and through the sumer there was a man jopt (?) into my old hole and hired a lot of china men and made about (crossed out word) seven hundred dolars in about 2 months  that’s california all over I do not escpect to make much for a month or 2 because it rains mostly every day at this time of the year it is poring it down now if cousin John Affleck comes to this country next spring tell him to start about the 10th of march and then he would sail from new york on the 5th and be to sanfrancisco about the 15 of april I think he can come for about 100 dolars when he comes to sanfrancisco he will take the steam boats from there to sacrimento and then to marisville and there he must stop and hire out to the first offer he can git and write me a letter and slip it into the post office I can send for it from any part of the mines by escpres every week and when I git one from him I will come down to where he is and learn him a few of the ropes of california I wish him and you to write me an answer to this as soon as you git it for I am anxious to hear If you have got the money which I sent you I would go to austrilia if I thought I wold better myself I would start for home tomorrow If I thought I could do as well as I can do here so I beg of you Dear Father and mother not to think long of our seperation give my best love to grandfather to my Brother William and sisters so no more at preasent from your afectionate Son George Stead put the same direction on my letters that you have formerly”

George   from Rootsweb

---

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What Happened to the Gold on the Ramsay 7th line?

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Where Were the Miracle Salt Springs in Pakenham? I Love a Challenge!

From the Buchanan scrapbook

I’ve Got a Hex on You — Jaan Kolk and Linda Seccaspina –Historic Rabbit Hole Series

The buildings, which are designed in a Gothic Revival style, officially opened on June 6, 1866, about a year before Canada’s Confederation. On February 3, 1916, a fire. … Confederation. On February 3, 1916, a fire destroyed all but the Library of Parliament. Reconstruction began later that year and was completed in 1927. When the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings was rebuilt in 1916, teams of horses hauled six-ton loads of Nepean sandstone blocks from a quarry near Bells Corners. Each team could make the roughly 30-km. round trip just once a day. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA / PA-130624

Linda Seccaspina

A few weeks ago I wrote about Mrs. Lowney who lived near Bishop’s Quarry who was recorded in the Ottawa Daily Citizen that her cows would not give milk because someone working in Bishop’s Quarry had the “evil eye”. It seemed to be the norm on those days as those that hailed from Ireland in the 1800s brought over their beliefs in hexes and the dreaded evil eye.

Catherine Lowney, a widow, who lived near Bishop’s Quarry, attributed fear of the “evil eye” on her property because her cows would not give milk, even though it was the height of the milking season. Of course one would think there was a very logical explanation of the absence of milk from Mrs. Lowney’s cows, or was there?

At that period (1860s) stone for the Parliament Buildings was being quarried near Mrs. Lowney’s house and many strangers were employed in Bishop’s Quarry in Nepean. So when gossip starts you know that maybe thirsty strangers from the quarry sneaking into her farm and milking her cows would be a valid excuse. Of course she failed to see anything but some bewitching Hocus Pocus taking root in the neighbourhood. Her belief held firm that a certain neighbor or quarry worker possessed the “evil eye’ and was getting back at her for some imagined wrong. We all know how that goes.

Of course my interest wheel piqued to HOT and I began to wonder where the former Bishop’s Quarry was. As I searched for information I came across Bruce Deachman’s article in the Ottawa Citizen. Q is for Quarry: Forgotten, overgrown quarry provided the building blocks of Ottawa

Since I could find nothing about Bishop’s Quarry I somehow knew after reading his article that this forgotten Campbell’s Quarry in Nepean was one and the same. Campbells quarry closed in 1962, when the National Capital Commission expropriated the land for the Greenbelt. Situated right beside Highway 417, just west of Moodie Drive, lie overgrown remains of the former Bishop’s/Campbell’s Quarry that supplied building material for the Parliament Buildings, the Dominion Observatory and the Canadian Museum of Nature.

(We love comments and input–this from Tim Cartwright)

(Tim Cartwright Campbell’s quarry is not the site directly beside the 417. It still exists within the property of Natural Resources off of Haanel Dr. This is why they objected to having it reopened in more recent times.

So, just to make sure I wasn’t going in the wrong direction and steer my readers into reading a fish tale I contacted my historian friend Jaan Kolk. Actually it’s more of a Facebook ‘pity” PM that begins with: “JJJJJJJJAAAAAAAAn, can you help me please”?

Jaan Kolk

Yes Linda, it must be Bishop’s quarry to which Bruce Deachman refers. Henry Bishop owned 200 acres of farm land with a stone quarry: Lot 6, Conc. II OF. The 1879 Belden Atlas shows his house and “white sand stone quarry” on the south side of Corkstown Road, about midway between Moodie Drive and Eagleson. The Canadian County Digital Atlas Project gives the year settled as 1821.

The 1965 aerial photo layer at GeoOttawa shows the bright scars of what looks like quarrying on both sides of Corkstown Road about 2 km west of Moodie (halfway between Moodie and Eagleson.) Zoomed in, one can see a road along the strip stretching south. Google maps shows traces of the same features, and shows the pathway identified as Greenbelt Pathway W. / Trans-Canada Trail. I believe the Citizen photo is of the area in the woods where the trail bends south away from the Queensway. That was Henry Bishop’s quarry in 1861; the quarries north of Corkstown would have been Keefer’s. Campbell began operations on that extended sandstone ridge in 1916, and shut down when it was bought out by the NCC about 1962. I can’t say exactly where they were operating then; there appears to have been a second roadway into that general area from Hazeldean Road

Henry Bishop’s was not the only stone quarry in the area, and may not have been the biggest supplier of stone for the Parliament Buildings. In “The City Beyond”, Bruce Elliott writes: “In the spring of 1861 nearly a hundred quarrymen and stonecutters were boarding in and about Bells Corners. Henry Bishop boarded about 30 of the quarrymen who were working at Keefer’s quarry on the Corkstown Road. He also ran a tavern, which he came to regret because of the insobriety of some of the workmen.

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
09 Jul 1960, Sat  •  Page 35

Nevertheless, his fine stone house was built with the profits. Maps show A. Keefer as part-owner of the lot on the north side of the Corkstown Road, directly across from Bishop’s. Elsewhere, Elliott notes that fine stone house (“Bishop’s Palace”) was built with stone from Bishop’s own quarry.

Here is an Apr. 30, 1966 Citizen note on the demolition of Bishop’s hotel for the Queensway -Jaan Kolk

Linda Seccaspina

Actually, it was recorded in the History of the Ottawa Valley that Mr. Henry, father of Mr. Bishop of Wellington Street had a fine place, Bishop’s Palace. Their sandstone quarries out which much of the ‘decoration’ of the parliament buildings of the city was produced was located between Courtney’s and Pollock’s.

The Irishmen like Henry Bishop’s family who founded Nepean’s Corkstown not long afterwards are believed to have started settling there as early as the 1840s. It became a substantial community, partly due to the flourishing quarry works established nearby that employed as many as 100 men at a time, and provided much of the fine Nepean sandstone used in the first Parliament Buildings.

These men had many hardships to deal with, and one of the first houses along the old Corkstown Road was soon turned into a tavern where the weary workers could raise their flagging spirits. Henry Bishop owned it, and his comfort station was known far and wide as the Bishop’s Palace.

The two-storey stone structure, built in 1861 was known before, the turn of the century as “Bishop’s Palace” when it served as an inn for travellers, area farmers and workers from nearby Nepean Sandstone Quarries.

In April of 1966 National Capital Commission awarded a contract to Alfred Beaulne Construction for the demolition of Bishop’s Palace on the south side of Corkstown Road. It had also served as a private residence from the early 1900s until 1938 when it was acquired by NCC. News of impending demolition was greeted with “regrets and resignation’ ‘by Nepean Township Historical Society.

In an odd note, maybe there was a hex of some sort in that area near the quarry. Today, Campbell’s/ Bishop’s Quarry now sits abandoned, and years ago it stopped being able to provide sandstone. According to Deachman’s article on the abandoned Campbell/ Bishop’s Quarry-” repairs to the generally neglected stonework of the Museum of Nature required many tons of replacement sandstone (approximately five per cent of the museum’s stone had to be replaced), architect Barry Padolsky and the Department of Public Works attempted to have the quarry re-opened. Their efforts ultimately failed, however, when Natural Resources Canada objected, noting that the heavy machinery needed for the quarry would throw off the calibration of the instruments at their research laboratory adjacent to the quarry.” (Q is for Quarry)

What was once a historical workplace for 100s of men now fades into the sandstone so to speak. So thanks to Jaan Kolk for his help– another historical area like the Pure Spring Ginger Ale water spring is documented for generations to come.

Pointing to the sandstone buildings around us, some of which had stood there for several hundreds of years, she commented on how old everything in Oxford looked. Can’t they afford anything new? she asked earnestly.”-In the Light of What We Know

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
01 Dec 2018, Sat  •  Page A2

Henry Bishop

1880s- 
Legislature of the Province of Ontario

Descriptive Catalogue
of Ontario Minerals

Henry Bishop–Ottawa Daily Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
05 Apr 1851, Sat  •  Page 2

Campbell's Quarry--Archie Campbell

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
09 Jan 1932, Sat  •  Page 13

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
14 May 1960, Sat  •  Page 44

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
29 Jul 1949, Fri  •  Page 15

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
02 Sep 1959, Wed  •  Page 21

Q is for Quarry: Forgotten, overgrown quarry provided the building blocks of Ottawa

The Marvellous Jaan Kolk

Talking Through Your Hat? Jaan Kolk

So Where Was Caldwell Mills? Thanks Jaan Kolk

The Thrift Store Couple – More Information-Jaan Kolk

The House on the Hill — Up the 8th Line of Ramsay — Jaan Kolk Files

Britannia Boat House Doomed— April 1907 Ice Jam –Jaan Kolk Files

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign–Dr. Winters 154-160 Bridge Street Carleton Place –Jaan Kolk Files

Please take the Devil Out of Me? Rev. James Wilson of Lanark

Did You Know we Once Had a Grand Hotel? The Grand Central Hotel

The Cholera Epidemic of 1911

The Ashton Hotel– Questions Questions Flemmings and McFarlanes

Benoit & Richardson Photo– a Mystery

Before there was Baker Bob’s There was The Almonte Bakery

Does Anyone Remember Cohen’s in Lanark Village?

Was the Butter Tart Really Invented in Barrie, Ontario? Jaan Kolk Files

In Memory of Jack Wilson — The Mason’s Mason

Some locals find it strange, but when the Morphy’s built my home, Springside Hall in 1867, they used the stone from the Almonte Quarry. Most Carleton Place stone homes were constructed with stone out of the Beckwith Quarry, but the quarry from Almonte was indicated on the original drawing of the house. Sadly, those two land plans went into flames during the fire of  1995.

The late great Jack Wilson who did the stonework on the Caldwell Street portion of our home in the early 90s knew that, and when my late husband argued with him that quarries didn’t matter, Jack took him to a few quarries and showed him the difference. Ange never questioned Jack’s knowledge again, and for two years Jack worked on our home cutting each stone by hand. It was almost like every stone that was placed on our home is an artistic statue the way he carefully cut the stone. As Patti Ann Giles said, “Every stone had a story”!

Springside Hall 1990s addition being added.

Sometimes Jack would stop work and chat with Stuart White across the street as Stuart had worked for Jack for many years part time. On a daily basis the cars would slow down on Campbell Street viewing the work being done and Jack would stop work and have a chat with them about what was being done. The iconic stone mason always had a story to tell and he could make you laugh like no other. One day he came up to me and said,

“We’re going to church for a month or two!”

I gave him a funny look, and when he felt he had teased me enough he explained that he would be going to repoint the stone at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian for awhile– but, we would see him again after that.

The last time I saw Jack was in a darkened hallway in the Bell Street apartments a few years ago. He still remembered me and we had a nice chat. He looked older, but there is no doubt in my mind that Jack could have still cut a stone or two as James R. McIsaac said,”Jack would always be a mason’s mason”.

Springside Hall 1990s addition being added.

Patti Ann Giles–We have one of his masterpieces in our family room. Jack built our fireplace when we built our house 35 years ago. Every stone had a story.

Faye Campbell- Just loved that man and his great masonry work. He built my our fireplaces in our home. He celebrated his 80th birthday when building our fireplaces and I made him a chocolate birthday cake

Allan Stanzel -Had the pleasure of meeting Jack through my father and helped him repair a brick chimney at my parents house and build a brick wall for behind their wood stove. Very interesting man always had some good stories to tell while working.

Wendy LeBlanc Jack was our neighbour on Bell Street for many years and we met him almost daily on our early morning walks – he must have been out as early as 5:30! A friendly, gentle man who always had a comment about the weather; when we got to know him better, he spoke about his career as a mason and his military service. I was delighted to see him at The Carleton Place Terrace, and it was good to renew our daily chats. My sympathy to the family on his loss.

Bob White Jack Wilson one of the Finest stone masons . Jack did a pile of work during his lifetime. My Dad worked for Jack for many years part time . In later years I did the same. Jack would get you to mix cement for him. Weekends on some of the Town jobs in CP . He often told us jokes during coffee breaks. RIP

Dave Hick I worked for Jack many times
He was a good friend and an outstanding mason

Jim Birtch Jack built a floor to ceiling stone fireplace in our home 39 years ago. It took him 21 days and we had great chats. A real gentleman.

Kerri Ann Doe O’Rourke Jack did the fireplace and front of our house on Napoleon Street in the early ‘70s. I still remember him nicknaming me “buck shot” 🙂

Bonnie MacLean I believe he also did the stonework on the CP sign at the corner of 7 & 15. A true artisan.

Arlene Murphy Sorry to hear about Jack….he did our fireplace on Napoleon street…did such a wonderful job…Nice, nice man.

Steve Kipp Have known Jack & Lois most of my life. Jack built our fireplace 38 years ago.
The last time I was talking to him, he was repointing brick at the corner of Bridge & Lake Ave., about 6 years ago,he always had a joke to tell. Yes he was a Mason’s Mason.
Garth Tourangeau Condolences to Rob, Greg and the entire Wilson family for their loss.

Glenda Mahoney So sorry to hear this. Jack was a masonry legend.

Greg Nephin Jack was a great man worked with him building some of the stone walls at my place when he was in his 80’s he was a hard worker even into his later years. Always had good stories and jokes and would stop by to chat when he was out for a walk.

James R. McIsaac He was a Mason’s mason.

Sarah Inglis Thank you for this, Linda. And yes, Grandpa did do the stonework on the original “Welcome to Carleton Place” sign. He was very hurt to see it go. He loved Carleton Place, and he loved being a part of its welcome and story.

Sylvia McMillan Brown Jack did work at our house on 2 occasions. He was so good at his trade; he knew in minutes what needed to be done, and completed the job within a day. A real professional and a gentleman. Bye for now, Jack.

Jo-Anne Dowdall-Brown He told me a story I never forgot.
A man was slow at paying him. He told the gentleman that his fire place would never work until fully paid for.
The man tried it and it filled his house full of smoke.
So the man paid him.
That is when Jack went to the roof and threw a rock down the chimney which broke the sheet of glass that was blocking the smoke to go up the chimney!
I had the extreme pleasure of building my fireplace with him with my friend Tammy.

Peacefully, at the Carleton Place Hospital on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, in his 95^th year.

Predeceased by his wife Lois. Loving father of Jackie (Steve) Inglis, Greg (Tristan) Wilson and Robert (Teresa) Wilson. Proud grandfather of Sarah, Carolyn, John, Sean, Mackenzie, Alyssa and Gavin. Predeceased by his siblings Andy, Jessie, Anne, Agnes, Neil, Scott and Bob. Predeceased by his parents John and Margaret. Longtime resident of Carleton Place and well-known stonemason.

Friends may visit the family at the Alan R. Barker Funeral Home 19 McArthur Avenue, Carleton Place, on Friday, April 6, 2018 from 1:00 until time of the service in the chapel at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Wounded Warriors Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation or a charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family.

Clipped from

1. The Ottawa Journal,
2. 04 Jun 1934, Mon,
3. Page 2

Clipped from

1. The Ottawa Journal,
2. 07 Oct 1899, Sat,
3. Page 6

Clipped from

1. The Ottawa Journal,–
2. 19 Apr 1911, Wed,
3. Page 10

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

The Mahoney Legacy Ends–Masonry Runs in the Blood

Putting a Face to Levi Brian, Stonemason, of Carleton Place

So What Happened to the Marble at the Tatlock Mine?

Quotes on Andrew Dickson and Local Quarries

Quotes on Andrew Dickson and Local Quarries

 

 

Feb 7 1890-Almonte Gazette

—Mr. J. W . Munro, the enterprising contractor of Pembroke, is putting a force of men at work in his quarries near Pakenham to get out stone for the new bridge at Smith’s Falls. This handsome stone has never been quarried, but could be obtained in and much of the stone has been employed in Pakenham and Almonte for foundations and facings of  foundations..

Five-Span Stone Bridge – Pakenham:

Built in 1903, this one-of-a-kind bridge was constructed by Scottish stonemasons who used locally quarried stone. Five stone arches with piers stretch 82 metres across the Mississippi River and make a spectacular view from the riverbank.

For a number of years Andrew Dickson carried on a lumbering and mercantile business, and later added a carding mill.  He held a shop license for the sale of spirituous liquors.  He built a lumber slide and charged a toll on all logs passing downstream.  He operated a limestone quarry on his land.  He set up grinding wheels powered by his mills to polish limestone slabs that were used locally as ornamental stone.Years after Andrew Dickson’s death, stone from his quarry was used to construct the five span stone bridge at Pakenham.

It is also worth noting that  Sheriff Dickson’s fossil collections were relied on by the officers of the Geological Survey of Canada as late as 1905.   Dr. H. M. Ami, Assistant Paleontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada, compiled a list of fossils found within the Perth Sheet in Eastern Ontario.

Ann P. Sabina (2007) reports that Andrew Dickson’s quarry is now inactive, but that fossils are abundant in Ordovician Black River limestone in the inactive quarry and in rock exposures nearby.   She reports that the fossils include corals, cephalopods, trilobites, brachiopods, bryozoans and cystoids.    She gives the following directions to the quarry:

“The Pakenham quarry is on the face of a hill at the east end of the bridge in Pakenham; it is on the east side of Lanark County Road 20 at a point 5.8 km southwest of its junction with Highway 17.”  Sabina, Ann P.  2007,  Rocks and Minerals for the Collector: Ottawa to North Bay and Huntsville, Ontario; Gatineau (Hull) to Waltham and Témiscaming, Quebec. GSC Miscellaneous Report 48

The Ontario Geological Survey lists  two abandoned quarries with the name Pakenham Quarry in the Township of Pakenham.  As the Village of Pakenham falls within lot 11 of concession 11 of Pakenham Township, the  following may be the UTM co-ordinates for Andrew Dickson’s quarry:
Pakenham Quarry
Lot: 11, Concession: 11
UTM Zone: 18
UTM Easting: 399528.012
UTM Northing: 5020897.084

Perth Courier, August 9, 1872

Farm For Sale:  SW ½ of Lot 25(?), 3^rd Concession Bathurst, 1 ½ mile from Perth, 50 acres, all fenced and improved and in a good state of cultivation.  A house and first rate out buildings and splendid building stone quarry and well watered.  Mrs. William Tovey, Bathurst

 

Drivers who transported the limestone for the above church from the W. C. Stead quarry.

John Neilson, Stuart’s son, remembers the horse powered winch very well.  He was just a young boy when his father put him to work.  “My job was to drive the horse to operate the winch.  It was a simple operation.  The lime was broken into big chunks in the quarry, then transported into town on the trucks.  This breaking process was done by hand with big mallets.  Then the pieces were loaded into big steel boxes.  The horse was driven in continuous circle to wind up the cable which the hauled boxes.–The Lime Kiln-Mary CookThe Lime Kiln-Mary CookThe Lime Kiln-Mary Cook

Friday 30/08/1878 Renfrew Mercury  Several teams are engaged in drawing stone from Mr. White’s quarry to Pettewawa, for construction of the piers of the railway bridge there. Quite a number of men are employed at the quarry. With the stir occasioned by the railway extension, the running of the mills and foundries, and the building of new platforms, Pembroke presents quite a busy appearance at present. We notice that building operations are also increasing. Pembroke Observer

Author’s Note–

I am proud to say that when we put an addition on our heritage home in Carleton Place the stonemasons used the same stone from the same quarry in Almonte the Morphy’s used when they first built my home.

Putting a Face to Levi Brian, Stonemason, of Carleton Place

So What Happened to The Findlay House Stone?

More Notations on Tatlock

The Mysterious Tatlock Mine

Did You Know About the Leech School in Carleton Place?

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun